State rules

Can you sell backyard eggs in Florida?

Yes, with a permit. A flock of 3,000 hens or fewer selling under 30 dozen a week qualifies for the $100-a-year limited egg farm permit.

Read from 3 official sources17 passages quotedChecked October 6, 2026

At a glance

License

License or permit

Small-flock line

3,000 hens & 30 dozen a week

Farmers markets

With conditions

Cartons

New only

In plain English

Florida has no permit-free tier for selling eggs. If you sell, offer or hold for sale 30 dozen or more eggs in any one week you are a 'dealer' and need a full FDACS food permit. If you keep 3,000 hens or fewer on your own Florida farm and stay under 30 dozen a week, you still need a permit, but the cheaper 'Limited Egg Farm Operation' food permit ($100 a year): one initial inspection, then complaint-based inspections only. The limited permit comes with conditions — approved water and sewage documentation, eggs packed in clean, unused cartons labeled with the farm's name and address, no further processing of the eggs. All egg sellers must keep eggs at 45°F or below, and cartons offered for sale must show pack date, grade, size and the packer's name and address.

A sourced reading of Florida's rules, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) before you sell.

Do you need a license?

License or permit required3,000 hens & 30 dozen a week
  • Flock of 3,000 hens or fewer kept on the producer's own farm in Florida, and fewer than 30 dozen eggs sold, offered or held for sale in any one week — otherwise you are a 'dealer' and need the standard food permit.Rule 5K-4.033(4)(a),(g)
  • Apply for the Limited Poultry and Egg Farm Operation food permit under Rule 5K-4.020; fee $100 per year (fee table in 5K-4.020(4)); late renewal adds $100.
  • Submit documentation of an approved water supply and sewage disposal with the application and each renewal.5K-4.033(4)(c)
  • Grounds and facilities must meet the sanitation requirements of 9 CFR 416.2.5K-4.033(4)(d)
  • Eggs must be packaged in clean, un-used cartons labeled with the name and address of the farm.5K-4.033(4)(e)
  • A limited egg farm operation shall not further process whole shell eggs.5K-4.033(4)(f)
  • Initial inspection, then inspection on a complaint basis.5K-4.033(4)(b)
  • Statewide rules for any seller: keep eggs at or below 45°F ambient after packaging (583.022); cartons/cases must be labeled with date of pack, grade, size and name and address of packer (583.02(1)); nest run (unwashed, unsized, ungraded) eggs cannot be sold to consumers, retailers or restaurants.583.021
The exact wording
“an egg producer that maintains a flock of 3,000 hens or fewer on his or her own farm in the State of Florida, for the purpose of producing shell eggs for human consumption, and that does not sell, offer for sale, or hold for the purpose of sale in this state 30 dozen or more eggs in any one week, making the egg producer a “dealer” as provided in s. 583.01(4), F.S., shall be permitted as a limited egg farm operation”

Where you can sell

From home or the farm

With conditions

Permitted as a Limited Egg Farm Operation ($100 food permit) when the flock is 3,000 hens or fewer and sales stay under 30 dozen a week; the rule does not confine egg sales to the farm. Cartons must be new and labeled with the farm's name and address, eggs held at 45°F or below. Dealers (30 dozen or more a week) need the standard food permit.

Farmers markets

With conditions

Rule 5K-4.033 restricts a limited poultry operation to in-state sales but places no venue restriction on a limited egg farm operation, so market sales appear to be covered by the same $100 limited permit so long as weekly volume stays under 30 dozen. Chapter 583 labeling (pack date, grade, size, packer name/address) and the 45°F rule apply at the stand. Not confirmed against an FDACS guidance page (page unavailable).

Stores and restaurants

With conditions

Chapter 583 does not bar a permitted producer from selling to stores or restaurants, but a seller moving 30 dozen or more a week is a 'dealer' needing the full food permit and inspection regime, and eggs sold to retail must be candled and graded (only graded eggs may carry a grade; nest run eggs may not go to retail outlets, consumers or public eating places; unclassified eggs may not be offered at retail in cartons).

Also check with: Producers with more than 3,000 hens fall under the FDA Egg Safety Rule (21 CFR 118), referenced by the rule.

Cartons, labels and handling

Cartons

New cartons are required for eggs you sell.

“Shell eggs distributed from a limited egg farm operation must be packaged in clean, un-used cartons and must be labeled with the name and address of the farm.”

Refrigeration

45°F or colder where the rule applies.

