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Maryland: the home-kitchen movement

Cottage food (restricted) Cottage food law

Maryland has a cottage food law only — no MEHKO-style home kitchen program and no food freedom act. A cottage food business making nonpotentially hazardous foods at home needs no state license; sales of prepared/hot meals from a home kitchen require a food license from the local health department.

Status, history, and administering agency are verified from the state law guide's primary sources. Supporter/opposition research for this state is still in progress — nothing is listed until it can be sourced.

Where it stands

2026: HB 535 (Ch. 320), signed April 28, 2026, raises the cottage food annual revenue cap from $50,000 to $100,000, effective October 1, 2026. 2026: SB 838 ('home bakeries' bill allowing refrigerated baked goods like cheesecakes and custard pies from home kitchens) received a Senate Finance hearing on February 25, 2026 but never advanced — died in committee; MDH and county health officers opposed it. 2025: SB 701 (similar refrigerated-baked-goods expansion) heard in Senate Finance on February 28, 2025 and died in committee. 2024–2025: MDH adopted emergency regulation COMAR 10.15.03.27 clarifying that label contact info (phone/email, for retail sales) must enable MDH to reach the business within 24 hours (phone) / 48 hours (email); designees may be used (accommodates Amish/Mennonite producers). No MEHKO/microenterprise home kitchen program exists in Maryland; MDH maintains that prepared foods made at home require local health department retail licensing.

Residents can find and support local kitchens through the Maryland hub — browse kitchens, read the law guide, and see what is cooking near you.

Read the full Maryland law guide →

Cottage food fight in Maryland

0 supporter(s) and 1 opposition entr(ies) on this page carry this track tag — see Supporters / Opposition below.

• 2025 — Cottage food law
  2025: SB 701 (similar refrigerated-baked-goods expansion) heard in Senate Finance on February 28, 2025 and died in committee. Source
• 2026 — Cottage food law
  320), signed April 28, 2026, raises the cottage food annual revenue cap from $50,000 to $100,000, effective October 1, 2026. Source
• 2026 — Cottage food law
  2026: SB 838 ('home bakeries' bill allowing refrigerated baked goods like cheesecakes and custard pies from home kitchens) received a Senate Finance hearing on February 25, 2026 but never advanced — died in committee; MDH and county health officers opposed it. Source

How we got here

• 2026 — Cottage food law Cottage food fight
  320), signed April 28, 2026, raises the cottage food annual revenue cap from $50,000 to $100,000, effective October 1, 2026. Source
• 2026 — Cottage food law Cottage food fight
  2026: SB 838 ('home bakeries' bill allowing refrigerated baked goods like cheesecakes and custard pies from home kitchens) received a Senate Finance hearing on February 25, 2026 but never advanced — died in committee; MDH and county health officers opposed it. Source
• 2025 — Cottage food law Cottage food fight
  2025: SB 701 (similar refrigerated-baked-goods expansion) heard in Senate Finance on February 28, 2025 and died in committee. Source
• 2024 — Cottage food law
  2024–2025: MDH adopted emergency regulation COMAR 10.15.03.27 clarifying that label contact info (phone/email, for retail sales) must enable MDH to reach the business within 24 hours (phone) / 48 hours (email); designees may be used (accommodates Amish/Mennonite producers). Source

Supporters

Supporter research for this state is in progress — nothing is listed until it can be sourced.

Opposition

On the public record opposing, described briefly and neutrally.

The deciders

Contact the deciders

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