State rules

Can you sell backyard eggs in Connecticut?

Yes, direct to household users, with no license: clean eggs, kept at 45°F or below, labeled with your name, address, quantity and safe handling instructions. Stores and restaurants need a state registration.

Read from 5 official sources20 passages quotedChecked October 6, 2026

At a glance

License

Depends how you sell

Small-flock line

No number: direct to households

Farmers markets

With conditions

Cartons

Not stated

In plain English

Connecticut's egg law exempts producers who sell eggs of their own producing directly to household users, with no flock-size cap in the statute. Since June 28, 2023 that exemption comes with four conditions: eggs cleaned of exterior debris, stored at 45°F or below, not adulterated, and labeled (truthfully) with your name and address, the type of egg if not chicken, the quantity and safe food handling instructions. The legislature's summary says direct sales include the farm, a farm stand or a market, and DoAg's flow chart lists farmers' markets in the same no-registration column for flocks under 3,000 layers. Selling to stores, restaurants or distributors is different: anyone grading, washing or packing eggs for that trade registers with DoAg as an egg grading plant ($20 a year at 6,000 dozen or less), and eggs must meet a USDA grade. DoAg's voluntary small-plant program covers flocks of more than 200 and fewer than 3,000 birds.

A sourced reading of Connecticut's rules, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with Connecticut Department of Agriculture (DoAg) (860-713-2513) before you sell.

Do you need a license?

Depends on how and how much you sellNo number: direct to households
  • Sell eggs of your own producing, direct to household users.C.G.S. 22-47
  • Eggs cleaned to remove exterior debris.C.G.S. 22-47
  • Stored at an ambient air temperature of not greater than 45°F.C.G.S. 22-47
  • Eggs not adulterated.C.G.S. 22-47; 22-45(b)
  • Label not false or misleading, showing your name and address, the type of egg if not chicken, the quantity, and safe food handling instructions.C.G.S. 22-47
  • At a certified farmers' market the kiosk counts as an extension of the farm; no falsely labeled or adulterated eggs, and get any license required to sell there.C.G.S. 22-6r(b), (c)
  • Outside the exemption (stores, restaurants, distributors): register as an egg grading plant, renewed each October, and sell eggs that meet a USDA consumer grade with grade and size on the label.C.G.S. 22-48a(b), (d); 22-40(a); 22-41
The exact wording
“Producers selling eggs of their own producing direct to household users are exempt from the provisions of this part”

Where you can sell

From home or the farm

With conditions

No license or registration for your own eggs sold direct to household users, on the four conditions in C.G.S. 22-47 (clean, 45°F, not adulterated, label). DoAg's flow chart: 'Not Inspected or Registered' for flocks under 3,000 layers selling only to household consumers.

Farmers markets

With conditions

Treated as a direct sale: the legislature's summary of the 2023 act names 'a farm, farm stand, or market', and C.G.S. 22-6r(b) makes a certified farmers' market kiosk an extension of the farm. The same clean, 45°F and label rules apply, adulterated eggs are prohibited, and you must hold any license the market's town requires (22-6r(c), (e)).

Stores and restaurants

License needed

Not covered by the household-user exemption. Anyone grading, washing or packing eggs for sale registers with DoAg as an egg grading plant ($20 a year up to 6,000 dozen), and chicken eggs must meet a USDA consumer grade with grade and size on the carton. DoAg's voluntary small-plant inspection program, for flocks of more than 200 and fewer than 3,000 birds, is the route for stores and food service and requires unused new cartons.

Also check with: Your local health department or health district (farmers' market vendor license, where required)

Cartons, labels and handling

Cartons

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

Not stated for direct sales to households beyond a label that is not false or misleading. For eggs sold to stores or food service through DoAg's small-plant program, the flow chart says 'Unused New Cartons Only'.

Refrigeration

45°F or colder where the rule applies.

“stored at an ambient air temperature of not greater than forty-five degrees Fahrenheit”

The label must show

  • Producer's name and address
  • Type of egg, if not chicken eggs
  • Quantity of eggs
  • Safe food handling instructions
  • Nothing false or misleading

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

Grading

Ungraded sales are allowed only in some cases.

“Producers selling eggs of their own producing direct to household users are exempt from the provisions of this part … All shell eggs of chickens sold or offered for sale by any person, firm or corporation shall meet at least one of the consumer grades for shell eggs established by the United States Department of Agriculture”

Washing

Eggs sold under the household exemption must be 'cleaned to remove exterior debris' (C.G.S. 22-47). No washing method is set for direct sales; washing for stores and restaurants makes you an egg grading plant that registers with DoAg (22-48a).

