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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.