§ 18812 Personal Livestock Slaughter Exemption

Food and Agricultural Code·California

AI SummaryVerified

This law says you don't need a government inspection if you kill and prepare your own animals (like chickens or cows) for yourself, your family, guests, or workers.

Key Takeaways

•You don’t need an inspection if you raise and prepare your own animals for personal use.
•This only applies to animals you raise yourself, not ones you buy.
•The exemption also covers your family, guests, or workers eating the meat.

Example

A farmer raises chickens on their land and wants to cook them for their family dinner.

The farmer doesn’t need to get the chickens inspected by the government because they’re only using them for their own family.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source

View on CA.gov

§ 18812 Personal Livestock Slaughter Exemption

The director shall exempt from inspection the slaughtering and preparation by any person of any livestock or poultry of his own raising, exclusively for use by him, members of his household, his nonpaying guests, or employees, and may exempt any other operation which the director determines would best be exempted to further the purposes of this chapter, to the extent such exemption conforms to the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Federal Poultry Products Inspection Act and the regulations thereunder. (Repealed and added by Stats. 1970, Ch. 1385.)

Last verified: January 10, 2026

Key Terms

exempt from inspection slaughtering and preparation Federal Meat Inspection Act Federal Poultry Products Inspection Act

References

Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
California Legislature. Food and Agricultural Code. Section 18812.

§ 18812 Personal Livestock Slaughter Exemption

Food and Agricultural Code·California

AI SummaryVerified

§ 18812 Personal Livestock Slaughter Exemption

This law says you don't need a government inspection if you kill and prepare your own animals (like chickens or cows) for yourself, your family, guests, or workers.

Key Takeaways

•You don’t need an inspection if you raise and prepare your own animals for personal use.
•This only applies to animals you raise yourself, not ones you buy.
•The exemption also covers your family, guests, or workers eating the meat.

Example

A farmer raises chickens on their land and wants to cook them for their family dinner.

The farmer doesn’t need to get the chickens inspected by the government because they’re only using them for their own family.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source

View on CA.gov

§ 18812 Personal Livestock Slaughter Exemption

Last verified: January 10, 2026

Key Terms

exempt from inspection slaughtering and preparation Federal Meat Inspection Act Federal Poultry Products Inspection Act

References

Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
California Legislature. Food and Agricultural Code. Section 18812.

Key Takeaways

Example

Key Terms

Related Statutes

References

Key Takeaways

Example

Key Terms

Related Statutes

References