Can you sell backyard eggs in Alaska?
Yes. Selling your own Alaska eggs straight to consumers needs no food permit, grading or egg label. Selling to stores or restaurants is allowed with graded, labeled eggs kept at 45°F.
Read from 8 official sources33 passages quotedChecked October 6, 2026
At a glance
License
Not needed
Small-flock line
No number: own eggs, direct sale
Farmers markets
Allowed
Cartons
Reuse with conditions
In plain English
Alaska has no flock-size line and no egg license. A producer who sells eggs from their own flock, laid and sold in Alaska, directly to the consumer is outside the regulated egg trade: DEC says egg sales are regulated only when the eggs are not sold by the producer directly to the consumer, and the Division of Agriculture's shell egg rules exempt such sales from grading and labeling. Since July 1, 2024 the homemade food law also lets eggs be sold to consumers through an agent or a third-party seller such as a shop or grocery store, with a label naming the producer and a home-kitchen statement, but those eggs cannot be used by restaurants or other permitted food establishments. A producer may also sell to grocery stores, restaurants and repackers without a permit of their own, but then the eggs must be graded (the producer may do it), labeled, clean and kept at 45°F or below. Alaska's general business license (AS 43.70) is a separate question; it is not an egg license.
A sourced reading of Alaska's rules, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) before you sell.
Do you need a license?
- Eggs are in the shell and were laid by a domesticated hen.DEC Selling Eggs; 11 AAC 32.190(7)
- Eggs are produced in Alaska and sold in Alaska.DEC Selling Eggs; 11 AAC 32.170(c)
- Eggs are sold by the producer directly to the consumer; a producer sells no eggs other than those of its own flock.11 AAC 32.170(c), 32.190(13)
- Homemade food route: sale only for personal consumption, in Alaska, at a farmers' market, agricultural fair, farm, ranch, the producer's home or office, a third-party seller's store, or an agreed location; no interstate sales.AS 17.20.332(b)
- Homemade food route: packaged eggs labeled with the producer's name, current address, telephone number (and business license number, if any) and the statement 'This food was made in a home kitchen, is not regulated or inspected, except for meat and meat products, and may contain allergens.'.AS 17.20.332(e)
- Homemade food route: eggs may be sold by the producer, an agent or a third-party vendor such as a retail shop or grocery store, not on the same shelf as inspected food, and may not be sold or used in a commercial food establishment.AS 17.20.332(c), (d), (f)
- Selling to a grocery store, restaurant, repacker or other intermediary: eggs graded and weighed, labeled in English in letters at least one-quarter inch tall, cleaned and stored properly, and transported at 45°F or below.DEC Selling Eggs; 11 AAC 32.110, 32.130; 18 AAC 31.200(c)(4), 31.230(1)(C)
The exact wording
Where you can sell
From home or the farm
No permit, grading or egg label for eggs from your own flock sold directly to consumers in Alaska (DEC; 11 AAC 32.170(c)). DEC recommends the UAF Extension small-flock egg handling guide.
Farmers markets
A producer selling their own eggs to consumers at a farmers' market is a direct-to-consumer sale, which DEC does not regulate; the homemade food law also names farmers' markets as an allowed venue. Inside the Municipality of Anchorage, which has its own food code, check local rules.
Stores and restaurants
Producers may sell to grocery stores, markets, repackers and restaurants, and DEC says those eggs can be sold or used under the buyer's food permit. The eggs must be graded and weighed (the producer may grade), labeled with identity, grade and size, count, name and address, 'Keep Refrigerated' and the safe handling statement, clean and sound, and delivered at 45°F or below. Eggs sold under the homemade food exemption may be resold by a shop or grocery store to consumers, but may not be used by a restaurant or other permitted food establishment.
Also check with: Your local DEC Environmental Health Officer; inside Anchorage, the Municipality of Anchorage's food safety program
Cartons, labels and handling
Cartons
Reused cartons are allowed, with conditions.
“Inspection and/or labeling marks, having reference to shell eggs or shell egg products appearing on any container by reason of previous use shall be removed or obliterated before re-use. … It is acceptable to recycle cartons if the cartons are clean and in good condition and if all labeling information that does not apply is removed.”
Refrigeration
45°F or colder where the rule applies.
“The eggs must be transported in refrigerated equipment that maintains a temperature at or below 45 degrees Fahrenheit.”
