State rules

Can you sell backyard eggs in Missouri?

Yes. Selling your own eggs at home or on the farm needs no license. A farmers' market stand needs a $25 yearly retailer's license, and selling to stores or restaurants needs a dealer's license.

Read from 11 official sources30 passages quotedChecked October 6, 2026

At a glance

License

Depends how you sell

Small-flock line

No hen limit; farm sales only

Farmers markets

License needed

Cartons

Reuse allowed

In plain English

Missouri licenses egg sellers by channel, not flock size. If you sell only eggs from your own flock and customers come to your house or farm, you need no license, and eggs sold there without advertising need no carton markings. Selling your own eggs at a farmers' market or roadside stand takes an R1 Retailer's License ($25 a year under the rule in effect since November 30, 2024), applied for with a 'No Tax Due' letter from the Missouri Department of Revenue and renewed each July 1. MDA's FAQ says selling to a convenience store or restaurant takes a Dealer's License ($40 for up to 100 cases a week). Licensed sellers are inspected at least yearly. MDA says all eggs sold to consumers must be candled and graded; off the farm, cartons carry size, grade, the packer's name and address and the pack date, eggs are held at 45°F or below, and used cartons are fine if clean with old markings removed.

A sourced reading of Missouri's rules, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) (573-751-5639) before you sell.

Do you need a license?

Depends on how and how much you sellNo hen limit; farm sales only
  • Sell only eggs produced by your own flock.RSMo § 196.313(1); 2 CSR 90-36.015(1)(A)
  • Do not sell them at an established place of business away from your premises; MDA's FAQ applies the exemption when customers strictly come to your house or farm.RSMo § 196.313(1); MDA FAQ
  • On-farm sales made without advertising need no container markings.RSMo § 196.328(2)
  • Eggs sold to any consumer must meet Grade AA, A, B or C quality; inedible eggs may not be sold.RSMo § 196.323
  • Farmers' market or roadside stand: R1 Retailer's License, $25 a year, with a 'No Tax Due' letter from the Department of Revenue at each application and renewal; license year July 1 to June 30; license posted at the place of business.2 CSR 90-36.015(2), (5), (6)
  • Selling to a convenience store or restaurant: Dealer's License, $40 for 0-100 cases a week, $50 over 100 (MDA FAQ; 2 CSR 90-36.015(5)); dealers give retailers an invoice showing size and quality.RSMo § 196.338
  • Off the farm, label each carton with size, grade, name and address of the packer and pack date, in full unabbreviated words; grade and size letters at least 3/8 inch.RSMo § 196.326; MDA FAQ
  • Mark the species on eggs from ducks, turkeys, geese or other non-chicken fowl.RSMo § 196.333
  • Hold eggs at 45°F or below in storage, transport and display.MDA FAQ; 2 CSR 90-36.010(5)
The exact wording
“No person shall buy, sell, trade or traffic in eggs in this state without a license with the following exceptions: (1) Those who sell only eggs produced by their own flocks, provided such eggs are not sold at an established place of business away from the premises of such producer;”

Where you can sell

From home or the farm

Allowed

No license when customers come to your house or farm to buy eggs from your own flock (RSMo § 196.313(1); MDA FAQ), and no carton markings if you sell there without advertising (§ 196.328(2)). Eggs must still be of Grade AA, A, B or C quality (§ 196.323).

Farmers markets

License needed

MDA: selling at a farmers' market requires a Retailer's License (R1). 2 CSR 90-36.015 sets the R1 fee ('Sells at farmers markets or roadside stand') at $25 a year, July 1 to June 30, with a Department of Revenue 'No Tax Due' letter. Licensees are inspected at least once a year for labels (size, grade, pack date, packer name and address), clean undamaged eggs and 45°F storage.

Stores and restaurants

License needed

MDA's FAQ: selling your flock's eggs to a convenience store or restaurant needs a Dealer's License, priced by cases sold per week ($40 for 0-100 cases, $50 over 100 under 2 CSR 90-36.015). Dealers selling to retailers must give an invoice showing size and quality (RSMo § 196.338). Note that RSMo § 196.311 counts restaurants as 'consumers'; MDA's FAQ still names the dealer's license for restaurant sales.

