Province rules

Can you sell backyard eggs in Quebec?

Yes, if you sell them yourself. Under 100 laying hens needs no quota; sell labelled, ungraded eggs at your farm or your own market stall. Without a registered farm number (NIM), you need a MAPAQ retail permit.

Read from 8 official sources42 passages quotedChecked October 7, 2026

At a glance

Licence

Depends how you sell

Small-flock line

Under 100 laying hens

Farmers markets

With conditions

Cartons

Reuse with conditions

In plain English

Quebec's quota line is set by the Fédération des producteurs d'œufs du Québec: a flock of 100 or more laying hens (hens at least 134 days old) needs quota, and a smaller flock must be kept in your own poultry operation; several small flocks may not be pooled on one farm. Since December 1, 2024, Quebec's food regulation lets any producer sell ungraded, unmarked eggs at retail, not only at the farm, if the eggs are free of odours and mould, not incubated, not leaking or badly damaged, not from slaughtered hens and free of pathogens. Each package is labelled 'ungraded eggs', with the species, your name and address, the number of eggs and 'Canada' or the province; eggs sold at your own establishment need only your name and address. MAPAQ's guidance says you must sell directly, with no intermediary: at the farm, from a stall you rent at a public market or agricultural fair, through a producers' group outlet, at a basket drop-off, or in your own independent shop or restaurant (not a chain). MAPAQ also says a retail sale permit is needed to sell shell eggs unless your farm holds a ministerial identification number (NIM), which requires at least $5,000 a year of gross farm income or a plan to reach it.

A sourced reading of Quebec's rules, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation du Québec (MAPAQ) before you sell.

Do you need a licence?

Depends on how and how much you sellUnder 100 laying hens
  • Keep fewer than 100 laying hens (domestic hens at least 134 days old); a flock of 100 or more needs FPOQ quota.CQLR c. M-35.1, r. 239, s. 2
  • Produce the eggs in your own poultry operation, and don't pool several small flocks in one operation.CQLR c. M-35.1, r. 239, ss. 2-3
  • Sell only eggs produced on your own farm or in a henhouse you lease.CQLR c. P-29, r. 1, § 5.1.1
  • Ungraded, unmarked eggs may be sold only at retail by the producer, and must meet Division 5.5.CQLR c. P-29, r. 1, § 5.1.2
  • Eggs must be free of odours not found in healthy eggs and of mould, not incubated, not leaking or badly damaged, not from slaughtered hens, and free of pathogens.CQLR c. P-29, r. 1, § 5.5.1
  • Label each package 'ungraded eggs', the species, your name and address, the number of eggs, and 'Canada' or the province of origin; eggs sold at your own establishment need only your name and address.CQLR c. P-29, r. 1, § 5.5.2
  • Sell directly, with no intermediary or consignor: at the farm, a stall you rent at a public market or agricultural fair, a producers' group sales point, a basket drop-off, or your own independent shop or restaurant that is not part of a banner or chain.MAPAQ aide-mémoire, December 2024
  • Hold a MAPAQ retail sale permit unless your farm has a NIM ('exploitant agricole'); a NIM requires at least $5,000 a year of gross farm income or being on track to it.MAPAQ, Vente de produits agricoles, 2026
  • Keep eggs at a temperature that preserves them at your establishment; eggs on display at a retailer or stored elsewhere may not exceed 13°C, and MAPAQ says eggs sold at retail must be kept refrigerated.CQLR c. P-29, r. 1, § 5.3.1-5.3.4
  • Pack eggs in clean, dry containers that protect them from crushing.CQLR c. P-29, r. 1, § 5.3.5
The exact wording
“Celui qui exploite ou fait exploiter un troupeau de moins de 100 pondeuses et qui désire produire ou mettre en marché des oeufs de consommation doit les produire dans sa propre exploitation avicole.”

Where you can sell

From home or the farm

With conditions

Allowed for ungraded eggs from your own flock that meet the quality rules; package labels can be just your name and address when sold at your establishment (CQLR c. P-29, r. 1, § 5.5.2). MAPAQ says you need a retail sale permit unless your farm holds a NIM.

Farmers markets

With conditions

MAPAQ allows ungraded eggs from a stall you rent at a public market or agricultural fair, sold by you directly with no intermediary. Packages carry the full label ('ungraded eggs', species, name and address, number of eggs, origin); bring a copy of your retail permit if you need one.

Stores and restaurants

Licence needed

Ungraded eggs can't go through an intermediary, so a third-party store or restaurant needs graded, marked eggs from a grading station that meets Division 5.2 (CQLR c. P-29, r. 1, § 5.1.4). MAPAQ does allow ungraded eggs in your own independent shop or restaurant that is not part of a chain.

Also check with: MAPAQ (retail sale permit or farm registration); Fédération des producteurs d'œufs du Québec (quota)

Cartons, labels and handling

Cartons

Reused cartons are allowed, with conditions.

“The cartons in which graded eggs are packed must be new. … Les œufs non classés destinés à la vente directe aux consommateurs en circuits courts doivent être emballés dans des contenants propres”

Refrigeration

13°C or colder where the rule applies.

“In the producer’s establishment, eggs must be stored in rooms reserved exclusively for their storage and kept at a temperature which will ensure their preservation. … In a retailer’s establishment, the temperature of eggs on display must not exceed 13ºC.”

The label must show

  • 'ungraded eggs' (or 'eggs')
  • name of the species laying the eggs
  • name and address of the producer
  • number of eggs in the package
  • 'Canada' or the province of origin
  • At your own establishment: your name and address alone is enough
  • MAPAQ guidance also lists a best-before date and 'Garder réfrigéré' (keep refrigerated)

Grading

Ungraded sales are allowed only in some cases.

