State rules

Can you sell backyard eggs in Washington?

On the farm, yes, with no license. Farmers' markets, stores and restaurants take the $30-a-year Egg Handler/Dealer license.

Read from 12 official sources21 passages quotedChecked October 6, 2026

At a glance

License

Depends how you sell

Small-flock line

None off the farm

Farmers markets

License needed

Cartons

New only

In plain English

Washington has no hen-count or dozens-per-week exemption that lets a small flock sell off-farm without a license. A producer may sell eggs from their own flock directly to household consumers at the place of production (farm stand, CSA pickup) without an Egg Handler/Dealer license or egg seals. Any sale elsewhere — farmers markets, restaurants, grocery stores — requires the $30/year Egg Handler/Dealer license (through the Department of Revenue Business Licensing Service), payment of the per-dozen assessment (stick-on egg seals, $2.68 per 1,000 dozen) and compliance with chapter 69.25 RCW. The statute lets the director exempt flocks of 3,000 hens or less by rule, but WSDA's published rule and guidance only exempt direct-to-household-consumer sales; the 3,000-hen figure appears in WSDA's off-farm guidelines as the USDA-exempt tier and in the cage-free housing exemption, not as a license exemption.

A sourced reading of Washington's rules, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with Washington State Department of Agriculture ((360) 902-1876) before you sell.

Do you need a license?

Depends on how and how much you sellNone off the farm
  • No license and no egg seals when selling eggs from your own flock directly to the end consumer at the place of production.WSDA guidance; RCW 69.25.170(1)(c); WAC 16-108-050(1)
  • Off-farm sales (farmers markets, direct to retail or restaurants) require an Egg Handler/Dealer license from the Department of Revenue ($30 first location, $15 each additional) plus egg seals or monthly assessment payment to WSDA.
  • The 3,000-hen figure: RCW 69.25.170(1)(e) authorizes (but no WAC currently implements) a license exemption for flocks of 3,000 hens or less; RCW 69.25.065(5)(a) exempts applicants with fewer than 3,000 laying chickens from the earlier cage-free housing phases, and WSDA states producers with more than 3,000 hens must attest to cage-free compliance for 2024+ licenses.
  • Local health districts have jurisdiction over farmers markets and may inspect vendors.
The exact wording
“Poultry or egg producers may sell eggs from their own flocks directly to the end consumer from the place of production without the purchase of an Egg Handler/Dealer License or Egg Seals from WSDA”

Where you can sell

From home or the farm

Allowed

WSDA: 'Poultry or egg producers may sell eggs from their own flocks directly to the end consumer from the place of production without the purchase of an Egg Handler/Dealer License or Egg Seals from WSDA.' 'Household consumer' sales only — not to restaurants or resellers.

Farmers markets

License needed

WSDA: farmers selling eggs at farmers markets 'must comply with the requirements of RCW 69.25 and be licensed through the Washington State Department of Revenue (WSDOR) as an Egg Handler/Dealer.' Each dozen must carry a Washington egg seal (or the dealer's assessment number). WSDA's off-farm guidelines (ver. 11-06-08) add facility, hand-washing, refrigeration (45°F), new-carton and labeling expectations for flocks of 3,000 or fewer hens.

Stores and restaurants

License needed

Direct-to-retail (restaurants, grocery stores) requires the Egg Handler/Dealer license and egg seals. Graded eggs sold to retailers/food service must be invoiced with grade, size and seller name/address (RCW 69.25.320(1)); the invoice duty expressly excludes eggs 'of his or her own production sold and delivered on the premises where produced'.

Also check with: Washington State Department of Revenue Business Licensing Service, which issues the Egg Handler/Dealer license

Cartons, labels and handling

Cartons

New cartons are required for eggs you sell.

Reuse of egg cartons or flats after distribution to a consumer outlet shall not be allowed. (WAC 16-104-360). WSDA off-farm guidelines: 'Use new packaging (pulp cartons, etc.)'. RCW 69.25.310 also bars using a container bearing another handler's permanent number unless totally obliterated. The WAC rule is written for eggs distributed with consumer grademarks; its application to a farm-gate seller who is exempt from the chapter is not stated.