The label must show
- Statement of identity (eggs)
- Grade and size/weight class
- Numeric count
- Name and address of the producer, distributor, packer or retailer
- Keep Refrigerated
- Safe handling instructions
- In English, letters at least one-quarter inch tall
- (Homemade food route instead: producer's name, address, phone and the home-kitchen statement)
The carton label maker prints these lines with the federal safe handling statement.
Grading
Ungraded sales are allowed only in some cases.
Ungraded eggs are fine when you sell your own Alaska eggs directly to consumers (11 AAC 32.170(c)) or under the homemade food exemption. Eggs sold to stores, restaurants or other intermediaries must be graded and weighed to the USDA grades Alaska adopts (11 AAC 32.110, 32.120); the producer may do the grading, and food establishments may accept only eggs within U.S. Consumer Grade B tolerances (18 AAC 31.200(c)(4)).
Washing
DEC guidance for regulated sales: brush off debris, wash soon after collecting in water at least 90°F (a mild FDA-approved egg detergent may be used), never soak, optionally sanitize with one tablespoon of unscented bleach per gallon, then cool and dry quickly. No washing rule applies to direct-to-consumer sales.
Federal rules apply on top of Alaska's: the four federal egg rules. Pricing your dozen? The egg price calculator works it out from your feed bill.
What changed recently
- 2024-07-01 · HB 251 (chapter 34 SLA 24, signed August 24, 2024) added the homemade food exemption, AS 17.20.332–17.20.338, effective July 1, 2024. It expressly lets eggs be sold to consumers by the producer, an agent or a third-party vendor such as a shop or grocery store, free of state labeling, licensing, packaging, permitting and inspection requirements, under its own label and display rules. Source
- 2025-05-11 · DEC repealed the Alaska Food Code's older homemade food exemption, 18 AAC 31.012(a), effective May 11, 2025, to align the food code with the new statute. Source
Common questions
- Do I need a license to sell eggs from my backyard chickens in Alaska?
- Yes. Selling your own Alaska eggs straight to consumers needs no food permit, grading or egg label. Selling to stores or restaurants is allowed with graded, labeled eggs kept at 45°F. Small-flock line: no number: own eggs, direct sale. The conditions, and the law they come from, are on this page.
- Can I sell eggs at a farmers market in Alaska?
- Allowed. A producer selling their own eggs to consumers at a farmers' market is a direct-to-consumer sale, which DEC does not regulate; the homemade food law also names farmers' markets as an allowed venue. Inside the Municipality of Anchorage, which has its own food code, check local rules. Also check with your local DEC Environmental Health Officer; inside Anchorage, the Municipality of Anchorage's food safety program.
- Can I reuse egg cartons in Alaska?
- With conditions. The rule reads: "Inspection and/or labeling marks, having reference to shell eggs or shell egg products appearing on any container by reason of previous use shall be removed or obliterated before re-use. … It is acceptable to recycle cartons if the cartons are clean and in good condition and if all labeling information that does not apply is removed."
- What has to be on the carton label in Alaska?
- Statement of identity (eggs), Grade and size/weight class, Numeric count, Name and address of the producer, distributor, packer or retailer, Keep Refrigerated, Safe handling instructions, In English, letters at least one-quarter inch tall, (Homemade food route instead: producer's name, address, phone and the home-kitchen statement). The rule reads: "Labels for eggs must be written in English. The labels must use a font size that is at least one-quarter inch tall. … Statement of identity: Identify the product in the container (e.g., eggs) Grade and size/weight class: Eggs must be graded and weighed … Numeric count: The number of eggs in the container (e.g., one dozen) … "Keep Refrigerated": Use these exact words Safe handling instructions: The statement below must be written in its entirety on the label" The federal safe handling statement applies as well; our carton label maker prints all of it.
- Do eggs I sell in Alaska have to be refrigerated?
- Yes, at 45°F or colder. The rule reads: "The eggs must be transported in refrigerated equipment that maintains a temperature at or below 45 degrees Fahrenheit."
