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Category 16 of 25 · Hawaii

Meats

Beef, Pork, Goat, Lamb & Processed Meats

Licensed Facility Required — Custom-Exempt Path Is Not-For-Sale
Not-for-sale only
Custom slaughter
USDA/state inspection req'd
Retail sale
HDOA / USDA FSIS
Agency
HRS Ch.159
Law

What's Covered / What Needs More

✓ What's Covered

  • USDA-inspected (or Hawaii state-inspected, where available) meat processed at a licensed slaughter/processing facility, sold retail direct to consumers
  • Custom slaughter/processing of an animal you or the paying customer personally raised, delivered exclusively back to that owner's household — legally marked 'Not For Sale'
  • Value-added products (sausage, jerky, cuts) made in a licensed, inspected facility
  • On-farm sales of live animals to a customer who then arranges their own custom slaughter (herd-share style arrangements carry federal scrutiny — structure carefully)

✕ Needs More

  • Selling any meat from a custom (non-federally-inspected) slaughter to the general public — HRS §159-29's custom exemption is strictly for the animal owner's own household use, never resale
  • Marketing a 'herd share' or similar co-ownership scheme as a workaround to sell custom-slaughtered meat — USDA FSIS has stated this violates the custom-exemption rules nationally
  • Operating a home slaughter/kill floor for animals intended for retail sale — retail sale requires a licensed, continuously inspected establishment
  • Skipping HDOA's own meat inspection program requirements where state inspection is used instead of USDA

How to Get Compliant

A

Determine your channel

Selling meat to the public at all (market, online, wholesale) requires USDA or Hawaii state-inspected slaughter and processing — there is no cottage-food path for meat.

B

Use a licensed processor

Partner with a USDA- or HDOA-inspected slaughter/processing facility; keep custom-exempt processing strictly limited to animals returned to their owner's own household, marked 'Not For Sale.'

C

Label per federal/state meat rules

Include establishment number, species, cut name, net weight, safe-handling instructions, and keep cold-chain records from processing through sale.

Quick Reference

Sales ChannelRequirementNotes
Retail sale of any cutUSDA or HI state inspectionNo cottage exemption exists for meat
Custom slaughter, owner's own use onlyHRS §159-29 exemptionMust be marked 'Not For Sale'; no resale
Value-added (sausage, jerky)Licensed, inspected facilitySame inspection standard as raw cuts
Live animal sale + buyer arranges slaughterStructure carefullyFederal scrutiny on herd-share-style resale schemes

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I raise a pig, have it custom-slaughtered, and sell the meat at market?
No — custom slaughter under HRS §159-29 is only for the owner's personal household use; selling that meat to the public is illegal without USDA/state inspection.
Is there a small-producer cottage exemption for meat in Hawaii, like there is for baked goods?
No, meat has no cottage-food equivalent; all retail meat sale requires inspected slaughter and processing.
What is a 'herd share' and is it legal here?
It's an arrangement where customers co-own an animal to receive custom-processed meat without a retail sale; USDA has flagged this structure as inconsistent with the federal custom exemption, so it carries real legal risk.
Does Hawaii have its own state meat inspection program?
Yes, HDOA administers a meat inspection program under HRS Chapter 159, operating alongside USDA/FSIS oversight.

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