Introduction
In every state within the United States, it is either entirely legal or at least ambivalently legal to purchase raw milk. Raw milk is milk that has been taken from a cow that hasn’t been pasteurized. The pasteurization of raw milk ensures that all of the potentially harmful bacteria that is often in the milk mixture are killed, such as salmonella. However, pasteurizing raw milk also removes much of its naturally occurring nutrient content.
The only state where there is no legal way to obtain raw milk is New Jersey. It is explicitly stated in New Jersey state statute 24:10-57.17. that “No person shall sell, offer for sale, or distribute to the ultimate consumer any milk or cream that is not pasteurized.” In other words, all milk that is produced, sold, and distributed from New Jersey must be pasteurized.
In every other state, however, raw milk can be obtained legally. People who are proponents of consuming raw milk argue that it’s more naturally nutritious than milk which has been essentially sterilized through the pasteurization process, and they are correct. The removal of potentially harmful bacteria is the purpose of pasteurization, but that process also removes many of the nutrients in milk. Because of that, the nutrients have to be artificially reintroduced into the milk so that it regains its original nutrient content.
To learn more about states where raw milk is legal, scroll through the data in the charts.
| State | Raw Milk Laws | Total Milk Production |
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | Farm-to-Consumer Sales | 60 Mlb |
| Georgia | Farm-to-Consumer Sales | 1,798 Mlb |
| Illinois | Farm-to-Consumer Sales | 1,774 Mlb |
| Kansas | Farm-to-Consumer Sales | 4,098 Mlb |
| Massachusetts | Farm-to-Consumer Sales | 197 Mlb |
| Minnesota | Farm-to-Consumer Sales | 10,548 Mlb |
| Mississippi | Farm-to-Consumer Sales | 106 Mlb |
| Missouri | Farm-to-Consumer Sales | 1,010 Mlb |
| Montana | Farm-to-Consumer Sales | 243 Mlb |
| Nebraska | Farm-to-Consumer Sales | 1,423 Mlb |
| New York | Farm-to-Consumer Sales | 15,540 Mlb |
| Oklahoma | Farm-to-Consumer Sales | 692 Mlb |
| Oregon | Farm-to-Consumer Sales | 2,622 Mlb |
| South Dakota | Farm-to-Consumer Sales | 3,603 Mlb |
| Texas | Farm-to-Consumer Sales | 15,599 Mlb |
| Vermont | Farm-to-Consumer Sales | 2,566 Mlb |
| Wisconsin | Farm-to-Consumer Sales | 31,702 Mlb |
| Wyoming | Farm-to-Consumer Sales | 220.3 Mlb |
| Alabama | Herdshare Sales | 39 Mlb |
| Alaska | Herdshare Sales | |
| Colorado | Herdshare Sales | 5,271 Mlb |
| Delaware | Herdshare Sales | 52 Mlb |
| Hawaii | Herdshare Sales | |
| Iowa | Herdshare Sales | 5,538 Mlb |
| Kentucky | Herdshare Sales | 907 Mlb |
| Louisiana | Herdshare Sales | 126 Mlb |
| Michigan | Herdshare Sales | 11,952 Mlb |
| North Carolina | Herdshare Sales | 917 Mlb |
| North Dakota | Herdshare Sales | 335 Mlb |
| Ohio | Herdshare Sales | 5,643 Mlb |
| Rhode Island | Herdshare Sales | 10.1 Mlb |
| Tennessee | Herdshare Sales | 508 Mlb |
| Virginia | Herdshare Sales | 1,471 Mlb |
| West Virginia | Herdshare Sales | 75 Mlb |
| New Jersey | Illegal | 90 Mlb |
| Florida | Pet Food Sales | 2,170 Mlb |
| Indiana | Pet Food Sales | 4,532 Mlb |
| Maryland | Pet Food Sales | 875 Mlb |
| Arizona | Retail Sales | 4,818 Mlb |
| California | Retail Sales | 41,864 Mlb |
| Connecticut | Retail Sales | 434 Mlb |
| Idaho | Retail Sales | 16,412 Mlb |
| Maine | Retail Sales | 572 Mlb |
| Nevada | Retail Sales | 810 Mlb |
| New Hampshire | Retail Sales | 226 Mlb |
| New Mexico | Retail Sales | 7,804 Mlb |
| Pennsylvania | Retail Sales | 10,114 Mlb |
| South Carolina | Retail Sales | 159 Mlb |
| Utah | Retail Sales | 2,223 Mlb |
| Washington | Retail Sales | 6,504 Mlb |
Raw Milk Laws by State
Alabama
Raw Milk Laws
Herdshare Sales
Total Milk Production
39 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#47
Alaska
Raw Milk Laws
Herdshare Sales
Arizona
Raw Milk Laws
Retail Sales
Total Milk Production
4,818 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#14
Arkansas
Raw Milk Laws
Farm-to-Consumer Sales
Total Milk Production
60 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#45
California
Raw Milk Laws
Retail Sales
Total Milk Production
41,864 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#1
Colorado
Raw Milk Laws
Herdshare Sales
Total Milk Production
5,271 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#13
Connecticut
Raw Milk Laws
Retail Sales
Total Milk Production
434 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#34
Delaware
Raw Milk Laws
Herdshare Sales
Total Milk Production
52 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#46
Florida
Raw Milk Laws
Pet Food Sales
Total Milk Production
2,170 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#21
Georgia
Raw Milk Laws
Farm-to-Consumer Sales
Total Milk Production
1,798 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#22
Hawaii
Raw Milk Laws