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

What changed recently

  1. 2023-06-28 · Public Act 23-184 (sHB 6725), § 8, added conditions to the direct-to-household exemption in C.G.S. 22-47: eggs cleaned of exterior debris, stored at 45°F or below, not adulterated, and labeled with the producer's name and address, type of egg if not chicken, quantity and safe food handling instructions. Source

Common questions

Do I need a license to sell eggs from my backyard chickens in Connecticut?
Yes, direct to household users, with no license: clean eggs, kept at 45°F or below, labeled with your name, address, quantity and safe handling instructions. Stores and restaurants need a state registration. Small-flock line: no number: direct to households. The conditions, and the law they come from, are on this page.
Can I sell eggs at a farmers market in Connecticut?
Allowed with conditions. Treated as a direct sale: the legislature's summary of the 2023 act names 'a farm, farm stand, or market', and C.G.S. 22-6r(b) makes a certified farmers' market kiosk an extension of the farm. The same clean, 45°F and label rules apply, adulterated eggs are prohibited, and you must hold any license the market's town requires (22-6r(c), (e)). Also check with your local health department or health district (farmers' market vendor license, where required).
Can I reuse egg cartons in Connecticut?
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 Connecticut?
Producer's name and address, Type of egg, if not chicken eggs, Quantity of eggs, Safe food handling instructions, Nothing false or misleading. The rule reads: "contain a label that is not false or misleading and that includes the: (1) Producer's name and address, (2) type of egg, if not chicken eggs, (3) quantity of eggs, and (4) safe food handling instructions." The federal safe handling statement applies as well; our carton label maker prints all of it.
Do eggs I sell in Connecticut have to be refrigerated?
Yes, at 45°F or colder. The rule reads: "stored at an ambient air temperature of not greater than forty-five degrees Fahrenheit"
Sources
Read the 20 passages this page is built on
  • “Producers selling eggs of their own producing direct to household users are exempt from the provisions of this part, provided such eggs are cleaned to remove exterior debris, stored at an ambient air temperature of not greater than forty-five degrees Fahrenheit, are not adulterated”

    C.G.S. § 22-47 · read 2026-10-06

  • “are not adulterated and contain a label that is not false or misleading and that includes the: (1) Producer's name and address, (2) type of egg, if not chicken eggs, (3) quantity of eggs, and (4) safe food handling instructions.”

    C.G.S. § 22-47 · read 2026-10-06

  • “History: P.A. 23-184 added provisions re requirements concerning the cleaning, storing and labeling of such eggs, effective June 28, 2023.”

    C.G.S. § 22-47 · read 2026-10-06

  • “Readers should refer to the 2026 Supplement, revised to January 1, 2026, for updated versions of statutes amended, repealed or added during the 2025 legislative sessions.”

    C.G.S. § 22-47 · read 2026-10-06

  • “All shell eggs of chickens sold or offered for sale for human consumption in this state by any person, firm or corporation shall be labeled with the grade and size designation as set forth in the consumer grades, except as hereinafter provided”

    C.G.S. § 22-47 · read 2026-10-06

  • “All shell eggs offered for sale shall be held, stored and transported at an ambient air temperature of not greater than forty-five degrees Fahrenheit”

    C.G.S. § 22-47 · read 2026-10-06

  • “All shell eggs of chickens sold or offered for sale by any person, firm or corporation shall meet at least one of the consumer grades for shell eggs established by the United States Department of Agriculture under the federal Egg Products Inspection Act”

    C.G.S. § 22-47 · read 2026-10-06

  • “"egg grading plant" means any person, firm or corporation who engages in grading, washing or packing eggs in this state”

    C.G.S. § 22-47 · read 2026-10-06

  • “Each person, firm or corporation operating an egg grading plant in this state shall register with the Commissioner of Agriculture in a manner and on forms prescribed and furnished by the commissioner. … No person, firm or corporation shall receive, distribute, process or offer eggs for sale without a registration.”

    C.G.S. § 22-47 · read 2026-10-06

  • “The annual registration and renewal fee for an egg grading plant or an egg distributor shall be fixed as follows: (1) For firms processing or handling six thousand dozen eggs or less per year, twenty dollars”

    C.G.S. § 22-47 · read 2026-10-06

  • “shall be fined not more than fifty dollars for the first offense and not more than two hundred dollars for each subsequent offense.”

