Maine Cottage Food Laws

Maine is the one state where your town matters more than the state. Check whether your municipality has passed a food sovereignty ordinance first.

Important information: Cottage food laws vary by state and may change. This guide is provided for general educational purposes and is not legal advice. Always confirm current requirements with your state's official regulatory agency before selling homemade food.

Checked against official Maine sources on November 2, 2026: permit. Anything not marked as checked is our summary — check with the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry.

Fast facts

Permit
Home Food License from DACF (initial inspection) (checked)
Annual sales cap
No limit (summary)
Online sales
Limited (summary)
Shipping
Not allowed (summary)

What makes Maine different

  • A Home Food License covers shelf-stable foods made in your home kitchen and sold from home or wholesale
  • An initial inspection is required before the license is issued
  • Selling off-site, such as at farmers markets, also needs a Mobile Vendor License
  • Maine's Food Sovereignty Act lets towns adopt their own local food ordinances

Where you can sell in Maine

  • Direct to consumer
  • Farmers markets
  • Retail with license
  • Local events

What you can and can't make

These lists describe what most cottage food laws allow and prohibit. They aren't Maine's official product list: check the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry for the foods Maine actually allows.

Generally allowed

  • Breads, rolls, biscuits and buns
  • Cakes, cupcakes and brownies (without cream-cheese or custard fillings)
  • Cookies, bars and biscotti
  • Fruit pies and fruit-filled pastries
  • Candy, brittle, fudge and chocolate-covered items
  • Dry mixes, granola, popcorn and roasted nuts
  • Jams, jellies and preserves made from high-acid fruit

Generally prohibited

  • Cheesecake and cream-cheese frostings or fillings
  • Custard, meringue, pudding and Bavarian-cream pies
  • Anything containing meat, poultry or seafood
  • Fresh-dairy items, ice cream and buttercream that requires refrigeration
  • Canned vegetables, salsas and other low-acid canned goods
  • Garlic-in-oil, pickled goods and fermented foods (in most states)
  • Kombucha, juices and other beverages requiring a process authority

Maine labeling requirements

Most states require the elements below. Maine's exact list may differ, so confirm it with the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry.

  1. The name and physical address of your home kitchen business
  2. The common name of the product
  3. A full ingredient list in descending order by weight
  4. Allergen declaration for the major allergens (milk, eggs, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, sesame)
  5. Net weight or volume
  6. A cottage food disclosure such as "Made in a home kitchen that is not subject to routine state inspection"

Official source for Maine

The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry administers cottage food rules in Maine. Their page is the authoritative, current version of everything summarized here.

Visit the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry

Sources we checked on November 2, 2026:

Running a Maine home bakery?

Whisk Manager keeps your orders, customers, recipes and revenue in one place — so you always know where you stand against your state's rules.

Start free today

Cottage food laws in other states