New York Raw Milk Laws & Regulations

New York authorizes on-farm raw milk sales under Agriculture and Markets Law §47-a, administered by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. Farms must obtain a Retail Raw Milk License, maintain tuberculosis and brucellosis-tested herds, pass quarterly sanitation inspections, and comply with bacterial plate count and somatic cell count standards. Raw milk must be labeled with the farm name, address, "sell-by" date, and a required warning statement. Sales are restricted to the licensed farm premises — consumers must come to the farm; off-farm delivery, mail order, and retail store sales are prohibited under the current framework.

New York has a significant licensed raw milk market. Permitted farms operate in the Hudson Valley, Finger Lakes, Catskill Mountains, and Adirondack regions, and a number of farms near the New York City metropolitan area serve urban consumers willing to drive for farm access. The New York City area attracts particular consumer interest, with several licensed farms within a 90-minute drive of the city. Herdshare arrangements have existed in a regulatory grey area in New York but are not explicitly authorized by statute and have been subject to enforcement scrutiny. The current framework has been stable for decades, with periodic legislative proposals to add delivery or farmers market sales not advancing into law.