warebythe maine cottage food and food freedom laws, in plain english
what you can sell from your home kitchen in maine, who you register with, where you can sell, and what the label has to say. checked against the state’s own pages on october 14, 2026.
on this page
1at a glance2what you can sell3how to start4where you can sell5labels6what’s changed7good to know8questions9sourcesyes, but in maine a home bakery is a licensed food business. get a home food license from the maine department of agriculture, conservation and forestry (dacf): it’s $20 a year and starts with a kitchen inspection. there’s no sales cap, and you can sell from home, to stores and wholesale, as long as your foods are shelf stable; cheesecake, cream pies and other foods that need refrigeration need a commercial license. if your town has a food sovereignty ordinance, you may be able to sell directly to local customers without a state license.
maine cottage food rules at a glance
| the law | maine home food license and food sovereignty act (maine revised statutes, title 22, section 2167, and dacf rules chapter 345 (home food manufacturing); food sovereignty act, title 7, chapter 8-f) |
|---|---|
| who runs it | maine department of agriculture, conservation and forestry (dacf), quality assurance and regulations |
| registration | yes home food license (home food manufacturing) ($20 a year). renewed every year |
| kitchen inspection | yes |
| training | no |
| yearly sales cap | no sales cap |
| selling from your home | yesno label needed when you sell straight to the customer at your home. |
| selling at farmers markets and events | yesyou also need a $20 a year mobile vendor license from dacf. |
| selling online orders | yesa licensed home kitchen isn’t limited to in-person sales. |
| selling delivering it yourself | yes |
| selling shipping within the state | yes |
| selling shipping to other states | yesdacf says home-licensed foods can be sold at wholesale across maine and the united states. |
| selling to stores, cafes and restaurants | yesyou can sell to stores and other businesses, with full labels. |
what can you sell from home in maine?
you can sell
- bread
- cookies and brownies
- muffins and biscotti
- granola
- jams and jellies, after a process review
- pickles and relishes, after a process review
you can’t sell
- cheesecake
- cream and custard pies
- cream-filled pastries
- desserts with cream cheese or whipped cream
- canned foods that need a pressure canner
these are examples, not the full list. check the maine department of agriculture, conservation and forestry (dacf), quality assurance and regulations before you sell something new.
how do you start a cottage food business in maine?
- get your permit: a home food license (home food manufacturing) from the maine department of agriculture, conservation and forestry (dacf), quality assurance and regulations. it costs $20 a year. you renew it every year. start here.
- get your kitchen inspected.
- label everything the way the law asks (below).
- start selling in the ways maine allows, and keep track of your sales if there’s a cap.
where and how can you sell in maine?
| from your home | yesno label needed when you sell straight to the customer at your home. |
|---|---|
| at farmers markets and events | yesyou also need a $20 a year mobile vendor license from dacf. |
| online orders | yesa licensed home kitchen isn’t limited to in-person sales. |
| delivering it yourself | yes |
| shipping within the state | yes |
| shipping to other states | yesdacf says home-licensed foods can be sold at wholesale across maine and the united states. |
| to stores, cafes and restaurants | yesyou can sell to stores and other businesses, with full labels. |
on wareby, food is always pickup or delivery by the shop, never a courier and never shipped, which fits the rules in every state. how to sell food online from home.
what goes on a cottage food label in maine?
the label also needs:
- product name
- ingredients in order of predominance
- net weight, volume or count
- your name, address and zip code
what’s changed in maine, and what’s coming?
| when | what |
|---|---|
| 2025 | the food sovereignty act was expanded: it now defines food producers and kitchens, covers town ordinances adopted before 2017, and says local food ordinances must be read broadly |
what else should you know in maine?
- to sell at farmers markets or craft fairs, you also need a $20 a year mobile vendor license from dacf.
- canned shelf-stable foods, like pickles, relishes and barbecue sauce, must be reviewed by university of maine food testing services or another process authority before you’re licensed.
- if you’re on a private well, you need a yearly water test for coliform and nitrates.
- ask your town office if it has a food sovereignty ordinance. where one exists, you may be able to sell directly to local customers without a state license, but state meat and poultry rules still apply.
questions people ask
do i need a license to sell baked goods from home in maine?
yes. maine requires a home food license (home food manufacturing) from the maine department of agriculture, conservation and forestry (dacf), quality assurance and regulations, with a kitchen inspection.
can i sell cottage food online in maine?
yes. a licensed home kitchen isn’t limited to in-person sales.
can i ship cottage food in maine?
yes, within maine. you can ship to other states too.
how much can i sell from home in maine?
there’s no yearly sales cap.
can i sell to stores or coffee shops in maine?
yes. you can sell to stores and other businesses, with full labels.
what can’t i sell from home in maine?
the usual no’s: cheesecake, cream and custard pies, cream-filled pastries, desserts with cream cheese or whipped cream, canned foods that need a pressure canner. check with the maine department of agriculture, conservation and forestry (dacf), quality assurance and regulations before you sell something new.
sources
- maine revised statutes, title 22, section 2167 (license required)
- dacf rules, chapter 345: home food manufacturing
- maine food sovereignty act, title 7, section 282 (definitions)
- maine food sovereignty act, title 7, section 284 (local ordinances)
- maine dacf: permits and licenses
- maine dacf: home food license 101
- maine dacf: mobile vendor license 101
- maine dacf: maine farm stand faq
this is general information to help you get started, not legal advice. we checked it against maine’s own pages on october 14, 2026, and laws change, so confirm with the maine department of agriculture, conservation and forestry (dacf), quality assurance and regulations (and your city or county) before you sell. spot something out of date? email hello@shopwareby.com.
we sold cinnamon rolls from home as minnesota cottage food producers before we opened a licensed kitchen and built wareby. our story