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Prohibited
21
Permitted within state regulations
19
Permitted
7
Prohibited with exception
3

Raw Milk Legal States 2024

Raw Milk Legal States 2024

The process of selling raw milk is legal in all 50 states of the United States. The process of making this milk available to the public differs, however, and various jurisdictions have dictated the way consumers can get their raw milk fix. From retail sales to farm purchases to cow-sharing methods, there are a few ways in which you can scratch that raw milk itch.

States Where Raw Milk is Legal in Retail Outlets

An array of states allows for unfettered access to raw milk stores in any retail store within the state. The least restrictive of rules to obtain raw milk, you can readily find raw milk in the refrigerators of retail stores in the following states: California, Maine, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah, and Washington. Raw milk can also be sold in retail establishments with some regulations in Arizona, Connecticut, Idaho, Nevada, and Oregon.

In some of these thirteen states, there are some clarifications. In Utah and Oregon, state legislators have mandated that the retail outlet selling the raw milk must also be the owner of the farm that produced the milk. New Mexico, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Idaho all require farmers to have a selling permit.

States Where Raw Milk is Legal on Producing Farms

A total of 29 states allow for the sale of raw milk, but their focus is not on the retail level but rather focuses on purchases closer to the source of the milk: farms. Twelve of those states—California, Maine, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Washington, Arizona, and Connecticut—allow farm sales of raw milk with no license. The rest require a license to sell on the farm.

As such, obtaining your supply of raw milk will require loading up the family in the car and taking a trip to the nearest producing farm. Mitigating this necessity, four other states not only allow on-farm shopping but also have given the legal nod to the delivery of raw milk directly from the farm producing the milk to the consumer buying the raw milk. These states include Missouri, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming. A further three states; Kentucky, Mississippi, and Rhode Island allow on-farm purchasing of raw goat milk, but not cow milk.

States Where Raw Milk is Legal Through Cow-Sharing Programs

A winning proposition for many raw milk adherents is entering into a cow share, or herd share that offers a chance to gain access to the availability of raw milk in those that offer the option. Under a cow share system, consumers buy a share in the animal’s care and upkeep which affords the consumer an interest in the cow’s production.

There are only nine states that make cow-sharing programs illegal. Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Maryland, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Arizona, and Massachusetts do not allow their residents to enter into cow-sharing programs. Twenty-three states have no explicit law on herd shares. The remaining states all allow for cow-sharing as a way to get raw milk when you want it.