- AS 17.20.332–17.20.338 · Exemption for homemade food (covers eggs): no state labeling, licensing, packaging, permitting or inspection; where sales may occur; label and sign rules; not for commercial food establishments (added by HB 251, ch. 34 SLA 24, effective July 1, 2024)
- AS 03.05.010(a)(5) · Commissioner of Natural Resources regulates the sale of shell eggs
- AS 43.70.020 · General state business license for engaging in a business in Alaska (not egg-specific)
- 11 AAC 32.110–32.190 (Shell Egg Regulations) · USDA grades and weight classes; container labels; misrepresentation; § 32.170(c) exempts Alaska eggs sold by the producer direct to the consumer from grading and labeling
- 18 AAC 31.200, 31.230 (Alaska Food Code) · Food establishments: approved source; shell eggs clean, sound and within Grade B tolerances; labeled with safe handling instructions; raw eggs received at 45°F or below
- DEC: Selling Eggs · Four ways to sell eggs (direct, to an intermediary, by an intermediary, homemade food exemption); cleaning, 45°F and label rules for regulated sales
- UAF CES / DEC / Division of Agriculture: Safe Egg Handling for Small Egg-Laying Flocks and Operations (LPM-00344) · Guide for small flocks: grading by the producer, labels, carton reuse, selling to food establishments
- Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) · Food Safety and Sanitation Program: Selling Eggs; shell egg grading rules (11 AAC 32) belong to the Department of Natural Resources, Division of Agriculture
Read the 33 passages this page is built on
“The sale of eggs is regulated if the eggs are not sold by the producer directly to the consumer.”
DEC: Selling Eggs · read 2026-10-06
“Eggs are in the shell and were laid by a domesticated hen Eggs are produced in Alaska Eggs are sold in Alaska Eggs are sold by the producer directly to the consumer”
DEC: Selling Eggs · read 2026-10-06
“The producer sells the shell eggs to a grocery store, market, repacker, restaurant, or other intermediary that is not the final consumer”
DEC: Selling Eggs · read 2026-10-06
“Yes, these eggs can be sold or used as an ingredient under a food permit at a regulated food establishment”
DEC: Selling Eggs · read 2026-10-06
“Retail sales of shell eggs or egg products directly to the consumer by the producer, an agent of the producer, or a third-party seller in accordance with the requirements of the homemade food exemption”
DEC: Selling Eggs · read 2026-10-06
“No, these eggs cannot be sold or used as an ingredient under a food permit at a regulated food establishment”
DEC: Selling Eggs · read 2026-10-06
“The eggs must be transported in refrigerated equipment that maintains a temperature at or below 45 degrees Fahrenheit.”
DEC: Selling Eggs · read 2026-10-06
“Labels for eggs must be written in English. The labels must use a font size that is at least one-quarter inch tall.”
DEC: Selling Eggs · read 2026-10-06
“Statement of identity: Identify the product in the container (e.g., eggs) Grade and size/weight class: Eggs must be graded and weighed”
DEC: Selling Eggs · read 2026-10-06
“Numeric count: The number of eggs in the container (e.g., one dozen)”
DEC: Selling Eggs · read 2026-10-06
“"Keep Refrigerated": Use these exact words Safe handling instructions: The statement below must be written in its entirety on the label”
DEC: Selling Eggs · read 2026-10-06
“(c) Eggs produced in Alaska shall be exempt from the grading and labeling requirements of this chapter when sold by the producer direct to the consumer.”
11 AAC 32.110–32.190 (Shell Egg Regulations) · read 2026-10-06
“"producer" means a person, firm, or corporation selling no eggs other than eggs produced by his or its own flock;”
11 AAC 32.110–32.190 (Shell Egg Regulations) · read 2026-10-06
“"eggs" means the eggs of a domesticated chicken hen, which eggs are in the shell;”
11 AAC 32.110–32.190 (Shell Egg Regulations) · read 2026-10-06
“"consumer" means any person who purchases eggs for his or her own family use or consumption;”
11 AAC 32.110–32.190 (Shell Egg Regulations) · read 2026-10-06
“All Alaska produced shell eggs sold, displayed, offered for sale, or for shipment within the state for general consumption, shall conform to one of the Grade and Weight classes as stated in 11 AAC 32.120, and shall be labeled to conform with 11 AAC 32.130.”
11 AAC 32.110–32.190 (Shell Egg Regulations) · read 2026-10-06
“Inspection and/or labeling marks, having reference to shell eggs or shell egg products appearing on any container by reason of previous use shall be removed or obliterated before re-use.”
