Alabama Raw Milk Laws & Regulations

Formal commercial raw milk sales for human consumption are restricted in Alabama under Ala. Code §20-1-40 and associated regulations of the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI), which require pasteurization for commercially distributed milk. No licensed farm-direct permit, herdshare statute, or retail raw milk authorization has been established under Alabama law. Despite the absence of a formal pathway, limited informal raw milk access exists in Alabama's rural farming communities, particularly in the northern counties and Black Belt region where small-scale dairy operations have long-standing direct-sale traditions.

Alabama consumers who seek raw milk most commonly access it through informal direct arrangements with small farms or through neighboring states. Georgia's on-farm direct sales permit system under the 2022 Raw Dairy Act (O.C.G.A. §26-2-450 et seq.) is within reach of much of eastern and central Alabama. No formal herdshare or farm-direct bill has advanced in recent Alabama legislative sessions. The state's commercial dairy industry, concentrated in the northeast and Black Belt regions, has historically shaped the regulatory posture toward raw milk.