    C.G.S. § 22-47 · read 2026-10-06

  • “A farmer's kiosk at a certified farmers' market shall be considered an extension of the farmer's business … except that at such farmer's kiosk, no farmer shall falsely label any egg or offer for sale any egg that is adulterated”

    C.G.S. § 22-6r · read 2026-10-06

  • “a farmer offering farm products for sale at a certified farmers' market shall obtain and maintain any license required to sell such products. … shall not supersede the provisions of any state or local health and safety laws, regulations or ordinances.”

    C.G.S. § 22-6r · read 2026-10-06

  • “The act requires egg producers who sell eggs directly to household users (e.g., at a farm, farm stand, or market) to sell only eggs that are unadulterated, cleaned of exterior debris, and kept stored at a temperature of up to 45 degrees Fahrenheit.”

    cga.ct.gov · read 2026-10-06

  • “Less than 3,000 layers, chicken, turkey, duck, goose, guinea or quail all sales direct to household consumer only. Not Inspected or Registered Labeling and Refrigeration requirements only and, At Farmer’s Market’s adulterated eggs are prohibited.”

    Connecticut Department of Agriculture (DoAg) · read 2026-10-06

  • “Greater than 200 layers BUT less than 3,000 layers … CT DoAg Small Egg Plant Processor Inspection Program. Unused New Cartons Only”

    Connecticut Department of Agriculture (DoAg) · read 2026-10-06

  • “in order to facilitate the ability of small egg producers to sell eggs through retail establishments, through distributors or to food service establishments”

    Regs. Conn. State Agencies § 22-324-D1 et seq. (egg room sanitation, as reprinted by DoAg) · read 2026-10-06

  • “Shell egg producers (or a group of shell producers who pool eggs) with more than 200 birds and less than 3000 birds are eligible.”

    Regs. Conn. State Agencies § 22-324-D1 et seq. (egg room sanitation, as reprinted by DoAg) · read 2026-10-06

  • “Connecticut like most states and USDA, exempts sales of eggs directly to consumers from regulatory oversight except for adulteration, labeling and refrigeration.”

    Regs. Conn. State Agencies § 22-324-D1 et seq. (egg room sanitation, as reprinted by DoAg) · read 2026-10-06

  • “To obtain more information about our shell egg inspection program Call 860-713-2513”

    Regs. Conn. State Agencies § 22-324-D1 et seq. (egg room sanitation, as reprinted by DoAg) · read 2026-10-06

What we couldn't confirm
  • Flock size: C.G.S. 22-47 sets no bird limit. DoAg's flow chart (Feb 2022) frames the no-registration column as 'Less than 3,000 layers'; that line matches federal FDA/USDA thresholds rather than anything in the state statute. Flocks of 3,000 or more fall under federal rules not covered here.
  • Sellers with 200 or fewer birds who want to sell to stores or restaurants: DoAg's voluntary small-plant program is open only to more than 200 birds, and no source read says how a smaller flock can reach retail. Not resolved.
  • Cartons: no rule on reused cartons for direct sales was found. DoAg sources conflict for program participants: the flow chart says 'Unused New Cartons Only', while the program guide (V4, June 2020) reprints a regulation allowing 'new containers or used containers that are clean and in sound condition'.
  • DoAg's Egg Grading Plant Registration web page loads its text by JavaScript (not saved). As read through a browser fetch it paraphrases older statute wording ('shall not receive eggs for processing without a permit'), which no longer matches C.G.S. 22-48a as rewritten in 2013. This record follows the statute.
  • DoAg's program guide (V4, 22-Jun-20) and flow chart (Feb 2022) predate the 2023 amendment to 22-47; neither mentions the new cleaning, 45°F and label conditions.
  • Statute text read from the 2025 revision on cga.ct.gov; the 2026 Supplement (revised to January 1, 2026) changes nothing in the egg part of chapter 423 or § 22-6r. Public acts from the 2026 session were not searched bill by bill; no 2026 egg act was found by web search.
  • Local health departments may license farmers' market vendors (C.G.S. 22-6r(c), (e)); none were checked.
  • Egg distributor registration with the Department of Consumer Protection (22-48a(c)) applies to firms distributing packaged eggs to institutions, wholesalers or retailers; DCP's pages were not read.

Selling across the state line?

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

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

Every state, one map

Colored by the small-flock license rule. Tap a state to read it, or compare them all side by side.

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