Selling maple syrup in Pennsylvania
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.
September 25, 2026
Some points to confirm with the agency
Under the Food Safety Act, everyone operating a food establishment must register with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA); the fee is $35 per establishment per year (3 Pa.C.S. § 5734). The only exemptions in the law are for bulk transport vehicles and on-farm honey — there's no maple exemption, and PDA's maple guideline says "All maple product producers in PA shall be licensed." PDA says registration isn't typically needed for syrup made for personal use and given to close family or friends, but may be if it's advertised in any way (flyers, ads, even word of mouth). State registration doesn't replace any county or city licensing.
Official pagePennsylvania Department of Agriculture — Limited Food Establishment (home kitchens) / Food Establishment RegistrationYes, through PDA's Limited Food Establishment registration, which covers home kitchens and residential-style kitchens in places like a remodeled garage or outbuilding; maple syrup and maple products are on its list of allowed foods. Apply at least 60 days before you start: PDA reviews your plans, inspects the site, then collects the $35 fee and issues the registration, with routine inspections after that. Limited Food Establishment registration isn't available in Philadelphia County. Private wells must be tested (coliform and nitrate/nitrite first, then coliform every year).
PDA's guideline says maple syrup must be 66% to 68.9% solids by weight (°Brix, measured at 68 °F); the 66% floor is also the FDA standard. Pennsylvania's own maple products law (3 Pa.C.S. Chapter 61) was repealed in 2010, and PDA's guideline doesn't list a grade among required label items — so grading appears to follow the voluntary USDA standards rather than a state mandate. PDA's guideline says everything on the label must be truthful and not misleading, so any grade you choose to show has to be accurate.
Check your density with the hydrometer calculator →- Statement of identity — the common or usual name ("maple syrup")
- Name and address of the manufacturer or distributor
- Net contents by volume
- An ingredient list if you use any optional ingredients (salt, preservatives); defoamers generally don't need declaring unless they contain a major food allergen
- A Nutrition Facts panel only if you make nutrient content or health claims
Your registration covers sales straight from the production site, including internet sales. Selling at a farmers market, roadside stand, fair or a store at your farm may also need a Retail Food Facility License from PDA or your local health department (sometimes fee-exempt). PDA's application asks whether you plan to sell wholesale in state, out of state, online or at markets, so tell them up front; PDA notes that selling across state lines may also require FDA facility registration (see the national notes).
PDA inspects against its maple guideline: evaporator pans, buckets, tanks and other equipment must not contain lead solder "in any quantity"; sap tubing must be food-grade; equipment must be durable, cleanable and rust-free; galvanized metal is only prohibited with acidic foods, so galvanized sap buckets are allowed but long-term storage in galvanized containers isn't recommended. Syrup must be bottled hot, at 180 °F or higher, and closures can't be reused. The water supply must be potable, and private wells tested annually.
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.
- FDA standard of identity: "maple syrup" (or "maple sirup") is made by concentrating and heat-treating maple sap and must contain at least 66% soluble solids by weight (21 CFR 168.140).
- Every packaged food label needs the product's name on the front panel (21 CFR 101.3), the net quantity of contents in fluid measure (21 CFR 101.7), and the name and place of business of the maker, packer or distributor, including city, state and ZIP code (21 CFR 101.5).
- Nutrition Facts panels are often not required for small producers: direct-to-consumer sellers with $50,000 or less a year in food sales to consumers (or $500,000 or less in total sales to consumers) are exempt if the label makes no nutrition claims (21 CFR 101.9(j)(1)). A separate low-volume exemption covers firms with fewer than 100 full-time-equivalent employees selling fewer than 100,000 units, and firms under 10 employees selling under 10,000 units don't have to file a notice (21 CFR 101.9(j)(18)).
- USDA's grade standards (effective March 2, 2015) are voluntary at the federal level: Grade A comes in four color/taste classes — Golden (Delicate), Amber (Rich), Dark (Robust) and Very Dark (Strong) — at 66–68.9% solids (°Brix). Processing Grade must be packed in containers of 5 gallons or larger and can't go into retail-size containers. Some states make grade labeling mandatory under state law (in this guide: Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, and Wisconsin for licensed processors), while others leave it voluntary — see your state's page.
- FDA facility registration: FDA treats boiling sap into syrup as "manufacturing/processing", so a dedicated sugarhouse generally has to register with FDA unless an exemption applies — for example, it's a retail food establishment, meaning its direct-to-consumer food sales are worth more than its sales to all other buyers (sales at roadside stands, farmers markets, CSAs, fairs and by mail or online from a farm or farm-operated business all count as direct), or the syrup is made in your home or in an outbuilding that's still used the way a normal home building would be (FDA facility-registration Q&A, 7th ed., 2018).
- Licenses, home-kitchen rules and sugarhouse inspections are state matters, and federal rules apply on top of them — USDA's grade standards say they don't excuse failure to comply with state law.
Official sources
- 3 Pa.C.S. § 5734 — Registration of food establishments (Title 3, Agriculture) — Pennsylvania General Assembly
- Guidelines for Maple Syrup Processors (Rev. 07/2016) — Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
- Limited Food Establishment — Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
- Application Packet — Limited Food Establishment (Rev 10-2024) — Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
- Selling Maple Syrup in Pennsylvania: What You Need to Know — Penn State Extension
- 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
This page summarizes public rules as we read them on September 25, 2026. It isn't legal advice, and rules change — confirm with the agency before you sell.
Getting ready for the season? When to tap in Pennsylvania →
Know your numbers before you price
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