National rules

Can you sell backyard eggs in Singapore?

No more than 10 non-commercial poultry may be kept in any premises. Keeping birds for commercial purposes needs a farm licence; whether selling a few eggs counts as commercial is not settled here.

Read from 6 official sources14 passages quotedChecked October 28, 2026

At a glance

Licence

Depends how you sell

Small-flock line

Farm licence for commercial keeping; no small-seller threshold found

Farmers markets

Not stated

Cartons

Not stated

In plain English

Under the Licensing of Farms Rules as shown in an archived official copy current at 15 August 2024, keeping birds on land or premises for commercial purposes makes it a farm, and no one may keep or maintain a farm without a licence. SFA's farming page lists layer farms under its Farm Licence. Whether a household selling surplus eggs counts as commercial is not settled in the rules read, and no small-producer threshold was found.

A sourced reading of the rules in Singapore, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) before you sell.

Do you need a licence?

Depends on how and how much you sellFarm licence for commercial keeping; no small-seller threshold found
  • A farm is any land or premises used for keeping, rearing, breeding or boarding animals or birds for commercial purposes.Licensing of Farms Rules r. 2, archived copy current at 15 August 2024
  • Poultry not kept in a farm (and not in a slaughter-house, pet shop, licensed exhibition or research facility) are non-commercial poultry (Non-Commercial Poultry Rules r. 2, archived copy current at 25 April 2025); no more than 10 poultry, including chickens, may be kept in any premises.AVS
The exact wording
“No person shall keep or maintain a farm except in accordance with a valid licence issued by the Director-General under rule 5 and in accordance with the conditions, if any, of that licence.”

Where you can sell

From home or the farm

Not stated

No rule on selling eggs from a household flock was found in the sources read (the Non-Commercial Poultry Rules, the Licensing of Farms Rules, and SFA's farming, labelling, legislation and egg-safety pages). Land-based farms keeping birds for commercial food production need an SFA Farm Licence.

Farmers markets

Not stated

Not researched beyond the farm-licence and poultry rules; no market rule for eggs was found.

Stores and restaurants

Not stated

Not established from the sources read.

Also check with: Animal & Veterinary Service (National Parks Board), for keeping poultry

Cartons, labels and handling

Cartons

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

Refrigeration

No storage-temperature rule for small egg sellers was found in the sources read (SFA labelling, legislation and egg-safety pages; Food Regulations contents); SFA gives consumer advice to buy eggs with clean, uncracked shells from SFA-approved businesses.

The label must show

  • Prepacked food for sale must follow the Food Regulations' general labelling requirements.

Grading

SFA says local egg farms must have a grading system to remove soiled or cracked eggs. A grading rule for sellers who are not farms was not found in the sources read (SFA egg-safety and labelling pages; Food Regulations contents).

Washing

Not stated in the sources we read.

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

Keeping chickens in Singapore? →Registration, bird-flu housing orders and welfare rules, on their own page.Registration: conditions

Common questions

What are the rules for selling eggs from backyard chickens in Singapore?
No more than 10 non-commercial poultry may be kept in any premises. Keeping birds for commercial purposes needs a farm licence; whether selling a few eggs counts as commercial is not settled here. Small-flock line: farm licence for commercial keeping; no small-seller threshold found. The conditions, and the law they come from, are on this page.
Can I sell eggs at a farmers market in Singapore?
Not stated in the sources we read. Not researched beyond the farm-licence and poultry rules; no market rule for eggs was found. Also check with Animal & Veterinary Service (National Parks Board), for keeping poultry.
Can I reuse egg cartons in Singapore?
The sources we read do not say; ask the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) before reusing cartons for eggs you sell.
What has to be on the carton label in Singapore?
Prepacked food for sale must follow the Food Regulations' general labelling requirements. The rule reads: "All prepacked food products for sale in Singapore must be labelled according to the general labelling requirements of the Food Regulations."
Do eggs I sell in Singapore have to be kept cold?
In short: No storage-temperature rule for small egg sellers was found in the sources read (SFA labelling, legislation and egg-safety pages; Food Regulations contents); SFA gives consumer advice to buy eggs with clean, uncracked shells from SFA-approved businesses.
Sources
Read the 14 passages this page is built on
  • “3.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), no person shall keep more than 10 non-commercial poultry in any premises.”

    R 12, rr. 2-5 · read 2026-10-28

  • “non-commercial poultry” means any poultry that is —

    R 12, rr. 2-5 · read 2026-10-28

  • “not kept in a farm or slaughter-house;”

    R 12, rr. 2-5 · read 2026-10-28

  • “poultry” includes chickens, ducks, turkeys, geese, quails, partridges, pheasants, domestic pigeons, guinea fowls, swans and peacocks;

    R 12, rr. 2-5 · read 2026-10-28

  • “shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.”

    R 12, rr. 2-5 · read 2026-10-28

  • “No more than 10 poultry (including chickens) are allowed to be kept in any premises.”

    avs.nparks.gov.sg · read 2026-10-28

  • “farm” means any land or premises, whether enclosed by fencing or not, used for the keeping, rearing, breeding or boarding of animals or birds for commercial purposes;

    R 3, rr. 2, 4 · read 2026-10-28

  • “No person shall keep or maintain a farm except in accordance with a valid licence issued by the Director-General under rule 5 and in accordance with the conditions, if any, of that licence.”

    R 3, rr. 2, 4 · read 2026-10-28

  • “Land-based farms for keeping, rearing, or breeding animals or birds, or cultivating plants, for commercial food production e.g. dairy farms, layer farms, mushroom farms, urban farms, and vegetable farms.”

    Singapore Food Agency (SFA) · read 2026-10-28

  • “All prepacked food products for sale in Singapore must be labelled according to the general labelling requirements of the Food Regulations.”

    Singapore Food Agency (SFA) · read 2026-10-28

  • “The labelling requirements only apply to prepacked food. However, food businesses offering non-prepacked food should still provide the information typically found on food labels to consumers upon request.”

    Singapore Food Agency (SFA) · read 2026-10-28

  • “Local egg farms are also required to have in place good farm management practices and strong biosecurity measures to prevent the risks of SE contamination. These include having a grading system to remove soiled and/or cracked eggs, and regularly testing their hens for SE to remove eggs of SE-infected flocks from sale.”

    Singapore Food Agency (SFA) · read 2026-10-28

  • “Current version as at 25 Apr 2025”

    R 12, rr. 2-5 · read 2026-10-28

  • “Purchase eggs from SFA- approved businesses (farms, importers, retailers) and ensure that the shells are clean, free from faecal contamination and not cracked.”

    Singapore Food Agency (SFA) · read 2026-10-28

What we couldn't confirm
  • Whether a household selling surplus eggs counts as commercial, and any farm-gate or market rule for eggs, were not established.
  • Statute text came from archived copies; the official statutes site was not read directly.
  • Animal-welfare duties (Animals and Birds Act Part 4) were not read. Only section titles were seen in the archived contents.
  • Bird-flu directives and current status are not stated here; check the AVS bird-flu page.

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