Last reviewed: 2026-05-08. Source: Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund. Raw milk laws change frequently. Verify with your state Department of Agriculture before buying or selling.
Summary by tier
- Retail legal 16 jurisdictions
- On-farm or direct sales 17 jurisdictions
- Herd-share only 5 jurisdictions
- Restricted (goat-only or specific) 4 jurisdictions
- Pet food only 5 jurisdictions
- Illegal 4 jurisdictions
Every state and DC
| State | Tier | Status | Key restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Illegal | Illegal for human consumption | Only pasteurized milk is permitted for human consumption. Raw milk is sold legally only as pet food, which requires a commercial feed license. |
| Alaska | Retail legal | Retail legal with registration | Annual registration required. Herd shares are expressly permitted with proper contracts. Denatured raw milk for animal feed is also allowed. |
| Arizona | Retail legal | Retail legal with permitting | Dairy farm permit required and cattle must be tested before sale. Herd shares are not used because retail sales are available. |
| Arkansas | On-farm only | On-farm sales legal | A 2025 law permits incidental raw milk sales up to 500 gallons per month at the farm, at farmers markets, or via direct delivery to consumers. |
| California | Retail legal | Retail legal with licensing | License and inspection required for off-site retail. Herd shares are allowed under California Department of Food and Agriculture policy. |
| Colorado | Herd-share only | Herd-share only | Only herd shares are legal. Producers must register, label products with health warnings, and document herd testing. |
| Connecticut | Retail legal | Retail legal with licensing | Producer license required. Annual herd testing, fluid product inspection, and prominent warning labels are mandatory. |
| Delaware | On-farm only | On-farm and direct distribution legal | A 2024 law allows direct-to-consumer sales by permitted producers. Testing, training, and sanitation requirements apply. |
| District of Columbia | Illegal | Illegal for human consumption | DC adopts USDA standards, which require pasteurization for all milk and milk products sold for human consumption. |
| Florida | Pet food only | Pet food only | Retail sale for human consumption is illegal. The statute defines 'sale' broadly, including herd shares and any indirect compensation for milk rights. |
| Georgia | On-farm only | On-farm legal with permit | Permitted on-farm sales have been legal since July 1, 2023. Raw cheese aged to federal standards is also legal. |
| Hawaii | Illegal | Illegal for human consumption | No herd-share statute exists. Multiple legalization bills failed in 2017 and have not yet passed. |
| Idaho | Retail legal | Retail legal with permitting | State permit required. A 2023 law removed herd-share size limits and relaxed many restrictions, but advertising of raw milk is prohibited. |
| Illinois | On-farm only | On-farm only | On-farm sales only, with mandatory warning signage. Producers must keep transaction records and have a recall procedure. |
| Indiana | Pet food only | Pet food only | All milk for human consumption must be pasteurized except cheese aged 60+ days. Raw milk for pet consumption requires non-human-consumption labeling. |
| Iowa | On-farm only | On-farm legal with herd-share allowed | A 2023 law allows on-farm and direct-delivery sales. Producers limited to 10 lactating animals; testing and labeling required. Herd shares are also permitted. |
| Kansas | On-farm only | On-farm only | On-farm retail sales of raw milk, butter, and cream are permitted. Off-farm sales are not allowed. |
| Kentucky | Restricted | Goat milk only with prescription | Only goat milk is legal for human consumption, and a physician recommendation is required. On-farm sales only with permit and recordkeeping. |
| Louisiana | Pet food only | Pet food only | A 2024 law allows raw milk sales as animal feed under a registration, labeling, and testing regime. |
| Maine | Retail legal | Retail legal with licensing | Distributor license required. Producers must label product as unpasteurized and meet sanitary standards. |
| Maryland | Illegal | Illegal for human consumption | Raw milk sales are prohibited. The definition of 'sale' includes shares or interests in cows via agistment agreements, effectively banning herd shares. |
| Massachusetts | On-farm only | On-farm legal with permit | Farm-to-consumer on-farm sales require a Certificate of Registration. Herd shares are treated as illegal milk sales. |
| Michigan | Herd-share only | Herd-share only | Herd shares are permitted under Department of Agriculture policy and require a written contract. Only fluid milk and cream may be transferred, no value-added dairy products. |
| Minnesota | On-farm only | On-farm only | Milk occasionally purchased at the farm for personal use is exempted from the pasteurization requirement. |
| Mississippi | Restricted | Goat milk only on-farm | Limited to incidental goat milk sales with a maximum of 10 goats, only 9 producing. Advertising is not allowed. |
| Missouri | Retail legal | On-farm and off-farm legal | Missouri Milk Board policy permits both on-farm and off-farm direct sales. Off-farm farm-stand sales require a Retail Raw Milk Permit. |
