Tennessee Raw Milk Laws & Regulations

Raw milk is available in Tennessee through herdshares. Since 2009, Tenn. Code Ann. §53-3-119 has allowed an independent or partial owner of any hoofed mammal, such as a cow or goat, to use that animal's milk for personal consumption. A 2012 opinion from the Tennessee Attorney General confirmed that the exemption also covers dairy products made from that milk. Buying a share of a cow or herd is the legal way to get raw milk in the state.

The Tennessee Department of Health's herd share guidance, issued in August 2025 and citing 2020 legislation (HB 1129 and SB 1123), sets the rules for farms. Farm owners must keep a written contract with each member that states the ownership terms and warns that the milk has not been inspected by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. They must keep each member's name, address, phone number and email for three years after the contract ends. If contamination occurs, the farm must give the Department of Health access within 24 hours, stop distributing milk until the cause is found and resolved, and notify every member.

Retail sale of raw milk for human consumption is not legal in Tennessee. Milk from a herdshare is for members' own use, and neither the milk nor products made from it may be resold. The 2025 Food Freedom Act exempted many farm foods from licensing but excluded raw milk, so herdshares remain the pathway.