State rules

Can you sell backyard eggs in Illinois?

On the farm, yes: any size flock may sell nest-run eggs to household consumers who pick up where the hens live, with no license. Farmers' markets, stores and restaurants need a $15 Limited egg license and graded eggs.

Read from 9 official sources25 passages quotedChecked October 6, 2026

At a glance

License

Depends how you sell

Small-flock line

Any flock size, on premises only

Farmers markets

License needed

Cartons

Reuse with conditions

In plain English

Illinois's small-flock rule is about where you sell, not how many hens you keep. A producer of any flock size may sell nest-run eggs (unwashed, unsized, uncandled) from its own flock directly to household consumers on the premises where the flock is located, with no egg license and no candling or grading; the buyer picks the eggs up where the poultry are kept. Those eggs may go in unmarked new or unmarked clean used cartons, and nest-run eggs must be held at 45°F or below starting 36 hours after lay. Selling anywhere else, including farmers' markets, stores and restaurants, requires an Illinois Egg License (Limited, $15 a year, for your own eggs), candled and graded eggs kept at 45°F, new cartons labeled with grade, size, packer, candling date and an expiration date.

A sourced reading of Illinois's rules, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) (217-524-1550) before you sell.

Do you need a license?

Depends on how and how much you sellAny flock size, on premises only
  • Eggs from your own flock, any flock size.410 ILCS 615/8(a)
  • Sold as nest run eggs: packed as they come from the production facilities, not washed, sized or candled (some checks and dirties may be removed).410 ILCS 615/3.23
  • Sold direct to household consumers for their personal use and their non-paying guests.410 ILCS 615/6
  • Sold only on the premises where the flock is located; IDOA says the consumer must pick up the eggs where the poultry are.410 ILCS 615/8(a); IDOA Selling Eggs page
  • Hold nest run eggs at or below 45°F starting 36 hours after lay, including transport.410 ILCS 615/6
  • Cartons may be unmarked new or unmarked good used containers.8 Ill. Adm. Code 65.20(a)
  • Selling nest run eggs to a holder of an Illinois Egg License is also exempt.410 ILCS 615/8(a)
  • Off the premises (farmers' markets, retail, restaurants): Limited Producer-Dealer license, $15 a year from July 1, candled and graded eggs held at 45°F, new labeled cartons.410 ILCS 615/6, 615/9; 8 Ill. Adm. Code 65.20, 65.30, 65.110
The exact wording
“a producer who obtains eggs from his own flock, regardless of the size of the flock, and sells them as nest run eggs, either to household consumers on the premises where the flock is located”

Where you can sell

From home or the farm

With conditions

No license for nest run eggs from your own flock sold to household consumers on the premises where the flock is located (410 ILCS 615/8(a), 615/6). The buyer collects the eggs where the poultry are; delivery or a roadside stand away from the flock's location is off-premises. Keep eggs at 45°F after 36 hours.

Farmers markets

License needed

The Act names farmers' markets: eggs sold off the premises must be candled, graded and held at 45°F (410 ILCS 615/6), and IDOA requires a Limited Producer-Dealer egg license ($15) for producers selling their own graded eggs off the premises. New cartons with grade, size, packer, Julian candling date and expiration date; check also with the local health department and the market manager.

Stores and restaurants

License needed

Stores and restaurants (institutional consumers) may receive only candled and graded eggs (410 ILCS 615/6), so the producer needs at least a Limited egg license, new cartons labeled with grade and size in ⅜-inch letters, packer name and address and a three-digit Julian candling date (8 Ill. Adm. Code 65.20, 65.30).

Also check with: Your local health department (farmers' market and food sales permits)

Cartons, labels and handling

Cartons

Reused cartons are allowed, with conditions.

“Eggs sold at retail may be packaged only in new consumer-size containers with the exception that ungraded eggs sold directly by producers to household consumers may be packaged in unmarked new or unmarked good used consumer-size containers.”

Refrigeration

45°F or colder where the rule applies.

“Nest run eggs must be held and transported at or below 45 degrees Fahrenheit ambient temperature beginning 36 hours after the time of lay.”

The label must show

  • On-premises nest run sales: none; cartons must be unmarked
  • Off-premises: grade and size (bold, at least ⅜ inch, no abbreviations)
  • Packer (or distributor/retailer) name and address
  • Three-digit Julian candling date
  • Expiration date: no later than 45 days from candling for Grade A, 30 days for Grade AA

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

Grading

Ungraded sales are allowed only in some cases.