All egg handlers shall refrigerate eggs after packaging for the ultimate consumer. Eggs shall be maintained under refrigeration from the initial time of refrigeration until sold at retail or until used by any commercial establishment or public institution. Temperature for storage and transportation of eggs shall be no greater than 45 °F. ambient

The label must show

  • name and address of the farm (limited egg farm operation)
  • date of pack
  • grade
  • size
  • name and address of packer, distributor or dealer

The carton label maker prints these lines with the federal safe handling statement.

Grading

Ungraded sales are allowed only in some cases.

Nest run eggs (not washed, sized or graded) may be sold only producer/processor to producer/processor, never to retail outlets, consumers or public eating places (583.021). 'Unclassified eggs' (washed but ungraded) may be sold but 'shall not be offered at retail in carton containers' and bulk displays must be placarded 'unclassified eggs' (583.01(23)(g), 583.02(2)). A grade may be declared only after candling (583.01(23)(c)). The statute's label rule requires 'grade; size' on every case or carton a dealer sells.

Washing

No explicit washing rule in the sources fetched. 'Nest run eggs' are defined as eggs 'without having been washed, sized, or graded' and may not be sold to consumers; 'unclassified eggs' are 'washed shell eggs which have not been graded for quality and size'.

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

What changed recently

  1. 2025-11-11 · Rule 5K-4.033 (Limited Poultry and Egg Farm Operation) and Rule 5K-4.020 (food permit fees) amended, effective November 11, 2025 — rulemaking notice said the purpose was 'to clarify the permit application and to update the requirements for Limited Poultry and Egg Farm Operations' and to update adopted federal references (9 CFR 416 to the 2025 edition). Source

Common questions

Do I need a license to sell eggs from my backyard chickens in Florida?
Yes, with a permit. A flock of 3,000 hens or fewer selling under 30 dozen a week qualifies for the $100-a-year limited egg farm permit. Small-flock line: 3,000 hens & 30 dozen a week. The conditions, and the law they come from, are on this page.
Can I sell eggs at a farmers market in Florida?
Allowed with conditions. Rule 5K-4.033 restricts a limited poultry operation to in-state sales but places no venue restriction on a limited egg farm operation, so market sales appear to be covered by the same $100 limited permit so long as weekly volume stays under 30 dozen. Chapter 583 labeling (pack date, grade, size, packer name/address) and the 45°F rule apply at the stand. Not confirmed against an FDACS guidance page (page unavailable). Also check with Producers with more than 3,000 hens fall under the FDA Egg Safety Rule (21 CFR 118), referenced by the rule..
Can I reuse egg cartons in Florida?
No: Florida requires new cartons for eggs you sell. The rule reads: "Shell eggs distributed from a limited egg farm operation must be packaged in clean, un-used cartons and must be labeled with the name and address of the farm."
What has to be on the carton label in Florida?
name and address of the farm (limited egg farm operation), date of pack, grade, size, name and address of packer, distributor or dealer. The rule reads: "To offer for sale or sell in this state any case, partial case, or carton containing eggs which is not labeled with the date of pack; grade; size; and name and address of the packer, distributor, or dealer." The federal safe handling statement applies as well; our carton label maker prints all of it.
Do eggs I sell in Florida have to be refrigerated?
Yes, at 45°F or colder. The rule reads: "All egg handlers shall refrigerate eggs after packaging for the ultimate consumer. Eggs shall be maintained under refrigeration from the initial time of refrigeration until sold at retail or until used by any commercial establishment or public institution. Temperature for storage and transportation of eggs shall be no greater than 45 °F. ambient"
Sources
Read the 17 passages this page is built on
  • ““Dealer” means a person, firm, or corporation, including a producer, processor, retailer, or wholesaler, that sells, offers for sale, or holds for the purpose of sale in this state 30 dozen or more eggs or its equivalent in any one week, or more than 20,000 dressed birds annually.”

    Fla. Stat. § 583.01 · read 2026-10-05

  • “It is unlawful for any person, as a dealer or broker, to sell or hold for the purpose of sale any eggs or poultry, unless such person possesses a valid food permit issued by the department as prescribed by s. 500.12.”

    Fla. Stat. § 583.01 · read 2026-10-05

  • “an egg producer that maintains a flock of 3,000 hens or fewer on his or her own farm in the State of Florida, for the purpose of producing shell eggs for human consumption, and that does not sell, offer for sale, or hold for the purpose of sale in this state 30 dozen or more eggs in any one week, making the egg producer a “dealer” as provided in s. 583.01(4), F.S., shall be permitted as a limited egg farm operation pursuant to 5K-4.020, F.A.C.”

    Fla. Admin. Code R. 5K-4.033 · read 2026-10-05

  • “Limited egg farm operations will be subject to an initial inspection pursuant to Rule 5K-4.020, F.A.C., and may be inspected on a complaint basis thereafter.”