Herdshare Sales
Idaho
Raw Milk Laws
Retail Sales
Total Milk Production
16,412 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#3
Illinois
Raw Milk Laws
Farm-to-Consumer Sales
Total Milk Production
1,774 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#23
Indiana
Raw Milk Laws
Pet Food Sales
Total Milk Production
4,532 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#15
Iowa
Raw Milk Laws
Herdshare Sales
Total Milk Production
5,538 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#12
Kansas
Raw Milk Laws
Farm-to-Consumer Sales
Total Milk Production
4,098 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#16
Kentucky
Raw Milk Laws
Herdshare Sales
Total Milk Production
907 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#28
Louisiana
Raw Milk Laws
Herdshare Sales
Total Milk Production
126 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#41
Maine
Raw Milk Laws
Retail Sales
Total Milk Production
572 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#32
Maryland
Raw Milk Laws
Pet Food Sales
Total Milk Production
875 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#29
Massachusetts
Raw Milk Laws
Farm-to-Consumer Sales
Total Milk Production
197 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#39
Michigan
Raw Milk Laws
Herdshare Sales
Total Milk Production
11,952 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#6
Minnesota
Raw Milk Laws
Farm-to-Consumer Sales
Total Milk Production
10,548 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#7
Mississippi
Raw Milk Laws
Farm-to-Consumer Sales
Total Milk Production
106 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#42
Missouri
Raw Milk Laws
Farm-to-Consumer Sales
Total Milk Production
1,010 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#26
Montana
Raw Milk Laws
Farm-to-Consumer Sales
Total Milk Production
243 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#36
Nebraska
Raw Milk Laws
Farm-to-Consumer Sales
Total Milk Production
1,423 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#25
Nevada
Raw Milk Laws
Retail Sales
Total Milk Production
810 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#30
New Hampshire
Raw Milk Laws
Retail Sales
Total Milk Production
226 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#37
New Jersey
Raw Milk Laws
Illegal
Total Milk Production
90 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#43
New Mexico
Raw Milk Laws
Retail Sales
Total Milk Production
7,804 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#9
New York
Raw Milk Laws
Farm-to-Consumer Sales
Total Milk Production
15,540 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#5
North Carolina
Raw Milk Laws
Herdshare Sales
Total Milk Production
917 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#27
North Dakota
Raw Milk Laws
Herdshare Sales
Total Milk Production
335 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#35
Ohio
Raw Milk Laws
Herdshare Sales
Total Milk Production
5,643 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#11
Oklahoma
Raw Milk Laws
Farm-to-Consumer Sales
Total Milk Production
692 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#31
Oregon
Raw Milk Laws
Farm-to-Consumer Sales
Total Milk Production
2,622 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#18
Pennsylvania
Raw Milk Laws
Retail Sales
Total Milk Production
10,114 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#8
Rhode Island
Raw Milk Laws
Herdshare Sales
Total Milk Production
10.1 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#48
South Carolina
Raw Milk Laws
Retail Sales
Total Milk Production
159 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#40
South Dakota
Raw Milk Laws
Farm-to-Consumer Sales
Total Milk Production
3,603 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#17
Tennessee
Raw Milk Laws
Herdshare Sales
Total Milk Production
508 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#33
Texas
Raw Milk Laws
Farm-to-Consumer Sales
Total Milk Production
15,599 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#4
Utah
Raw Milk Laws
Retail Sales
Total Milk Production
2,223 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#20
Vermont
Raw Milk Laws
Farm-to-Consumer Sales
Total Milk Production
2,566 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#19
Virginia
Raw Milk Laws
Herdshare Sales
Total Milk Production
1,471 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#24
Washington
Raw Milk Laws
Retail Sales
Total Milk Production
6,504 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#10
West Virginia
Raw Milk Laws
Herdshare Sales
Total Milk Production
75 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#44
Wisconsin
Raw Milk Laws
Farm-to-Consumer Sales
Total Milk Production
31,702 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#2
Wyoming
Raw Milk Laws
Farm-to-Consumer Sales
Total Milk Production
220.3 Mlb
Ranked in the US
#38
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