These birds must be processed under USDA or Minnesota "Equal To" inspection. Licensing is not required by the state if you are only selling birds you have raised.

What do I need to do to sell my own poultry to grocery stores, restaurants, or other businesses?

These birds must be processed under USDA or Minnesota "Equal To" inspection. Licensing is not required by the state if you are only selling birds you have raised.

No

Inspection

No inspection is required for poultry farmers who do their own processing and sell fewer than 1,000 home-raised poultry per year from their farm directly to the end consumer. Farmers selling more than 1,000 birds per year, or who sell their poultry off the premises of their own farm (e.g. at a farmers' market, roadside stand), may be subject to inspection, though processing facilities do not need pre-approval by the MDA.

Licensing

When processing and selling your own poultry directly to end consumers, you may be exempt from state licensing as long as the following requirements are met:

  • The farm slaughters fewer than 20,000 birds annually.
  • No birds are offered for sale or transportation in interstate commerce (i.e., across state lines).
  • The farmer sells only birds raised on his/her own farm.
  • The poultry products are sold as whole birds or cut up, with no added ingredients (no smoking or curing permitted).
  • The poultry farmer slaughters his/her own birds under sanitary conditions.
  • The farmer must keep slaughter and sales records.
  • Poultry is properly labeled with the following:
    • The farmer's name
    • The name and address of the farm, including the zip code
    • The product name
    • “Exempt PL 90-492”
An example of a label with all the required information.
An example label with all required information.


While the MDA does not license these farmers, we do ask them to register with the Department as on-farm exempt poultry producers. There is no fee associated with this, and registered producers receive a certificate from the MDA.

Yes, if you have a facility that meets the requirements as outlined in 9 CFR 416.2 - 416.5. These facilities may be subject to inspection by the MDA to ensure proper construction and sanitation. Home-slaughtered birds may be sold to end consumers at farmers' markets, but they cannot be sold at grocery stores or other retail outlets.

Farmers selling whole or cut up poultry (no other ingredients added) from their own flock are not required to be licensed. However, certain local governments may require licensing to sell products at a farmers' market so it is important to check with your market manager about local regulations, as well. For information on processing options, see the answer to the question below.

To sell these chickens, your local butcher would need to be a USDA inspected or Minnesota “Equal To” inspected processing plant. These plants must meet more stringent food safety standards than those for custom exempt plants. During a USDA or Minnesota Equal To inspection, each chicken is inspected for food safety and wholesomeness to ensure the chickens have been processed to the highest level of food safety. For a list of USDA plants, contact the USDA Des Moines District Office at 1-800-990-9834. Minnesota Equal To plants are listed online at Minnesota State "Equal To" Plants. A farmer can also process their own poultry for sales to end consumers at a farmers' market. Learn more in our fact sheet: Selling Farm-Slaughtered Poultry and Rabbits.

There are no regulatory requirements for an individual to process their own birds for their own personal use.

These birds must be processed under USDA or Minnesota "Equal To" inspection. Licensing is not required by the state if you are only selling birds you have raised.

Inspection

No inspection is required for poultry farmers who do their own processing and sell fewer than 1,000 home-raised poultry per year from their farm directly to the end consumer. Farmers selling more than 1,000 birds per year, or who sell their poultry off the premises of their own farm (e.g. at a farmers' market, roadside stand), may be subject to inspection, though processing facilities do not need pre-approval by the MDA.

Licensing

When processing and selling your own poultry directly to end consumers, you may be exempt from state licensing as long as the following requirements are met:

  • The farm slaughters fewer than 20,000 birds annually.
  • No birds are offered for sale or transportation in interstate commerce (i.e., across state lines).
  • The farmer sells only birds raised on his/her own farm.
  • The poultry products are sold as whole birds or cut up, with no added ingredients (no smoking or curing permitted).
  • The poultry farmer slaughters his/her own birds under sanitary conditions.
  • The farmer must keep slaughter and sales records.
  • Poultry is properly labeled with the following:
    • The farmer's name
    • The name and address of the farm, including the zip code
    • The product name
    • “Exempt PL 90-492”
An example of a label with all the required information.
An example label with all required information.


While the MDA does not license these farmers, we do ask them to register with the Department as on-farm exempt poultry producers. There is no fee associated with this, and registered producers receive a certificate from the MDA.

I want to sell my farm-slaughtered poultry directly to the consumer from my farm. Do I need an inspection or license?

Inspection

No inspection is required for poultry farmers who do their own processing and sell fewer than 1,000 home-raised poultry per year from their farm directly to the end consumer. Farmers selling more than 1,000 birds per year, or who sell their poultry off the premises of their own farm (e.g. at a farmers' market, roadside stand), may be subject to inspection, though processing facilities do not need pre-approval by the MDA.

Licensing

When processing and selling your own poultry directly to end consumers, you may be exempt from state licensing as long as the following requirements are met:

  • The farm slaughters fewer than 20,000 birds annually.
  • No birds are offered for sale or transportation in interstate commerce (i.e., across state lines).
  • The farmer sells only birds raised on his/her own farm.
  • The poultry products are sold as whole birds or cut up, with no added ingredients (no smoking or curing permitted).
  • The poultry farmer slaughters his/her own birds under sanitary conditions.
  • The farmer must keep slaughter and sales records.
  • Poultry is properly labeled with the following:
    • The farmer's name
    • The name and address of the farm, including the zip code
    • The product name
    • “Exempt PL 90-492”
An example of a label with all the required information.
An example label with all required information.


While the MDA does not license these farmers, we do ask them to register with the Department as on-farm exempt poultry producers. There is no fee associated with this, and registered producers receive a certificate from the MDA.

No

Yes, if you have a facility that meets the requirements as outlined in 9 CFR 416.2 - 416.5. These facilities may be subject to inspection by the MDA to ensure proper construction and sanitation. Home-slaughtered birds may be sold to end consumers at farmers' markets, but they cannot be sold at grocery stores or other retail outlets.

I want to sell my chickens at the farmers' market. Can I slaughter them myself and sell them at the farmers' market?

Yes, if you have a facility that meets the requirements as outlined in 9 CFR 416.2 - 416.5. These facilities may be subject to inspection by the MDA to ensure proper construction and sanitation. Home-slaughtered birds may be sold to end consumers at farmers' markets, but they cannot be sold at grocery stores or other retail outlets.

No

Farmers selling whole or cut up poultry (no other ingredients added) from their own flock are not required to be licensed. However, certain local governments may require licensing to sell products at a farmers' market so it is important to check with your market manager about local regulations, as well. For information on processing options, see the answer to the question below.