    Fla. Admin. Code R. 5K-4.033 · read 2026-10-05

  • “An application or renewal application to permit a limited egg farm operation pursuant to Rule 5K-4.020, F.A.C., must be accompanied by documentation demonstrating the limited poultry farm operation has an approved water supply and sewage disposal in accordance with the Egg Products Inspection Act and Title 9 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 416.2”

    Fla. Admin. Code R. 5K-4.033 · read 2026-10-05

  • “Shell eggs distributed from a limited egg farm operation must be packaged in clean, un-used cartons and must be labeled with the name and address of the farm.”

    Fla. Admin. Code R. 5K-4.033 · read 2026-10-05

  • “A limited egg farm operation shall not further process whole shell eggs.”

    Fla. Admin. Code R. 5K-4.033 · read 2026-10-05

  • “An egg producer with flocks of more than 3,000 hens or that sells, offers for sale, or holds for purposes of sale 30 dozen or more eggs in any one week, making the egg producer a “dealer” as provided in s. 583.01(4), F.S., shall be permitted in accordance with Section 583.09, F.S. and Rule 5K-4.020, F.A.C., as required by s. 500.12, F.S., and will not be eligible for a food permit as a limited egg farm operation.”

    Fla. Admin. Code R. 5K-4.033 · read 2026-10-05

  • “Limited Poultry and Egg Farm Operation 100”

    Fla. Admin. Code R. 5K-4.020 · read 2026-10-06

  • “Limited poultry and egg farm operation. A farm-based Food Establishment which directly produces and offers processed poultry or whole shell eggs for sale, respectively, as provided in Rule 5K-4.033, F.A.C. … a Limited Egg Farm Operation meets the definition of an “egg producer” as defined in section 583.01(7), F.S.”

    Fla. Admin. Code R. 5K-4.020 · read 2026-10-06

  • “To offer for sale or sell in this state any case, partial case, or carton containing eggs which is not labeled with the date of pack; grade; size; and name and address of the packer, distributor, or dealer.”

    Fla. Stat. § 583.01 · read 2026-10-05

  • “All egg handlers shall refrigerate eggs after packaging for the ultimate consumer. … Temperature for storage and transportation of eggs shall be no greater than 45 °F. ambient, to ensure the safety and wholesomeness of the eggs in accordance with federal and state health standards.”

    Fla. Stat. § 583.01 · read 2026-10-05

  • “Nest run eggs shall be sold only by producers or processors to other producers or processors and shall not be sold directly to retail outlets, consumers, or public eating places.”

    Fla. Stat. § 583.01 · read 2026-10-05

  • ““Unclassified eggs” means washed shell eggs which have not been graded for quality and size. However, unclassified eggs may have no more checks, dirties, leakers, or loss than those allowed for Florida Grade B; and such eggs shall not be offered at retail in carton containers.”

    Fla. Stat. § 583.01 · read 2026-10-05

  • ““Graded eggs” means eggs the quality of which has been determined by candling. Only after candling may a grade be declared by any dealer or packer of shell eggs.”

    Fla. Stat. § 583.01 · read 2026-10-05

  • “Any person who violates any provision of this chapter or any rule thereunder is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.”

    Fla. Stat. § 583.01 · read 2026-10-05

  • “History‒New 3-24-14, Amended 3-16-20, 11-11-25.”

    Fla. Admin. Code R. 5K-4.033 · read 2026-10-05

What we couldn't confirm
  • FDACS's own 'Limited Poultry and Egg Farm Operations' guidance page could not be loaded (site returned 'page cannot be found' on both days); agency phone, program contact and any plain-language guidance (e.g. whether the limited permit covers farmers' market sales) are unverified.
  • Chapter 5K-6 (Eggs) rule texts — jurisdiction of the egg law, candling, Florida grades/weight classes, advertising — were not fetched; only the chapter index was captured.
  • Whether a sub-30-dozen producer may sell to stores or restaurants under the limited permit is not addressed in the rule text; the limited permit is defined by volume and flock size, not by buyer type. Flagged, not asserted.
  • Fla. Stat. 583.01 was amended by ch. 2026-3 (2026 session); the substance of the change was not identified.
  • Statute text (ch. 583) was fetched from leg.state.fl.us on 2026-10-05; the current statute year shown on that page was not recorded.
  • Fla. Stat. 583.01's history line shows an amendment by ch. 2026-3; its substance and effective date were not identified.
  • Agency page: agency web page fdacs.gov page returned a 'page cannot be found' error on 2026-10-05 and 2026-10-06

Other states

Legal in your state? Then keep the books.

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