National rules

Can you sell backyard eggs in Latvia?

Selling eggs to consumers or shops needs Rural Support Service registration, a PVD egg sales permit and more. Small flocks only: at most 350 laying hens, plus other limits; eggs from over 50 hens must be marked.

Read from 4 official sources57 passages quotedChecked October 29, 2026

At a glance

License

License or permit

Small-flock line

At most 350 laying hens in the flock and at most 1000 laying birds at the holding

Farmers markets

Markets not named; ask your municipality

Cartons

Not stated

In plain English

Cabinet Regulation No. 235 covers producers who supply small quantities of eggs directly to final consumers or to shops that sell them straight to final consumers. You need to be registered in the Rural Support Service's register of primary producers of food of animal origin and to hold an egg sales permit from PVD (point 4).

A sourced reading of the rules in Latvia, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with Pārtikas un veterinārais dienests (Food and Veterinary Service, PVD) before you sell.

Do you need a license?

License or permit requiredAt most 350 laying hens in the flock and at most 1000 laying birds at the holding
  • A small quantity means eggs from a flock with no more than 350 laying hens or 1000 laying birds of other species (ostriches excluded), with no more than 1000 laying birds at the holding in all; for ostriches, no more than 250 eggs sold a year (point 2).
  • Eggs must come from clinically healthy birds examined under the rules on controlling salmonellosis (point 3).
  • Apply to PVD with the owner's name, the herd and holding numbers in the Rural Support Service register, the number of birds and of laying birds at the holding, and the species (point 5). PVD reviews the application and inspects the holding within 10 working days, then decides (points 6-7).
  • If the rules are not kept, PVD decides to suspend the permit (point 9); the re-inspection to restore it is charged (point 12). A fee for the permit itself was not found in the points read.
  • Collect eggs every day, keep daily records of eggs collected and records of eggs sold, and keep the counts for three years after sale (point 13).
  • Sell eggs to final consumers within 28 days of laying; hen eggs have a minimum durability of 28 days after laying (point 16).
The exact wording
“2.1. olas, kas iegūtas no dējējvistu, pērļu vistiņu, paipalu, tītaru, zosu, pīļu, baložu, fazānu, irbju un citu mājputnu ganāmpulka (turpmāk – dējējputni), ja tajā kopā nav vairāk par 350 dējējvistām vai 1000 citu sugu dējējputniem (izņemot strausus) un novietnē kopumā nav vairāk par 1000 dējējputniem;”

Where you can sell

From home or the farm

With conditions

Direct supply to final consumers is allowed for a producer registered with the Rural Support Service who holds the PVD permit (point 4), within the small quantities (point 2). Hen eggs from a flock of more than 50 laying birds must be marked (point 19).

Farmers markets

Not stated

The regulation covers direct supply to final consumers and says what to show at the point of sale (points 1.1 and 18) but does not name markets. Councils may set penalties for breaking their binding regulations on market and street trading (Local Government Law art. 45(2)); ask your municipality.

Stores and restaurants

With conditions

As a producer registered with the Rural Support Service and holding the PVD permit (point 4), you may also supply shops that sell the eggs straight to final consumers (point 1.1), giving them the information in the annex (point 17). Hen eggs supplied to shops must meet the EU egg marketing requirements the regulation names: Regulation 1308/2013 Annex VII Part VI and the listed provisions of Regulation 589/2008 (point 19¹). Restaurants are not named.

Also check with: Lauku atbalsta dienests (Rural Support Service): registration in its register of primary producers of food of animal origin, and of your herd and holding (points 4 and 5.1).

Cartons, labels and handling

Cartons

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

Refrigeration

A storage temperature was not found in the small-quantity rules read (Cabinet Regulation No. 235, points 1-21). During production, storage, transport and sale, eggs must be protected from shocks, contamination and direct sunlight, and kept in a clean, dry room (point 14).

The label must show

  • At the point of sale, where consumers can see it: the producer's name, the holding address and Rural Support Service registration number, the bird species, the laying date, the eggs' durability (expiry) date, the permit number and, for hen eggs, the farming-method digit from 0 to 3 (point 18).
  • Hen eggs from a flock of more than 50 laying birds sold directly to final consumers must be marked with the farming-method digit, the code LV and the holding's registration number (point 19).
  • Where fresh duck or goose eggs are sold, a notice in view of consumers that they are best eaten after cooking (point 20).

