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Can I sell food from home in Maryland?
Maryland cottage food law at a glance
| Home food sales allowed | yes Cottage Food Business |
|---|---|
| Law | Md. Code, Health-General 21-301(b-1),(b-2) and 21-330.1; COMAR 10.15.03 |
| Sales cap | $100,000 annual revenue (effective Oct 1, 2026; previously $50,000) |
| Permit or registration | none. No MDH license or inspection for cottage food businesses that comply; inspection only on complaint. Before selling to a retail food store, must submit proof of an MDH-approved food safety course and the product label to MDH. Optional free MDH ID number can replace home address on labels. County/municipal laws (zoning, business licenses) still apply. |
| Sell in person | yes |
| Take online orders | yes |
| Ship within the state | yes |
| Ship to other states | no |
| Sell to shops and cafes | yes |
| Where you can sell, details | Statute allows direct sales from the residence, farmers markets, public events, and personal or mail delivery, plus sales to retail food stores (incl. grocery stores and co-ops), all within Maryland. Online ordering is not named in statute but mail delivery supports it. Restaurants/wholesale distribution not authorized (secondary). |
yes = allowed; limited = allowed with conditions; no = not allowed; unverified = we could not confirm it from an official source.
What foods can you sell from home in Maryland?
Allowed: Non-hazardous foods specified by MDH regulation: e.g., non-perishable baked goods, hard candy, jams/jellies/fruit butters, unflavored honey, dry mixes, spices, herbs, tea, granola, popcorn, crackers (per secondary summary of COMAR).
Not allowed: Potentially hazardous/TCS foods; per secondary source also soft candy (chocolate, fudge, caramel), pickles, salsas, sauces, nut butters, beverages, fermented foods, meat jerky, refrigerated baked goods such as cheesecake.
Label requirements in Maryland
Required statement: Made by a cottage food business that is not subject to Maryland's food safety regulations. exact wording from an official source
Other label items: Statement in at least 10-point type in contrasting color. Business name and address (or name, phone and MDH ID number); product name; ingredients in descending order by weight; net weight or volume; allergen info per federal rules; nutrition info if a claim is made. Retail-store products also need phone, email, and date made.
Selling from home in Maryland? The Cottage Kitchen Toolkit prices your recipes for markets, pre-orders and shops. It scales batches and prints ingredient and allergen labels with Maryland's required statement filled in. It also has this guide for all 50 states and DC. One-time price, and it works offline.
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HB 535 (2026), Chapter 320, signed April 28, 2026, effective Oct 1, 2026, raised the revenue cap from $50,000 to $100,000 (online statute text still showed $50,000 when checked). Earlier: 2018 allowed mail/other direct sales, 2019 retail stores, 2020 ID numbers. SB 701 (2025) and SB 838 (2026) to allow refrigerated/other foods failed. Farmers may use a separate MDA On-Farm Home Processing license.
Sources
- Health-General 21-330.1 (Maryland General Assembly) official
- Health-General 21-301 definitions official
- HB 535 (2026) - Cottage Food Businesses - Maximum Annual Revenue official
- Forrager - Maryland cottage food law secondary
Last checked: 2026-10-24 · confidence: high (high = key facts confirmed on an official page; medium = partly confirmed or secondary sources agree; low = a single secondary or outdated source). Summaries are our own wording, not the text of the law.
This page is a research summary, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities and counties can add their own rules. Confirm with your state agency and local health department, using the official sources below, before you sell.