In Maryland, you can sell homemade foods with no license (unless you sell to retail stores), a $50,000 sales cap, and broad sales channels — including online, mail delivery, and even retail stores. Recent laws now allow some refrigerated baked goods like cheesecakes and cream pies. This guide covers exactly what you can sell, how to label it, where you can sell it, and how to start.
The short version: Maryland requires no license or permit for direct sales (registration with the Maryland Department of Health is free and only needed to sell into retail stores). The cap is $50,000/year, and a pending bill (HB 535) would raise it to $100,000 on October 1, 2026. Maryland now allows refrigerated baked goods — cheesecakes, cream pies, custard pies, meringue pies, fresh fruit tarts — under SB 701, on top of the usual shelf-stable foods. You can sell from home, at markets and events, by personal or mail delivery, online, and into retail stores. Every label needs the "exempt from Maryland's food safety regulations" statement.
The current cap is $50,000 in annual sales. A pending bill (HB 535) would raise it to $100,000 effective October 1, 2026 if enacted — confirm before relying on it.
| Maryland rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Annual sales cap | $50,000 (HB 535 may raise to $100K on Oct 1, 2026) |
| License | None for direct sales; free MDH registration to sell to retail stores |
| Allowed foods | Non-TCS + refrigerated baked goods (SB 701: cheesecakes, cream/custard/meringue pies, fruit tarts) |
| Where you can sell | Home, markets, events, personal/mail delivery, online, retail stores |
| Label statement | "made by a cottage food business... exempt from Maryland's food safety regulations" |
No license or permit is required for direct sales. If you want to sell to retail food stores, you must register with the Maryland Department of Health — but registration is free and simple. That makes Maryland low-friction for most home sellers, with an easy upgrade path if you want to reach store shelves.
Maryland allows non-potentially-hazardous foods, and — thanks to SB 701 — now also permits certain refrigerated baked goods. Commonly sold items include:
Other refrigerated/TCS foods (meat, dairy beverages, etc.) remain outside the law. Confirm specifics with University of Maryland Extension or the Maryland Department of Health.
Maryland cottage food products must be prepackaged and labeled with:
A simple compliant label might read: *"Old Line Cheesecake — [Business / ID], [Address]. Ingredients: cream cheese, sugar, eggs, graham crust (contains wheat, egg, milk). Net wt. 24 oz. Made by a cottage food business exempt from Maryland's food safety regulations."* See our cottage food labeling guide for templates.
Maryland is generous on channels. You can sell:
All within Maryland.
Because Maryland allows online and mail sales with a high cap, a real storefront helps you take orders and manage pickup/delivery without living in your DMs. Homegrown gives Maryland sellers an online storefront with built-in payments and pickup/delivery scheduling for $10/month at 0% commission — you keep every dollar except standard card processing. Start a free trial and have a Maryland-ready storefront live in about 15 minutes.
The cap is $50,000 (potentially rising to $100,000 in late 2026), and Maryland's broad channels — including retail and the new refrigerated baked goods — give sellers room to grow. Most successful Maryland sellers combine direct sales with a few retail accounts and lean on higher-margin products. A few ways to get the most out of it:
Maryland's free retail registration plus the new SB 701 refrigerated baked goods (cheesecakes, cream pies) give Maryland sellers two growth levers most states lack.
Cottage food rules cover food safety, not the business side, and the specifics differ by state. For Maryland: Maryland exempts most grocery food but taxes some prepared items; register with the Comptroller of Maryland and confirm whether your products are taxable. A few more steps worth handling before you grow:
None of these are part of the cottage food rules themselves, but handling them early keeps your business clean as it scales.
Confirm the current cap and allowed-foods list with the Maryland Department of Health or University of Maryland Extension before relying on the pending changes.
Currently $50,000 per year. A pending bill (HB 535) would raise it to $100,000 effective October 1, 2026, if enacted.
No license for direct sales. Free registration with the Maryland Department of Health is required only if you want to sell into retail food stores.
Yes. SB 701 now allows certain refrigerated baked goods — cheesecakes, cream pies, custard pies, meringue pies, and fresh fruit tarts.
Yes. Maryland allows online sales, mail delivery, and personal delivery, plus sales from home, at markets and events, and to retail stores.
Your business name and address (or unique ID), product name, ingredients in descending order, net weight, allergens, and a statement that the product was made by a cottage food business exempt from Maryland's food safety regulations.
Yes. With free Maryland Department of Health registration, you can sell directly to retail food stores in addition to direct-to-consumer channels.
Not for direct sales. Free MDH registration is only required if you want to sell into retail stores. You may still want a local business license for tax purposes.
With no license for direct sales, a $50,000 cap (possibly rising), and broad channels including online and retail, Maryland is welcoming to home food sellers. Set up a Homegrown storefront for Maryland cottage food orders with pickup and delivery, then compare the rules in nearby states like Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and West Virginia, or see the full cottage food laws by state hub.
*This guide is general information, not legal advice. Cottage food rules change — verify current requirements with University of Maryland Extension or the Maryland Department of Health before selling. Last verified: June 2026.*
