State rules

Can you sell backyard eggs in Louisiana?

On the farm, yes. With fewer than 500 hens you can sell directly to consumers from the farm without a license. Farmers' markets, stores and restaurants need the state's $100-a-year Egg Marketing License.

Read from 8 official sources17 passages quotedChecked October 6, 2026

At a glance

License

Depends how you sell

Small-flock line

Under 500 hens, farm sales only

Farmers markets

License needed

Cartons

Not stated

In plain English

Louisiana's small-flock exemption is narrow. A producer with egg production from fewer than 500 hens who sells eggs directly to the consumer from the farm needs no Egg Marketing License and pays no Egg Commission assessment. Producers selling their own eggs are also outside the state's egg grading law, and the grading rules exempt producers selling their own eggs on their own premises to individuals, no more than 30 dozen to one person at a time. Anywhere off the farm the exemption ends: selling at a farmers' market, to a store or to a restaurant takes the $100-a-year Egg Marketing License (September 1 to August 31), and licensed eggs must be at least Grade B, held at 45°F, and sold in containers labeled with grade and size, pack date, name and address, the Louisiana license number, 'keep refrigerated at 45°F or below' and safe handling instructions. Stores may sell eggs marked 'unclassified' bought directly from producers with fewer than 500 hens, if the eggs meet Grade B. The law covers pullet and hen eggs only.

A sourced reading of Louisiana's rules, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) ((225) 925-3772) before you sell.

Do you need a license?

Depends on how and how much you sellUnder 500 hens, farm sales only
  • Egg production from fewer than 500 hens.La. R.S. 3:845(B)
  • Sell directly to the consumer.La. R.S. 3:845(B)
  • Sell from the farm.La. R.S. 3:845(B)
  • The exemption covers both the Egg Marketing License and the two-cent-per-case assessment.La. R.S. 3:845(B), 3:841
  • Grading and labeling rules do not apply to producers selling their own eggs on their own premises to individuals, but no more than 30 dozen can be sold to one person at one time.LAC 7:V.931
  • Selling anywhere else, including a farmers' market, a store or a restaurant, requires the Egg Marketing License: $100 a year, valid September 1 to August 31.La. R.S. 3:842(A); LAC 7:V.1715
  • Licensed sellers hold eggs at 45°F or below, sell nothing below Grade B, and label each container with grade and size, pack date, name and address, the 'La' license number, 'keep refrigerated at 45°F or below' and safe handling instructions.LAC 7:V.917, 919, 929
  • Stores may sell eggs identified as 'unclassified' when bought directly from producers who own fewer than 500 hens, if the eggs meet Grade B.LAC 7:V.919(C)
The exact wording
“Any producer who has egg production from less than five hundred hens is exempt from the licensing requirements of this Part and from the payment of any assessment if that producer sells his eggs or egg products directly to the consumer from the farm.”

Where you can sell

From home or the farm

With conditions

No license or assessment with fewer than 500 hens when you sell directly to the consumer from the farm (La. R.S. 3:845(B)). The grading rules' own exemption limits on-premises sales to 30 dozen per person at one time (LAC 7:V.931).

Farmers markets

License needed

The license exemption applies only to sales 'from the farm', so a farmers' market stand needs the $100 Egg Marketing License from LDAF. Licensed eggs must meet Grade B, be held at 45°F, and carry the full container label (LAC 7:V.917, 919, 929).

Stores and restaurants

License needed

Anyone selling eggs to a retailer needs a license (LAC 7:V.919(F)(1); La. R.S. 3:842). Stores may resell eggs labeled 'unclassified' bought directly from producers with fewer than 500 hens, provided they meet Grade B (LAC 7:V.919(C)). Eggs sold to restaurants must also meet at least Grade B.

Also check with: Your parish health unit, Louisiana Department of Health (farmers' market food 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.

“The temperature of shell eggs shall be held at an ambient temperature of 45°F or below at all times when being transported, stored, or displayed for sale except for brief periods of loading or unloading.”

