Delaware Raw Milk Laws & Regulations

Delaware prohibited raw milk sales for human consumption until September 2024, when Governor John Carney signed Senate Bill 273, the Consumer Choice Milk Act, establishing the state's first permitted direct-to-consumer raw milk framework. Under the new law, producers licensed by the Delaware Department of Agriculture may sell raw milk directly to consumers at the farm. Herd health testing, sanitary standards, testing requirements, and labeling requirements apply under the Delaware Department of Agriculture's implementing regulations. The bill passed with bipartisan support after a lengthy legislative process that began with a predecessor bill in 2023.

Delaware's raw milk legalization in 2024 made it one of the most recent Mid-Atlantic states to authorize farm-direct sales. Prior to the law's passage, Delaware consumers relied primarily on Pennsylvania, which has licensed retail stores, for access to raw milk. Delaware's new framework creates an in-state licensed pathway for the first time. The law is limited to direct sales at the farm; off-farm delivery, farmers market sales, and retail store distribution are not authorized under the initial framework. The Delaware raw milk market is expected to develop gradually as producers apply for permits under the new program.