State rules

Can you sell backyard eggs in Utah?

Yes. With fewer than 3,000 layers you're exempt from state egg regulation and need no license; label every carton. Selling wholesale to stores means notifying the state and meeting 45°F and cleaning rules.

Read from 6 official sources22 passages quotedChecked October 7, 2026

At a glance

License

Depends how you sell

Small-flock line

Under 3,000 layers

Farmers markets

With conditions

Cartons

Reuse with conditions

In plain English

Utah's line is 3,000 layers. A small producer, one with fewer than 3,000 layers who is exempt from the federal egg safety rule (21 CFR Part 118), and their eggs are exempt from regulation by the Department of Agriculture and Food; no license or permit is needed, and health departments may not stop sales to an end consumer (a household, restaurant or institution) unless the eggs are bad. Every package must be clean and labeled 'eggs', with the count, your name and address, 'Keep Refrigerated' and the safe handling statement; ungraded eggs can't be labeled with a grade or size. Selling wholesale, such as to a grocery store, requires notifying UDAF; grocery-store eggs also say they're exempt from 21 CFR Part 118 and not from an inspected source, and are displayed apart from other eggs. Producers selling wholesale or to restaurants follow UDAF's 45°F, cleaning and sanitation rule.

A sourced reading of Utah's rules, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) ((801) 982-2200) before you sell.

Do you need a license?

Depends on how and how much you sellUnder 3,000 layers
  • Fewer than 3,000 layers, and exempt from the federal egg safety rule, 21 CFR Part 118.Utah Code § 4-4-103(11)
  • A small producer and its eggs are exempt from regulation by the department, except as the section provides.§ 4-4-107(1)
  • Health departments may not prevent sales to an end consumer unless the eggs are addled or moldy or contain black spot, black rot, white rot, blood ring, adherent yolk, or bloody or green albumen.§ 4-4-107(5)
  • Package eggs in clean packaging labeled with 'eggs', the quantity, the producer's name and address, 'Keep Refrigerated', and the safe handling statement.§ 4-4-108(1)
  • Ungraded, unweighed eggs may not be labeled with a grade or size.§ 4-4-108(4)
  • A pull or best-by date is optional; if used, month first, recommended 30 days and no more than 45 days after production.§ 4-4-108(3)
  • Selling wholesale (to anyone other than the end consumer, such as a retailer): notify the department with your name, contact information and the species of eggs (§ 4-4-107(6)); don't commingle other sources' eggs for bulk wholesale.§ 4-4-104(2)
  • Grocery store eggs also state they are exempt from 21 CFR Part 118 and not from an inspected source, and are displayed separately from other eggs.§ 4-4-108(2), (5)
  • Selling wholesale or to a restaurant: refrigerate cleaned eggs at 45°F or less, transport at 45°F or less, keep a designated work area with a refrigerator and thermometer and a hand washing station, and do not submerge eggs or use non-food-grade cleaners.Utah Admin. Code R70-410-4
The exact wording
“"Small producer" means a producer of shell eggs: (a) having less than 3,000 layers; and (b) who is exempt from 21 C.F.R. Chapter 1, Part 118, Production, Storage, and Transportation of Shell Eggs.”

Where you can sell

From home or the farm

With conditions

No license or notification for sales to end consumers (UDAF says notifying is voluntary). Package in clean, labeled cartons (§ 4-4-108(1)).

Farmers markets

With conditions

Sales to end consumers are exempt from department regulation, and health departments may not stop them unless the eggs are bad (§ 4-4-107(5)). Same carton label as on the farm. Market rules set by the market itself were not checked.

Stores and restaurants

With conditions

Restaurants count as end consumers, but small producers selling to a restaurant or wholesale follow R70-410's 45°F, cleaning and work-area rules. Wholesale sales (stores) also require notifying UDAF, extra label statements ('exempt from 21 C.F.R. Chapter 1, Part 118' and not from an inspected source) and separate display in the store (§§ 4-4-107(6), 4-4-108(2), (5)).

Cartons, labels and handling

Cartons

Reused cartons are allowed, with conditions.

“A small producer shall package the small producer's eggs in clean packaging that bears a label with the following information:”

Refrigeration

45°F or colder where the rule applies.

“Immediately refrigerate and store cleaned eggs at 45 degrees Fahrenheit or less.”

