You can sell food from home in Maryland without a state license, provided you operate under the state’s cottage food law: shelf-stable products only, no more than $50,000 in annual revenue, and every sale completed inside Maryland. Labeling rules apply to every package, and your county or city may add requirements the state does not.
What Counts as a Cottage Food Business
Maryland defines a cottage food business as one that produces or packages food in a residential kitchen and keeps annual revenue from those products at or below $50,000.1Maryland Department of Health. Guidelines for Cottage Food Businesses Cross that threshold and you have to move into a licensed commercial kitchen.
Within those limits, you do not need a retail food service facility license. Maryland exempts cottage food operations by law.2Maryland Department of Health. Cottage Food Frequently Asked Questions No state license does not mean no paperwork, though. Local health departments and zoning offices often have their own rules.
A pending bill, HB 535, would raise the revenue cap to $100,000. As of early 2026 it is still moving through the Senate.3Maryland General Assembly. Legislation – HB0535 If signed, the new cap would take effect October 1, 2026. Until then, $50,000 is the limit.
Foods You Can Sell
Maryland limits cottage food sales to items that are shelf-stable and safe at room temperature. The Department of Health’s allowed list includes:4Maryland Department of Health. MDH Cottage Food Businesses – Allowable Foods
- Breads, rolls, biscuits, cookies, brownies, and cakes or cupcakes without perishable icing or fillings
- Caramels, chocolates, and other non-perishable candies
- Jams, jellies, and fruit butters that meet federal standards of identity
- Granola, cereals, dry baking mixes, roasted coffee beans, dried herbs, and popcorn
If a product needs refrigeration to stay safe, it almost certainly does not qualify.
Foods You Cannot Sell
Anything requiring temperature control is off-limits. The Department of Health specifically prohibits:5Maryland Department of Health. Cottage Food Businesses – Foods Not Allowed
- Meat and poultry in any form, including jerky and meat pies
- Fish and shellfish of any kind
- Foods containing cooked or fresh-cut vegetables, and garlic-in-oil mixtures
- Acidified and pickled products: pickles, salsa, pepper jelly, pumpkin butter, and similar canned items
- Cheesecakes, custard and meringue pies, cream-filled pastries, and anything with perishable icing or filling
The acidified foods restriction catches a lot of home canners. Even a family-recipe salsa cannot be sold from a home kitchen, because acidified foods have to be processed in a licensed facility with verified pH controls.6Maryland Department of Health. Guidelines for Cottage Food Businesses
Where You Can Sell
Every sale has to happen inside Maryland. Interstate sales are prohibited, which trips up online sellers constantly: an order placed from Virginia or Delaware through your website cannot legally be filled.7Maryland Department of Health. Guidelines for Cottage Food Businesses
Within the state, you can sell:
- From your home, through farm-stand sales or pre-arranged pickups
- At farmers’ markets and public events, direct to consumers
- By personal delivery or by mail to Maryland addresses
- Online, as long as the product goes to a Maryland consumer8Frederick County Health Department. Cottage Food Business
Selling to Retail Stores
Cottage food businesses can also sell to grocery stores, convenience stores, retail bakeries, and food cooperatives, but this route has extra requirements. Before you can sell to a retailer, you must submit your product label and proof that you have completed an approved food safety course within the past three years to the Maryland Department of Health, and wait for written confirmation that you meet the requirements. Retail labels also need your phone number, email, and the date the product was made.1Maryland Department of Health. Guidelines for Cottage Food Businesses
What Has to Be on the Label
Every product must be prepackaged. The label has to carry all of the following:9Maryland Department of Health. Cottage Food Business Labeling Guide
- Your business name and physical address. P.O. boxes are not accepted. You can request a unique ID number from the Department of Health to use in place of your home address, but then your label also needs your phone number.
- The common name of the product.
- A complete ingredient list in descending order by weight, including sub-ingredients.
- Net weight or volume.
- A clear statement identifying any major food allergens.
- The disclaimer “Made by a cottage food business that is not subject to Maryland’s food safety regulations,” in at least 10-point type and in a color that contrasts with the background.
On allergens, federal law now recognizes nine: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame. Sesame was added in 2023, so older label templates often miss it.10Food and Drug Administration. Food Allergies A full nutrition facts panel is not required; cottage food operations fall well under the small-business thresholds that trigger that rule.11Food and Drug Administration. Small Business Nutrition Labeling Exemption
County, City, and HOA Rules
This is where new sellers get blindsided. State law gives you permission to operate; your county or municipality can impose added restrictions or prohibit home food production outright. The Department of Health’s own FAQ acknowledges this.2Maryland Department of Health. Cottage Food Frequently Asked Questions
Local rules take different shapes. Some counties require you to register with the health department. Some have zoning ordinances that restrict commercial activity in residential areas. Some farmers’ markets ask for food licenses from their vendors, though a market cannot override the state exemption from the retail food service facility license.
Before you spend money on supplies or take a single order, call your local health department and your local zoning or permits office.1Maryland Department of Health. Guidelines for Cottage Food Businesses If you have a homeowners association, read your covenants. HOA restrictions on home businesses are common and enforceable separately from state law.
Food Safety Training
Maryland does not require any food safety certification to sell cottage foods directly to consumers. You can run a farmers’ market booth or a front-porch pickup operation without taking a class.
If you want to sell to retail stores, that changes. You must have completed a basic food safety course approved by both the Department of Health and the American National Standards Institute within the past three years, covering food safety fundamentals, cleaning and sanitizing, personal hygiene, pest control, and food handling.7Maryland Department of Health. Guidelines for Cottage Food Businesses
Liability and Insurance
Maryland does not require cottage food businesses to carry product liability insurance. But the required label disclaimer says plainly that your kitchen was not inspected. If a customer gets sick and sues, you are personally exposed.
Product liability insurance for small food operations is widely available. Some farmers’ markets require proof of coverage before giving you a booth, so read the market’s vendor rules before assuming insurance is optional. Because a cottage food business is not a licensed commercial operation, a standard homeowner’s or renter’s policy will almost certainly not cover a product liability claim. A separate food liability policy is the practical fix.