The label must show

  • grade and size
  • date packed
  • name and address of packer/producer
  • Louisiana Egg Commission license number (La000)
  • "keep refrigerated at 45°F or below"
  • safe handling instructions

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

Grading

Ungraded sales are allowed only in some cases.

On-farm sales of your own eggs are outside the grading law (La. R.S. 3:826) and the grading rules (LAC 7:V.931). Off the farm, no eggs below Grade B may be sold to the retail or consuming trade (LAC 7:V.919(A)), containers must show grade and size (LAC 7:V.929), and words like 'fresh', 'farm' or 'yard eggs' are reserved for Grade A or better (LAC 7:V.929(A), 937). The one ungraded path is eggs a store buys directly from a producer with fewer than 500 hens, sold as 'unclassified' and meeting Grade B (LAC 7:V.919(C)).

Washing

No washing rule for small producers in the sources read. Inedible eggs, including leakers, may not be sold (LAC 7:V.915, 919(A)); anyone selling eggs to someone other than a wholesale dealer must candle them and remove inedible eggs (La. R.S. 3:830), though producers selling their own eggs are exempt from that Part (3:826).

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

What changed recently

  1. 2025-11 · LDAF amended the Louisiana Egg Commission rules (LAC 7:V, Chapter 17: definitions, assessments, records and the $100 license, §§1701-1715), published at Louisiana Register 51:1821-1822 (November 2025). The statutory under-500-hen exemption (La. R.S. 3:845) was not changed. Source

Common questions

Do I need a license to sell eggs from my backyard chickens in Louisiana?
On the farm, yes. With fewer than 500 hens you can sell directly to consumers from the farm without a license. Farmers' markets, stores and restaurants need the state's $100-a-year Egg Marketing License. Small-flock line: under 500 hens, farm sales only. The conditions, and the law they come from, are on this page.
Can I sell eggs at a farmers market in Louisiana?
Needs a license or isn't exempt. The license exemption applies only to sales 'from the farm', so a farmers' market stand needs the $100 Egg Marketing License from LDAF. Licensed eggs must meet Grade B, be held at 45°F, and carry the full container label (LAC 7:V.917, 919, 929). Also check with your parish health unit, Louisiana Department of Health (farmers' market food rules).
Can I reuse egg cartons in Louisiana?
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 Louisiana?
grade and size, date packed, name and address of packer/producer, Louisiana Egg Commission license number (La000), "keep refrigerated at 45°F or below", safe handling instructions. The rule reads: "Each carton or sleeve shall have on each individual container the following: … the grade and size; … the date when packed; … the name and address of packer/producer; … the Louisiana license number issued by the Louisiana Egg Commission (example: La000); … the phrase "keep refrigerated at 45°F or below";" The federal safe handling statement applies as well; our carton label maker prints all of it.
Do eggs I sell in Louisiana have to be refrigerated?
Yes, at 45°F or colder. The rule reads: "The temperature of shell eggs shall be held at an ambient temperature of 45°F or below at all times when being transported, stored, or displayed for sale except for brief periods of loading or unloading."
Sources
Read the 17 passages this page is built on
  • “Any producer who has egg production from less than five hundred hens is exempt from the licensing requirements of this Part and from the payment of any assessment if that producer sells his eggs or egg products directly to the consumer from the farm.”

    La. R.S. 3:845 · read 2026-10-06

  • “Except as otherwise provided by this Part, every person who produces, processes, distributes, or sells eggs or egg products in Louisiana shall obtain a license to do so from the department. Each license shall be renewed annually. … A fee of one hundred dollars shall accompany each license application and renewal.”

    La. R.S. 3:842 · read 2026-10-06

  • “An assessment of two cents per case is hereby levied on all eggs and egg products produced in Louisiana or produced elsewhere and distributed in Louisiana.”

    La. R.S. 3:841 · read 2026-10-06

  • “Producers selling eggs of their own production are exempt from the provisions of this Part.”

    La. R.S. 3:826 · read 2026-10-06

  • “A person offering eggs for sale to any one other than a wholesale dealer shall first candle all eggs and remove all inedible eggs.”