Also check with: Missouri Department of Revenue ('No Tax Due' letter required with each egg license application and renewal)

Cartons, labels and handling

Cartons

Reused cartons are allowed.

“Yes, as long as the cartons are in clean and sound condition. All markings on the carton that do not pertain to eggs currently in the carton must be removed and updated with the name and address of the person/business packaging the eggs, the size, grade, and the date the eggs are packaged.”

Refrigeration

45°F or colder where the rule applies.

“Eggs are required to be at 45°F or below.”

The label must show

  • Size
  • Grade (full, unabbreviated designation; letters at least 3/8 inch on cartons under 15 dozen)
  • Name and address of the person or business packing or grading the eggs
  • Pack date
  • Species, if not chicken eggs
  • Not required for producer sales on your own premises made without advertising

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

Grading

Eggs must be graded.

Missouri has no 'ungraded' category: only eggs of Grade AA, A, B or C quality may be sold to any consumer (RSMo § 196.323), and MDA says all eggs sold to consumers must be candled and graded. Producers selling on their own premises without advertising are excused from marking the grade on containers (§ 196.328(2)), but not from the quality standard.

Washing

No washing rule was found in the statutes, rules or MDA FAQ read. Inspectors check that eggs are clean and undamaged (MDA FAQ).

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

What changed recently

  1. 2024-11-30 · New rules 2 CSR 90-36.005 (definitions) and 90-36.015 (egg license requirements and fees) took effect, and 90-36.010 was amended. The fee table lists an R1 Retailer license for sellers at farmers markets or roadside stands at $25, R2 Retailer $25, and dealer licenses $40-$50, and requires a 'No Tax Due' letter with applications. MDA's 2015 sheet had listed a $5 Limited Retailer's license. Source
  2. 2023-08-28 · H.B. 202 (merged with S.B. 138) amended RSMo § 196.311, adding quail to the definition of eggs, and § 196.316, replacing the fixed fee schedule (retailers $5) with caps of $100 for retailers, $175 for dealers and $250 for processors, with fees set by rule. Source

Common questions

Do I need a license to sell eggs from my backyard chickens in Missouri?
Yes. Selling your own eggs at home or on the farm needs no license. A farmers' market stand needs a $25 yearly retailer's license, and selling to stores or restaurants needs a dealer's license. Small-flock line: no hen limit; farm sales only. The conditions, and the law they come from, are on this page.
Can I sell eggs at a farmers market in Missouri?
Needs a license or isn't exempt. MDA: selling at a farmers' market requires a Retailer's License (R1). 2 CSR 90-36.015 sets the R1 fee ('Sells at farmers markets or roadside stand') at $25 a year, July 1 to June 30, with a Department of Revenue 'No Tax Due' letter. Licensees are inspected at least once a year for labels (size, grade, pack date, packer name and address), clean undamaged eggs and 45°F storage. Also check with Missouri Department of Revenue ('No Tax Due' letter required with each egg license application and renewal).
Can I reuse egg cartons in Missouri?
Yes. The rule reads: "Yes, as long as the cartons are in clean and sound condition. All markings on the carton that do not pertain to eggs currently in the carton must be removed and updated with the name and address of the person/business packaging the eggs, the size, grade, and the date the eggs are packaged."
What has to be on the carton label in Missouri?
Size, Grade (full, unabbreviated designation; letters at least 3/8 inch on cartons under 15 dozen), Name and address of the person or business packing or grading the eggs, Pack date, Species, if not chicken eggs, Not required for producer sales on your own premises made without advertising. The rule reads: "On each carton you must have the size, grade, name and address of the person or business packing/grading the eggs, and the pack date." The federal safe handling statement applies as well; our carton label maker prints all of it.
Do eggs I sell in Missouri have to be refrigerated?
Yes, at 45°F or colder. The rule reads: "Eggs are required to be at 45°F or below."
Sources
Read the 30 passages this page is built on
  • “No person shall buy, sell, trade or traffic in eggs in this state without a license with the following exceptions: (1) Those who sell only eggs produced by their own flocks, provided such eggs are not sold at an established place of business away from the premises of such producer;”

    RSMo § 196.313 · read 2026-10-06

  • “A "retailer's license" shall be required of any person defined as a retailer in section 196.311.”

