Cottage Food Laws by State
Maine Cottage Food Laws
Maine does not have a cottage food exemption. Instead, home cooks who want to sell shelf-stable foods get a Home Food License from the state agriculture department. It costs $20 a year, and an inspector visits your kitchen once at the start; annual inspections are not required.
Permit
Required
Training
Not required
Home inspection
Yes
Wholesale
Allowed
Verified against official sources on 2026-10-21.
Where You Can Sell in Maine
A Home Food License lets you sell from your home and at retail stores. If you want to sell at a farmers' market or craft fair, you also need a Mobile Vendor License, which is another $20 a year. Products sold away from your home must carry a label with the name, ingredients, quantity, and your name and address.
| Channel | Status |
|---|---|
| From home |
Conditions apply
No label is required when the product is sold directly to the consumer from the home. |
| Farmers markets |
Conditions apply
Selling off-premise requires a DACF Mobile Vendor License ($20/year) in addition to the Home Food License. |
| Events & festivals |
Conditions apply
Selling off-premise, for example at a craft fair, requires a DACF Mobile Vendor License in addition to the Home Food License. |
| Retail stores |
Conditions apply
Foods sold outside the home must carry the required label. |
| Wholesale | Allowed |
What You Can Sell in Maine
The license covers foods that stay safe without refrigeration. Anything that must be kept cold or frozen needs a commercial processing license instead. Canned items such as pickles, relishes, and barbecue sauces must be reviewed by the University of Maine's food testing service, or another process authority, before you are licensed.
Shelf-stable (non-potentially hazardous) foods made in a home kitchen; anything needing refrigeration or freezing requires a commercial food processing license instead.
Allowed with conditions
- Canned shelf-stable products such as pickles, relishes, and BBQ sauces — Must be submitted to University of Maine Food Testing Services or another acidified process authority for review before licensing.
Not allowed
Limits and Requirements
Annual sales cap
- Only shelf-stable foods; no refrigerated or frozen products under a Home Food License
- Initial kitchen inspection required before the license is issued
- Kitchen needs a two-bay sink, or a one-bay sink plus a dishwasher, with hot and cold water
- Private wells need an annual water test for coliform and nitrates
- A thermometer must be kept in the refrigerator, maintained at 41 degrees F or below
- Pets must be removed from the processing area before production
Local rules: Under the Maine Food Sovereignty Act, a municipality or plantation may adopt an ordinance on direct producer-to-consumer food sales, and the State then does not enforce its food laws for transactions the ordinance governs. Check with your town office whether one exists.
How to Start Selling in Maine
-
1
Confirm a license applies
A Home Food License is needed for shelf-stable foods made at home. It is not required for selling only fresh produce or qualifying fresh eggs. Some towns have local food ordinances; check yours.
-
2
Prepare your kitchen
Smooth, cleanable surfaces; a two-bay sink or one-bay sink plus dishwasher; a refrigerator thermometer; and an annual water test if you use a private well.
-
3
Get canned products reviewed
If you make pickles, relishes, BBQ sauces, or other canned shelf-stable items, submit them to University of Maine Food Testing Services or another acidified process authority before licensing.
-
4
Apply to DACF
Submit the Food and Fuel License Application. The Home Food License fee is $20 a year. DACF Quality Assurance and Regulations can be reached at 207-287-3841.
-
5
Pass the initial inspection
DACF staff visit to confirm labeling, sanitation, food protection, and thermometers. Annual inspections are not required.
-
6
Add a Mobile Vendor License if selling off-site
Farmers' markets and fairs require a Mobile Vendor License ($20 a year); DACF can amend an existing license to add it.
What a Compliant Maine Label Looks Like
Quickly Cottage builds your ingredient list, detects allergens, and adds the required disclosure automatically.
Product
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake Pops
Net Wt: 8 oz (227g)
Sunflower Home Bakery
412 Maple Ave, Springfield, ME
Ingredients:
Enriched Bleached Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Sugar, Cocoa (Processed with Alkali), Leavening (Baking Soda, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate, Monocalcium Phosphate), Corn Starch, Salt, Soybean Oil; Sugar, Unsweetened Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Milkfat, Soy Lecithin, Vanilla; Sugar, Corn Starch, Vegetable Oil (Palm), Confectioner's Glaze, Carnauba Wax, FD&C Colors; Water, Propylene Glycol, FD&C Red 40.
Contains:
Label Requirements
Every cottage food product sold in Maine must have a label that includes the following.
| Required field |
|---|
| All 9 FDA major allergens present |
| Complete ingredient list, in descending order by weight |
| Business name |
| Business address |
| Product name |
| Net weight |
Maine Labeling Notes
- These label items are required for foods sold outside the home, including at retail stores and off-premise markets.
- No label is required when you sell directly to the consumer from your home.
Generate your Maine label in minutes
Ingredient lists, allergens, and the required disclosure — built in automatically.
Maine Cottage Food — Common Questions
A Home Food License from the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) is required; it costs $20 a year and needs one initial inspection of your home kitchen.
The limit is in gross sales.
Not allowed: Foods that must be refrigerated or frozen to control microbial growth (these need a commercial food processing license).
Resources and Law History
Who to contact
Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Quality Assurance & Regulations
207-287-3841
Agency website2017
Maine Food Sovereignty Act enacted (7 MRSA chapter 8-F), letting towns adopt local food ordinances.
2025
PL 2025 c. 309 amended the Food Sovereignty Act, widening the definitions of food producer and food to include home-kitchen prepared foods and strengthening local ordinance authority.
Law reference: Maine Cottage Food Law (Maine Food Sovereignty Act, 7 MRSA chapter 8-F) · Last updated 2026 · Always verify requirements with your state's department of agriculture before selling.
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