    La. R.S. 3:830 · read 2026-10-06

  • “"Eggs" means pullet and hen eggs only.”

    legis.la.gov · read 2026-10-06

  • “Producers selling eggs of their own production on their own premises to individuals are exempt from the provisions of these regulations. No more than 30 dozen can be sold to one person at one time.”

    LAC 7:V.915-937 · read 2026-10-06

  • “The temperature of shell eggs shall be held at an ambient temperature of 45°F or below at all times when being transported, stored, or displayed for sale except for brief periods of loading or unloading.”

    LAC 7:V.915-937 · read 2026-10-06

  • “No person, firm, or corporation shall sell, traffic in, or deliver to the retail or consuming trade, any eggs unfit for human consumption or any eggs that do not meet Grade B requirements.”

    LAC 7:V.915-937 · read 2026-10-06

  • “This Chapter shall be applicable to all retailers of eggs, except that retailers shall be permitted to sell eggs, identified as unclassified, when such eggs are purchased directly from producers who own less than 500 hens; however, eggs sold as unclassified must meet Grade B standards.”

    LAC 7:V.915-937 · read 2026-10-06

  • “Every person, firm, or corporation engaged in selling shell eggs, frozen eggs, liquid eggs, or any egg product to a retailer or manufacturer shall secure a license.”

    LAC 7:V.915-937 · read 2026-10-06

  • “Each carton or sleeve shall have on each individual container the following: … the grade and size; … the date when packed; … the name and address of packer/producer; … the Louisiana license number issued by the Louisiana Egg Commission (example: La000); … the phrase "keep refrigerated at 45°F or below";”

    LAC 7:V.915-937 · read 2026-10-06

  • “"SAFE HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS: To prevent illness from bacteria: keep eggs refrigerated, cook eggs until yolks are firm and cook foods containing eggs thoroughly."”

    LAC 7:V.915-937 · read 2026-10-06

  • “Terms, words, phrases, symbols, etc. used in the labeling and advertising of eggs such as fresh, newly laid, and yard eggs shall be applied only to eggs having not less than the minimum quality requirements of U.S.D.A. consumer Grade A or better”

    LAC 7:V.915-937 · read 2026-10-06

  • “All licenses shall be valid from September 1 until August 31 and must be renewed annually. … Every application for a new license and for renewal of an existing license shall be accompanied by a fee of $100 payable to the commission.”

    LAC 7:V.915-937 · read 2026-10-06

  • “amended by the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Office of Animal Health and Food Safety, LR 51:1822 (November 2025).”

    LAC 7:V.915-937 · read 2026-10-06

  • “If you produce, distribute, or process eggs, you must have an Egg Marketing License. We have authority to inspect your premises before granting a license. License fee is $100 per year (September 1 - August 31).”

    Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) · read 2026-10-06

What we couldn't confirm
  • LDAF's egg page says 'If you produce, distribute, or process eggs, you must have an Egg Marketing License' and does not mention the under-500-hen, from-the-farm exemption in La. R.S. 3:845(B); the November 2025 license rule (LAC 7:V.1715) also states the license duty without the exemption. The statute controls; the agency wording is flagged, not followed.
  • Statute and rule frame the on-farm exemption differently: R.S. 3:826 exempts all producers selling their own eggs from the grading law, while LAC 7:V.931 limits the rules' exemption to sales on the producer's own premises to individuals, 30 dozen per person at a time. The license exemption (R.S. 3:845) adds the fewer-than-500-hens line.
  • No carton reuse rule was found for exempt or licensed sellers; cartons.newRequired is left unknown.
  • Louisiana Department of Health (Sanitary Code) rules for eggs at farmers' markets were not checked.
  • No 2024-2026 act amending La. R.S. 3:821-3:845 was found (section history lines end in 2009, 3:837 in 2015); the legislature's bill search was not run directly.
  • The egg law defines eggs as 'pullet and hen eggs only'; how duck or quail eggs are treated was not checked.
  • The LAC text was read from the Office of the State Register's Title 7 Word file (current through at least March 2026 entries); its symbol-font degree signs were converted to '°' in the saved text.

Selling across the state line?

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