Last updated 2026-08-19
TL;DR
You need a Colorado Department of Agriculture custom processing facility license (CRS 35-33) before you slaughter other people's livestock. Federal law (21 U.S.C. 623) lets you kill and cut an owner's animal for that one household. Mark it NOT FOR SALE. You cannot sell the meat. County zoning, water, waste, and cattle brand inspection stack on top. Confirm fees and review times with CDA. Treat no timeline as a promise.
What is custom exempt slaughter in Colorado?
Custom exempt slaughter in Colorado is a service, not a meat company. You kill and cut an animal the customer already owns. The meat goes back to that owner. It is not inspected for sale, and it cannot move as retail meat.
Federal law creates the exemption. 21 U.S.C. 623 says the inspection rules "shall not apply" to "the custom slaughter by any person, firm, or corporation of cattle, sheep, swine, or goats delivered by the owner thereof for such slaughter" when the meat is "exclusively for use, in the household of such owner, by him and members of his household and his nonpaying guests and employees." [1]
That one sentence is the whole business model.
Colorado puts its own license on top of that federal box. The Custom Processing of Meat Animals Act is CRS Title 35, Article 33. [6][7][15] The Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) licenses the facility and can walk your floor. [8]
If you want to sell steaks to the public, this is the wrong path. Read that again. Custom exempt is how a rancher gets their own steer into a freezer, or how you process a customer's hog they bought live. It is not a side door into a grocery case.
People mix this up with USDA inspected slaughter and with killing their own animal in the yard. Those are different exemptions and different paper. I separate them below. Poultry sits under a different federal statute too. Do not assume a livestock custom license covers birds.
Do you need a license for custom exempt slaughter in Colorado?
Yes. If you operate a custom processing facility in Colorado, you need a license from the Colorado Department of Agriculture under CRS 35-33. [6][8] Killing someone else's livestock, then cutting and wrapping it, is exactly what that license covers. Confirm the current application, fee, and any insurance CDA wants on the form they are using this year.
Do not take appointments while the PDF sits in your downloads folder. CDA can inspect the place. [6] Running without the license is how a first year ends early.
The federal custom exemption in 21 U.S.C. 623 and 9 CFR 303.1 does not replace the state license. [1][2] It is why you skip daily federal inspection. Colorado still wants you on a state roster.
Personal slaughter of animals you raised, for your own household, is a different federal exemption in the same statute. [1] That on-farm personal kill is usually not a custom processing facility. Still call CDA before you advertise a kill date to neighbors. The minute you take in other people's animals, you are in license territory.
County land use sits beside the CDA card. A state license does not override a zoning denial. Get the planning answer in writing before you order a hoist.
If you want the license piece pulled out on its own page, use custom exempt slaughter license in Colorado.
What federal rules actually apply to a Colorado custom plant?
Daily FSIS inspection does not. Periodic review does. FSIS still holds authority over custom exempt operations and uses Directive 5930.1 for the custom exempt review process. [4][5] Expect a look at sanitation, labeling, humane handling, and whether product is leaking into sale channels.
9 CFR 303.1 is the exemption rule. It only holds if you stay inside the box: owner's animals, owner's household, and you are not in the business of buying or selling that meat. [2] 9 CFR 316.16 requires custom prepared products to be marked "Not for Sale" in letters at least three-eighths inch high, unless the immediate container already carries that mark at the same height. [3]
Sanitation is not optional because you skipped daily inspection. 9 CFR 416 is the sanitation framework FSIS uses in official plants, and custom reviews still look hard at floors, water, and equipment. [11] Budget for potable water tests, a hose-down drain that works, and pest control you can show on paper.
Humane handling applies. 7 U.S.C. 1902 requires that livestock be rendered insensible to pain before they are shackled, hoisted, thrown, or cut, with a narrow ritual-slaughter exception. [10] 9 CFR 313 is the livestock humane slaughter rule set. [14] Custom is not a free pass to a sloppy stun.
