State rules

Can you sell backyard eggs in Arizona?

Yes, after telling the state in writing. You may sell up to 25 cases (30 dozen each) of your own ungraded "nest run" eggs a year; beyond that, eggs must be candled, graded and labeled.

Read from 9 official sources23 passages quotedChecked October 6, 2026

At a glance

License

Registration

Small-flock line

25 cases nest run eggs a year

Farmers markets

With conditions

Cartons

Not stated

In plain English

Arizona's egg law licenses dealers, producer-dealers and egg-breaking plants, not producers selling their own eggs. What a backyard keeper meets instead is the nest run rule: eggs sold as they come from the hens, without washing, sizing or candling, are limited to twenty-five cases (30 dozen each) a year from your own production, sold to consumers or retailers, and you must tell the Department of Agriculture in writing before you start (where you are, how many hens, and where you will sell) and again within five days of reaching the 25-case mark. Those sales are free of the state inspection fee and quarterly report. Selling more means candled, graded eggs in cartons marked with size, grade, your name and (for grade AA or A) an expiration date, with a fee of up to three mills a dozen and quarterly reports. Eggs you sell yourself, from your own premises, straight to consumers need no carton markings or invoice.

A sourced reading of Arizona's rules, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with Arizona Department of Agriculture (AZDA) before you sell.

Do you need a license?

Registration required25 cases nest run eggs a year
  • Nest run eggs only from your own production, at most twenty-five cases (a case is thirty dozen) each calendar year, sold to retailers or consumers.A.R.S. §§ 3-715(A), 3-701(5)
  • Before selling, notify the Department of Agriculture in writing of your intent, the location, the number of laying hens, the place of production and the general area of the state where the eggs will be sold.A.R.S. § 3-715(B)
  • Notify the department in writing within five days of the date your sales for the calendar year reach twenty-five cases.A.R.S. § 3-715(E)
  • Do not sell part of a day's production as graded and part as nest run; switching between the two requires written notice to the department.A.R.S. § 3-715(C), (D)
  • Nest run eggs sold through a retailer must be clearly marked "nest run", as must placards, advertising and invoices for them.A.R.S. § 3-715(A)
  • Eggs of ducks, turkeys, geese or other fowl must be marked with the species.A.R.S. § 3-715(G)
  • Within the twenty-five cases, nest run sales are exempt from the inspection fee and quarterly report.A.R.S. § 3-716(F)
  • Eggs sold by the producer, from eggs produced on the producer's own premises, direct to the consumer need no container markings and no invoice.A.R.S. §§ 3-718(C), 3-720(A)(4)
  • Beyond nest run limits, eggs sold must carry the full size and grade designation and the name of the producer, dealer, retailer or agent, plus an expiration date if marked grade AA or A; producers pay an inspection fee of up to three mills per dozen and file quarterly reports.A.R.S. §§ 3-715(I), 3-716, 3-719
The exact wording
“It is unlawful to sell to retailers or consumers nest run eggs, except that a person may sell to retailers or consumers twenty-five cases of nest run eggs from the person’s own production each calendar year.”

Where you can sell

From home or the farm

With conditions

No license, carton markings or invoice when you sell eggs from your own premises straight to consumers (A.R.S. §§ 3-718(C), 3-720(A)(4)). Ungraded nest run eggs are still capped at twenty-five cases a year and need the written notice to the Department of Agriculture first; graded eggs carry the inspection fee and quarterly reports.

Farmers markets

With conditions

The statute does not single out farmers' markets: sales to consumers fall under the same nest run cap and notice, and off your premises the no-marking exception in A.R.S. § 3-720(A)(4) no longer applies, so nest run cartons should be marked "nest run" and graded cartons with size, grade and your name. County health departments may also have market rules; those were not checked.

Stores and restaurants

With conditions

Stores may buy your nest run eggs within your twenty-five cases a year, must keep them marked "nest run" and must hold eggs at 45°F or below (A.R.S. §§ 3-715(A), 3-727). Sales to stores need an invoice with date, quantity, size and grade or nest run, and both parties' names and addresses, kept 30 days (A.R.S. § 3-718(A)). Whether restaurants may use nest run eggs is not stated; the nest run exception names only retailers and consumers.

Also check with: Your county environmental health department (farmers' market and restaurant rules)

Cartons, labels and handling

Cartons

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

Refrigeration

45°F or colder where the rule applies.

“Dealers, manufacturers and retailers shall keep shell eggs for human consumption under refrigeration at an ambient temperature not higher than forty-five degrees Fahrenheit.”

The label must show

  • "nest run" on nest run eggs offered by a retailer, and on their placards, advertising and invoices
  • The species, if the eggs are not chicken eggs
  • Graded eggs: full size and grade, and the name of the producer, dealer, retailer or agent
  • Graded eggs marked grade AA or A: an expiration date
  • None for a producer's own on-premises sales direct to consumers

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

Grading

Ungraded sales are allowed only in some cases.

