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Maryland cottage food label requirements and permit checklist
Answer a few plain-English questions about what you make and how you want to sell it. We check it against Maryland's current cottage food business rules — no license or state inspection needed for direct sales — flag the choices that push you toward a licensed food establishment, and build you a personalized checklist plus a printable label draft.
Free customized label/checklist after walk-through completion
Built from current Maryland Department of Health guidance, COMAR 10.15.03.02/.27, and Health-General § 21-330.1. Not legal advice and not state approval — verify final requirements with the Maryland Department of Health before selling.
Free permit walk-throughSee fast whether you fit Maryland's no-license cottage food business rules.
Free checklistKeep the revenue cap, retail-store training rule, and allowed-product list tied to your own answers.
Free label generationDraft Maryland's exact disclosure statement plus your producer and ingredient lines in one place.
Do you need a permit to sell cottage food in Maryland?
No — Maryland's cottage food business exemption doesn't require a license, permit, or routine MDH inspection for direct, mail-order, online, or in-original-packaging retail-store sales within the state. It covers non-potentially-hazardous, shelf-stable foods (per MDH's Appendix A/B allowed and not-allowed lists) and currently caps annual revenue at $50,000 (rising to $100,000 on October 1, 2026 under a signed law). Selling through a retail store needs written MDH approval and a food-safety course completed in the past 3 years first; interstate shipping and wholesale resale to a distributor, restaurant, or caterer aren't covered.
Shipping outside Maryland, wholesaling to a distributor/restaurant, or selling to a retail store before MDH's written approval
Maryland rule review
What this Maryland checker reviews before you print a label
The page is built from Maryland Department of Health — Cottage Foods and the cited official sources below, then turns those rules into a practical pre-sale review.
Final wording should be checked against Md. Code, Health-General § 21-330.1 — Cottage food businesses before printing.
Usually blocks the cottage food path
Perishable or cream-filled baked goods that need refrigeration (cheesecake, cream/custard/meringue pies, buttercream- or cream-cheese-iced cakes, macarons, waffles)
Maryland's cottage food exemption is limited to non-potentially-hazardous foods that don't need refrigeration.
Pickles, salsas, sauces, ketchup/mustard, fermented foods, kombucha, flavored/ground coffee, or other acidified/low-acid canned goods
MDH's cottage food guidance doesn't include acidified, fermented, low-acid canned, or flavored/ground coffee products on the allowed list — these need a licensed food processing facility.
Sugar-free jams/jellies/preserves/fruit butters, maple or other fruit syrups, or extracts
Maryland's allowed jam/jelly/preserve category only covers the sweetened, high-acid versions — sugar-free versions, syrups, and extracts are separately excluded.
Use this order when you prepare the permit packet, label, and direct-sales plan.
Step 1
Check whether your product fits the Maryland cottage food path
Start with the product category and shelf-stability questions. The wizard flags foods that usually need refrigeration, separate licensing, or extra official review in Maryland.
Step 2
Confirm where and how you plan to sell
Choose every sales channel you expect to use. The result calls out direct-sale limits, shipping issues, wholesale/resale limits, and other channel rules that matter before you take orders.
Step 3
Draft the label from your actual product details
Enter the product name, ingredients, allergens, net weight, producer information, and any Maryland-specific disclosure or permit field requested by the form.
Step 4
Print the checklist and verify against official sources
A plain-English helper for Maryland cottage food sellers. Not legal advice and not state approval.
Maryland FAQ
Maryland cottage food questions
Short answers to the questions people usually ask before they start the wizard.
Can I sell homemade food in Maryland?
No — Maryland's cottage food business exemption doesn't require a license, permit, or routine MDH inspection for direct, mail-order, online, or in-original-packaging retail-store sales within the state. It covers non-potentially-hazardous, shelf-stable foods (per MDH's Appendix A/B allowed and not-allowed lists) and currently caps annual revenue at $50,000 (rising to $100,000 on October 1, 2026 under a signed law). Selling through a retail store needs written MDH approval and a food-safety course completed in the past 3 years first; interstate shipping and wholesale resale to a distributor, restaurant, or caterer aren't covered.
What does the Maryland checker do?
It walks through the state-specific blockers, then produces a printable checklist and a label draft using the answers you entered.
What should I verify before selling in Maryland?
Verify your product category, sales channel, annual limit or registration requirement, and label wording against Maryland Department of Health — Cottage Foods before relying on the checklist.
Is the label draft official approval?
No. It is an informational draft based on the page sources. Check final wording with Md. Code, Health-General § 21-330.1 — Cottage food businesses or the responsible local agency before printing labels.