Records are part of the exemption. Keep owner names, addresses, livestock counts, and what you prepared. [2] If you cannot prove an animal had an owner who took the meat home, you look like an illegal vendor.
Can you sell custom exempt meat in Colorado?
No. Custom exempt meat is not for sale. The federal mark is literal. [3] The owner can eat it, feed household members, and serve nonpaying guests and employees. [1] They cannot put it on a farm stand, fill a restaurant ticket, or invoice a retailer.
Colorado does not fix that with a state stamp. Selling meat in Colorado still runs through USDA inspection unless CDA tells you, in writing, that a state-inspected program now covers your species and product. Check the current FSIS state inspection programs list, then call CDA. [13][8]
If a customer asks you to "just sell a few extras," that is how plants lose the exemption. 9 CFR 303.1 says the custom operator does not engage in the business of buying or selling those carcasses or meat food products. [2]
Put the rule on the intake form in plain English. Owner delivers the live animal (or you pick it up). Owner gets meat back. Payment is for slaughter and processing labor, not for pounds of beef you owned.
Restaurants cannot buy custom exempt beef in Colorado and plate it. If someone tells you otherwise, ask them to show the inspected legend on the box.
How much does custom exempt slaughter cost in Colorado?
The CDA license fee is the small line. The building, the cooler, the wastewater, and the labor are the real number. Confirm the current license fee on the CDA custom processing application. [8][6] I will not invent a dollar figure. Boards change fees.
A lawful custom room needs kill space, a rail or hoist, hot water that actually cleans the place, a carcass cooler, a cutting room you can keep cold, and a plan for blood and offal. Those line items move with the county and with whether you already have a shop that has a floor drain.
Nobody publishes one honest Colorado plant cost that fits every site. On-farm conversions and purpose-built custom plants differ by a lot. If a salesperson quotes a national turnkey number, treat it as marketing.
Waste of money: a retail display case, a storefront, and a HACCP binder built for a USDA grant of inspection you do not have. Spend on refrigeration and wastewater first.
After you open, the burn is labor, utilities, packaging, waste hauling, insurance, and the hours you spend on records. Charge for the service. Do not build a P&L that assumes you will sell boxed beef.
Other states price their license path differently. Skim how to start custom exempt slaughter in Arizona for contrast, then ignore their fee tables and call CDA for Colorado.
If you want a paper checklist in one binder, CustomExemptPath publishes a $249 one-time USDA Custom-Exempt Kit at /start. Use it or skip it. The statutes above still govern.
How long does custom exempt slaughter take in Colorado?
Two clocks run here. One is how long you wait to open. The other is how long a customer's animal sits in your building.
Opening time is not a number I will invent. Confirm CDA review timing when you apply. [8] County building permits, septic or process-water design, and electrical work usually take longer than the license itself. I would not promise a first kill date until the cooler holds temperature and CDA has issued the license. No writeup gets to guarantee your approval date.
Service time is simpler. Kill day is one day. Beef often hangs about one to two weeks in custom shops because that is how you get a cuttable carcass, not because a statute sets a hang clock. Pork and lamb move faster. I do not have a Colorado legal minimum hang time to cite, and you should not invent one on your website.
Appointment backlog is local. After 2020 a lot of Front Range and mountain plants booked out for months. That was a capacity crunch, not a legal waiting period. Call plants in your county if you need a feel for demand.
From drop-off to pickup, give customers a range and then beat it. Write the hang plan on the intake ticket so nobody is surprised when a steer is still on the rail.
What facility, water, and waste permits do you need in Colorado?
You need a site the county will allow as a slaughter use, potable water, and a legal way to handle blood and guts. The CDA license does not replace those. [8]
Zoning first. Call planning. Ask if custom slaughter is a use by right, a special use, or a hard no in your zone. Get the answer in an email. Neighbors complain about smell and truck traffic. A fight after you pour concrete is how projects die.
Water has to be safe to clean food equipment. On a well, budget for testing. City water is easier to explain to a reviewer.