“Despite the first paragraph and sections 5.1.3 to 5.1.4.2, eggs sold at retail by any producer are not graded or marked provided that the eggs meet the requirements provided for in section 5.5.”

Washing

No washing rule for ungraded eggs; washing in drinking water is a grading-station rule (CQLR c. P-29, r. 1, § 5.2.5). MAPAQ's guidance says ungraded eggs must have clean, intact shells.

Federal rules apply on top of Quebec's: Canada's federal egg rules. Pricing your dozen? The egg price calculator works it out from your feed bill.

What changed recently

  1. 2024-12-01 · Décret 1562-2024 took effect: the Regulation respecting food now lets any producer sell ungraded eggs at retail if they meet Division 5.5, replacing the old rule that allowed ungraded eggs only at the producer's establishment if clean and not leaking. It also added the 'ungraded eggs' package label, allowed name-and-address-only labels at the producer's establishment, replaced the 13°C storage limit at the producer's establishment with a temperature that preserves the eggs, and let these producers sell egg-based preparations made from their ungraded eggs. Source

Common questions

Do I need a licence to sell eggs from my backyard chickens in Quebec?
Yes, if you sell them yourself. Under 100 laying hens needs no quota; sell labelled, ungraded eggs at your farm or your own market stall. Without a registered farm number (NIM), you need a MAPAQ retail permit. Small-flock line: under 100 laying hens. The conditions, and the law they come from, are on this page.
Can I sell eggs at a farmers market in Quebec?
Allowed with conditions. MAPAQ allows ungraded eggs from a stall you rent at a public market or agricultural fair, sold by you directly with no intermediary. Packages carry the full label ('ungraded eggs', species, name and address, number of eggs, origin); bring a copy of your retail permit if you need one. Also check with MAPAQ (retail sale permit or farm registration); Fédération des producteurs d'œufs du Québec (quota).
Can I reuse egg cartons in Quebec?
With conditions. The rule reads: "The cartons in which graded eggs are packed must be new. … Les œufs non classés destinés à la vente directe aux consommateurs en circuits courts doivent être emballés dans des contenants propres"
What has to be on the carton label in Quebec?
'ungraded eggs' (or 'eggs'), name of the species laying the eggs, name and address of the producer, number of eggs in the package, 'Canada' or the province of origin, At your own establishment: your name and address alone is enough, MAPAQ guidance also lists a best-before date and 'Garder réfrigéré' (keep refrigerated). The rule reads: "Each package of eggs covered by 5.5.1 must bear the following inscriptions in indelible letters: (1) the word “eggs” or the words “ungraded eggs” in the case of ungraded eggs sold in accordance with the third paragraph of section 5.1.2; (2) the name of the species laying the eggs; … (3) the name and address of the producer, the wholesaler or the retailer; (4) the number of eggs contained in the package"
Do eggs I sell in Quebec have to be kept cold?
Yes, at 13°C or colder. The rule reads: "In the producer’s establishment, eggs must be stored in rooms reserved exclusively for their storage and kept at a temperature which will ensure their preservation. … In a retailer’s establishment, the temperature of eggs on display must not exceed 13ºC."
Sources
Read the 42 passages this page is built on
What we couldn't confirm
  • The FPOQ quota regulation (CQLR c. M-35.1, r. 239) is published in French only on LégisQuébec; its quotes here are French. Article 2 requires quota from 100 laying hens ('au moins 100'), while article 3 speaks of flocks of '100 pondeuses et moins'; the record uses fewer than 100.
  • The permit rule rests on MAPAQ's page (updated 3 September 2026): a retail sale permit is needed to sell shell eggs unless the farm holds a NIM. The regulation's own exemption (CQLR c. P-29, r. 1, s. 1.3.5.B.5) covers farm producers under the Farm Producers Act who sell at retail on the premises of the operation, and 'packaging consumer shell eggs' is excluded from 'preparation' (s. 1.1.1(j)). How the permit applies to a hobby flock selling a few dozen eggs off the farm should be confirmed with MAPAQ.
  • The list of allowed direct-sale places (rented market or fair stall, group sales point, basket drop-off, own restaurant or independent shop) comes from MAPAQ's aide-mémoire (PDF dated December 2024); the regulation itself says only 'sold at retail by any producer'.
  • MAPAQ's aide-mémoire lists a shelf-life date and 'Garder réfrigéré' on ungraded egg packages; section 5.5.2 of the regulation does not (the decree revoked its paragraph 5). Both are shown.
  • The regulation's numeric limit is 13°C (retail display and other storage); MAPAQ's guidance says eggs sold at retail must be kept refrigerated without a number.
  • quebec.ca says some producers may keep up to 500 hens for short-chain sales; that is through FPOQ quota programs, whose documents were not read. Producers with 101 to 250 hens on December 31, 1993 are grandfathered (r. 239, s. 2).
  • A producer with 300 hens or fewer may grade its own eggs without marking them or registering its grading station, but the station must still meet Division 5.2 (CQLR c. P-29, r. 1, § 5.1.2, 5.1.4); this route was not explored.
  • Municipal by-laws on keeping hens were not checked.

Elsewhere in Canada

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No licence for small salesDepends how you sellRegistration or licenceNot stated or not checked

All of Canada

Coloured by the small-flock licence rule, with the rules that apply everywhere in Canada.

Canada overview →

Legal where you live? Then keep the books.

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