The label must show

  • the common name of the food, "eggs" (or the bird's name plus "eggs" if not chicken)
  • the quantity or number of eggs
  • the name and address of the small producer
  • "Keep Refrigerated"
  • the safe handling instructions statement
  • grocery store sales only: exempt from 21 CFR Part 118 and not from an inspected source

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

Grading

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

“If the eggs of a small producer are ungraded and not weighed, the packaging for the eggs may not be labeled with a grade or size.”

Washing

For small producers selling wholesale or to a restaurant: clean eggs to remove debris and stains soon after collecting; don't submerge eggs in water or any solution, and use only food-grade cleaners approved for shell eggs; wash water must be potable, bottled, or from an annually tested private well (R70-410-4).

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

What changed recently

  1. 2025-09-22 · UDAF repealed and reenacted rule R70-410, now titled 'Small Producer of Shell Eggs', setting 45°F, cleaning, sanitation and work-area standards for small producers who sell wholesale or to a restaurant. Source
  2. 2024-05-01 · H.B. 526 (2024), Shell Egg Producers Amendments, signed March 12, 2024, took effect: it defined 'wholesale', removed the requirement that small producers sell only to an end consumer, required small producers selling wholesale to notify the department, and added grocery-store labeling and separate-display rules (Utah Code §§ 4-4-103, -104, -107, -108). Source

Common questions

Do I need a license to sell eggs from my backyard chickens in Utah?
Yes. With fewer than 3,000 layers you're exempt from state egg regulation and need no license; label every carton. Selling wholesale to stores means notifying the state and meeting 45°F and cleaning rules. Small-flock line: under 3,000 layers. The conditions, and the law they come from, are on this page.
Can I sell eggs at a farmers market in Utah?
Allowed with conditions. Sales to end consumers are exempt from department regulation, and health departments may not stop them unless the eggs are bad (§ 4-4-107(5)). Same carton label as on the farm. Market rules set by the market itself were not checked.
Can I reuse egg cartons in Utah?
With conditions. The rule reads: "A small producer shall package the small producer's eggs in clean packaging that bears a label with the following information:"
What has to be on the carton label in Utah?
the common name of the food, "eggs" (or the bird's name plus "eggs" if not chicken), the quantity or number of eggs, the name and address of the small producer, "Keep Refrigerated", the safe handling instructions statement, grocery store sales only: exempt from 21 CFR Part 118 and not from an inspected source. The rule reads: "the common name of the food, "eggs"; (b) the quantity or number of eggs; (c) the name and address of the small producer; (d) the statement "Keep Refrigerated"; and … (e) the statement "SAFE HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS: To prevent illness from bacteria: Keep eggs refrigerated, cook eggs until yolks are firm, and cook foods containing eggs thoroughly."" The federal safe handling statement applies as well; our carton label maker prints all of it.
Do eggs I sell in Utah have to be refrigerated?
Yes, at 45°F or colder. The rule reads: "Immediately refrigerate and store cleaned eggs at 45 degrees Fahrenheit or less."
Sources
Read the 22 passages this page is built on
  • “"Small producer" means a producer of shell eggs: (a) having less than 3,000 layers; and (b) who is exempt from 21 C.F.R. Chapter 1, Part 118, Production, Storage, and Transportation of Shell Eggs.”

    le.utah.gov · read 2026-10-07

  • “"End consumer" means a household consumer, restaurant, institution, or any other person who has purchased or received shell eggs for consumption.”

    le.utah.gov · read 2026-10-07

  • “"Wholesale" means, with respect to the sale of an egg by an egg producer, the transfer for sale or sale of an egg to a person other than the end consumer, including a retailer or an industrial or business purchaser.”

    le.utah.gov · read 2026-10-07

  • “Except as provided in this section, a small producer and the shell eggs produced by a small producer are exempt from regulation by the department.”

    le.utah.gov · read 2026-10-07

  • “The Department of Health and Human Services, or a local health department, may not prevent the sale of shell eggs from a small producer to an end consumer unless the Department of Health and Human Services, or the county health department, establishes that the shell eggs: (a) are addled or moldy; or”

    le.utah.gov · read 2026-10-07

  • “A small producer that sells eggs wholesale shall notify the department about the small egg producer's operation, including: (a) the operator's name; (b) the operator's contact information; (c) the species of egg products offered for sale; and”

    le.utah.gov · read 2026-10-07

  • “Eggs sold by a small producer in accordance with this chapter are exempt from the restricted egg tolerances for United States Consumer Grade B”

    le.utah.gov · read 2026-10-07

  • “A small producer shall package the small producer's eggs in clean packaging that bears a label with the following information: (a) the common name of the food, "eggs"; (b) the quantity or number of eggs; (c) the name and address of the small producer; (d) the statement "Keep Refrigerated"; and”

    le.utah.gov · read 2026-10-07

  • “(e) the statement "SAFE HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS: To prevent illness from bacteria: Keep eggs refrigerated, cook eggs until yolks are firm, and cook foods containing eggs thoroughly."”

