National rules

Can you sell backyard eggs in Denmark?

Registered producers may sell up to 312,000 ungraded eggs a year from their own hens directly to consumers at the property. Hobby flocks may need CHR registration; current housing zones remain unconfirmed.

Read from 3 official sources19 passages quotedChecked October 24, 2026

At a glance

License

Registration

Small-flock line

Registration; up to 312,000 ungraded eggs a year

Farmers markets

With conditions

Cartons

Not stated

In plain English

A primary producer registered with the agency may deliver up to 312,000 eggs a year from the property where the hens are housed, ungraded, directly to consumers and to their own farm shop or own market stall within 50 km.

A sourced reading of the rules in Denmark, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with Fødevarestyrelsen (Danish Veterinary and Food Administration) before you sell.

Do you need a license?

Registration requiredRegistration; up to 312,000 ungraded eggs a year
  • The eggs must come from the property where the poultry are housed and must not be sorted into quality or weight classes.
  • The 312,000-egg yearly limit counts direct sales together with deliveries to the producer’s own farm shop, own market stall and own packing centre authorised for limited local trade.
  • Deliveries to consumers must take place at the property.
  • Keep documentation for each financial year showing the quantity and distance limits were met.
  • Agency guidance also says sellers must register separately as primary producers to feed their animals and produce food; which authority handles that registration is not established here.
  • The agency says flocks of fewer than 30 hens over 16 weeks old need no salmonella testing only if the seller does not advertise, tells customers the hens are untested, sells only to known customers and does not use the eggs in their own café, shop or similar. Eggs must not be sold if salmonella is found or suspected.
The exact wording
“Du skal registrere​​ dig hos Fødevarestyrelsen for at sælge æg direkte til forbrugere.”

Where you can sell

From home or the farm

With conditions

Registered producers may sell their own hens’ eggs directly to consumers at the property, ungraded, within the 312,000-egg yearly limit. Sales must not take place from an egg-storage room that also holds eggs for a packing centre.

Farmers markets

With conditions

Egg deliveries to local retail under this route may go to the producer’s own stall at a public market within 50 km of the farm, counted within the same yearly limit.

Stores and restaurants

Needs a license or isn't exempt

Under this route, egg deliveries to local retail may go only to the producer’s own farm shop or own market stall. Other shops and restaurants are outside it; other routes, such as through a packing centre, were not assessed.

Cartons, labels and handling

Cartons

The sources we read don't set a carton rule.

Refrigeration

Not stated in the sources we read.

The label must show

  • For loose eggs exempt from the egg marketing standards, the best-before date (28 days after laying) shown clearly by a notice or a pre-printed slip on the pack or handed over with the eggs.

Grading

Ungraded sales are allowed only in some cases.

Under the direct-delivery route, eggs must not be sorted into quality or weight classes.

Washing

Before marketing, eggs must not be washed or cleaned beyond surface cleaning with a dry cloth.

Pricing your dozen? The egg price calculator works it out from your feed bill.

What changed recently

  1. 2026-05-01 · A new authorisation and registration order (BEK nr 443 of 24 April 2026) replaced the order of 25 November 2025. Source
  2. 2026-01-01 · A new hygiene order (BEK nr 1331 of 20 November 2025) replaced the order of 28 May 2024. Source
Keeping chickens in Denmark? →Registration, bird-flu housing powers and welfare rules, on their own page.Registration required

Common questions

Do I need a license to sell eggs from my backyard chickens in Denmark?
Registered producers may sell up to 312,000 ungraded eggs a year from their own hens directly to consumers at the property. Hobby flocks may need CHR registration; current housing zones remain unconfirmed. Small-flock line: registration; up to 312,000 ungraded eggs a year. The conditions, and the law they come from, are on this page.
Can I sell eggs at a farmers market in Denmark?
Allowed with conditions. Egg deliveries to local retail under this route may go to the producer’s own stall at a public market within 50 km of the farm, counted within the same yearly limit.
Can I reuse egg cartons in Denmark?
The sources we read do not say; ask Fødevarestyrelsen (Danish Veterinary and Food Administration) before reusing cartons for eggs you sell.
What has to be on the carton label in Denmark?
For loose eggs exempt from the egg marketing standards, the best-before date (28 days after laying) shown clearly by a notice or a pre-printed slip on the pack or handed over with the eggs. The rule reads: "Ved salg af ikke færdigpakkede æg, der er undtaget fra handelsnormerne for æg, jf. bekendtgørelse om handelsnormer for æg, § 1, stk. 1, til den endelige forbruger, skal bedst før datoen oplyses tydeligt ved opslag eller en fortrykt seddel, der er anbragt på pakningen eller udleveres til forbrugeren sammen med æggene."
Sources
Read the 19 passages this page is built on
What we couldn't confirm
  • Carton rules, any storage temperature and complete marking requirements remain unresolved.
  • Supplying other shops or restaurants through a packing centre or another route was not assessed.
  • Small-flock CHR registration fees and levies are not established.
  • The animal-welfare and animal-health statutes behind the agency’s keeping guidance were not captured; the keeping findings rest on agency guidance.
  • Current housing-order and zone status is unconfirmed. Check Fødevarestyrelsen’s current restriction-zone page before acting.
  • No national rule permitting or prohibiting chicken keeping at a property has been established.

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