the massachusetts cottage food law, in plain english

what you can sell from your home kitchen in massachusetts, 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

massachusetts: a permit, no 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 6good to know 7questions 8sources

the short answer

yes, but in massachusetts you need a permit from your town or city. your local board of health permits home bakers as cottage food operations, inspects your kitchen and sets the fee. with a permit, you can sell shelf-stable foods like breads, cookies, jams and jellies straight to customers, at farmers markets and craft fairs, online or by mail, with no sales cap. selling to stores or restaurants takes a separate wholesale license from the state.

massachusetts cottage food rules at a glance

massachusetts cottage food rules at a glance
the law	massachusetts cottage food (residential kitchen) rules (105 cmr 590.000 (massachusetts retail food code), including 590.010(f) on cottage food operations)
who runs it	your local board of health, under rules from the massachusetts department of public health, food protection program
registration	yes retail residential kitchen permit (cottage food operation) (set by your town (boston: $100 a year)). renewed set by your town (boston: every year)
kitchen inspection	yes
training	nono statewide course for cottage food, but many boards of health, including boston’s, require a food protection manager certificate and allergen awareness training.
yearly sales cap	no sales cap
selling from your home	limitedyour town’s zoning decides. boston, for one, doesn’t allow in-person sales at your home.
selling at farmers markets and events	yesfarmers markets and craft fairs count as direct sales under your permit.
selling online orders	yesthe state counts internet and mail sales as direct sales.
selling delivering it yourself	yesthe state doesn’t spell out delivery rules. ask your board of health.
selling shipping within the state	yesmail orders count as direct sales.
selling shipping to other states	unclearthe state says to check federal law and the other state’s rules. boston’s permit doesn’t allow sales outside massachusetts.
selling to stores, cafes and restaurants	limitedyou need a separate wholesale residential kitchen license from the state department of public health.

what can you sell from home in massachusetts?

you can sell

breads and rolls
cookies and brownies
cakes that don’t need refrigeration
jams and jellies
candy and other confections
flavored vinegars

you can’t sell

cream-filled pastries
cheesecake and custard
cut fruit and vegetables
tomato and barbecue sauces
pickles, relishes and other pickled foods
salad dressings

these are examples, not the full list. check the your local board of health, under rules from the massachusetts department of public health, food protection program before you sell something new.

how do you start a cottage food business in massachusetts?

get your permit: a retail residential kitchen permit (cottage food operation) from the your local board of health, under rules from the massachusetts department of public health, food protection program. it costs set by your town (boston: $100 a year). you renew it set by your town (boston: every year). start here.
get your kitchen inspected.
label everything the way the law asks (below).
start selling in the ways massachusetts allows, and keep track of your sales if there’s a cap.

where and how can you sell in massachusetts?

from your home	limitedyour town’s zoning decides. boston, for one, doesn’t allow in-person sales at your home.
at farmers markets and events	yesfarmers markets and craft fairs count as direct sales under your permit.
online orders	yesthe state counts internet and mail sales as direct sales.
delivering it yourself	yesthe state doesn’t spell out delivery rules. ask your board of health.
shipping within the state	yesmail orders count as direct sales.
shipping to other states	unclearthe state says to check federal law and the other state’s rules. boston’s permit doesn’t allow sales outside massachusetts.
to stores, cafes and restaurants	limitedyou need a separate wholesale residential kitchen license from the state department of public health.

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 massachusetts?

the label also needs:

name and address of your cottage food operation
product name
ingredients in descending order by weight, including sub-ingredients
net weight or volume
allergens, as federal rules require
nutrition facts if you make a nutrition claim
everything printed in english

what else should you know in massachusetts?

rules vary by town. boston, for example, charges $100 a year, requires a food manager certification and allergen awareness training, and doesn’t allow in-person sales at your home.
only you and people you supervise can make the food, and pets and small children have to stay out of the kitchen while you work.
if you have a private well, it must be tested before you get a permit and at least once a year after that.
lawmakers filed bills in 2025 to set statewide cottage food rules, but none has become law.

questions people ask

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

yes. massachusetts requires a retail residential kitchen permit (cottage food operation) from the your local board of health, under rules from the massachusetts department of public health, food protection program, with a kitchen inspection.

can i sell cottage food online in massachusetts?

yes. the state counts internet and mail sales as direct sales.

can i ship cottage food in massachusetts?

yes, within massachusetts: mail orders count as direct sales.

how much can i sell from home in massachusetts?

there’s no yearly sales cap.

can i sell to stores or coffee shops in massachusetts?

with limits: you need a separate wholesale residential kitchen license from the state department of public health.

what can’t i sell from home in massachusetts?

the usual no’s: cream-filled pastries, cheesecake and custard, cut fruit and vegetables, tomato and barbecue sauces, pickles, relishes and other pickled foods. check with the your local board of health, under rules from the massachusetts department of public health, food protection program before you sell something new.

sources

this is general information to help you get started, not legal advice. we checked it against massachusetts’s own pages on october 14, 2026, and laws change, so confirm with the your local board of health, under rules from the massachusetts department of public health, food protection program (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