Legal & Compliance
Live Animal Share Purchase Agreement
Important Notice: Through RangeDirect, you may be purchasing an undivided interest (share) in a live animal.
By purchasing a share, you become a partial owner of the animal prior to processing. After purchase, the producer arranges processing at a facility of their choosing — typically one convenient to their ranch — and you receive your proportional share of the processed meat.
Processing & Inspections
Processing logistics are coordinated by the producer. Each producer selects the processing facility that works best for them — typically the facility nearest to their ranch. Facilities may be USDA-inspected, state-inspected, or otherwise licensed under applicable local regulations.
If the inspection status or specific facility matters to you, we encourage you to reach out to the producer directly before completing your purchase. Producers are generally happy to share details about their processing arrangements.
Payment Terms
RangeDirect utilizes a payment system to protect all parties. Funds collected through the Platform cover the live animal purchase only. Processing and slaughter fees are paid separately and directly by the buyer to the processor at pickup — they are not included in the RangeDirect transaction.
- Customer Protection: Funds are held securely until the order is fulfilled
- Producer Guarantee: Payment is released upon successful order fulfillment
Payment milestones:
- Customer pays live animal deposit — non-refundable deposit released to producer upon confirmation of available animal.
- Producer delivers animal to processor. Full payment for animal released to producer.
- Processor contacts customer directly to arrange cut preferences and processing fees. Customer pays processor directly for slaughter and cut-and-wrap services at or before pickup
- Processor and customer coordinate to arrange delivery of final product.
California Custom-Exempt Rules
The following rules apply to live animal share sales processed through California’s custom-exempt slaughter program (AB 2114 / AB 888).
Buyer pays processor directly
Federal law requires that slaughter (MSO) and cut-and-wrap (processor) fees be paid directly by the buyer to the service provider — not through the rancher or the platform. Buyers should expect a separate invoice from the processor at or before pickup.
No commingling of meat
All cuts must come exclusively from the individual animal(s) that buyer purchased. Meat from different animals cannot be mixed into a single buyer’s share.
5-head cattle limit per premises per month
California limits custom-exempt cattle slaughter to no more than 5 head per premises per calendar month (excluding animals for the rancher’s own household use).
Brand Inspector required for cattle
Before slaughter of cattle in California, a licensed Brand Inspector from the Bureau of Livestock Identification must inspect the animal to verify brand and ownership. Scheduling this is the rancher’s responsibility.
“Not for Sale” labeling required
All custom-exempt meat products must be labeled “Not for Sale.” This meat is for the buyer’s personal use only and cannot be resold or commercially distributed.
Personal use only
Custom-exempt processed meat may only be used by the buyer (owner), members of their household, their employees, and their non-paying guests. Resale is prohibited under federal and state law.
Pricing must be based on live weight or per-head
The sale price must be based on live weight, price-per-head, or another live-animal quantity — not hanging weight or carcass weight. Ranchers selling by live weight without the buyer present must hold a California Weighmaster license and issue a Weighmaster Certificate with each transaction.
Record-keeping obligations
Ranchers must retain records (customer contact info, animal tag/ID, sale date, harvest date, processor info, Weighmaster certificate if applicable) for at least one year, and four years for weight-based transactions. Processors and Mobile Slaughter Operators have their own parallel record-keeping requirements.
Source: UC ANR Grown in Marin — Selling Whole Animals for Custom Processing. Producers are encouraged to consult an attorney or their local UCCE Farm Advisor for guidance specific to their operation.
Service Areas
RangeDirect currently serves California. California regulations governing live animal sales and direct-to-consumer transactions apply to all transactions conducted within California on the platform. Both buyers and producers are responsible for understanding and complying with applicable rules.
We plan to expand to additional states in the future. Contact us if you have questions about availability in your area.
Platform Fees
| Platform Fee | 12% of transaction |
| Payment Processing | 2.9% + $0.30 |
Platform fees apply to the live animal purchase price and packaged meat sales only. Processing and slaughter fees are paid directly by the buyer to the processor and are not subject to platform fees.
Contact
For legal inquiries or compliance questions, please contact:
legal@rangedirect.com