Cottage food rules
Cottage Food License in Maryland: What Home Bakers Need
What Maryland really asks of a home baker, and where to check before you sell a single loaf.
On this page
What to remember
- Maryland does not issue a state cottage food license.
- Your county and city rules still apply to preparing, storing, and selling your bakes.
- The Maryland Department of Health publishes guidance on which foods a cottage food business may make and sell.
- You may not sell to a retail food store until the Department tells you in writing that the requirements are met.
- A 2026 bill, SB 838, would change what counts as a cottage food product if it passes.
If you bake at home and sell to neighbors, you are not filing for a state license. That surprises a lot of bakers, and it is easy to misread as “no rules at all.” It is not. The rules simply sit in a different place, and the place they sit is mostly your county. For the wider picture across states, see cottage food laws in the USA.
No state license, but your county still has a say
Maryland Health-General section 21-330.1(e) says the owner of a cottage food business shall comply with all applicable county and municipal laws and ordinances regulating the preparation, processing, storage, and sale of cottage food products. The Department of Health’s own cottage food guidance says the same thing: these businesses are not licensed, but they must comply. In plain terms, the state is not handing you a certificate. Your county and city may still have conditions you have to meet.
What you can bake, and where you can sell it
The Maryland Department of Health’s guidance document is where allowable cottage food products are described. Read it against your own menu before you take a single order. If you are still working out where the official rules live, where to check cottage food laws walks through the sources worth trusting.
Read the state list first
The Department of Health guidance document covers the allowable foods a Maryland cottage food business may produce and sell. Match your menu to it before anything else.
Then check your county and city
Maryland law puts county and municipal rules on you for preparation, processing, storage, and sale. Ask your local office what that means for your kitchen.
Call the state office if a product is unclear
The Office of Food Protection handles cottage food information and can tell you where a particular item stands.
Keep retail food stores off your list for now
Under COMAR 10.15.03.27, you may not sell or offer a cottage food product to a retail food store until the Department notifies you in writing that the requirements are met.
Who to call at the state
The Maryland Department of Health Office of Food Protection handles cottage food business information. It is at 6 St. Paul Street, Suite 1301, Baltimore, MD 21202, and the phone number is (410) 767-8400. A quick call there, plus one to your county, usually settles the question of whether your bakes are allowed.
A bill to watch in 2026
Maryland Senate Bill 838, from the 2026 session, would alter the definition of “cottage food product” to include nonpotentially hazardous foods rather than only the previously specified categories. It is a bill, not the current rule, so check its status before you build a new product line around it. For how these definitions tend to shift and what to re-check each year, read cottage food laws in the US.
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Common questions
Do I need a license to sell baked goods from my home in Maryland?
No. Maryland does not license cottage food businesses. You still have to comply with all applicable county and municipal laws and ordinances regulating the preparation, processing, storage, and sale of cottage food products.
Where do I find the foods I am allowed to make and sell?
The Maryland Department of Health's cottage food guidance document provides guidance on the allowable foods that may be produced and sold by a Maryland cottage food business. Start there and compare it to your menu.
Can I sell my bakes to a local retail food store?
Not yet. Under COMAR 10.15.03.27, the owner of a cottage food business may not sell or offer a cottage food product to a retail food store until the Department notifies them in writing that the requirements are met.
Who do I contact with questions about Maryland cottage food rules?
The Maryland Department of Health Office of Food Protection is at 6 St. Paul Street, Suite 1301, Baltimore, MD 21202, phone (410) 767-8400. Your county health office is the other call worth making.
Is the Maryland cottage food law changing?
Senate Bill 838, from the 2026 session, would alter the definition of "cottage food product" to include nonpotentially hazardous foods rather than only the previously specified categories. Check whether it has passed before you rely on it.
Sources
This is general information about Maryland cottage food rules, not legal advice. Rules change, and county requirements differ, so confirm your own situation with the Maryland Department of Health Office of Food Protection and your local health office.