Maryland Cottage Food Laws: What Home Bakers Need

On this page

1. What Maryland allows
2. The license and sales limit
3. A simple way to check your bake
4. Where to get answers

If you bake from your home kitchen in Maryland, the first question is what you are allowed to sell. The allowed food list is the first thing to check before taking an order. Once your bake is on the list, keep your label simple and clear with the Maryland cottage food label template.

What Maryland allows

COMAR 10.15.03.27 says a cottage food business may offer for sale only the homemade foods specified in section B. The Maryland Department of Health publishes a guidance document listing the allowable foods that may be produced and sold by a Maryland cottage food business. The Maryland Department of Agriculture also issues a memo providing guidance on the allowable foods. University of Maryland Extension says by law the owner of a cottage food business may sell only cottage food products stored on the premises of the business without needing a food license.

The license and sales limit

A cottage food law resource states that Maryland lets you run a cottage food business from a residential kitchen without a Department of Health license, as long as sales stay under a stated dollar limit. University of Maryland Extension puts the license point another way: by law the owner may sell only cottage food products stored on the premises of the business without needing a food license. The dollar limit is the number to confirm before you take a large order or plan a full season of sales.

A simple way to check your bake

Use this order each time you add a new bake to your menu. It keeps you from guessing about the state list.

1. 1

   Find your food on the state list

   Open the Maryland Department of Health guidance document and the Maryland Department of Agriculture memo. Compare your bake to the allowable foods listed for Maryland cottage food businesses.

2. 2

   Read the regulation

   Go to COMAR 10.15.03.27 and read section B. A cottage food business may offer for sale only the homemade foods specified there.

3. 3

   Confirm the license limit

   The cottage food law resource ties the no license rule to sales staying under the stated dollar limit. Confirm the current limit before you take orders.

4. 4

   Call with your specific question

   The Office of Food Protection handles cottage food questions. Call (410) 767-8400 and ask about your food and your sales plan.

Where to get answers

The Maryland Department of Health’s Office of Food Protection handles cottage food questions. It is at 6 St. Paul Street, Suite 1301, Baltimore, MD 21202, phone (410) 767-8400. If you are ready to sell, read Maryland cottage food law and sales tax before you set your prices.

Write down the date you checked the guidance and the name of the document you used. If a customer asks why a bake is allowed, you can point to the state list instead of guessing. That small record also helps when you add a new cookie, bar, or loaf to your menu.

Common questions

Can I sell baked goods from my home kitchen in Maryland?

Maryland lets a cottage food business run from a residential kitchen without a Department of Health license if sales stay under the stated dollar limit, according to a cottage food law resource. You may offer for sale only the homemade foods specified in COMAR 10.15.03.27 section B.

Which foods are allowed?

Only the homemade foods specified in section B of COMAR 10.15.03.27. The Maryland Department of Health publishes a guidance document listing allowable foods, and the Maryland Department of Agriculture also issues a memo on allowable foods.

Do I need a food license?

University of Maryland Extension says by law the owner may sell only cottage food products stored on the premises of the business without needing a food license. The cottage food law resource ties that no license rule to sales staying under the stated dollar limit.

Who do I call with questions?

The Maryland Department of Health's Office of Food Protection handles cottage food questions. Call (410) 767-8400 or visit 6 St. Paul Street, Suite 1301, Baltimore, MD 21202.

Sources

1. Code of Maryland Regulations 10.15.03.27: Farmer's Market, Bake Sales, and Cottage Food Business
2. Maryland Department of Health: Updated Cottage Food Guidelines 2025
3. Maryland Department of Agriculture: Cottage Food Guidelines
4. University of Maryland Extension: Cottage Food Business Law
5. Cottage Food Law Library: Maryland
6. Maryland Department of Health: Cottage Foods

General information, not legal or tax advice. For your own situation, contact the Maryland Department of Health's Office of Food Protection.