Montana lets small dairies sell any raw dairy product direct to consumers with no licence or inspection, under the Local Food Choice Act 5/10/10 herd limits.
Montana has one of the most producer-friendly raw dairy frameworks in the country. Under the Local Food Choice Act a small dairy may sell any raw dairy product directly to consumers without a licence, permit or government inspection, which is a genuinely unusual degree of freedom.
Yes. Senate Bill 199, the Local Food Choice Act, was enacted in 2021 and updated in 2023. It permits unlicensed direct sale of raw milk and raw dairy products where the producer keeps no more than five lactating cows, ten lactating goats or ten lactating sheep, the limit commonly called the 5/10/10 rule. Producers still meet Department of Public Health and Human Services testing and reporting requirements, so the milk is monitored even though the operation is not licensed.
The Act's breadth is its strength. Because it covers raw dairy products generally rather than fluid milk alone, Montana producers can offer raw butter, cream, yogurt, kefir and cheese alongside milk, a range that most states restrict. Sales are direct from producer to consumer for home consumption, and transactions stay within Montana.
Look to small farms and homesteads rather than retail. Producers operate across the Flathead and Bitterroot valleys, the Gallatin Valley around Bozeman, the Helena and Missoula areas and throughout the agricultural east, and they sell at the farm and through local networks. The 5/10/10 ceiling means each dairy is small and serves a local customer base, so Montana access works through many modest producers rather than a few large ones. Legislative support has strengthened over a decade of attempts, and the sector has grown steadily since 2021. For the federal framework, see the United States raw milk laws overview.
Official government documents and legal resources for Montana
The enrolled Local Food Choice Act permitting unlicensed direct sale of raw milk and raw dairy products from small Montana dairies, with the five lactating cows, ten goats or ten sheep herd limits.
View Official Resource →MSU Extension explanation of how the Local Food Choice Act works in practice, including the 5/10/10 herd limits and the DPHHS testing and reporting expectations that apply to small dairies.
View Official Resource →Search for raw milk sources near popular locations in Montana
Free, no paywalls, no private equity.
Keep this project going and growing.
Connect people with raw milk sources.
Every tip keeps real food accessible.
✓ You're supporting a free community resource. This is a tip/donation, not a purchase of milk or products.
Agri-Mark, the dairy processor behind Cabot cheese, told a raw milk farm in Warren, Massachusetts to stop direct sales or leave.
Federal investigators are tracking six Cyclospora outbreaks this summer. Only one has a named supplier, and even that wasn’t confirmed by a lab test.
Two federal surveillance studies spanning two decades show raw milk outbreaks get traced to a single farm within days, while most produce outbreaks never are.
The federal ban on raw milk sale remains in place, though organized advocacy for a licensed pathway is building toward an independent review this October.
A complete beginner’s guide to raw milk: what makes it raw, where it comes from, and where to find research-backed answers to every follow-up question.
The right amount of vetting a raw milk source needs depends on where you’re buying. A practical guide to what matters, and what doesn’t.
