the maryland cottage food law, in plain english

what you can sell from your home kitchen in maryland, 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.

by tommy + omarchecked october 14, 2026

maryland: register first, a $100,000 sales cap, sell online, ship within the state. tap any state to see its rules.

on this page

1at a glance 2what you can sell 3how to start 4where you can sell 5labels 6what’s changed 7good to know 8questions 9sources

the short answer

yes, you can run a bakery from your home kitchen in maryland, and you don’t need a license or permit to sell directly to customers. maryland’s cottage food law lets you sell up to $100,000 a year of shelf-stable foods, like breads, cookies and jams, from home, at farmers markets and events, by personal delivery or by mail within maryland. every item must be prepackaged and labeled with the state’s required statement. to sell to grocery stores, you first need the maryland department of health to approve your label and food safety training.

maryland cottage food rules at a glance

maryland cottage food rules at a glance
the law	maryland cottage food law (maryland code, health-general §21-330.1 (and §21-301 definitions))
who runs it	maryland department of health (mdh), office of food protection
registration	yes mdh cottage food review (only if you sell to retail stores) (free)
kitchen inspection	no
training	nonone to sell directly. to sell to stores, you need an approved food safety course taken in the past 3 years.
yearly sales cap	$100,000 a year
selling from your home	yescheck your county and city zoning rules.
selling at farmers markets and events	yesfarmers markets and public events. check with the local health department first about extra requirements.
selling online orders	yestake orders online, then deliver in person or mail within maryland.
selling delivering it yourself	yesthe law allows personal delivery. it doesn’t say whether couriers or delivery apps count.
selling shipping within the state	yesmail delivery to customers in maryland is allowed.
selling shipping to other states	nosales outside maryland aren’t allowed.
selling to stores, cafes and restaurants	limitedonly to licensed retail food stores, like grocery stores, retail bakeries and co-ops, after mdh approves your label and training. not restaurants or coffee shops.

what can you sell from home in maryland?

you can sell

breads, bagels, biscuits and tortillas
cookies and brownies
cakes and cupcakes without perishable icing or fillings
fruit pies from apples, cherries, berries and other high-acid fruits
fruit jams, jellies and preserves
hard candy, brittle and toffee
granola, popcorn and nuts

you can’t sell

cheesecake, cream and custard pies
pumpkin, sweet potato and pecan pies
buttercream or cream cheese icings, unless lab tested
salsa, pickles and pepper jelly
homemade fudge and caramels
meat, dairy, fish and beverages

these are examples, not the full list. check the maryland department of health (mdh), office of food protection before you sell something new.

how do you start a cottage food business in maryland?

register if your sales or foods call for it: a mdh cottage food review (only if you sell to retail stores) from the maryland department of health (mdh), office of food protection. it’s free. start here.
label everything the way the law asks (below).
start selling in the ways maryland allows, and keep track of your sales if there’s a cap.

where and how can you sell in maryland?

from your home	yescheck your county and city zoning rules.
at farmers markets and events	yesfarmers markets and public events. check with the local health department first about extra requirements.
online orders	yestake orders online, then deliver in person or mail within maryland.
delivering it yourself	yesthe law allows personal delivery. it doesn’t say whether couriers or delivery apps count.
shipping within the state	yesmail delivery to customers in maryland is allowed.
shipping to other states	nosales outside maryland aren’t allowed.
to stores, cafes and restaurants	limitedonly to licensed retail food stores, like grocery stores, retail bakeries and co-ops, after mdh approves your label and training. not restaurants or coffee shops.

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 maryland?

“Made by a cottage food business that is not subject to Maryland’s food safety regulations.”
the statement maryland requires on your label

the label also needs:

your business name and address, or your business name, phone number and mdh id number
product name
ingredients in descending order by weight
net weight, volume or count
allergens, as federal rules require
nutrition facts if you make a nutrition claim
the statement in 10-point type or larger, in a contrasting color
for store sales: your phone, email and the date it was made

what’s changed in maryland, and what’s coming?

when	what
october 1, 2026	the yearly revenue cap went from $50,000 to $100,000 (chapter 320, hb 535)
2022	the cap went from $25,000 to $50,000 (chapter 406, hb 178)
2019	cottage food businesses could start selling to grocery stores and food co-ops (chapter 371, sb 290)

what else should you know in maryland?

the cap went from $50,000 to $100,000 on october 1, 2026.
you can’t sell outside maryland, even by mail.
you can ask the maryland department of health for a free id number to put on your label instead of your home address.
your food must be stored at your home and packaged there before it’s sold, and county and city rules on home businesses still apply.

questions people ask

do i need a license to sell baked goods from home in maryland?

it depends on what and how much you sell. maryland’s rules call for a mdh cottage food review (only if you sell to retail stores) in some cases: check with the maryland department of health (mdh), office of food protection.

can i sell cottage food online in maryland?

yes. take orders online, then deliver in person or mail within maryland.

can i ship cottage food in maryland?

yes, within maryland: mail delivery to customers in maryland is allowed. you can’t ship to other states. sales outside maryland aren’t allowed.

how much can i sell from home in maryland?

up to $100,000 a year.

can i sell to stores or coffee shops in maryland?

with limits: only to licensed retail food stores, like grocery stores, retail bakeries and co-ops, after mdh approves your label and training. not restaurants or coffee shops.

what can’t i sell from home in maryland?

the usual no’s: cheesecake, cream and custard pies, pumpkin, sweet potato and pecan pies, buttercream or cream cheese icings, unless lab tested, salsa, pickles and pepper jelly, homemade fudge and caramels. check with the maryland department of health (mdh), office of food protection before you sell something new.

sources

this is general information to help you get started, not legal advice. we checked it against maryland’s own pages on october 14, 2026, and laws change, so confirm with the maryland department of health (mdh), office of food protection (and your city or county) before you sell. spot something out of date? email hello@shopwareby.com.

written by tommy + omar

we sold cinnamon rolls from home as minnesota cottage food producers before we opened a licensed kitchen and built wareby. our story