An Act To Exempt Small Raw Milk Producers from Licensing Requirements
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 0229
Committee: Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
Sponsors: HANLEY, WOODSOME, HARLOW, HICKMAN, STEARNS, THERIAULT
Amends: 7 MRSA §2900, 7 MRSA §2901-C, 7 MRSA §2908-A, 7 MRSA §2910-C

Legislative Document 
No. 229 
H.P. 161 
House of Representatives, February 3, 2015 
An Act To Exempt Small Raw Milk Producers from Licensing 
Requirements 
Reference to the Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry suggested and 
ordered printed. 
ROBERT B. HUNT 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative HANLEY of Pittston. 
Cosponsored by Senator WOODSOME of York and 
Representatives: HARLOW of Portland, HICKMAN of Winthrop, McCLELLAN of Raymond, 
STEARNS of Guilford, THERIAULT of China. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  7 MRSA §2900, sub-§16-A is enacted to read: 
16-A.  Raw milk.  "Raw milk" means milk that has not been pasteurized or 
homogenized. 
Sec. 2.  7 MRSA §2901-C, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 679, Pt. A, §5, is 
amended to read: 
1.  Milk distributor license.  A milk distributor shall obtain a license from the 
commissioner and shall renew that license annually.  The license fee is based on the 
annual volume of milk or milk products sold or distributed in the State.  The annual fee 
may not be lower than $25 or exceed $300.  The commissioner shall deposit all money 
received from milk distributor license fees into the General Fund.  A milk distributor 
selling raw milk or a raw milk product under section 2910-C is exempt from the 
provisions of this subsection. 
Sec. 3.  7 MRSA §2908-A, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2005, c. 270, §7, is further 
amended to read: 
1.  Violation.  A firm, person, corporation or society may not sell milk or milk 
products in the State, except raw milk or a raw milk product under section 2910-C, 
without the license or permits provided in sections 2901-C and 2902-A, violate sections 
2901-A to 2903-B or neglect, fail or refuse to comply with those sections and the rules, 
regulations and standards of identity and quality issued pursuant to section 2910. 
Sec. 4.  7 MRSA §2910-C is enacted to read: 
§2910-C.  Sales of raw milk 
1.  Exemption from licensing requirement.  A milk distributor who daily produces 
for sale less than 20 gallons of raw milk or daily processes less than 20 gallons of raw 
milk into cheese aged at least 60 days, yogurt, cream, butter or kefir or other dairy 
product is not required to obtain a license under section 2901-C if the milk and any 
products are sold directly to the consumer from the milk distributor's own farm or farm 
stand or at a farmers' market within the State. 
2.  Labeling.  Raw milk or a raw milk product sold under subsection 1 must be 
clearly labeled with the name, address and phone number of the milk distributor's farm, 
the name of the product and the following statement:  "This product is made with raw 
milk and is exempt from State of Maine licensing.''  If the raw milk or a raw milk product 
is sold in a container provided by the milk distributor, the container must be labeled 
pursuant to the requirements of this subsection. 
3.  Sign.  A milk distributor selling raw milk or a raw milk product under subsection 
shall place a sign at the point of sale that contains the name, address and phone number 
of the milk distributor's farm and the following statement:  "Products from this farm made 
from raw milk are exempt from State of Maine licensing.'' 
SUMMARY 
This bill exempts the sale of raw milk and raw milk products from licensing under the 
following circumstances: 
1.  The sale is by a milk distributor who daily produces for sale less than 20 gallons 
of raw milk or daily processes less than 20 gallons of raw milk into various dairy 
products and sells the milk and milk products directly to the consumer from the milk 
distributor's own farm or farm stand or at a farmers' market within the State; 
2.  The raw milk and raw milk products are clearly labeled with the name, address 
and phone number of the milk distributor's farm, the name of the product and the 
following statement: "This product is made with raw milk and is exempt from State of 
Maine licensing''; and 
3.  At the point of sale a sign is placed that contains the name, address and phone 
number of the milk distributor's farm and the following statement: "Products from this 
farm made from raw milk are exempt from State of Maine licensing.''