Cottage food rules
Home Bakery License in Maryland: Is There a Test?
Who to call in Maryland, what to ask, and how to get the answer in writing before you sell.
On this page
What to remember
- Cottage food in Maryland is handled by the Maryland Department of Health Office of Food Protection.
- Call (410) 767-8400 before you take your first order, and describe exactly what you plan to sell.
- Selling to a retail food store is a separate step that needs written notice from the state first.
- COMAR 10.15.03.27 is the regulation covering farmer’s markets, bake sales, and cottage food businesses.
Every state handles this differently, and the word license means something different depending on where you live. If you have read our look at whether Iowa has a home bakery test, you already know the pattern: the rule that matters is the one your own state health department gives you in writing. Maryland is no different. Here is where to start and what to ask.
Who to call in Maryland
Cottage food in Maryland sits with the Maryland Department of Health Office of Food Protection. The office is at 6 St. Paul Street, Suite 1301, Baltimore, MD 21202, and the phone number is (410) 767-8400. Call before you take an order, not after. Say what you bake, how you store it, and where you plan to sell it, and ask them to tell you what applies to each item.
Write down your menu
List every item you plan to sell, from sandwich bread to frosted cupcakes, so the person on the phone can answer for each one.
Describe your kitchen
Say whether you work from a home kitchen, and whether you sell direct to people or through a shop.
Ask about any test or training
Ask directly whether any exam, course, or certificate applies to what you plan to sell.
Ask what has to be on the label
Ask whether anything has to appear on your packaging, and what it has to say.
Get the answer in writing
Ask for it by email so you have it saved the day a customer or a shop asks you to prove it.
What counts as a cottage food in Maryland
Maryland publishes cottage food business decision trees that can be used to determine whether a food product qualifies as a cottage food under the state’s rules. Walk your menu through them before you call, so you can ask sharper questions. One small example from the state’s own presentation: if alcohol is baked into an allowable cottage food such as cupcakes, most of it cooks off, so there is no need to contact the Comptroller’s Office.
Selling to a shop or a grocery store
Selling at a farmer’s market or straight to a customer is one thing. Selling to a retail food store is another. Before a cottage food business can sell to a retail food store such as a grocery store, convenience store, retail market, retail bakery, or food cooperative, the business must submit required information to the Maryland Department of Health. The owner may not sell or offer a cottage food product to a retail food store until notified in writing by the Maryland Department of Health.
A rule that could change
Maryland Senate Bill 838, from the 2026 session, would alter the definition of cottage food product to include nonpotentially hazardous foods. If it passes, the list of what you can bake at home and sell could widen, so check the bill’s status before you build a whole menu around it. The regulation behind the day to day rules is COMAR 10.15.03.27, which covers farmer’s markets, bake sales, and cottage food businesses.
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If you sell in more than one state, or you are simply comparing what other bakers deal with, our Kentucky rules guide walks through how another state handles it. The habit is the same wherever you bake: get the answer from the state office, in writing, before you take money. It takes one phone call and it protects every order after it.
Common questions
Do I need a test to sell baked goods from my home in Maryland?
That is the exact question to put to the Office of Food Protection at (410) 767-8400. Describe your kitchen and what you bake, and ask what applies before you take your first order.
Who handles cottage food in Maryland?
The Maryland Department of Health Office of Food Protection, at 6 St. Paul Street, Suite 1301, Baltimore, MD 21202. The phone number is (410) 767-8400.
Can I sell my bakes to a grocery store?
Only after you submit the required information to the Maryland Department of Health and are notified in writing. You may not sell or offer a cottage food product to a retail food store before that notice.
Which regulation covers cottage food in Maryland?
COMAR 10.15.03.27 covers farmer's markets, bake sales, and cottage food businesses.
How do I know if my bake counts as a cottage food?
Maryland publishes cottage food business decision trees that can be used to determine whether a food product qualifies as a cottage food under Maryland rules.
Sources
This is general information about Maryland cottage food rules, not legal advice. Rules change, so confirm with the Maryland Department of Health Office of Food Protection before you sell.