In the state of CA it looks like you just have to register as an egg handler ($15) and if you have less then 500 hens and are selling directly to the consumer from your farm you don't need to pay the Mill fee to the Secretary of State. From what I can tell, that's all you need to do. Am I missing something?
Anyone registered in CA? Heads up on anything? I'm the President of our downtown business association and I certified us as a Farmers Market for a street faire we use to do every summer (until our Chamber of Commerce took it from us, ran it in the ground....
) and the Ag people were very nice to work with and helpful in getting our bylaws correct.
Also, has anyone done the Egg Brand Registration?
Here's a link to the site, application and more info:
http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/mpes/esqm.html
Egg Handlers Registration Form
FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL CODE - DEFINITIONS
Section 27503.5. California egg means an egg produced in this state.
Section 27510. Egg handler means a person engaged in the business of producing, candling,
grading, packing, or otherwise preparing shell eggs for market or who engages in the operation of
selling or marketing eggs that he or she has produced, purchased, or acquired from a producer, or
which he or she is marketing on behalf of a producer, whether as owner, agent, employee, or
otherwise. This section shall not apply to any purchaser who is a retailer and who does not handle
eggs in any other capacity, except as a retailer.
Section 27510.1. Producer means a person engaged in the business of producing eggs from
domesticated fowl for human consumption, who is not in the business of candling, grading, packing,
sorting, or otherwise preparing eggs for market, marketing, or processing eggs into egg products.
Section 27519.5. Shipped egg means an egg that is produced outside the State of California and
shipped into the state for purposes of resale or use by a direct user.
FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL CODE REGISTRATION AND FEES
Section 27541. Any person engaged in business in this state as an egg producer or egg handler, or
any out-of-state egg handler or egg producer selling eggs into California, shall register with the
secretary. A new registration shall be submitted if any current information changes.
Section 27542. The certificate of registration shall not be transferable to any person, or be applicable
to any location other than the location for which originally issued, and shall be conspicuously
displayed at such location.
Section 27551. The following persons shall pay to the Secretary a maximum fee of five cents ($0.05)
for each 30 dozens of eggs sold as provided below (currently $0.045):
(a) California egg handlers shall pay the fee on all eggs sales from their own production, on
eggs purchased or acquired from California egg producers, and on eggs processed into
egg products. California egg handlers shall not pay a fee on eggs purchased from out-ofstate
egg handlers or egg producers.
(b) California egg producers shall pay the fee on all eggs sales to anyone not registered
under this chapter as an egg handler, to out-of-state purchasers, and to egg breaking
plants.
(c) Out-of-state egg handlers and producers shall report and pay the fee on eggs sales into
California sold to a retailer, producer, handler, or breaking plant.
(d) Shipments of eggs, which are accompanied by a United States Department of Agriculture
certificate of grade and sold to the federal government or its agencies are exempt from
these fees.
(e) Eggs sold to household consumers on the premises where produced from a flock size of
500 hens or less are exempt from these fees
(f) The assessment provided for in this section shall only be paid once on any particular egg.
If you need further information, please contact the Department of Food and Agriculture, Egg Safety
and Quality Management Program at (916) 445-4243, or write to 1220 N Street, Sacramento, CA
95814. Also, you can e-mail Anthony S. Herrera at
[email protected], or visit our
Internet website at:
www.cdfa.ca.gov.
