A provincial state of emergency remains in effect due to numerous wildfires.
For wildfire related information, call the 24-hour info line at 310-4455 (available in 200+ languages) or visit alberta.ca/emergency.
A provincial state of emergency remains in effect due to numerous wildfires.
For wildfire related information, call the 24-hour info line at 310-4455 (available in 200+ languages) or visit alberta.ca/emergency.
Albertans can apply for a licence to operate as an On-Farm Slaughter Operation under the Meat Inspection Act and Meat Inspection Regulation.
All meat resulting from slaughter under an On-Farm Slaughter Operation (OFSO) licence is uninspected. It must be returned to the owner(s) of the animal for consumption by their household(s) only and cannot be sold gifted, bartered or otherwise transferred. Selling uninspected meat remains illegal in Alberta.
For more information:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 403-422-0406
An uninspected slaughter operation, licensed as an On-Farm Slaughter Operation (OFSO), enables the OFSO licence holder to conduct uninspected slaughter and carcass processing activities on their property.
The OFSO licence requires that:
Large animals exceeding 500 pounds (227 kg) (for example, bison, cervid and cattle) slaughtered at an OFSO may be co-owned by up to four individuals and the meat shared with their households.
Small live animals under 500 pounds (227 kg) may only be sold to an individual for consumption by their household only. Two or more people cannot buy a small animal and split the meat.
The meat from animals slaughtered at an OFSO is uninspected and is not for sale or for further distribution. The meat is to be returned to the animal owner(s), for consumption by persons who form part of the owner’s household (including spouse, children, siblings, parents and if applicable, current employees living on the property of the animal owner). This limits the risk of a foodborne illness outbreak since the uninspected meat cannot be sold, bartered, gifted, or distributed beyond the animal owner(s) household.
The licensee is responsible for ensuring that those using the land and providing the slaughter services are competent and follow all legislative requirements.
Slaughter at an OFSO is to be conducted outside on the licensed plot of land. The slaughter process is not permitted to be conducted in a building.
This licence requires that slaughter waste be disposed of according to the requirements for meat facilities in the Disposal of Dead Animals Regulation including the additional options of disposal by on-farm burial, composting, or burning. Uninspected slaughter operations are allowed to gift or sell uninspected slaughter waste consisting of butcher scraps and by-products for use as bait in hunting or trapping.
For additional information, please refer to the Meat Inspection Regulation and review the On-Farm Slaughter Operation Technical Guide.
You can apply for an Alberta OFSO Licence if you:
5-year licence fee: $100
Licences are valid 5 years from the date of issue.
To apply for and purchase an OFSO licence online, you will need:
1. Review licensing requirements and responsibilities outlined in the application
2. Complete application and submit payment
On-Farm Slaughter Operation application
3. After your application has been reviewed and processed, your licence will be sent to you by email or mail.
Note: In order for your application to be processed, the form must be complete.
PDF form issues
Fillable PDF forms do not open properly on some mobile devices and web browsers. To fill in and save the form:
If you are still having problems opening the form, contact PDF form technical support.
Cheques or money orders should be payable to the Government of Alberta and mailed with your application form to the address below:
Attention: Licensing
Meat and Dairy Inspection Section
J.G. O’Donoghue Building
7000 113 Street
Edmonton, Alberta T6H 5T6
Do not send cash.
Note: Application fees are non-refundable.
This searchable directory helps customers find provincially licensed slaughter operations or meat facilities located across Alberta. Your business information will be included in the directory. To opt out of the directory, contact us at [email protected].
After your application has been reviewed and processed, your licence will be sent to you by email or post.
Processing your application may take 2 to 4 weeks.
On-Farm Slaughter Operation Licence holders must submit a report within 2 weeks of the end of each of these quarters:
Note: Quarterly reporting enables Agriculture and Irrigation to monitor designated slaughter limits per animal owner(s) (i.e., customer consumption). Adhering to slaughter limits is the responsibility of the OFSO licence holder.
There are no animal slaughter limits for the OFSO licensee; however, there are animal slaughter limits for each OFSO customer, per calendar year, as follows:
Download and fill out: On-Farm Slaughter Operation Reporting Form (PDF, 1.2 MB)
Send your completed PDF report form by clicking on the “Submit by Email” button at the bottom of the form.
If you are not sending your report forms by email, mail your printed reports to the mailing address that appears above on this page.
If you are interested in submitting your on-farm slaughter operation reports online, watch the following tutorial: Opinio On-farm slaughter operation data entry.
To send us a request to use this tool, fill out this online form: Online Slaughter Report Request. MDIS will send you the link and password for the report and instructions to complete it.
Online reporting must be done while connected to the internet.
For questions about the OFSO Licence, contact: [email protected] or by phone at 403-422-0406.
For questions about on-line reporting, contact:
Bill Liu
Phone: 780-644-8854
Cell: 780-863-6849
Email: [email protected]
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