Ungraded eggs may be sold only as nest run eggs, up to twenty-five cases a year from your own production, after written notice to the department (A.R.S. § 3-715). Otherwise eggs sold in Arizona are candled and graded and marked with size and grade (A.R.S. §§ 3-715(I), 3-719).

Washing

No washing rule in the statute sections read. Note that nest run eggs are defined as eggs packed without having been washed, sized or candled (A.R.S. § 3-701(20)).

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

What changed recently

  1. 2024-05 · The Department of Agriculture delayed its cage-free egg rule (A.A.C. R3-2-907, which does not apply to ranches with fewer than 20,000 laying hens) to January 1, 2026, and in November 2024 to January 1, 2027; in March 2025 the Governor directed a further delay to 2034. A 2025 bill to bar hen-housing rules (SB 1721) was vetoed. None of this changes small-flock sales. Source

Common questions

Do I need a license to sell eggs from my backyard chickens in Arizona?
Yes, after telling the state in writing. You may sell up to 25 cases (30 dozen each) of your own ungraded "nest run" eggs a year; beyond that, eggs must be candled, graded and labeled. Small-flock line: 25 cases nest run eggs a year. The conditions, and the law they come from, are on this page.
Can I sell eggs at a farmers market in Arizona?
Allowed with conditions. The statute does not single out farmers' markets: sales to consumers fall under the same nest run cap and notice, and off your premises the no-marking exception in A.R.S. § 3-720(A)(4) no longer applies, so nest run cartons should be marked "nest run" and graded cartons with size, grade and your name. County health departments may also have market rules; those were not checked. Also check with your county environmental health department (farmers' market and restaurant rules).
Can I reuse egg cartons in Arizona?
The sources we read do not say; ask the state agriculture department before reusing cartons for eggs you sell.
What has to be on the carton label in Arizona?
"nest run" on nest run eggs offered by a retailer, and on their placards, advertising and invoices, The species, if the eggs are not chicken eggs, Graded eggs: full size and grade, and the name of the producer, dealer, retailer or agent, Graded eggs marked grade AA or A: an expiration date, None for a producer's own on-premises sales direct to consumers. The rule reads: "Retailers may sell nest run eggs to consumers only if, when on hand, offered for sale or placed on sale, they are clearly marked "nest run". … Unless each case, carton, container or subcontainer of chicken eggs is marked with the full, correct and unabbreviated designation of size and grade of the eggs therein according to the standards as prescribed pursuant to this chapter, together with the name of the producer, dealer, retailer or agent by or for whom the eggs were graded or marked." The federal safe handling statement applies as well; our carton label maker prints all of it.
Do eggs I sell in Arizona have to be refrigerated?
Yes, at 45°F or colder. The rule reads: "Dealers, manufacturers and retailers shall keep shell eggs for human consumption under refrigeration at an ambient temperature not higher than forty-five degrees Fahrenheit."
Sources
Read the 23 passages this page is built on
  • “It is unlawful to sell to retailers or consumers nest run eggs, except that a person may sell to retailers or consumers twenty-five cases of nest run eggs from the person’s own production each calendar year.”

    A.R.S. § 3-715 · read 2026-10-06

  • “A person who proposes to sell nest run eggs must first notify the department in writing of that intent and specify the location and the number of laying hens, the place of production and the general area of this state in which the nest run eggs are to be sold.”

    A.R.S. § 3-715 · read 2026-10-06

  • “Any person selling nest run eggs as provided in this section shall notify the department in writing within five days from the date each calendar year the person’s total sales of such eggs amount to twenty-five cases.”

    A.R.S. § 3-715 · read 2026-10-06

  • “Retailers may sell nest run eggs to consumers only if, when on hand, offered for sale or placed on sale, they are clearly marked "nest run".”

    A.R.S. § 3-715 · read 2026-10-06

  • “It is unlawful for any person selling any portion of a daily production as graded eggs to sell any other portion as nest run eggs, except that any person may change the sales from graded to nest run by notifying the department in writing prior to such change.”

    A.R.S. § 3-715 · read 2026-10-06

  • “It is unlawful to sell or represent as chicken eggs, eggs from any other species of fowl, or mixed eggs from more than one species of fowl,”

    A.R.S. § 3-715 · read 2026-10-06

  • “Unless each case, carton, container or subcontainer of chicken eggs is marked with the full, correct and unabbreviated designation of size and grade of the eggs therein according to the standards as prescribed pursuant to this chapter, together with the name of the producer, dealer, retailer or agent by or for whom the eggs were graded or marked.”

    A.R.S. § 3-715 · read 2026-10-06

  • “Unless cases, cartons, containers or subcontainers of chicken eggs marked grade AA or grade A are marked with the correct expiration date.”

