Selling your maple syrup
Most small producers can sell their syrup — but whether you need a license, where you can boil, and what the label must say depends on your state or province. Each page below is built from the official rules, with links to check them yourself.
There's no federal license to sell maple syrup in the US — whether you need a license, where you can boil and where you can sell are decided by your state. Federal rules still set the floor for every jar: the FDA defines what "maple syrup" is and what a food label must say, and USDA publishes grade standards that are voluntary at the federal level.
Maine
License required
Yes, with a license — and a cheap one: Maine's maple syrup processing license is $2 a year if you make under 15 gallons, $25 above that. Your sugarhouse gets inspected, every bottle needs a grade and a tamper-evident seal, and selling away from your farm (like at a farmers market) takes a separate mobile vendor license.
Michigan
License depends on how you sell
Yes — small producers can sell their own Michigan maple syrup without a license as long as gross sales stay at or under $50,000 a year ($75,000 if you sell at $250 or more per unit). Exempt syrup must carry a "not inspected by MDARD" statement, and your sugarhouse still has to meet the Michigan Food Law's sanitation and building standards.
Minnesota
License depends on how you sell
Yes — if the syrup comes from trees on land you own, rent or lease and you add nothing from off the farm, Minnesota treats it as a "product of the farm" and you don't need a food license or cottage food registration. Add off-farm ingredients like flavorings — or, per the state producers' association, sap or syrup from someone else — and you'll need a license (or, for some products, cottage food registration).
New Hampshire
No license required
Yes — New Hampshire doesn't require a license or certificate to sell maple syrup. What it does require is syrup that meets the state's grade and density standards (66.9 to 68.9 °Brix), hot-packed in sealed containers with a grade and product code on the label.
New York
License depends on how you sell
Yes — if you boil and bottle your own syrup, New York exempts you from its food processing license. You still have to keep a sanitary operation, grade every retail container using New York's Grade A color and taste classes, and label it properly.
Ohio
License depends on how you sell
Yes — if you collect at least 75% of the sap you boil from trees yourself, Ohio exempts you from licensing, registration and mandatory inspection. Every container still needs a proper label, and grading is optional in Ohio — but if you print a grade, you have to test the syrup first.
Pennsylvania
License required
Yes, but you'll need to register first. Pennsylvania requires every maple producer who sells to register with the Department of Agriculture as a food establishment ($35 a year) and pass an inspection — and home kitchens can qualify through the Limited Food Establishment program.
Vermont
No license required
Yes — and if you make and pack your own syrup, Vermont doesn't require a license for it. What Vermont does have is a detailed maple law: packaged syrup must hit at least 66.9 °Brix, carry a Vermont grade, a batch code and a tamper-proof seal, and only 100% Vermont-made syrup can be called Vermont maple.
Wisconsin
License depends on how you sell
Yes — selling your own syrup straight to consumers from an outlet that mainly sells your own maple syrup needs no retail license, and selling under $5,000 a year of bulk syrup to other processors needs only an annual registration. Selling to stores, restaurants or other resellers takes a food processing plant license from DATCP.
In Canada, the federal Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) only require a licence when syrup crosses a provincial border, is exported or is imported. Syrup made and sold entirely within one province follows that province's rules — plus federal Food and Drugs Act labelling.
National rules
- 21 CFR 168.140 — Maple sirup (standard of identity) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration (eCFR)
- 21 CFR 101.3 — Identity labeling of food in packaged form — U.S. Food and Drug Administration (eCFR)
- 21 CFR 101.5 — Food; name and place of business of manufacturer, packer, or distributor — U.S. Food and Drug Administration (via Cornell LII)
- 21 CFR 101.7 — Declaration of net quantity of contents — U.S. Food and Drug Administration (eCFR)
- 21 CFR 101.9 — Nutrition labeling of food (exemptions in paragraph (j)) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration (via Cornell LII)
- United States Standards for Grades of Maple Syrup (effective March 2, 2015) — USDA Agricultural Marketing Service
- Questions and Answers Regarding Food Facility Registration (Seventh Edition): Guidance for Industry — U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SOR/2018-108) — Justice Laws Website, Government of Canada
- SFCR overview by food commodity (maple products) — Canadian Food Inspection Agency
- Canadian Grade Compendium: Volume 7 – Maple Syrup — Canadian Food Inspection Agency
- Labelling requirements for maple products — Canadian Food Inspection Agency
- Preventive controls: maple products (lead) — Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Summaries of public rules, not legal advice. Confirm with your state or provincial agency before selling.
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