“A producer may sell on his own premises where eggs are produced, direct to household consumers, for the consumer's personal use and that consumer's non-paying guests, nest run eggs without candling or grading those eggs. … All eggs designated for sale off the premises where the entire flock is located, such as at farmers' markets, and at retail or for institutional use must be candled and graded”

Washing

Eggs sold under the on-farm exemption are 'nest run eggs', which the Act defines as packed 'without having been washed, sized, or candled for quality' (410 ILCS 615/3.23). Licensed producers need an approved cleaner/sanitizer and wash water of at least 90°F (IDOA).

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

Common questions

Do I need a license to sell eggs from my backyard chickens in Illinois?
On the farm, yes: any size flock may sell nest-run eggs to household consumers who pick up where the hens live, with no license. Farmers' markets, stores and restaurants need a $15 Limited egg license and graded eggs. Small-flock line: any flock size, on premises only. The conditions, and the law they come from, are on this page.
Can I sell eggs at a farmers market in Illinois?
Needs a license or isn't exempt. The Act names farmers' markets: eggs sold off the premises must be candled, graded and held at 45°F (410 ILCS 615/6), and IDOA requires a Limited Producer-Dealer egg license ($15) for producers selling their own graded eggs off the premises. New cartons with grade, size, packer, Julian candling date and expiration date; check also with the local health department and the market manager. Also check with your local health department (farmers' market and food sales permits).
Can I reuse egg cartons in Illinois?
With conditions. The rule reads: "Eggs sold at retail may be packaged only in new consumer-size containers with the exception that ungraded eggs sold directly by producers to household consumers may be packaged in unmarked new or unmarked good used consumer-size containers."
What has to be on the carton label in Illinois?
On-premises nest run sales: none; cartons must be unmarked, Off-premises: grade and size (bold, at least ⅜ inch, no abbreviations), Packer (or distributor/retailer) name and address, Three-digit Julian candling date, Expiration date: no later than 45 days from candling for Grade A, 30 days for Grade AA. The rule reads: "Each container of eggs offered for sale or sold at wholesale or retail must be labeled in accordance with the standards established by the Department showing grade, size, packer identification, and candling date, and must be labeled with an expiration date" The federal safe handling statement applies as well; our carton label maker prints all of it.
Do eggs I sell in Illinois have to be refrigerated?
Yes, at 45°F or colder. The rule reads: "Nest run eggs must be held and transported at or below 45 degrees Fahrenheit ambient temperature beginning 36 hours after the time of lay."
Sources
Read the 25 passages this page is built on
  • “without having obtained a license as provided in Section 9, except the following: (a) a producer who obtains eggs from his own flock, regardless of the size of the flock, and sells them as nest run eggs, either to household consumers on the premises where the flock is located, or to a holder of an Illinois Egg License;”

    410 ILCS 615/8 · read 2026-10-06

  • “Any person or business who buys, sells, trades, or traffics in eggs in this State and is a broker, distributor, handler, packer, producer, or producer-dealer, as defined in this Act, must be licensed in this State. A limited or full license must be purchased annually.”

    410 ILCS 615/8 · read 2026-10-06

  • “A producer may sell on his own premises where eggs are produced, direct to household consumers, for the consumer's personal use and that consumer's non-paying guests, nest run eggs without candling or grading those eggs.”

    410 ILCS 615/6 · read 2026-10-06

  • “All eggs designated for sale off the premises where the entire flock is located, such as at farmers' markets, and at retail or for institutional use must be candled and graded and held in a place or room in which the temperature may not exceed 45 degrees Fahrenheit after processing.”

    410 ILCS 615/6 · read 2026-10-06

  • “Nest run eggs must be held and transported at or below 45 degrees Fahrenheit ambient temperature beginning 36 hours after the time of lay.”

    410 ILCS 615/6 · read 2026-10-06

  • “All eggs sold at retail or purchased by institutional consumers must be candled for quality and graded for size.”

    410 ILCS 615/6 · read 2026-10-06

  • “Each container of eggs offered for sale or sold at wholesale or retail must be labeled in accordance with the standards established by the Department showing grade, size, packer identification, and candling date, and must be labeled with an expiration date”

    410 ILCS 615/6 · read 2026-10-06

  • “not later than 45 days from the candling date for grade A eggs and not later than 30 days after the candling date for grade AA eggs.”

    410 ILCS 615/6 · read 2026-10-06

  • “(Source: P.A. 101-158, eff. 7-26-19.)”

    410 ILCS 615/6 · read 2026-10-06

  • “No person, other than those who sell only eggs produced by their own flocks, shall sell, offer for sale or advertise for sale as "fresh eggs"”

    ilga.gov · read 2026-10-06

  • “The licensing year for an egg license shall be July 1 through June 30. … A penalty of $50 shall be assessed for any renewal license not renewed by July 1 of the year in which the license renewal is due.”