11 AAC 32.110–32.190 (Shell Egg Regulations) · read 2026-10-06
“The Word "fresh," "nulaid," "country," "hennery," "day-old," "select," "certified," "best," "fresh-laid," "guaranteed," or any other similar descriptive terms are prohibited in connection with advertising or selling eggs unless such eggs conform to at least Grade A”
11 AAC 32.110–32.190 (Shell Egg Regulations) · read 2026-10-06
“shell eggs that are clean and sound and that do not exceed the restricted egg tolerances for United States Consumer Grade B as specified in 7 C.F.R. Part 56 and 9 C.F.R. Part 590”
18 AAC 31.200, 31.230 (Alaska Food Code) · read 2026-10-06
“(C) for raw eggs, received in refrigerated equipment that maintains an ambient air temperature of 45° F or below;”
18 AAC 31.200, 31.230 (Alaska Food Code) · read 2026-10-06
“(a) Repealed 5/11/2025.”
18 AAC 31.200, 31.230 (Alaska Food Code) · read 2026-10-06
“a homemade food produced, sold, and consumed in compliance with this section is exempt from state labeling, licensing, packaging, permitting, and inspection requirements.”
AS 17.20.332–17.20.338 · read 2026-10-06
“(1) is only for personal consumption; (2) must occur in the state at a farmers' market, an agricultural fair, a farm, a ranch, the producer's home or office, the retail location of a third-party seller, or a location agreed on between the producer and the buyer;”
AS 17.20.332–17.20.338 · read 2026-10-06
“Except for raw, unprocessed fruits and vegetables, a homemade food may not be sold or used in a commercial food establishment.”
AS 17.20.332–17.20.338 · read 2026-10-06
“The seller of eggs or a homemade food that is not a potentially hazardous homemade food may be the producer of the item, an agent of the producer, or a third-party vendor, including a retail shop or grocery store,”
AS 17.20.332–17.20.338 · read 2026-10-06
“(1) the producer's name, current address, telephone number, and, if applicable, the producer's business license number; and (2) the statement: “This food was made in a home kitchen, is not regulated or inspected, except for meat and meat products, and may contain allergens.””
AS 17.20.332–17.20.338 · read 2026-10-06
“A homemade food for sale at a retail location or grocery store may not be displayed or offered for sale on the same shelf or display as inspected food.”
AS 17.20.332–17.20.338 · read 2026-10-06
“Section 7 of this Act takes effect July 1, 2024.”
akleg.gov · read 2026-10-06
“Sec. 7. AS 17.20 is amended by adding new sections to read:”
akleg.gov · read 2026-10-06
“For the privilege of engaging in a business in the state, a person shall first apply, on forms prescribed by the commissioner, and obtain a license, and pay the license fee provided for in AS 43.70.030 .”
AS 43.70.020 · read 2026-10-06
“It is acceptable to recycle cartons if the cartons are clean and in good condition and if all labeling information that does not apply is removed.”
UAF CES / DEC / Division of Agriculture: Safe Egg Handling for Small Egg-Laying Flocks and Operations (LPM-00344) · read 2026-10-06
“GRADING EGGS MAY BE DONE BY THE PRODUCER. One does not need a USDA grader to grade the eggs.”
UAF CES / DEC / Division of Agriculture: Safe Egg Handling for Small Egg-Laying Flocks and Operations (LPM-00344) · read 2026-10-06
“The Municipality of Anchorage has its own food code and has jurisdiction over food facilities within the Municipality.”
dnr.alaska.gov · read 2026-10-06
What we couldn't confirm
- DEC's Selling Eggs page (dec.alaska.gov) blocks scripted downloads (HTTP 403 bot challenge); it was read in a browser on 2026-10-06 and its quotes are in alaska.blocked.json. No page date is shown.
- The Division of Agriculture's shell egg rules (11 AAC 32) date from before 1960 (history 'In effect before 7/28/59; am 1/5/60'); the akleg.gov print view matches the DNR PDF. The DNR fact sheets used are from 2011 and 2014.
- DEC lists a 45°F transport rule and grading/labeling for intermediary sales, but does not say whether a producer selling to restaurants needs any registration; none was found in 18 AAC 31.020 as read (excerpts only).
- Whether a backyard egg seller needs Alaska's general business license (AS 43.70.020) was not assessed; AS 43.70.105(a)(6) exempts persons not regularly engaged in furnishing goods. The homemade food label asks for a business license number only 'if applicable'.
- SB 226 (34th Legislature, 2026) would amend the homemade food law (reduced oxygen packaging); it was held in Senate Resources and did not pass. No 2024–2026 bill changing the shell egg rules was found.
- Municipality of Anchorage food code (local) is out of scope and was not read.
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