Last reviewed: 2026-06-11. 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
The map: raw milk legality at a glance
- Retail legal 16
- On-farm / direct 17
- Herd-share only 5
- Restricted 4
- Pet food only 5
- Banned 4
For the full data story, including how many farms actually sell raw milk in each state and which states have the most per capita, see The State of Raw Milk in America 2026.
Every state and DC
Beyond the legal status, this table shows live supply: the farm-to-door directory currently lists 9,122 farms offering raw milk across the US. Click a count to see that state's raw milk farms.
| State | Tier | Status | Key restrictions | Farms listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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. | 76 |
| 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. | 37 |
| 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. | 125 |
| 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. | 224 |
| 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. | 622 |
| Colorado | Herd-share only | Herd-share only | Only herd shares are legal. Producers must register, label products with health warnings, and document herd testing. | 436 |
| Connecticut | Retail legal | Retail legal with licensing | Producer license required. Annual herd testing, fluid product inspection, and prominent warning labels are mandatory. | 101 |
| 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. | 27 |
| 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. | 48 |
| 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. | 460 |
| 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. | 192 |
| Hawaii | Illegal | Illegal for human consumption | No herd-share statute exists. Multiple legalization bills failed in 2017 and have not yet passed. | 6 |
| 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. | 164 |
| 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. | 106 |
| 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. | 264 |
| 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. | 87 |
| 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. | 125 |
| 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. | 142 |
| Louisiana | Pet food only | Pet food only | A 2024 law allows raw milk sales as animal feed under a registration, labeling, and testing regime. | 49 |
| Maine | Retail legal | Retail legal with licensing | Distributor license required. Producers must label product as unpasteurized and meet sanitary standards. | 221 |
| 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. | 188 |
| 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. | 122 |
| 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. | 243 |
| Minnesota | On-farm only | On-farm only | Milk occasionally purchased at the farm for personal use is exempted from the pasteurization requirement. | 149 |
| 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. | 34 |
| 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. | 380 |
| 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. | 82 |
| Nebraska | On-farm only | On-farm only | Farm-exclusive sales to consumers are exempt from the Milk Act. Resale is not permitted. | 72 |
| 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. | 5 |
| 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. | 179 |
| 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. | 170 |
| 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. | 36 |
| 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. | 354 |
| 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. | 220 |
| 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. | 39 |
| 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. | 254 |
| Oklahoma | On-farm only | On-farm sales up to 1,500 gal/month | SB 2028 (signed May 2026) raised the on-farm direct-to-consumer cap from 100 to 1,500 gallons per month, allowed raw milk advertising, and requires raw/unpasteurized labeling with fill date. No permit required. Retail stores and farmers markets remain prohibited. | 147 |
| 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. | 200 |
| Pennsylvania | Retail legal | Retail legal with permitting | State permit required and sanitary standards apply. PA Department of Agriculture indicates herd shares are also legal. | 665 |
| 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. | 9 |
| 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. | 160 |
| 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. | 22 |
| 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. | 253 |
| 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. | 334 |
| 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. | 77 |
| 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. | 179 |
| 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. | 553 |
| 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. | 285 |
| 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. | 39 |
| 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. | 92 |
| 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. | 68 |
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.
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