State rules

Can you sell backyard eggs in Kentucky?

Yes. Sell only directly to consumers, no more than 60 dozen eggs a week, and you need no egg license. The eggs still go in new cartons marked 'ungraded' with your name and address, and can be inspected.

Read from 9 official sources21 passages quotedChecked October 6, 2026

At a glance

License

Depends how you sell

Small-flock line

Up to 60 dozen a week

Farmers markets

With conditions

Cartons

New only

In plain English

Kentucky draws its line by sales, not hens. A producer who sells only directly to consumers and no more than 60 dozen eggs in a calendar week needs no license under the egg marketing law. The exemption covers the license only: the department can still inspect, and the egg law's rules still apply. Egg cartons cannot be reused, so eggs go in new stock cartons labeled 'ungraded' (letters at least 1/4 inch high), 'produced by:' with your name and address, and 'sold directly to the consumer'; this may be hand printed on the top panel. Eggs must be edible, and eggs held above 45°F for four hours or more are withdrawn from sale. Selling more than 60 dozen a week, or selling to stores, restaurants or anyone who resells, takes a KDA license; the smallest producer license is $20 a year.

A sourced reading of Kentucky's rules, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) (502-782-9211) before you sell.

Do you need a license?

Depends on how and how much you sellUp to 60 dozen a week
  • Sell only directly to consumers, meaning people buying eggs for consumption and not resale.KRS 260.550(1)(e); 260.540(7)
  • Sell no more than 60 dozen eggs per calendar week.KRS 260.550(1)(e)
  • Sell eggs from your own flock; a producer is a person who disposes of eggs from the output of a personally owned flock.KRS 260.540(22)
  • Exempt sellers are not exempt from inspection.KRS 260.600(6)
  • Use new cartons: egg cartons cannot be reused.KRS 260.630(7)
  • Label stock cartons 'ungraded', 'produced by:' with your name and address, and 'sold directly to the consumer'; hand printing on the top panel is allowed if legible (KRS 260.630(8)); 'ungraded' in letters at least 1/4 inch high.302 KAR 10:015
  • Do not sell inedible eggs (KRS 260.610(5)); eggs held above 45°F for four hours or more are withdrawn from sale.KRS 260.550(4)
  • Above 60 dozen a week, or selling for resale or to food service, a KDA license is required: $20 a year for producers handling 1 to 25 cases (up to 750 dozen) a week, renewed by January 31.KRS 260.600
The exact wording
“Producers who sell only directly to consumers and do not exceed a sales limit of sixty (60) dozen eggs per calendar week.”

Where you can sell

From home or the farm

With conditions

License-exempt when you sell only directly to consumers and no more than 60 dozen a week (KRS 260.550(1)(e)); new cartons labeled 'ungraded', 'produced by:' and 'sold directly to the consumer'; subject to KDA inspection.

Farmers markets

With conditions

The statute does not limit where direct sales happen, so the same 60-dozen, consumers-only exemption and carton rules apply at a farmers' market. Eggs held above 45°F for four hours or more must be withdrawn from sale (KRS 260.550(4)). Local health department rules for market vendors were not checked.

Stores and restaurants

License needed

The exemption is only for producers who sell 'only directly to consumers.' KDA lists small producers 'who distribute their eggs for resale' among those who must be licensed, and selling to a retailer or food service facility makes you a distributor (KRS 260.540(11)). Licensed sellers mark grade, size, quantity, name, address and plant number, pack date and an expiration or best-by date (KRS 260.610(1), 260.630(2)).

Also check with: Your local health department (farmers' market vendor rules)

Cartons, labels and handling

Cartons

New cartons are required for eggs you sell.

“Egg cartons cannot be reused.”

Refrigeration

45°F or colder where the rule applies.

“a shell egg packed in a container for the purpose of resale to a consumer shall be stored and transported under refrigeration at an ambient temperature of forty-five (45) degrees Fahrenheit or seven and two-tenths (7.2) degrees Centigrade or less.”

The label must show

  • "ungraded" (letters at least 1/4 inch high)
  • "produced by:" followed by the producer's name and address
  • "sold directly to the consumer"

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

Grading

Ungraded eggs may be sold under the small-producer rules.

Eggs may be sold ungraded if marked 'ungraded' on the carton in letters at least 1/4 inch high (302 KAR 10:015 §§ 1(2), 2(1)); direct-to-consumer producers using stock cartons label them 'ungraded' (KRS 260.630(8)). Eggs sold as graded must meet USDA standards (302 KAR 10:015 § 1(1)), and licensees identify eggs by grade and size (KRS 260.610(1)).