Raw Milk Legal States 2024

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State
Sale for Human Consumption
On Farm Sales
Sale for Animal Consumption
Retail
Herd Shares Sales
Notes
AlabamaProhibitedIllegalAllowed with licenseIllegalNo law on herd shares
AlaskaProhibitedIllegalAllowed with licenseIllegalLegal by regulation
ArizonaPermitted within state regulationsLegalAllowedLegal w/ regulationsIllegal
Products must carry a warning label, farmer must have a producer-distributor license and use state-a...
ArkansasProhibited with exceptionLegal with licenseTo be determinedIllegalNo law on herd shares
Prohibited with one exception: Farms may sell up to 500 gallons of raw milk per month onsite in "inc...
CaliforniaPermittedLegalAllowedLegalLegal
ColoradoProhibitedIllegalAllowed with licenseIllegalLegal by regulation
"Cowshare" programs are allowed to share raw milk, cream, yogurt, and cottage cheese.
ConnecticutPermitted within state regulationsLegalAllowedLegal w/ regulationsLegal
Farmer must have producer and raw milk retailer permits, as well as milk dealer license.
DelawareProhibitedIllegalAllowed with licenseIllegalIllegal
FloridaProhibitedIllegalAllowedIllegalIllegal
GeorgiaProhibitedIllegalAllowed with licenseIllegalIllegal
HawaiiProhibitedIllegalTo be determinedIllegalNo law on herd shares
IdahoPermitted within state regulationsLegal with licenseAllowed with licenseLegal w/ regulationsLegal by regulation
Farmer must have raw milk permit.
IllinoisPermitted within state regulationsLegal with licenseAllowedIllegalLegal
Permit required, sales must take place on farm where milk was produced and within five days of produ...
IndianaProhibitedIllegalAllowed with licenseIllegalNo law on herd shares
IowaProhibitedIllegalTo be determinedIllegalIllegal
KansasPermitted within state regulationsLegal with licenseAllowedIllegalNo law on herd shares
May be sold only on farms. Sales may only be promoted through onsite signage, which must use a singl...
KentuckyProhibited with exceptionLegal with licenseAllowedIllegalNo law on herd shares
Prohibited with one exception: Doctors may give patients a note to purchase raw goat milk.
LouisianaProhibitedIllegalNot AllowedIllegalNo law on herd shares
MainePermittedLegalAllowedLegalNo law on herd shares
Products must be labeled "not pasteurized".
MarylandProhibitedIllegalAllowed with licenseIllegalIllegal
MassachusettsPermitted within state regulationsLegal with licenseAllowedIllegalIllegal
Regulated at local level. Sales must comply with sections 12 and 13 of state guidelines.
MichiganProhibitedIllegalAllowedIllegalLegal by regulation
MinnesotaPermitted within state regulationsLegal with licenseAllowedIllegalNo law on herd shares
Sales must take place at farm or dairy, must be "occasional" and purchased for personal use.
MississippiPermitted within state regulationsLegal with licenseTo be determinedIllegalNo law on herd shares
Raw goat's milk can be legally purchased at the farm or dairy if the sale is incidental, the farm ha...
MissouriPermitted within state regulationsLegalAllowedIllegalNo law on herd shares
Farmer must have sales permit.
MontanaProhibitedIllegalTo be determinedIllegalLegal by regulation
NebraskaPermitted within state regulationsLegalTo be determinedIllegalNo law on herd shares
Must be sold directly from farm to consumer
NevadaPermittedLegal with licenseTo be determinedLegal w/ regulationsNo law on herd shares
New HampshirePermittedLegalTo be determinedLegalNo law on herd shares
New JerseyProhibitedIllegalNot AllowedIllegalIllegal
New MexicoPermitted within state regulationsLegalAllowedLegalNo law on herd shares
Farmer must have sales permit.
New YorkPermitted within state regulationsLegal with licenseAllowedIllegalLegal by regulation
Must be sold directly from licensed farm to consumer
North CarolinaProhibitedIllegalAllowed with licenseIllegalLegal
North DakotaProhibitedIllegalTo be determinedIllegalLegal by regulation
OhioProhibitedIllegalTo be determinedIllegalLegal
Technically legal for vendors who have been in business continuously since 1965, but none exist.
OklahomaPermitted within state regulationsLegal with licenseAllowedIllegalNo law on herd shares
Must be sold directly from farm to consumer.
OregonPermitted within state regulationsLegal with licenseAllowedLegal w/ regulationsNo law on herd shares
Must be sold directly from small-scale farm to consumer.
PennsylvaniaPermittedLegalAllowed with licenseLegalNo law on herd shares
Permit required.
Rhode IslandProhibited with exceptionLegal with licenseTo be determinedIllegalNo law on herd shares
Prohibited with one exception: Doctors may give patients a note to purchase raw goat milk.
South CarolinaPermittedLegalAllowedLegalNo law on herd shares
Permit required.
South DakotaPermitted within state regulationsLegal with licenseAllowedIllegalNo law on herd shares
License required.
TennesseeProhibitedIllegalAllowedIllegalLegal by regulation
TexasPermitted within state regulationsLegal with licenseTo be determinedIllegalLegal by regulation
Must be sold directly from licensed farm to consumer.
UtahPermitted within state regulationsLegal with licenseAllowed with licenseLegalLegal by regulation
Must be sold directly from licensed farm to consumer. Cow shares are legal.
VermontPermitted within state regulationsLegal with licenseAllowed with licenseIllegalNo law on herd shares
Must be sold on farm, at farmer's markets, or by community-supported agricultural organizations.
VirginiaProhibitedIllegalTo be determinedIllegalNo law on herd shares
WashingtonPermittedLegalAllowedLegalLegal by regulation
West VirginiaPermitted within state regulationsIllegalNot AllowedIllegalLegal by regulation
WisconsinProhibitedIncidental only.Allowed with licenseIllegalIllegal
WyomingProhibitedLegalTo be determinedIllegalLegal by regulation
showing: 50 rows

Raw Milk Legal States 2024

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