    RSMo § 196.316 · read 2026-10-06

  • “Fees for such license shall not exceed one hundred dollars annually per license;”

    RSMo § 196.316 · read 2026-10-06

  • “All licenses shall be conspicuously posted in the place of business to which it applies. The license year shall be twelve months, or any fraction thereof, beginning July first and ending June thirtieth.”

    RSMo § 196.316 · read 2026-10-06

  • “(L. 1955 p. 701 § 196.335, A.L. 2010 S.B. 795, A.L. 2023 H.B. 202 merged with S.B. 138)”

    RSMo § 196.316 · read 2026-10-06

  • “"Consumer" means any person who purchases eggs for such person's own family use or consumption; or any restaurant, hotel, boardinghouse, bakery, or other institution or concern which purchases eggs for serving to guests or patrons thereof,”

    RSMo § 196.311 · read 2026-10-06

  • “"Eggs" means the shell eggs of a domesticated chicken, turkey, duck, quail, goose, or guinea that are intended for human consumption;”

    RSMo § 196.311 · read 2026-10-06

  • “Effective - 28 Aug 2023, 3 histories”

    RSMo § 196.311 · read 2026-10-06

  • “Only eggs of the quality standard designated Grade "AA", Grade "A", Grade "B", or Grade "C", shall be sold to any consumer by any person.”

    RSMo §§ 196.321, 196.323 · read 2026-10-06

  • “Unless each container and subcontainer of eggs is marked with the full, correct and unabbreviated designation of size and quality of the eggs therein, according to the standards established by the director, together with the name and address of the producer, dealer, retailer, or agent by or for whom the eggs were graded or marked;”

    RSMo §§ 196.326, 196.328, 196.333 · read 2026-10-06

  • “not less than three-eighths of an inch in height on the outside top face of each container holding less than fifteen dozen eggs,”

    RSMo §§ 196.326, 196.328, 196.333 · read 2026-10-06

  • “No markings are required on containers or subcontainers of eggs: … (2) When sales are made without advertising, by the producer, from eggs produced on his own premises and are not sold at an established place of business away from premises of such producer;”

    revisor.mo.gov · read 2026-10-06

  • “No person shall sell or represent eggs from any other species of fowl as chicken eggs, or sell mixed eggs from more than one species of fowl, or eggs from ducks, turkeys, geese, or any species of fowl other than chickens, without marking the containers and subcontainers of such eggs”

    revisor.mo.gov · read 2026-10-06

  • “Every dealer selling eggs to a retailer shall furnish an invoice showing the size and quality of such eggs”

    RSMo § 196.338 · read 2026-10-06

  • “All persons engaged in buying, selling, trading, or trafficking in, or processing eggs is required to be licensed except— (A) Those who sell only eggs produced by their own flocks, provided such eggs are not sold at an established place of business away from the premises of such producer;”

    2 CSR 90-36.015 · read 2026-10-06

  • “A “retailer’s license” is required for any person selling eggs to a consumer. Along with an application and fee, a “No Tax Due” letter from the Missouri Department of Revenue must”

    2 CSR 90-36.015 · read 2026-10-06

  • “Egg Licensing Fee—R2-Retailer $25 Egg Licensing Fee—R1-Retailer: Sells at farmers markets or roadside stand $25 Egg Licensing Fee—Dealer-D1:0-100 cases $40 Egg Licensing Fee—Dealer-D4:Over 100 cases $50”

    2 CSR 90-36.015 · read 2026-10-06

  • “AUTHORITY: section 196.354, RSMo 2016.* Original rule filed March 14, 2024, effective Nov. 30, 2024.”

    2 CSR 90-36.015 · read 2026-10-06

  • “Shell eggs that are to be officially identified as U.S. Grade AA, A, or B shall be placed under refrigeration at an ambient temperature no greater than forty-five degrees Fahrenheit (45°F)”

    2 CSR 90-36.015 · read 2026-10-06

  • “No, if customers strictly come to your house or farm to purchase the eggs, there is no license required.”