    410 ILCS 615/7, 615/9 · read 2026-10-06

  • “"Nest run eggs" means eggs which are packed as they come from the production facilities without having been washed, sized, or candled for quality, with the exception that some checks, dirties or other obvious undergrades may have been removed.”

    410 ILCS 615/3.13, 3.19, 3.23, 3.29 · read 2026-10-06

  • “"Institutional consumer" means any restaurant, hotel, boarding house, hospital, nursing home, government institution, or any other business facility or place in which eggs are prepared or offered as food”

    ilga.gov · read 2026-10-06

  • “"Eggs" means the shell eggs of the domesticated chicken, turkey, duck, goose, or guinea.”

    ilga.gov · read 2026-10-06

  • “Illinois Egg License (Limited) is required for a producer-dealer (as defined in Section 3.29 of the Act, except that a limited licensee may only sell eggs of his or her own production) $15.”

    8 Ill. Adm. Code 65.20, 65.30, 65.90, 65.110 · read 2026-10-06

  • “Producer-dealer (as defined in Section 3.29 of the Act and who sells eggs produced by his or her own flock or additional eggs from other than his or her own production) – $50.”

    8 Ill. Adm. Code 65.20, 65.30, 65.90, 65.110 · read 2026-10-06

  • “Eggs sold at retail may be packaged only in new consumer-size containers with the exception that ungraded eggs sold directly by producers to household consumers may be packaged in unmarked new or unmarked good used consumer-size containers.”

    8 Ill. Adm. Code 65.20, 65.30, 65.90, 65.110 · read 2026-10-06

  • “shall be labeled on the consumer-size container with the grade and size. Labeling shall be in bold type with letters not less than ⅜ inch in height, no abbreviations permitted. … Labeling on each consumer-size container must show the name and address of the packer … three-digit Julian code”

    8 Ill. Adm. Code 65.20, 65.30, 65.90, 65.110 · read 2026-10-06

  • “Nest run eggs shall be held at 60° F. or less at all times, including during transportation.”

    8 Ill. Adm. Code 65.20, 65.30, 65.90, 65.110 · read 2026-10-06

  • “amended at 43 Ill. Reg. 4799, effective April 15, 2019.”

    8 Ill. Adm. Code 65.20, 65.30, 65.90, 65.110 · read 2026-10-06

  • “these sales are limited to direct sales to household consumers for their own personal use; the shell eggs shall only be sold on the premises where the flock is located. The consumer must pick up the eggs from the same location where the poultry are located. This type of shell egg sale is EXEMPT and does not require an Illinois Egg License.”

    Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) · read 2026-10-06

  • “If you are an egg producer, and you wish to sell eggs from your own flock off the premises where the flock is located, you are required to obtain an Illinois Egg License. A Limited Producer-Dealer egg license is required for producers selling graded eggs produced by their own flock .”

    Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) · read 2026-10-06

  • “Candling light. A scale for weighing your eggs. New cartons for selling off the farm or to retail establishments. Refrigeration- 45 degrees F or less with storage and transport. Approved - Cleaner/Sanitizer. Wash water needs to be 90 degrees F minimum.”

    Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) · read 2026-10-06

  • “Egg producers are encouraged to check with their local health department or farmer's market manager regarding any other requirements.”

    Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) · read 2026-10-06

  • “Illinois Department of Agriculture Egg Inspection Program, Division of Food Safety & Animal Protection, P.O. Box 19281, Springfield, IL 62794-9281, Phone: 217-524-1550”

    Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) · read 2026-10-06

What we couldn't confirm
  • Temperature conflict: the statute (410 ILCS 615/6, as amended by P.A. 101-158 in 2019) requires nest run eggs at or below 45°F starting 36 hours after lay; the older rule 8 Ill. Adm. Code 65.90(c) (1997) still says 60°F. This record follows the statute.
  • Washing: because 'nest run eggs' are by definition unwashed, washing eggs may take them outside the on-premises exemption. No IDOA statement on this point was found; flagged, not asserted.
  • 'On the premises where the flock is located': IDOA reads this as the buyer picking up where the poultry are. A farm stand at the roadside of the same property is probably covered; a stand elsewhere, delivery, or a pickup point is not. Not stated beyond IDOA's wording.
  • Local health department or farmers' market rules (IDOA tells producers to check) were not researched.
  • No amendment to 410 ILCS 615 since 2019 (P.A. 101-158) was found in the section source notes; SB 3655 (103rd GA, caged egg ban) died at sine die on January 7, 2025. Bills of the 104th General Assembly were not searched one by one.
  • The IDOA Selling Eggs page shows no date; the Retailers' Guide and license application were not read.

Selling across the state line?

The rules change at the border. Here's where Illinois'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.

Compare every state →

Legal in your state? Then keep the books.

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