Maryland Cottage Food Law
A complete guide to cottage food regulations in Maryland (MD) — revenue limits, allowed products, labeling, and permitting requirements.
Requirements & Restrictions
Permitting & Registration
- Food Handler Certification
- Required
- Business License
- Not required
- State Registration
- Required — Maryland Department of Health, Office of Food Protection
Where You Can Sell
- Residence (direct to consumer)
- Farmer's market
- Public event
- Personal delivery
- Mail delivery
- Retail food store (e.g., grocery store or food cooperative)
Allowed Products
- Bagels
- Biscuits
- Breads
- Brownies
- Cakes without perishable icing or fillings
- Cookies
- Cupcakes without perishable icing or fillings
- Granola bars
- Muffins
- Pastries
- Tortillas
- Buns without perishable icing
- Cookies, brownies, breads, muffins baked from a
- commercially prepared mix (without perishable icings or
- fillings)
- Sourdough bread, rolls, etc.
- Brittles
- Freeze dried non-potentially hazardous commercial candies
- Gummy bears
- Lollipops
- Toffee
- Marshmallows (with non-potentially hazardous ingredients)
- Chocolate peanut butter cups, Chocolate covered dried fruits, Chocolate covered caramels (All fillings must be from a commercial source and must be non-potentially hazardous)
- Chocolate covered marshmallows, Chocolate covered nuts, Chocolate covered pretzels
- Whole roasted coffee beans
- Fruit products (i.e. fruit leathers, pies, turnovers, hot-filled jams, jellies, preserves, and fruit butters from fruits with a natural pH of 4.6 or below, including but not limited to: Apples, Apricots, Blackberries, Blueberries, Boysenberries, Cherries, Cranberries, Grapes, Nectarines, Oranges, Peaches, Prunes, Quince, Raspberries, Red currants, Strawberries, and Tangerines)
- Repackaged commercial spice blends, tea blends, and seasoning blends
- Kettle corn
- Popcorn balls
- Nuts
- Popcorn
- Cereal mixes, granola mixes, and trail mixes from commercial sources
Prohibited Products
- Acidified or pickled products:
- • Corn relish
- • Pepper jelly
- • Pickled beets
- • Pumpkin butter
- • Salsa
- Other acidified or pickled products not listed above
- Baked goods (perishable):
- • Baked goods with perishable icings and fillings (e.g.
- buttercream, cream cheese, and royal icings)*
- • Banana, pumpkin, and zucchini breads/cakes/muffins, etc.
- with water activity value greater than 0.85*
- • Focaccia style breads with vegetables and/or cheeses*
- • Macarons*
- • Waffles*
- • Cheesecakes
- • Cream and custard pies
- • Meringue cookies
- • Meringue pies
- • Pumpkin pies
- • Sweet potato pies
- • Other perishable baked goods not listed above
- *Icings and fillings made with perishable ingredients and moist quick
- breads such as these may be considered potentially hazardous and are
- not allowable under cottage foods without laboratory testing.
- Beverages - none of any kind
- Chocolate confections/candies made from raw cocoa beans or
- potentially hazardous ingredients
- Chocolate confections/candies:
- • Chocolate covered fresh fruits
- • Chocolates with homemade fillings
- • Chocolates with potentially hazardous filling ingredients
- Coffee:
- • Flavored coffee
- • Ground coffee
- Condiments or sauces:
- • Barbecues sauce
- • Hot sauce
- • Ketchup
- • Mustard
- • Condiments or sauces not listed
- above
- Fermented foods:
- • Kimchi
- • Kombucha
- • Pickles
- • Sauerkraut
- • Other fermented foods not listed
- above
- Fish or shellfish products - none of any
- kind
- Freeze Dried Products - none of any kind
- except for non-potentially hazardous
- commercially prepared candy
- Fruit and fruit products:
- • Baked food products made with
- low acid fruits with a natural pH
- above 4.6
- • Chocolate or candy-covered
- fresh or canned fruit
- • Dehydrating of fruits
- • Fresh cut fruit
- • Fresh cut fruit of any kind added
- as an unbaked topping
- Ice or ice products - none of any kind
- Meat and poultry products:
- • Dried or dehydrated meat and
- poultry
- • Egg rolls, meat pies
- • Fresh meat and poultry
- • Meat and poultry jerkies
- • Other meat and poultry products
- not listed above
Labeling Requirements
The following information must appear on every cottage food product label sold in Maryland:
Required Disclaimer
Made by a cottage food business that is not subject to Maryland’s food safety regulations
Additional Notes
1. Annual revenue cap is $50,000 total per COMAR 10.15.03.02B(17-1). 2. Food safety training (ANSI-accredited) is ONLY required when selling to a retail food store; not required for direct-to-consumer sales. 3. For retail food store sales, labels must additionally include the business phone number, email address, and the date the product was made — these additional requirements (email, phone) apply specifically to retail sales. For direct-to-consumer sales, address OR a unique MDH-issued identification number may be used; if ID number is used, phone number must also appear on the label. 4. A unique identification number may be requested from MDH as an alternative to listing the home address on labels; required for selling to a retail food store (via MDH compliance letter process). 5. Allergens are identified by listing all ingredients and sub-ingredients in descending order by weight; a separate 'contains' allergens statement is not required but is permitted. 6. Some items (banana bread, pumpkin bread, zucchini bread; icings/frostings with water or dairy; alcohol-added baked goods) may be allowed with laboratory testing confirming non-potentially hazardous status (water activity ≤ 0.85 and/or pH ≤ 4.6). 7. Interstate sales are explicitly prohibited. 8. No kitchen inspection required except in response to a consumer complaint or illness. 9. Business license requirements are determined separately by the Circuit Clerk's Office; the cottage food law itself does not require a food service facility license. 10. Verbatim disclaimer text was referenced in official documents but not reproduced in full in the accessible fetched text; see MDH labeling example at health.maryland.gov/phpa/OEHFP/OFPCHS/pages/cottagefoods.aspx. 11. Source documents last updated 11/2025. Pending law change: SB0838 (2026 session) would alter definition of 'cottage food product' to include 'nonpotentially hazardous foods' rather than 'nonhazardous foods' — exact effective date not stated in source.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the annual revenue limit for cottage food businesses in Maryland?
