Guide
Maryland cottage food law for home bakers
What a home baker in Maryland needs before the first sale: Cottage food business, the sales cap, online orders, delivery, and the exact label line, each with its source.
This is a plain-language summary, not legal advice. Laws change; check the linked source for your state before you sell. Last reviewed September 5, 2026.
The short version
Maryland needs no license for a home baker selling direct, allows orders taken online and delivered in person or by post inside the state, and caps revenue at $50,000 a year until September 30, 2026, then $100,000 from October 1.
A shop may stock her products in their original packaging once the Department has approved her labels.
Registering
The rule is administered by Maryland Department of Health; the guide reads COMAR 10.15.03.27; House Bill 535 of 2026, Chapter 320.
Nothing to file for direct sales. To sell through a retail store she sends the Department her labels and proof of food safety training first. She can ask the Department for an identification number and print that instead of her home address.
Where you can sell, and whether online counts
The regulation lists the places: from the residence, by personal delivery, by mail delivery, at a farmers market, at a public event, and to a retail store in the original packaging. Nothing crosses the state line under this rule.
What goes on the label
The statement below, word for word, in 10-point type or larger in a contrasting colour. Selling to a shop adds a phone number, an email address and the production date.
"Made by a cottage food business that is not subject to Maryland's food safety regulations."
- Her business name and address, or the identification number the Department assigns on request
- The product name
- Ingredients in descending order by weight
- Net weight or net volume
- The allergens, as federal law requires
- For retail sales, also a phone number, an email address and the production date
What you can bake and sell
Baked goods that do not need the fridge, made and packaged in Maryland. The cream-filled and the custard-filled stay home.
- Allowed: Breads, cookies, cakes and other baked goods that are safe at room temperature, made and packaged in Maryland
- Not allowed: Cream or custard fillings, cheesecake, anything that needs refrigeration
The sales cap
Maryland caps cottage food sales at $50,000 a year until September 30, 2026, then $100,000 from October 1, 2026, counted as annual revenue from the sale of cottage food products.
Work out how much room you have left this year with the cottage food sales cap checker.
What changed
October 1, 2026: Cap rises from $50,000 to $100,000 (HB 535, Chapter 320 of 2026).
Questions people ask
Do I need to register to sell cottage food in Maryland?
No, Maryland does not require registration. No license for direct sales; Department approval before selling to a retail store, with her labels and proof of food safety training. Fee: None for direct sales.
Has the cottage food sales cap in Maryland changed over time?
$100,000 a year from October 1, 2026, up from $50,000 on January 1, 2018, counted as annual revenue from the sale of cottage food products.
Can I take orders online in Maryland?
Yes, you can take orders online. You can mail an order to a customer inside the state.
Can I deliver or ship cottage food in Maryland?
Delivery is allowed. Shipping inside the state is allowed.
What does my Maryland cottage food label need to say?
The label must say: Made by a cottage food business that is not subject to Maryland's food safety regulations.
Sources
- COMAR 10.15.03.27regs.maryland.gov
- COMAR 10.15.03.02, definitionsregs.maryland.gov
- House Bill 535 (2026), Chapter 320mgaleg.maryland.gov
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