2026 reference
Maine Cottage Food Law
Maine's cottage food law sets no statewide revenue cap and a permit (Home Food License (home food manufacturing)) is required before the first sale. A Home Food License lets a licensed home kitchen sell shelf-stable foods "from home and/or at retail stores" (DACF Home Food License 101). The Home Food Manufacturing rule defines the activity as food offered for sale "directly to the consumer or through other distribution methods" and sets label rules for products sold to stores, sold wholesale for further distribution, or retailed by any manner of public marketing (01-001 CMR ch. 345 §§ 1(E), 7). Neither source specifically addresses online orders or shipping out of state. Separately, a town, plantation, or county that adopts a food sovereignty ordinance can exempt direct producer-to-consumer transactions it governs (on the producer's premises, at roadside stands, fundraisers, farmers' markets, and community social events, or through buying clubs, deliveries, community-supported agriculture, herd shares, and other private arrangements) from state food laws in Titles 7 and 22 (7 M.R.S. §§ 282(1), 284).
Watch for: Only shelf-stable foods qualify: products that must be refrigerated or frozen to control microbial growth need a commercial food processing license, and home-canned foods that require pressure cooking cannot be sold (01-001 CMR ch. 345 § 6(D)). Have canned recipes reviewed by a process authority before applying. A local food sovereignty ordinance can exempt direct-to-consumer sales it governs, but never the state meat and poultry inspection requirements (7 M.R.S. § 285), and food made for any other kind of sale must meet state and federal food safety law (§ 286).
Key facts
Where you can sell
A Home Food License lets a licensed home kitchen sell shelf-stable foods "from home and/or at retail stores" (DACF Home Food License 101). The Home Food Manufacturing rule defines the activity as food offered for sale "directly to the consumer or through other distribution methods" and sets label rules for products sold to stores, sold wholesale for further distribution, or retailed by any manner of public marketing (01-001 CMR ch. 345 §§ 1(E), 7). Neither source specifically addresses online orders or shipping out of state. Separately, a town, plantation, or county that adopts a food sovereignty ordinance can exempt direct producer-to-consumer transactions it governs (on the producer's premises, at roadside stands, fundraisers, farmers' markets, and community social events, or through buying clubs, deliveries, community-supported agriculture, herd shares, and other private arrangements) from state food laws in Titles 7 and 22 (7 M.R.S. §§ 282(1), 284).
- Direct (in-person)
- Farmers markets
- Retail / grocery
What's required before your first sale
A Home Food License from the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) is required (22 M.R.S. § 2167) and costs $20 a year (01-001 CMR ch. 330 § 2(G)). Department staff inspect the home kitchen before the license is issued; DACF's Home Food License 101 says annual inspections are not required, although the ch. 345 rule text says the Department shall inspect before a license is issued or renewed. DACF lists smooth, easily cleanable food contact surfaces, floors, walls, and ceilings; a two-bay sink, or a one-bay sink and a dishwasher, with adequate hot and cold water; an annual coliform and nitrate test for a private well; a refrigerator thermometer showing 41°F or less; and pets removed and surfaces washed, rinsed, and sanitized before processing. Before licensing, canned shelf-stable products such as pickles, relishes, and BBQ sauces must be reviewed by the University of Maine Food Testing Services or another acidified process authority. Neither the rule nor DACF guidance sets a sales cap or a food safety training requirement.
Allowed and excluded foods
Examples of permitted foods
Any food is allowed except those listed under “Excluded” →
- shelf-stable (non-potentially hazardous) foods made in a licensed home kitchen
- canned shelf-stable products such as pickles, relishes, and BBQ sauces, after review by the University of Maine Food Testing Services or another acidified process authority
Illustrative examples, not a complete list.
Excluded from cottage food
- products that must be refrigerated or frozen to control microbial growth (a commercial food processing license is required)
- home-canned foods that require pressure cooking for sealing (01-001 CMR ch. 345 § 6(D))
Label requirements
- A label is required on foods sold outside the home (DACF Home Food License 101); the ch. 345 rule applies it when products are sold to stores, sold wholesale for further distribution, or retailed by any manner of public marketing
- Common or usual name of the product
- Ingredients in order of predominance
- Net weight, net volume, or numerical count (the ch. 345 rule text says net weight or numerical count)
- Name, address, and ZIP code of the producer
- Federal allergen labeling under FALCPA + FASTER Act: "Contains:" statement for any of the nine major allergens (milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, sesame)
- No label is required when the product is sold directly to the consumer from the home
- Maine requires no "made in a home kitchen" disclaimer for Home Food License products; for sales exempted by a local food sovereignty ordinance, any labeling rule comes from that ordinance, not state law
Generate your Maine disclosure label in one click
Ardent Seller assembles a print-ready cottage food label for Maine from data you already track — the state's required disclosure statement rendered verbatim (and sized to meet the state's minimum type size where one applies), your operator info, ingredients in descending order by weight, the federal "Contains:" allergen line, net weight, and lot code. A validation checklist flags anything Maine requires that's missing before you print. Included on every plan.
Adjacent programs
Local Food Sovereignty Ordinance
Under the Maine Food Sovereignty Act, a municipality or plantation (or a county, for unorganized territories) may adopt an ordinance on traditional foodways and direct producer-to-consumer transactions, and the State then does not enforce its food laws or rules under Titles 7 and 22 for the transactions that ordinance governs (7 M.R.S. § 284). What is exempt depends entirely on the local ordinance; the State still enforces meat and poultry inspection, registration, and licensing requirements (§ 285), and food made for any other kind of sale must comply with state and federal food safety law (§ 286).
Sources
- Maine DACF — Home Food License 101 (PDF)
- Maine DACF — Quality Assurance and Regulations: Permits and Licenses
- Forrager — cottage food law database
- 22 M.R.S. § 2167 — License required (food establishments)
- 01-001 CMR ch. 345 — Home Food Manufacturing
- 01-001 CMR ch. 330 — License Fees to Manufacture and Sell Food & Beverages ($20 Home Food Manufacturing fee)
- Maine DACF — Home Food License 101
- Maine Food Sovereignty Act, 7 M.R.S. §§ 281-286 (as amended by PL 2025, c. 309)
Reference content only — not legal advice. State laws change frequently. Verify against the official source before launching.
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