- Maryland cottage food producers may earn up to $50,000 per year from cottage food sales.
- Do I need a food handler certification to sell cottage food in Maryland?
- Yes. Maryland requires cottage food producers to hold a valid food handler certification.
- Is a business license required for cottage food sales in Maryland?
- No. Maryland does not require a business license to operate a cottage food business.
- Does Maryland require cottage food producers to register with the state?
- Yes. Maryland requires cottage food businesses to register with Maryland Department of Health, Office of Food Protection.
- Where can I legally sell cottage food products in Maryland?
- In Maryland, cottage food products may be sold at: Residence (direct to consumer), Farmer's market, Public event, Personal delivery, Mail delivery, Retail food store (e.g., grocery store or food cooperative).
- What allergen labeling standard applies to cottage food in Maryland?
- Maryland follows the FDA Big Nine allergen standard for cottage food labeling.
- What products are allowed under Maryland cottage food law?
- The following product categories are permitted for cottage food production in Maryland: Bagels, Biscuits, Breads, Brownies, Cakes without perishable icing or fillings, Cookies, Cupcakes without perishable icing or fillings, Granola bars, Muffins, Pastries, Tortillas, Buns without perishable icing, Cookies, brownies, breads, muffins baked from a, commercially prepared mix (without perishable icings or, fillings), Sourdough bread, rolls, etc., Brittles, Freeze dried non-potentially hazardous commercial candies, Gummy bears, Lollipops, Toffee, Marshmallows (with non-potentially hazardous ingredients), Chocolate peanut butter cups, Chocolate covered dried fruits, Chocolate covered caramels (All fillings must be from a commercial source and must be non-potentially hazardous), Chocolate covered marshmallows, Chocolate covered nuts, Chocolate covered pretzels, Whole roasted coffee beans, Fruit products (i.e. fruit leathers, pies, turnovers, hot-filled jams, jellies, preserves, and fruit butters from fruits with a natural pH of 4.6 or below, including but not limited to: Apples, Apricots, Blackberries, Blueberries, Boysenberries, Cherries, Cranberries, Grapes, Nectarines, Oranges, Peaches, Prunes, Quince, Raspberries, Red currants, Strawberries, and Tangerines), Repackaged commercial spice blends, tea blends, and seasoning blends, Kettle corn, Popcorn balls, Nuts, Popcorn, Cereal mixes, granola mixes, and trail mixes from commercial sources.
- What products are prohibited under Maryland cottage food law?
- The following products may not be sold under Maryland's cottage food exemption: Acidified or pickled products:, • Corn relish, • Pepper jelly, • Pickled beets, • Pumpkin butter, • Salsa, Other acidified or pickled products not listed above, Baked goods (perishable):, • Baked goods with perishable icings and fillings (e.g., buttercream, cream cheese, and royal icings)*, • Banana, pumpkin, and zucchini breads/cakes/muffins, etc., with water activity value greater than 0.85*, • Focaccia style breads with vegetables and/or cheeses*, • Macarons*, • Waffles*, • Cheesecakes, • Cream and custard pies, • Meringue cookies, • Meringue pies, • Pumpkin pies, • Sweet potato pies, • Other perishable baked goods not listed above, *Icings and fillings made with perishable ingredients and moist quick, breads such as these may be considered potentially hazardous and are, not allowable under cottage foods without laboratory testing., Beverages - none of any kind, Chocolate confections/candies made from raw cocoa beans or, potentially hazardous ingredients, Chocolate confections/candies:, • Chocolate covered fresh fruits, • Chocolates with homemade fillings, • Chocolates with potentially hazardous filling ingredients, Coffee:, • Flavored coffee, • Ground coffee, Condiments or sauces:, • Barbecues sauce, • Hot sauce, • Ketchup, • Mustard, • Condiments or sauces not listed, above, Fermented foods:, • Kimchi, • Kombucha, • Pickles, • Sauerkraut, • Other fermented foods not listed, above, Fish or shellfish products - none of any, kind, Freeze Dried Products - none of any kind, except for non-potentially hazardous, commercially prepared candy, Fruit and fruit products:, • Baked food products made with, low acid fruits with a natural pH, above 4.6, • Chocolate or candy-covered, fresh or canned fruit, • Dehydrating of fruits, • Fresh cut fruit, • Fresh cut fruit of any kind added, as an unbaked topping, Ice or ice products - none of any kind, Meat and poultry products:, • Dried or dehydrated meat and, poultry, • Egg rolls, meat pies, • Fresh meat and poultry, • Meat and poultry jerkies, • Other meat and poultry products, not listed above.