Refrigeration

45°F or colder where the rule applies.

After processing and grading, shell eggs packed in consumer containers shall be refrigerated at maximum of forty-five degrees Fahrenheit, ambient air temperature (WAC 16-104-330(1)); display and storage at retail max 45°F (330(5)); ungraded eggs held more than 24 hours before grading at max 55°F (330(6)). RCW 69.25.320(3): graded shell eggs after first purchase held and transported at no greater than 45°F. WSDA guidelines: refrigerate cleaned eggs immediately to 45°F or less and transport in a cooler with gel packs.

The label must show

  • common name 'Eggs'
  • quantity (e.g., 'One Dozen')
  • name and address of the producer
  • 'Keep Refrigerated'
  • safe handling instructions statement
  • pull date / best-by date (month then day)
  • no grade or size if eggs are ungraded and not weighed
  • Washington egg seal (or dealer assessment number WA-/53-) on each dozen for licensed off-farm sales
  • name and address or permanent dealer number on all containers used by a licensed handler (RCW 69.25.310)

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

Grading

Ungraded sales are allowed only in some cases.

WSDA guidelines: 'Domesticated chicken hen eggs are subject to Grading and Sizing... If the eggs are ungraded and not weighed, the packages/cartons shall not be labeled with a grade or size.' Washington consumer grades AA/A/B are in WAC 16-104-200; 'no grade' or 'receipts' eggs 'shall be sold only to a dealer who shall be equipped to assign a grade' (WAC 16-104-190(5)). Whether a licensed small handler may sell unlabeled-grade eggs at a farmers market rests on the WSDA guideline, not on an explicit rule.

Washing

WAC 16-104-350: wash water at least 90°F and 20°F warmer than the eggs; rinse 10°F warmer than wash; approved cleaning compound; eggs 'shall not be allowed to stand or soak in water. Immersion-type washers shall not be used'; washed eggs dry before cartoning. WSDA guidelines for small producers allow dry cleaning (sanding), spray-bottle wipe, or brief running-water rinse with warm (90°F+) water, and prohibit submerging.

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

What changed recently

  1. 2024-11-28 · WAC 16-108-050 (egg seals not required for producer-to-household-consumer and packer-on-premises sales) amended by WSR 24-22-029, filed 10/28/24, effective 11/28/24. Source
  2. 2024-01-01 · RCW 69.25.065(4) (2019 c 276): all new and renewal egg handler/dealer applications on or after January 1, 2024 must include proof that eggs sold in intrastate commerce come from cage-free operations meeting the 2017 UEP cage-free guidelines; RCW 69.25.110(4) bars sale of non-compliant eggs. WSDA applies the attestation to producers with more than 3,000 laying hens. Source