Blood and process water are not a garden hose problem. Many rural plants use an on-site wastewater treatment system. Colorado's OWTS rules sit with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and run through local public health agencies. [12] Confirm with county health whether a standard house septic is even allowed for slaughter waste. Often it is not. You may need a designed system or a hauler.
Offal and hides go to rendering, to composting where the county allows it, or to a landfill that will take them. Confirm before the first kill. Do not bury a winter's worth of paunch on a property line.
Hire the wastewater designer before the architect who wants a pretty office.
Do cattle need a brand inspection before custom slaughter in Colorado?
Often yes for cattle. Colorado is a brand inspection state. The Colorado Brand Board (under CDA) requires brand inspection when cattle change ownership, move out of the inspection area, or go to slaughter, with the details in CRS Title 35, Article 53 and the board's current rules. [9][15] Confirm the current trigger, certificate, and fee with the Brand Board before your first bovine appointment.
Do not guess from a Facebook group. A missing brand paper can stop a kill or get you in trouble for receiving cattle you cannot document.
Sheep, goats, and hogs do not run through the same cattle brand system. They still need owner identity on your custom records. [2]
If you haul cattle to the plant, ask who holds the inspection certificate and keep a copy with the kill sheet. If the owner hauls in, put that document in the same file as the processing order.
Horses are a different legal problem. I would not add equine slaughter to a new custom plant without a clear written answer from CDA.
What records and labels does a Colorado custom plant have to keep?
Owner name and address. Livestock identity and count. What you made. Dates in and dates out. That is the core file 9 CFR 303.1 expects on top of other record rules. [2] Keep it so an FSIS reviewer or a CDA inspector can rebuild the story of each animal.
Label every carcass and every box NOT FOR SALE at the letter height in 9 CFR 316.16 (at least three-eighths inch). [3] If your bags are pretty and the mark is tiny, you are wrong.
Invoices should read like a service ticket (kill, cut, wrap, freeze) not like a meat sale of product you owned. You can charge by hanging weight. A lot of shops do. The legal point is you never owned the meat.
Colorado's Article 33 also addresses records and unlawful acts. Read the current text of CRS 35-33 rather than trusting a blog summary, including this one. [6][15]
I keep pest logs, cooler temperatures, water tests, and stunner maintenance in the same binder. Nobody requires a novel. They require proof you were paying attention.
Custom exempt vs USDA inspected in Colorado: which path?
Custom exempt is faster to open and cheaper to staff because you do not carry daily FSIS inspection or a full 9 CFR 417 HACCP system built for official plants. [4] You cannot sell the meat. [1][3]
USDA inspected slaughter needs a grant of inspection, HACCP, SSOP, daily inspector coverage when you slaughter, and a lot more paper. You can sell inspected product into commerce, subject to labeling rules.
| Path | Daily FSIS inspector | Can the meat be sold? | Colorado extra | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custom exempt | No, periodic review [5] | No [3] | CDA custom processing license [6] | Owner's freezer |
| USDA inspected | Yes, when operating | Yes, with marks of inspection | Grant of inspection, plus local permits | Retail, restaurants, wholesale |
If your plan depends on selling burger to a taproom, custom exempt will not get you there. Build toward USDA or contract with an already inspected plant. If your plan is winter cows for local families who bought the live animal, custom is the honest path.
Other state walkthroughs show the same federal box with different wrappers. See how to start custom exempt slaughter in California or how to start custom exempt slaughter in Alabama if you are comparing jurisdictions. Do not copy their fee tables onto a Colorado application.
What would you actually do in year one in Colorado?
Lock land use first. Then water and waste. Then the cooler. Then CDA. Then the first booked animals. That order saves money.
Year one paper is the license application and whatever renewal date CDA prints on it (confirm the cycle with them). [6][8] Brand certificates for cattle. [9] Owner orders. NOT FOR SALE stamps. Cooler logs. A waste contract. Insurance your agent actually understands. This is not a coffee shop policy.
I would not hire a full-time retail clerk. There is nothing legal to retail.
I would not buy a second vacuum machine before the rail height is right. I would pay for a stunner I can maintain and a hoist that will not drop a beef.