    MDA: Selling Eggs in Missouri FAQ's · read 2026-10-06

  • “I am planning on selling my eggs at the farmers’ market. What type of license do I need to do that? You would need a Retailer’s License (R1)”

    MDA: Selling Eggs in Missouri FAQ's · read 2026-10-06

  • “I have a flock of chickens and want to sell my eggs to a local convenience store or restaurant. What type of license do I need for this? You will need a Dealer’s License. The license is then based on the number of cases sold.”

    MDA: Selling Eggs in Missouri FAQ's · read 2026-10-06

  • “All eggs sold to consumers must be candled and graded.”

    MDA: Selling Eggs in Missouri FAQ's · read 2026-10-06

  • “Eggs are required to be at 45°F or below.”

    MDA: Selling Eggs in Missouri FAQ's · read 2026-10-06

  • “Yes, as long as the cartons are in clean and sound condition. All markings on the carton that do not pertain to eggs currently in the carton must be removed and updated with the name and address of the person/business packaging the eggs, the size, grade, and the date the eggs are packaged.”

    MDA: Selling Eggs in Missouri FAQ's · read 2026-10-06

  • “On each carton you must have the size, grade, name and address of the person or business packing/grading the eggs, and the pack date.”

    MDA: Selling Eggs in Missouri FAQ's · read 2026-10-06

  • “Yes, all licensees are subject to at least an annual inspection by a state inspector.”

    MDA: Selling Eggs in Missouri FAQ's · read 2026-10-06

  • “Eggs are clean and undamaged”

    MDA: Selling Eggs in Missouri FAQ's · read 2026-10-06

  • “A Limited Retailer’s license is required of any person who exclusively sells their own produced eggs at farmers market(s) or roadside stands.”

    agriculture.mo.gov · read 2026-10-06

  • “call the Missouri Department of Agriculture, Division of Weights, Measures & Consumer Protection at 573-751-5639”

    agriculture.mo.gov · read 2026-10-06

What we couldn't confirm
  • MDA's online egg licensing page (agriculture.mo.gov/weights/device/egglic.php) returned 404 on 2026-10-06; MDA's FAQ PDF is undated. Its dealer fees ($40 for 0-100 cases, $50 over 100) match the rule effective November 30, 2024, so it appears current. MDA's 'Requirements for Shell Eggs Sold in Missouri' sheet (dated March 23, 2015) is outdated: it lists a $5 Limited Retailer's license and omits quail.
  • Roadside stands: the license exception covers producers not selling 'at an established place of business away from the premises', and the FAQ says no license when customers 'strictly come to your house or farm'. The R1 fee line says 'Sells at farmers markets or roadside stand'. Whether a stand on your own farm needs the R1 license is not stated; a stand off the farm does.
  • Restaurants: RSMo § 196.311 defines restaurants as 'consumers' (which would point to a retailer's license), but MDA's FAQ says selling to a restaurant or convenience store needs a Dealer's License. This record follows MDA's FAQ.
  • Grade C: RSMo § 196.323 allows Grade AA, A, B or C to consumers, while 2 CSR 90-36.010 incorporates the USDA standards (AA, A, B). MDA's FAQ requires candling and grading for all eggs sold to consumers; whether that applies to on-farm sales (which are exempt from marking) is not spelled out.
  • Washing: no washing or cleaning method was found in the statutes, 2 CSR 90-36 or the FAQ.
  • The R1 license fee ($25) is from 2 CSR 90-36.015(5); the FAQ does not state the R1 fee. A credit-card processing fee applies online (FAQ).
  • Recent changes were found through the revisor's history lines and the CSR authority notes; the Missouri House/Senate bill search for 2024-2026 egg bills was not run. The prior 2010-2023 text of § 196.316 is saved as raw/mo-rsmo-196.316-prior-2010.txt; the prior § 196.311 (2013-2023, without quail) was viewed on revisor.mo.gov but not saved.

Selling across the state line?

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

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

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