Common questions

Do I need a license to sell eggs from my backyard chickens in Washington?
On the farm, yes, with no license. Farmers' markets, stores and restaurants take the $30-a-year Egg Handler/Dealer license. Small-flock line: none off the farm. The conditions, and the law they come from, are on this page.
Can I sell eggs at a farmers market in Washington?
Needs a license or isn't exempt. WSDA: farmers selling eggs at farmers markets 'must comply with the requirements of RCW 69.25 and be licensed through the Washington State Department of Revenue (WSDOR) as an Egg Handler/Dealer.' Each dozen must carry a Washington egg seal (or the dealer's assessment number). WSDA's off-farm guidelines (ver. 11-06-08) add facility, hand-washing, refrigeration (45°F), new-carton and labeling expectations for flocks of 3,000 or fewer hens. Also check with Washington State Department of Revenue Business Licensing Service, which issues the Egg Handler/Dealer license.
Can I reuse egg cartons in Washington?
No: Washington requires new cartons for eggs you sell. The rule reads: "Reuse of egg cartons or flats after distribution to a consumer outlet shall not be allowed. (WAC 16-104-360). WSDA off-farm guidelines: 'Use new packaging (pulp cartons, etc.)'. RCW 69.25.310 also bars using a container bearing another handler's permanent number unless totally obliterated. The WAC rule is written for eggs distributed with consumer grademarks; its application to a farm-gate seller who is exempt from the chapter is not stated."
What has to be on the carton label in Washington?
common name 'Eggs', quantity (e.g., 'One Dozen'), name and address of the producer, 'Keep Refrigerated', safe handling instructions statement, pull date / best-by date (month then day), no grade or size if eggs are ungraded and not weighed, Washington egg seal (or dealer assessment number WA-/53-) on each dozen for licensed off-farm sales, name and address or permanent dealer number on all containers used by a licensed handler (RCW 69.25.310). The rule reads: "The labels must include: Common name of the food – "Eggs"; Quantity, the number of eggs, "One Dozen"; Name and Address of the egg producer; The statement "Keep Refrigerated"; 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." ... If the eggs are ungraded and not weighed, the packages/cartons shall not be labeled with a grade or size. A "Pull Date" or "Best By" date must be stated." The federal safe handling statement applies as well; our carton label maker prints all of it.
Do eggs I sell in Washington have to be refrigerated?
Yes, at 45°F or colder. The rule reads: "After processing and grading, shell eggs packed in consumer containers shall be refrigerated at maximum of forty-five degrees Fahrenheit, ambient air temperature (WAC 16-104-330(1)); display and storage at retail max 45°F (330(5)); ungraded eggs held more than 24 hours before grading at max 55°F (330(6)). RCW 69.25.320(3): graded shell eggs after first purchase held and transported at no greater than 45°F. WSDA guidelines: refrigerate cleaned eggs immediately to 45°F or less and transport in a cooler with gel packs."
Sources
Read the 21 passages this page is built on
  • “No person may act as an egg handler or dealer without first obtaining an annual license and permanent dealer's number from the department.”

    RCW 69.25.050 · read 2026-10-06

  • “The annual egg dealer license fee is thirty dollars and the annual egg dealer branch license fee is fifteen dollars.”

    RCW 69.25.050 · read 2026-10-06

  • “"Egg handler" or "dealer" means any person who produces, contracts for or obtains possession or control of any eggs or egg products for the purpose of sale to another dealer or retailer, or for processing and sale to a dealer, retailer or consumer.”

    RCW 69.25.020 · read 2026-10-06

  • “"Consumer" means any person who purchases eggs or egg products for his or her own family use or consumption; or any restaurant, hotel, boarding house, bakery, or other institution or concern which purchases eggs or egg products for serving to guests or patrons thereof, or for its own use in cooking or baking.”

    RCW 69.25.020 · read 2026-10-06

  • “(c) The sale of eggs by any poultry producer from his or her own flocks directly to a household consumer exclusively for use by such consumer and members of his or her household and his or her nonpaying guests and employees, and the transportation, possession, and use of such eggs in accordance with this subsection;”

    RCW 69.25.170 · read 2026-10-06

  • “(e) The sale of eggs by any egg producer with an annual egg production from a flock of three thousand hens or less.”

    RCW 69.25.170 · read 2026-10-06

  • “(5) The following are exempt from the requirements of subsections (2) and (3) of this section: (a) Applicants with fewer than three thousand laying chickens;”

    RCW 69.25.065 · read 2026-10-06

  • “In conformance with the authority set forth in RCW 69.25.170(1) egg seals shall not be required in the sale of eggs by: (1) Any poultry producer from their own flocks directly to a household consumer exclusively for use by such consumer and members of their household and their nonpaying guests and employees;”

    WAC 16-108-050 · read 2026-10-06

  • “Poultry or egg producers may sell eggs from their own flocks directly to the end consumer from the place of production without the purchase of an Egg Handler/Dealer License or Egg Seals from WSDA”

    Washington State Department of Agriculture · read 2026-10-06

  • “Farmers selling eggs (from a chicken, goose, turkey, duck, guinea, or any species of fowl) at farmers markets and through direct to retail sales (i.e. restaurants and grocery stores) must comply with the requirements of RCW 69.25 and be licensed through the Washington State Department of Revenue (WSDOR) as an Egg Handler/Dealer.”