Start with species you can stun well and a cooler you can hold. Adding bison, elk, or poultry mid-year is how procedures fall apart. Poultry is a different federal statute. Ask CDA before you advertise chickens.
You do not need a corporate food-safety department. You do need people who will wash the floor and handle livestock calmly.
When you fill the form, reread custom exempt slaughter license in Colorado. Skim custom exempt slaughter license in Arizona only for contrast.
Can you run mobile custom slaughter or just kill your own animal?
Mobile custom units exist in some states. Colorado may license a mobile custom processing operation under Article 33, or they may want a fixed facility. I will not invent their current mobile policy. Ask CDA whether a truck is licensable this year and what water, waste, and county rules still attach. [8][6]
Killing an animal you raised, on your farm, for your household, sits under the personal exemption in 21 U.S.C. 623, not the custom operator rules. [1] That is a family freezer project. It becomes custom the moment you charge a neighbor to kill their steer.
Do not advertise farm kill dates for other people's livestock unless CDA says your setup is a licensed custom facility (fixed or mobile). County dead-animal rules still apply to a personal kill.
If you are still comparing states, how to start custom exempt slaughter in Arkansas and custom exempt slaughter license in California show how different the state wrapper can be around the same federal exemption.
CustomExemptPath is an independent publisher, not a law firm and not a service company. If you want the kit, it is a one-time $249 USDA Custom-Exempt Kit at /start. Confirm every fee and timing question with CDA and your county. Nobody can promise you an approval date.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a license for custom exempt slaughter in Colorado?
Yes. Operating a custom processing facility takes a Colorado Department of Agriculture license under CRS 35-33. The federal custom exemption in 21 U.S.C. 623 does not replace that state license. Confirm the current application and fee with CDA. County zoning still applies on top.
How much does custom exempt slaughter cost in Colorado?
The license fee is the small line. Confirm that number on the current CDA application. The real cost is the cooler, wastewater, building work, and labor. Nobody publishes one honest statewide plant cost. Do not treat a salesperson's turnkey quote as a Colorado official figure.
How long does custom exempt slaughter take in Colorado?
Opening depends on CDA review plus county building and waste permits. Confirm timing with those offices. Do not promise a start date. Once open, kill day is one day. Beef often hangs one to two weeks as shop practice, not a cited legal minimum. Pickup timing is whatever you write on the ticket.
Can I sell meat from a custom exempt plant in Colorado?
No. 9 CFR 316.16 requires a Not for Sale mark. 21 U.S.C. 623 limits the meat to the owner's household, nonpaying guests, and employees. Restaurants and farm stands are outside that box. Sale of meat in Colorado still needs USDA inspection unless CDA tells you otherwise in writing.
Does FSIS inspect custom exempt plants every day?
No. Custom exempt plants do not have daily FSIS slaughter inspection. FSIS still reviews them. Directive 5930.1 is the custom exempt review process. CDA can also inspect a licensed Colorado custom facility. Plan on showing sanitation, labels, humane handling, and owner records.
Can I custom slaughter my neighbor's steer on my farm?
Not unless CDA treats your setup as a licensed custom processing facility. Killing your own raised animal for your household is a different federal exemption. Taking in a neighbor's live animal for a fee is custom work. Call CDA before you advertise a farm kill date.
What does NOT FOR SALE mean on custom meat?
It means the product cannot be sold. 9 CFR 316.16 requires those words in letters at least three-eighths inch high on the product or the immediate container. The owner can eat it at home. They cannot invoice a store, a restaurant, or a farmers market customer for those cuts.
Do I need a HACCP plan for custom exempt in Colorado?
A full 9 CFR 417 HACCP system is built for official inspected establishments, not for staying inside the custom exemption. You still need sanitary conditions and records. Buying a USDA-style HACCP binder you will never run is usually a waste. Ask CDA and your FSIS reviewer what they actually want to see.
What animals can a Colorado custom plant slaughter?
