Ohio Raw Milk Laws & Regulations

Ohio authorizes herdshare agreements for raw milk under Ohio Revised Code §917.07, which provides that a person who has an ownership interest in a dairy animal may obtain milk from that animal. Under this framework, a consumer purchases a fractional interest in a dairy animal, pays a boarding fee to the farm for the animal's care, and receives raw milk as a benefit of that ownership rather than as a commercial purchase. Farms offering herdshares in Ohio do not require a commercial raw milk sales license for the herdshare portion of their business. The Ohio Department of Agriculture's Division of Dairy Foods administers dairy licensing for commercial operations.

Ohio has a significant herdshare market with farms operating throughout the state, particularly in rural central and eastern Ohio. The state's large Amish and Mennonite communities have historically sustained traditional dairy practices and contribute to raw milk access in many rural areas outside the herdshare framework as well. Bills to expand legal access beyond herdshares toward a direct farm licensing pathway have been introduced in the Ohio Legislature, with advocates seeking a formal permit system that would provide clearer legal footing than the current ownership arrangement.