Washing

No washing rule in the sources read. Eggs offered for sale must not be inedible (KRS 260.610(5); 302 KAR 10:015 § 2(3)).

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

What changed recently

  1. 2026-07-15 · House Bill 56 (2026 Ky. Acts ch. 23, signed April 3, 2026) took effect: egg licenses now expire January 31 instead of April 1; the sentence saying eggs used by license-exempt persons still owe the assessment fee was removed from KRS 260.600(6); the Egg Marketing Board (KRS 260.570) was repealed; KRS 260.540 definitions were renumbered. The 60-dozen exemption in KRS 260.550 was not changed. Source

Common questions

Do I need a license to sell eggs from my backyard chickens in Kentucky?
Yes. Sell only directly to consumers, no more than 60 dozen eggs a week, and you need no egg license. The eggs still go in new cartons marked 'ungraded' with your name and address, and can be inspected. Small-flock line: up to 60 dozen a week. The conditions, and the law they come from, are on this page.
Can I sell eggs at a farmers market in Kentucky?
Allowed with conditions. The statute does not limit where direct sales happen, so the same 60-dozen, consumers-only exemption and carton rules apply at a farmers' market. Eggs held above 45°F for four hours or more must be withdrawn from sale (KRS 260.550(4)). Local health department rules for market vendors were not checked. Also check with your local health department (farmers' market vendor rules).
Can I reuse egg cartons in Kentucky?
No: Kentucky requires new cartons for eggs you sell. The rule reads: "Egg cartons cannot be reused."
What has to be on the carton label in Kentucky?
"ungraded" (letters at least 1/4 inch high), "produced by:" followed by the producer's name and address, "sold directly to the consumer". The rule reads: "If a producer who sells directly to consumers only is using stock cartons, the cartons shall be labeled "ungraded" followed by "produced by:" (producer's name and address) and "sold directly to the consumer." This information may be hand printed on the carton if it is legible and appears on the top panel of the egg carton." The federal safe handling statement applies as well; our carton label maker prints all of it.
Do eggs I sell in Kentucky have to be refrigerated?
Yes, at 45°F or colder. The rule reads: "a shell egg packed in a container for the purpose of resale to a consumer shall be stored and transported under refrigeration at an ambient temperature of forty-five (45) degrees Fahrenheit or seven and two-tenths (7.2) degrees Centigrade or less."
Sources
Read the 21 passages this page is built on
  • “No person shall buy, sell, trade, traffic, or process eggs in Kentucky without a license issued pursuant to the egg marketing law, with the following exceptions: … (e) Producers who sell only directly to consumers and do not exceed a sales limit of sixty (60) dozen eggs per calendar week.”

    KRS 260.550 · read 2026-10-06

  • “Any person engaged in the act of selling or otherwise marketing shell eggs or egg products shall have these shell eggs or egg products placed under a withdraw from sale order for the following reasons: (a) Ambient temperature above forty-five (45) degrees Fahrenheit for a period of four (4) hours or more”

    KRS 260.550 · read 2026-10-06

  • “"Consumer" means all persons purchasing eggs for consumption and not resale; … "Distributor" means any person who sells, offers, or otherwise exposes shell eggs or egg products to a wholesaler, retailer, or food service facility.”

    KRS 260.540 · read 2026-10-06

  • “"Producer" means any person who exercises control over the production of eggs and disposes of eggs from the output of his or her personally owned flock;”

    KRS 260.540 · read 2026-10-06

  • “Effective: July 15, 2026 History: Amended 2026 Ky. Acts ch. 23, sec. 5, effective July 15, 2026.”

    KRS 260.540 · read 2026-10-06

  • “A license is required of each handler of eggs selling in the Commonwealth subject to the exceptions specified in KRS 260.550. … according to the average weekly volume of the month in which the licensee handled the most eggs during the preceding year: … 1-25 cases or 1-750 dozen … $20.00”

    KRS 260.600 · read 2026-10-06

  • “All licenses shall expire on January 31 of each year. … Those that are exempt from licensing under KRS 260.550 are not exempt from inspection, with the exception of consumers.”

    KRS 260.600 · read 2026-10-06

  • “All eggs bought or sold by or to retailers, consumers, and institutional users by licensees shall be identified according to grade and size, using USDA standards and weight classes for consumer grades.”