| Montana | On-farm only | Small dairy and delivery legal | Small dairies allowed up to 5 lactating cows, 10 goats, or 10 sheep. Testing and consumer notification required. |
| Nebraska | On-farm only | On-farm only | Farm-exclusive sales to consumers are exempt from the Milk Act. Resale is not permitted. |
| Nevada | Retail legal | Retail legal with restricted implementation | County milk commission certification is required. Only one county currently has an active commission and no producers are licensed there. |
| New Hampshire | Retail legal | Retail and direct-to-consumer legal | Direct sales and farmers-market sales are permitted. Aged cheese (60+ days) and yogurt made from raw milk are also legal. |
| New Jersey | Pet food only | Pet food only | Raw milk for pet consumption is lawful only with a state permit. Human-consumption sales are prohibited. |
| New Mexico | Retail legal | Retail legal with licensing | Grade A designation requires a permit and warning labels. Cows must be tested before sale and annually. |
| New York | On-farm only | On-farm only with license | Permit required for on-farm direct sales of fluid milk. Herd shares are also permitted. Warning signage required. |
| North Carolina | Herd-share only | Herd-share only | All distribution for human consumption is prohibited except herd shares. Animal-feed sales are allowed under separate rules. |
| North Dakota | On-farm only | On-farm, farmers market, and delivery legal | A 2023 law allows farm, farmers-market, and delivery sales without permits, licenses, or labeling requirements. |
| Ohio | Herd-share only | Herd-share only | Herd shares are permitted by a 2006 court ruling. Retail sales are illegal and no grandfathered producers remain. |
| Oklahoma | On-farm only | On-farm incidental sales | Incidental on-farm sales are allowed without a license. Goat milk sales are capped at 100 gallons per month. |
| Oregon | Restricted | On-farm cow milk; goat and sheep retail | Cow milk on-farm sales only and capped at 3 cows. Goat and sheep milk may be sold at retail with a license. Cheese must be aged 60+ days. |
| Pennsylvania | Retail legal | Retail legal with permitting | State permit required and sanitary standards apply. PA Department of Agriculture indicates herd shares are also legal. |
| Rhode Island | Restricted | Goat milk only with prescription | Only goat milk is legal for human consumption, and only with a physician prescription. Raw cheese aged 60+ days is also legal. |
| South Carolina | Retail legal | Retail legal with permitting | State permit required. Producers must meet the same sanitation standards as pasteurized milk operations, including herd testing. |
| South Dakota | On-farm only | On-farm and delivery legal | License required and producers must complete an educational course. Clear labeling and 90-day purchaser records are required. |
| Tennessee | Herd-share only | Herd-share only | Herd shares are permitted by statute and value-added products are allowed under the share. Direct sales are limited to pet consumption. |
| Texas | On-farm only | On-farm and delivery legal | Producer permit required and Grade A raw milk standards apply. On-farm sales and farm-to-consumer delivery are permitted. |
| Utah | Retail legal | Retail legal with varying restrictions | Retail sales and delivery are allowed for licensed dairies. On-farm sales under 120 gallons per month are exempt from licensing. |
| Vermont | On-farm only | On-farm and delivery legal | Tier I dairies (up to 12.5 gal/day) need no license. Tier II (over 350 gal/week or delivery) requires a license. Milk must transfer within 4 days of milking. |
| Virginia | Pet food only | Pet food only | Raw cow and goat milk are illegal for human consumption. Since June 2024 they may be sold under a pet feed license. |
| Washington | Retail legal | Retail legal with licensing | State Milk Producer and Processing Plant licenses required. Bacteria counts follow the federal ordinance. Animal-feed milk must be colored. |
| West Virginia | Retail legal | Retail legal | A 2024 law permits raw milk sales with proper labeling. A 2025 law allows pet-food sales with dyed decharacterization. |
| Wisconsin | On-farm only | On-farm incidental only | Incidental on-farm direct sales only, not as a regular business. Herd shares are not allowed; shareholder transfers are exempt only when business risk is shared. |
| Wyoming | Retail legal | Retail and direct sales legal (Food Freedom) | The Food Freedom Act permits sales to informed consumers. Producers do not need licenses, permits, or inspections. |
How to read this table
- Retail legal: raw milk can be sold in licensed grocery stores. The most permissive tier.
- On-farm or direct sales: the farmer can sell directly to a consumer at the farm, sometimes with delivery, but not at a third-party store.
- Herd-share only: retail and direct sale are illegal, but consumers can legally drink raw milk via a herd-share agreement.
- Restricted: special-case rules, often goat-milk only or with prescription requirements.
- Pet food only: raw milk is sold legally only as animal feed, not for human consumption.
- Illegal: raw milk for human consumption is fully prohibited.
Want raw milk in your state
The fastest path is to use the live directory: raw milk farms near me, allow location, and inspect each card for delivery, pickup, or herd-share availability. The where to buy raw milk guide explains every legal channel.