The federal custom text in 21 U.S.C. 623 names cattle, sheep, swine, and goats. Other species can carry extra CDA rules. Poultry is a different federal statute. Confirm every species on your intake list with CDA before you advertise it. Do not add horses without a written answer.
Is a USDA grant of inspection the same as a CDA custom license?
No. A grant of inspection lets you produce meat for sale under daily FSIS inspection. A CDA custom processing license lets you process an owner's animal for that household and mark it Not for Sale. They are different applications, different paper, and different businesses.
Do I need a licensed inspector on the kill floor?
Not for custom exempt slaughter. There is no daily FSIS inspector assigned to your floor. You still have to handle livestock humanely and keep the place clean. FSIS can review you later. CDA can inspect the licensed facility. You are the one who stops a bad stun.
Can restaurants buy custom exempt beef in Colorado?
No. Custom product is limited to the owner's household, nonpaying guests, and employees under 21 U.S.C. 623. A restaurant ticket is a sale. If a chef wants Colorado beef on a menu, that beef needs the marks of federal inspection from a USDA plant.
What happens if I sell custom exempt meat anyway?
You step outside 9 CFR 303.1 and 21 U.S.C. 623. That can cost you the exemption, the CDA license, and a lot worse. Do not treat a quiet cash sale as a rounding error. Keep invoices written as a processing service and keep the Not for Sale mark on every box.
Where do I apply for the Colorado custom processing license?
Apply with the Colorado Department of Agriculture under CRS 35-33. Use the current custom processing application CDA is issuing this year. Confirm the fee, any facility review, and the mailing or portal address with CDA. Then line up county zoning, water, and waste before you book animals.
Sources
- U.S. Government Publishing Office, 21 U.S.C. § 623 (Exemptions from inspection): Federal law exempts custom slaughter of an owner's cattle, sheep, swine, or goats when the meat is only for that owner's household, nonpaying guests, and employees.
- eCFR, 9 CFR 303.1 Exemptions: Custom operators must stay out of the business of buying or selling the custom meat and must keep owner and production records to hold the exemption.
- eCFR, 9 CFR 316.16 Custom prepared products: Custom prepared products must be marked Not for Sale in letters at least three-eighths inch high, or placed in immediate containers so marked.
- USDA FSIS, Exempt Establishments: FSIS recognizes custom exempt establishments as operations that are not under daily inspection but remain subject to agency oversight.
- USDA FSIS Directive 5930.1, Custom Exempt Review Process: FSIS reviews custom exempt operations through the process set out in Directive 5930.1 rather than assigning daily slaughter inspection.
- Colorado Department of Agriculture, Meat & Poultry Inspection: The Colorado Department of Agriculture administers meat program licensing and is the state contact for custom processing facility questions.
- Colorado Department of Agriculture, Brand Board: Colorado's Brand Board administers cattle brand inspection, including movements of cattle that go to slaughter.
- U.S. Government Publishing Office, 7 U.S.C. § 1902 (Humane methods): Federal law requires livestock to be rendered insensible to pain before being shackled, hoisted, thrown, or cut, with a ritual-slaughter exception.
- eCFR, 9 CFR Part 416 Sanitation: 9 CFR 416 is the federal sanitation framework reviewers use when judging whether a meat plant's water, facilities, and equipment are clean enough for food.
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, On-site Wastewater Treatment Systems: Colorado OWTS (septic and on-site wastewater) rules are administered through CDPHE and local public health agencies, which is the usual path for rural process-water permits.
- USDA FSIS, State Inspection Programs: FSIS publishes the current list of state meat and poultry inspection programs; selling meat still requires checking that list and CDA rather than assuming a Colorado state-inspected sale path.
- eCFR, 9 CFR Part 313 Humane Slaughter of Livestock: 9 CFR 313 sets the federal humane slaughter methods for livestock, including stunning before shackling and hoisting.
- Colorado Office of Legislative Legal Services, Colorado Revised Statutes 2024 Title 35: Official CRS Title 35 text includes Article 33 (custom processing of meat animals) and Article 53 (livestock transportation and brand inspection).