    KRS 260.610 · read 2026-10-06

  • “No person shall sell, offer or expose for sale, or have in his possession for sale, for human consumption, eggs that are inedible”

    KRS 260.610 · read 2026-10-06

  • “Egg cartons cannot be reused.”

    KRS 260.630 · read 2026-10-06

  • “If a producer who sells directly to consumers only is using stock cartons, the cartons shall be labeled "ungraded" followed by "produced by:" (producer's name and address) and "sold directly to the consumer." This information may be hand printed on the carton if it is legible and appears on the top panel of the egg carton.”

    KRS 260.630 · read 2026-10-06

  • “Graded eggs shall be offered for sale in cartons or other consumer packs and shall be plainly and legibly marked as to grade; size; quantity; dealer's name, address, and plant number; and date of packing and an expiration or best-by date.”

    KRS 260.630 · read 2026-10-06

  • “As ungraded eggs shall meet the requirements as provided in Section 2 of this administrative regulation; … All ungraded eggs offered for sale in cartons shall be plainly marked "ungraded" on the carton with letters not less than one-fourth (1/4) inch in height.”

    302 KAR 10:015 · read 2026-10-06

  • “To prevent undue deterioration, a shell egg packed in a container for the purpose of resale to a consumer shall be stored and transported under refrigeration at an ambient temperature of forty-five (45) degrees Fahrenheit or seven and two-tenths (7.2) degrees Centigrade or less.”

    302 KAR 10:100 · read 2026-10-06

  • “A shell egg that is packed into a container for the purpose of resale to a consumer shall be labeled with the following statement: "Keep refrigerated at or below forty-five (45) degrees Fahrenheit".”

    302 KAR 10:100 · read 2026-10-06

  • “7-Year Expiration: 7/9/2027”

    302 KAR 10:015 · read 2026-10-06

  • “Under the Kentucky Egg Marketing Law, all retail businesses, distributorships, or plants must be licensed to sell shell eggs, egg products, or specialty egg products within the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Others included are small producers that sell more than 60 dozen per week, or who distribute their eggs for resale.”

    Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) · read 2026-10-06

  • “The Kentucky Department of Agriculture strictly enforces quality, labeling, and refrigeration. … Lori.Durham@ky.gov or 502-782-9211.”

    Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) · read 2026-10-06

  • “All licenses shall expire on January 31[April 1] of each year.”

    apps.legislature.ky.gov · read 2026-10-06

  • “Those that are exempt from licensing under KRS 260.550 are not exempt from inspection, with the exception of consumers.[ The shell eggs or egg products used by these persons are not exempt from the required assessment fee.]”

    apps.legislature.ky.gov · read 2026-10-06

  • “260.570 Egg marketing board -- Functions -- Membership -- Appointment -- Terms -- Qualifications -- Meetings -- Compensation. … Signed by Governor April 3, 2026.”

    apps.legislature.ky.gov · read 2026-10-06

What we couldn't confirm
  • 2025 House Bill 365 would have raised the exemption to 240 dozen a week; it was referred to the House Agriculture Committee on 02/07/25 and went no further. KRS 260.550 still shows 60 dozen (last amended 2008).
  • Whether the 302 KAR 10:100 'Keep refrigerated at or below forty-five (45) degrees Fahrenheit' label and 45°F storage rule bind a producer selling its own eggs directly is not stated; the rule speaks of eggs packed 'for the purpose of resale to a consumer'. KRS 260.550(4) (withdrawal after four hours above 45°F) applies to anyone selling eggs.
  • KRS 260.600(4) still says all eggs bought or sold in Kentucky bear a 2-cent-per-15-dozen assessment; HB 56 deleted the sentence applying it to license-exempt sellers. Whether exempt producers owe it now is not stated.
  • KDA's egg page is a short summary with no page date, and it lists no rules specific to small producers; the KDA retail egg license application was not fetched.
  • Whether a producer may sell to a restaurant without a license is not stated directly; this record treats it as not exempt because the exemption is for selling 'only directly to consumers' and a seller to food service facilities is a 'distributor'.
  • 302 KAR 10 regulations carry a seven-year expiration of 7/9/2027.
  • Local health department rules for farmers' market vendors were not checked.

Selling across the state line?

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

ALAKAZARCACOCTDEFLGAHIIDILINIAKSKYLAMEMDMAMIMNMSMOMTNENVNHNJNMNYNCNDOHOKORPARISCSDTNTXUTVTVAWAWVWIWY
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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Legal in your state? Then keep the books.

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