State rules

Can you sell backyard eggs in Vermont?

Yes. Vermont requires no license or registration to sell eggs, at any flock size. Every carton or display must be marked with a grade (AA, A or B) and a size; 'ungraded' isn't allowed at retail.

Read from 7 official sources33 passages quotedChecked October 7, 2026

At a glance

License

Not needed

Small-flock line

No license at any flock size

Farmers markets

With conditions

Cartons

Reuse allowed

In plain English

Vermont has no small-flock line because it licenses no one: the Agency of Agriculture says egg producers and egg retailers need no license or registration, whatever their size. The egg law still applies to every sale, including a backyard flock's. Each carton or display must be marked with one official grade (AA, A or B) and one size; 'ungraded' or 'nest run' may be used only between dealers. The Agency's farmers' market guidance says home-produced eggs may be labeled Grade A without candling. Cartons may be reused if clean and sound with old markings crossed out. Eggs may not be called 'fresh', 'native' or 'new laid' unless they are grade A or better, and advertised prices, including roadside signs, must show grade and size. The Agency's labeling guide also asks for 'EGGS', a count, the producer's name and address, and the FDA safe handling statement. Flocks of 3,000 or more laying hens must register with the FDA.

A sourced reading of Vermont's rules, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) (802-828-2433) before you sell.

Do you need a license?

No license or registration for small direct salesNo license at any flock size
  • Mark each container or display plainly and conspicuously with the proper size and quality grade.6 V.S.A. § 354
  • Use one and only one official grade term (Grade AA, A or B) and one official size term; all eggs must be graded except dealer-to-dealer lots marked 'ungraded' or 'nest run'.VAAFM Egg Rules §§ III(1), IV(4)
  • Do not sell or advertise eggs as 'fresh', 'native', 'new laid' or similar unless they are grade A or better.6 V.S.A. § 352(1)
  • Do not sell, deliver or donate eggs that fail the egg law or its rules, or that are adulterated.6 V.S.A. § 352(3), (4)
  • Pack eggs only in structurally sound, clean containers; on reused cartons cross out all previous grade and size markings.6 V.S.A. § 354a; VAAFM Egg Rules § III(2)
  • Any advertised egg price, including roadside and store signs, must state the grade and size.VAAFM Egg Rules § III(3)
  • Inspectors may enter any place where eggs are sold at reasonable hours.6 V.S.A. § 355
  • Flocks of 3,000 or more laying hens must register with the FDA and follow 21 CFR part 118.VAAFM Shell Egg Labeling Guide
The exact wording
“Egg producers and egg retailers do not require a license or registration to operate in Vermont.”

Where you can sell

From home or the farm

With conditions

No license or registration. The egg law covers 'all shipments, containers, or displays' (6 V.S.A. § 351a), so cartons sold at the farm still carry a grade and size, and roadside egg signs that show a price must state grade and size (VAAFM Egg Rules § III(3)).

Farmers markets

With conditions

VAAFM's farmers' market overview (updated April 2020) lists no license for eggs: eggs clean and unbroken, cartons marked 'Grade A', the producer's name and address on the carton or on a card at the display, and old code dates or USDA shields crossed out on reused cartons.

Stores and restaurants

With conditions

No license or registration for producers or egg retailers (VAAFM). Eggs sold to a store must be graded and labeled like any retail carton; 'ungraded' and 'nest run' are not allowed at retail. Restaurant buyers follow their own Department of Health food rules, which were not checked.

Also check with: Vermont Department of Health, Food & Lodging Program (restaurant and food-service buyers)

Cartons, labels and handling

Cartons

Reused cartons are allowed.

“Reused cartons: May be used but must be structurally sound and clean; previous marking that are no longer accurate must be removed, covered, or crossed out to prevent misbranding.”

Refrigeration

Not stated in the sources we read.

The label must show

  • "EGGS" (statement of identity)
  • Grade (AA, A or B) and size, one term each
  • Net quantity (e.g. 12 Eggs)
  • Producer's legal name, business address and ZIP
  • FDA safe handling instructions

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

Grading

Eggs must be graded.

“All eggs must be graded excepting eggs of mixed quality being sold by one dealer to another dealer as “ungraded” or “Nest Run”.”

Washing

“Vermont does not require eggs to be washed, however, eggs must be visibly clean and unbroken.”

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

What changed recently

  1. 2023-07-01 · Act 42 of 2023 (S.115, signed June 1, 2023) took effect: 6 V.S.A. § 352 now also bars selling, delivering or donating eggs that fail the egg law or its rules or are adulterated, and §§ 355–357 gave the Secretary written warnings, stop-sale and cease-and-desist orders and administrative penalties. Source

Common questions

Do I need a license to sell eggs from my backyard chickens in Vermont?
Yes. Vermont requires no license or registration to sell eggs, at any flock size. Every carton or display must be marked with a grade (AA, A or B) and a size; 'ungraded' isn't allowed at retail. Small-flock line: no license at any flock size. The conditions, and the law they come from, are on this page.
Can I sell eggs at a farmers market in Vermont?
Allowed with conditions. VAAFM's farmers' market overview (updated April 2020) lists no license for eggs: eggs clean and unbroken, cartons marked 'Grade A', the producer's name and address on the carton or on a card at the display, and old code dates or USDA shields crossed out on reused cartons. Also check with Vermont Department of Health, Food & Lodging Program (restaurant and food-service buyers).
Can I reuse egg cartons in Vermont?
Yes. The rule reads: "Reused cartons: May be used but must be structurally sound and clean; previous marking that are no longer accurate must be removed, covered, or crossed out to prevent misbranding."
What has to be on the carton label in Vermont?
"EGGS" (statement of identity), Grade (AA, A or B) and size, one term each, Net quantity (e.g. 12 Eggs), Producer's legal name, business address and ZIP, FDA safe handling instructions. The rule reads: "Each container containing eggs being sold, exposed, offered, or advertised for sale or exchange in this State for human consumption must be plainly and conspicuously marked with the proper designation of the size and quality grades adopted by the Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets" The federal safe handling statement applies as well; our carton label maker prints all of it.
Sources
Read the 33 passages this page is built on
What we couldn't confirm
  • Vermont's egg rules were read from the Agency's posted PDF 'Rules and Regulations Relating to the Sale of Eggs in Vermont', which carries no adoption or amendment date; the official Code of Vermont Rules is published through LexisNexis and was not read.
  • Conflict on candling: 6 V.S.A. § 351(b) says whether eggs are 'fresh' (grade A) is finally determined by candling, while VAAFM's farmers' market overview (April 2020) says home-produced eggs may be labeled Grade A without candling. This record reports both.
  • No state refrigeration temperature for producers was found in the egg statute or rules; the Agency's labeling guide lists 'Keep refrigerated at 45 F or less' only as an optional label statement. Federal rules (21 CFR 118, 7 CFR 57) were not read.
  • Whether a restaurant may buy eggs from an unlicensed producer under Vermont Department of Health food service rules was not checked.
  • The statute site says it includes actions of the 2025 session; 2026 session acts are not yet shown in the code. H.4 (2025–2026, standards for egg-laying hens) was referred to committee on 1/9/2025 with no later action shown. The legislature's keyword bill search could not be run by script, so other 2025–2026 bills touching eggs were not ruled out.
  • 6 V.S.A. chapter 61 (Dealers in Eggs) was repealed in 1999; the pointer to 'chapter 21' is the general grades-and-standards chapter, and the egg law is chapter 27.

Selling across the state line?

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

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

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Legal in your state? Then keep the books.

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