Maryland lets Howard County residents sell certain non-hazardous homemade foods, such as baked goods, jams, jellies, hard candy, and honey, from a home kitchen without a food license under COMAR 10.15.03. Annual cottage-food sales are capped at $50,000, and products must carry a required disclosure label.
Cottage food is governed statewide by the Maryland Department of Health under COMAR 10.15.03; Howard County has no separate license for it. A cottage food business makes non-potentially-hazardous products, high-acid jams and jellies, baked goods, hard candy, and honey, in its home kitchen and may sell them at registered farmers markets, farm markets, public events, and permitted online/direct channels. Sales are limited to $50,000 per year (raised from $25,000 by 2022 reform). Every product must display the state-required statement that it was made in an unregulated cottage food kitchen. Zoning still requires the operation to remain an incidental home occupation.
Selling potentially hazardous foods, exceeding the sales cap, or omitting the required label can lead to Health Department enforcement and loss of the license exemption.
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See how Howard County's cottage food operations rules stack up against other locations.
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