    A.R.S. § 3-715 · read 2026-10-06

  • “"Nest run eggs" means eggs that are packed as they come from the production facilities without having been washed, sized or candled for quality, regardless of whether some undergrades have been removed.”

    A.R.S. § 3-701 · read 2026-10-06

  • “"Case" means a standard thirty-dozen egg case as used in commercial practice in the United States.”

    A.R.S. § 3-701 · read 2026-10-06

  • “"Eggs" means eggs that are in the shell and that are from chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese or any other species of fowl.”

    A.R.S. § 3-701 · read 2026-10-06

  • “"Producer" means a person that is engaged in the business of operating or controlling the operation of one or more ranches producing eggs within this state.”

    A.R.S. § 3-701 · read 2026-10-06

  • “No person shall act as a dealer, producer-dealer or manufacturer engaged in the business of buying, candling, grading, peddling, distributing, dealing in or trading in eggs or egg products for resale within this state or engage in the business of breaking eggs for resale within this state without first obtaining a license from the division.”

    A.R.S. § 3-714 · read 2026-10-06

  • “The annual license fee shall be twenty-five dollars for each place or location where the business of the applicant is being or will be conducted.”

    A.R.S. § 3-714 · read 2026-10-06

  • “An inspection fee of not more than three mills per dozen on shell eggs and three mills per pound on egg products shall be paid by a dealer, producer-dealer, manufacturer or producer on all eggs and egg products regardless of origin, sold to a retailer, hotel, hospital, bakery, restaurant, other eating place or consumer for human consumption within this state.”

    A.R.S. § 3-716 · read 2026-10-06

  • “All manufacturers, dealers, producer-dealers and producers shall file: 1. A quarterly report with the department”

    A.R.S. § 3-716 · read 2026-10-06

  • “twenty-five cases per year of nest run eggs as provided in section 3-715 may be sold by any person to retailers or consumers without being subject to the report and inspection fee as provided by this section.”

    A.R.S. § 3-716 · read 2026-10-06

  • “No invoice shall be required on eggs when sales are made by the producer from eggs produced on the producer's premises and sold direct to the consumer.”

    azleg.gov · read 2026-10-06

  • “No markings are required on cases, containers or subcontainers of eggs: … 4. When sales are made by the producer from eggs produced on his own premises and sold direct to the consumer.”

    A.R.S. §§ 3-718, 3-719, 3-720 · read 2026-10-06

  • “Dealers, manufacturers and retailers shall keep shell eggs for human consumption under refrigeration at an ambient temperature not higher than forty-five degrees Fahrenheit.”

    A.R.S. § 3-727 · read 2026-10-06

  • “A person violating any provision of this article, filing a false report, or interfering with an inspector in the discharge of his duties is guilty of a class 3 misdemeanor.”

    A.R.S. § 3-737 · read 2026-10-06

  • “However, this requirement does not apply to egg producers that operate egg ranches with fewer than 20,000 egg-laying hens.”

    azleg.gov · read 2026-10-06

  • “In May 2024, the Department delayed the newly adopted cage-free standards until January 1, 2026. Then in November 2024, the Department again delayed the cage-free standards until January 1, 2027.”

    azleg.gov · read 2026-10-06

What we couldn't confirm
  • The Department of Agriculture's Egg Inspections page (agriculture.az.gov, also azda.gov) and the Secretary of State's Administrative Code PDF (apps.azsos.gov) return a Cloudflare bot challenge to curl, WebFetch and the browser; neither could be read. The department's own guidance on nest run notification (form, fee, whether it calls it registration) and the A.A.C. Title 3, Ch. 2, Art. 9 egg rules are unverified.
  • A web search snippet attributed to the department says nest run producers 'register' at no fee and may sell at farmers' markets and retail stores; not confirmed on an official page.
  • The azleg.gov statute pages show no effective or 'current through' date; the last amendment found to § 3-701 was 2018 (Laws 2018, ch. 185, HB 2464). No 2024–2026 bill changing A.R.S. §§ 3-701 to 3-739 was found; SB 1721 (2025, hen housing) was vetoed.
  • Whether a backyard keeper who washes but does not size or candle eggs is selling 'nest run' eggs is not settled by the definition (packed 'without having been washed, sized or candled').
  • No refrigeration rule for producers themselves; the 45°F rule in A.R.S. § 3-727 binds dealers, manufacturers and retailers.
  • County food rules (farmers' markets, restaurants' approved-source requirement) were out of scope and not read.

Selling across the state line?

The rules change at the border. Here's where Arizona's neighbors draw the line.

ALAKAZARCACOCTDEFLGAHIIDILINIAKSKYLAMEMDMAMIMNMSMOMTNENVNHNJNMNYNCNDOHOKORPARISCSDTNTXUTVTVAWAWVWIWY
No license for small salesDepends how you sellRegistration or licenseNot stated or rechecking

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