Grading

A grading duty for eggs supplied directly to final consumers was not found in Cabinet Regulation No. 235 (points 1-21); for hen eggs supplied to shops it requires the EU marketing rules it names (point 19¹). Whether Latvia uses the EU option that exempts direct sales from grading was not established; ask PVD.

Washing

A washing rule was not found in the points read (Cabinet Regulation No. 235, points 1-21). Eggs sold must be clean, dry and with undamaged shells (point 15).

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

What changed recently

  1. 2024-11-19 · Cabinet Regulation No. 723 of 19 November 2024 amended Regulation No. 235: the consolidated text shows point 4 (who may supply eggs directly) and the annex (information for shops) as worded by No. 723, and points 5 (the permit application), 18 (point-of-sale information) and 19 (marking) as amended by it. Source
  2. 2025-02-27 · Cabinet Regulation No. 116, in force from 27 February 2025, replaced Regulation No. 134 of 2019 on registering farm animals, herds and holdings. Source
Keeping chickens in Latvia? →Registration, bird-flu housing powers and welfare rules, on their own page.Registration required

Common questions

Can I sell eggs from my backyard chickens in Latvia, and do I need a license?
Selling eggs to consumers or shops needs Rural Support Service registration, a PVD egg sales permit and more. Small flocks only: at most 350 laying hens, plus other limits; eggs from over 50 hens must be marked. Small-flock line: at most 350 laying hens in the flock and at most 1000 laying birds at the holding. The conditions, and the law they come from, are on this page.
Can I sell eggs at a farmers market in Latvia?
Not stated in the sources we read. The regulation covers direct supply to final consumers and says what to show at the point of sale (points 1.1 and 18) but does not name markets. Councils may set penalties for breaking their binding regulations on market and street trading (Local Government Law art. 45(2)); ask your municipality. Also check with Lauku atbalsta dienests (Rural Support Service): registration in its register of primary producers of food of animal origin, and of your herd and holding (points 4 and 5.1).
Can I reuse egg cartons in Latvia?
The sources we read do not say; ask Pārtikas un veterinārais dienests (Food and Veterinary Service, PVD) before reusing cartons for eggs you sell.
What has to be on the carton label in Latvia?
At the point of sale, where consumers can see it: the producer's name, the holding address and Rural Support Service registration number, the bird species, the laying date, the eggs' durability (expiry) date, the permit number and, for hen eggs, the farming-method digit from 0 to 3 (point 18). Hen eggs from a flock of more than 50 laying birds sold directly to final consumers must be marked with the farming-method digit, the code LV and the holding's registration number (point 19). Where fresh duck or goose eggs are sold, a notice in view of consumers that they are best eaten after cooking (point 20). The rule reads: "19. Olas, kas iegūtas no mājas vistu ( Gallus gallus sugas) ganāmpulka, kurā dējējputnu skaits pārsniedz 50, atļauts piegādāt tieši galapatērētājam, ja tās ir marķētas."
Do eggs I sell in Latvia have to be kept cold?
In short: A storage temperature was not found in the small-quantity rules read (Cabinet Regulation No. 235, points 1-21). During production, storage, transport and sale, eggs must be protected from shocks, contamination and direct sunlight, and kept in a clean, dry room (point 14).
Sources
Read the 57 passages this page is built on
What we couldn't confirm
  • The Latvian regulations and laws are quoted from Internet Archive copies of likumi.lv, the official publisher's legal acts portal (Regulation No. 235: copy of 12 November 2025; No. 116: 19 May 2026; No. 291: 23 May 2025; No. 405: 12 October 2025; Animal Protection Law: 8 August 2026; Local Government Law: 15 October 2026). likumi.lv could not be reached on 29 October 2026; later changes were not checked.
  • A rule on reusing egg cartons was not found in Regulation No. 235 (points 1-21 and annex).
  • Whether Latvia applies the EU option exempting direct sales from grading was not established in the texts read; ask PVD.
  • A fee for the egg sales permit itself was not found in Regulation No. 235, which states only that the re-inspection to restore a suspended permit is charged (point 12). PVD's price list was not read.
  • Whether a bird-flu restriction period or zone applies now is not shown here; check PVD and notices in Latvijas Vēstnesis.
  • Regulation No. 116 as read (copy of 19 May 2026) shows further versions scheduled from 1 January 2027 and 1 July 2027; they were not read, so keeper registration should be rechecked before 1 January 2027.

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