    Washington State Department of Agriculture · read 2026-10-06

  • “Direct to retail sales also require obtaining Egg Seals from the Washington State Department of Agriculture.”

    Washington State Department of Agriculture · read 2026-10-06

  • “Stick-on seals can be purchased for $2.68 for 1,000 dozen from the Washington State Department of Agriculture.”

    Washington State Department of Agriculture · read 2026-10-06

  • “From January 1, 2024, chicken egg producers with more than 3,000 laying hens will have to attest to the following in order to receive their Egg Handler Dealer endorsement from the Department of Revenue.”

    Washington State Department of Agriculture · read 2026-10-06

  • “These Guidelines are intended for Shell Egg Producers who sell eggs off the farm and are USDA Exempt (flocks of 3,000 or fewer hens).”

    cms.agr.wa.gov · read 2026-10-06

  • “Use new packaging (pulp cartons, etc.). ... The labels must include: Common name of the food – "Eggs"; Quantity, the number of eggs, "One Dozen"; Name and Address of the egg producer; The statement "Keep Refrigerated"; The statement "SAFE HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS: ..."”

    cms.agr.wa.gov · read 2026-10-06

  • “A "Pull Date" or "Best By" date must be stated. ... Recommended dates are 30 days after production, not to exceed 45 days.”

    cms.agr.wa.gov · read 2026-10-06

  • “Reuse of egg cartons or flats after distribution to a consumer outlet shall not be allowed. Used flats may be used for transporting and/or holding nest-run or restricted eggs prior to grading or breaking.”

    WAC 16-104-360 · read 2026-10-06

  • “After processing and grading, shell eggs packed in consumer containers shall be refrigerated at maximum of forty-five degrees Fahrenheit, ambient air temperature. All containers shall be clearly labeled with the words "keep refrigerated,"”

    WAC 16-104-330 · read 2026-10-06

  • “All containers used by an egg handler or dealer to package eggs shall bear the name and address or the permanent number issued by the director to said egg handler or dealer. ... It shall be a violation for any egg handler or dealer to use a container that bears the permanent number of another egg handler or dealer unless such number is totally obliterated prior to use.”

    RCW 69.25.310 · read 2026-10-06

  • “There is hereby levied an assessment not to exceed three mills per dozen eggs entering intrastate commerce, as prescribed by rules issued by the director.”

    RCW 69.25.250 · read 2026-10-06

  • “any person violating any provision of this chapter or any rule adopted under this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor. ... the director may impose upon and collect from the violator a civil penalty not exceeding one thousand dollars per violation per day.”

    RCW 69.25.150 · read 2026-10-06

What we couldn't confirm
  • No WAC implements the RCW 69.25.170(1)(e) 3,000-hen exemption as a license exemption; WSDA treats 3,000 hens only as the USDA-exempt tier for its off-farm guidelines and as the cage-free attestation threshold. The statutory text of 69.25.065(4) (2024+) contains no under-3,000 carve-out, so WSDA's 'more than 3,000' attestation threshold rests on agency practice/definition not located in the RCW text fetched.
  • RCW 69.25.170(1)(c) and WAC 16-108-050(1) exempt producer sales 'directly to a household consumer' without stating a location; WSDA's web guidance limits the no-license path to the place of production. The farmers-market license requirement is therefore WSDA's stated interpretation, documented but not separately found in rule text.
  • WSDA 'Shell Egg Producer Guidelines for Off-Farm Sales' is dated ver. 11-06-08 (2008) and cites 21 CFR Part 110 and WAC 16-142 (pull dates); current status of those cross-references was not checked.
  • WSDA egg page has no visible last-updated date; license fee and seal price taken from that page and the DOR-linked license page.
  • Did not search the 2025–2026 Washington Legislature bill index for pending chapter 69.25 amendments; RCW history lines fetched show 2019 c 276 as the latest substantive amendment.

Other states

Legal in your state? Then keep the books.

PoultryPal's sales ledger tracks customers, dozens and payments next to your feed costs, so you know your margin and not just your egg count. Premium includes financial tracking and the sales ledger. Free to download on iOS and Android.

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play