    le.utah.gov · read 2026-10-07

  • “A small producer shall label the small producer's eggs that are sold in a grocery store with a statement that the eggs: (i) are exempt from 21 C.F.R. Chapter 1, Part 118, Production, Storage, and Transportation of Shell Eggs; and (ii) are not from an inspected source.”

    le.utah.gov · read 2026-10-07

  • “Any egg produced by a small egg producer and sold in a grocery store shall be displayed separately in the grocery store from eggs not from a small producer.”

    le.utah.gov · read 2026-10-07

  • “A recommended "pull date" or "best by" date is 30 days after production, but the date may not exceed 45 days after production.”

    le.utah.gov · read 2026-10-07

  • “If the eggs of a small producer are ungraded and not weighed, the packaging for the eggs may not be labeled with a grade or size.”

    le.utah.gov · read 2026-10-07

  • “For the purpose of bulk wholesale, it is unlawful for a small producer to commingle or combine eggs from a source other than the small producer's operation.”

    le.utah.gov · read 2026-10-07

  • “(Effective 5/1/2024) … Amended by Chapter 90, 2024 General Session”

    le.utah.gov · read 2026-10-07

  • “The purpose of this rule is to provide guidelines for small producers selling shell eggs wholesale or to a restaurant.”

    Utah Admin. Code R70-410 · read 2026-10-07

  • “(i) Immediately refrigerate and store cleaned eggs at 45 degrees Fahrenheit or less. (ii) Transport refrigerated egg packages, cartons, or both while maintaining a temperature of 45 degrees Fahrenheit or less.”

    Utah Admin. Code R70-410 · read 2026-10-07

  • “(a) a designated work area separate from domestic living areas; (b) a storage area for new packaging materials, utensils, and equipment used for egg handling practices that protect them from contamination; (c) a refrigerator in the designated work area equipped with a suitable thermometer”

    Utah Admin. Code R70-410 · read 2026-10-07

  • “(5) A small producer may not use the following egg cleaning methods: (a) submerging shell eggs in water or any other solution; or (b) using cleaners that are not food grade and approved for shell egg cleaning.”

    Utah Admin. Code R70-410 · read 2026-10-07

  • “Date of Last Change: September 22, 2025”

    Utah Admin. Code R70-410 · read 2026-10-07

  • “Small egg producers with less than 3,000 egg-laying birds may sell the eggs with the following considerations: Small egg producers selling directly to consumers may voluntarily notify UDAF regulatory services. Small egg producers selling wholesale are required to notify the department.”

    Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) · read 2026-10-07

  • “Any producers wanting to label their eggs with a standard, grade or weight class are required to contact the USDA and subscribe to the standards set forth.”

    Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) · read 2026-10-07

What we couldn't confirm
  • 2026 H.B. 432 'Egg Amendments' would have required a license to distribute shell eggs, barred selling small-producer eggs out of state and required large producers to register as food establishments; the Senate struck the enacting clause and the House filed it as not passed on 3/6/2026 (status read in a browser). Current law is the 2024 text.
  • Utah Code § 4-4-101 (chapter title section) shows 'Repealed 5/6/2026'; the repealing bill was not identified. The substantive sections (4-4-102 to 4-4-108) show no 2026 versions.
  • Carton reuse: § 4-4-108(1) requires 'clean packaging' with the producer's own label and does not forbid reuse; R70-410-4 refers to a storage area for 'new packaging materials' for wholesale/restaurant sellers. Marked conditional.
  • The 45°F rule (R70-410-4) applies by its terms to small producers selling wholesale or to a restaurant; no temperature rule for direct-to-consumer sales was found beyond the 'Keep Refrigerated' label.
  • UDAF's page has no page date. Its statement that direct-to-consumer sellers 'may voluntarily notify' is not in the statute, which requires notification only for wholesale.
  • HB 526's description is taken from the bill's highlighted provisions (House committee amendments version); the enrolled PDF is a scanned image. The xcode history credits the 2024 amendments to 'Chapter 90, 2024 General Session'.
  • Utah's Home Consumption and Homemade Food Act (Title 4, Chapter 5a) is cottage food and was not used.

Selling across the state line?

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