Milk & Egg Section
Contact Information
Department of Livestock
Milk & Egg Section
PO Box 202001
Helena, Montana 59620-2001
(406) 444-5202
Email: MMEIOffice@mt.gov
Helena Office Hours:
Monday - Friday
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Milk & Egg Inspection
Frequently Asked Questions
General Milk and Egg
The best contact to start with to get information and start the process will be the Department of Livestock Sanitarian for your area. You can find their contact information on the Sanitarian District Map.
Some general requirements you will need to meet before you can be licensed are:
- Submission of detailed construction plans
- Coliform testing of your water supply
- Submission of an equipment list, all of which must adhere to 3-A standards
- Tuberculosis testing of your milking herd
Your Sanitarian will be available to help you through the process and ensure all requirements are met prior to licensing.
The documents below provide additional general guidance to help get you started.
Potential Dairy Producers MemoPMO Selection for Dairy Producers
If you are simply selling eggs from your backyard flock to friends and neighbors, directly from your farm or home -- good news - no license is needed!
If you want to sell your eggs somewhere they will be resold (i.e. a grocery store, cafe, etc.) or you are selling more than 25 cases (30 dozen/case) a month, then you will need an egg grading license from our department. Eggs sold at retail locations are required to be graded.
Information on the requirements for this license can be found in the documents below, including a list of the equipment you will need. When you are ready to be licensed, contact the State Sanitarian for your area, who can be found on our Sanitarian District Map to set up an inspection and the exam.
As always, your Sanitarian will be available to help you through the process and ensure all requirements are met prior to licensing.
General Egg Information - Start HereOfficial Egg Grading Manual
Egg Handling (ATTRA)
Montana Code
New Service Bulletin (Clorox)
Salmonella
Raw Milk and Montana Local Food Choice Act Information
Raw milk is another name for unpasteurized milk.
Unpasteurized milk has not been subject to a heating process (pasteurization) that kills pathogens and extends the product’s shelf life.
Senate Bill 199, otherwise referred to as the Montana Local Food Choice Act (M.L.F.C.A.), was passed by the 2021 legislature and allows for a “small dairy” to sell raw milk and milk products to an “informed end consumer”.
The definition for a “small dairy” is located in MCA 81-21-101.
The definition for “informed end consumer” is located in MCA 50-49-203.
A “small dairy” is defined in MCA 81-21-101(6) as “a place where no more than 5 lactating cows, 10 lactating goats, or 10 lactating sheep are kept for producing milk”.
An “informed end consumer” is defined in MCA 50-49-202 (4) as “a person who is the last person to purchase a product, does not resell the product, and has been informed that the product is not licensed, permitted, certified, packaged, labeled, or inspected per any official regulations”.
More information can be found on our FAQs page for raw milk producers and those found in Senate Bill 199.
Unpasteurized milk has been documented to contain numerous disease-causing organisms such as Listeria, E. coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, Brucellosis, Tuberculosis, and more.
Children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immune systems are the most at risk for serious injury or illness related to raw milk. Ask your family healthcare provider for more information.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website offers more information.
No. The MLFCA exempts “small dairies” from Department of Livestock licensing requirements.
However, there are testing requirements for both your milking animals and the milk itself per MCA 50-49-203 (8), every lactating cow, lactating goat, or lactating sheep that is part of the small dairy shall be tested every year for brucellosis and the records maintained for two (2) years.
Per MCA 50-49-203 (8), every lactating cow, lactating goat, or lactating sheep that is part of the small dairy shall be tested every year for brucellosis and the records maintained for two (2) years.
Your herd/flock veterinarian should be able to schedule an official brucellosis test.
Per section 3 (8) of the MLFCA MCA 50-49-203 (8), tests for standard plate count, coliform count, and somatic cell count shall be conducted every six (6) months and the records maintained for two (2) years.
The Montana Veterinary Diagnostic Milk Lab (MVDL), per the Board of Livestock, is not accepting raw milk samples from producers selling raw milk at this time; however, samples from private parties wishing to test their milk for their own personal consumption will continue to be accepted. The department may not endorse or recommend private third-party laboratories. An internet search for “independent certified labs” should bring up options for you to look into.
Your herd/flock veterinarian may be a resource for best collection practices or, the lab you choose to test your samples may have recommendations for sampling and shipping. There are also good sample collection videos available on YouTube. Be sure to check with your chosen lab regarding freezing your milk samples.
Yes! Though not required by the MLFCA, the department highly recommends all milking animals be tested for tuberculosis (TB). TB is a zoonotic disease, meaning it is easily transmissible between animals and humans, and raw milk can be a source of TB infection in humans. In addition, we would encourage raw milk producers to sample their milk and cream more frequently than the minimum required six (6) months. Again, this is not required in the MLFCA, but is a good management practice.
The MLFCA allows for sales at a “traditional community social event” (MCA 50-49-202 (7)) which includes farmer’s markets. However, many markets have their own boards who approve vendors. Contact your local market to verify their rules and regulations.
No. A café, restaurant, coffee kiosk, etc. is considered a retail food establishment. Any sales by the dairy producer or their designated agent must be directly to the informed end consumer.
Yes. The small dairy owner or a designated agent may have a delivery route. However, the delivery must be to an “informed end consumer”. The products delivered must be only for home consumption or at a traditional community social event and must occur only in Montana. NOTE: MCA 50-49-203 (6) specifies a producer may not donate milk to a traditional community social event.
No. There are no labeling requirements on milk or cream sold as homemade food or a homemade food product. See MCA 50-49-203 (1)(d).
No. The MLFCA amended MCA 81-22-304 (3) to exclude “small dairies” from the department’s right of entry into dairies or plants for inspection. This does not, however, eliminate the department’s right to visit a premise in the event of a disease outbreak that warrants investigations into animal health, herd/flock or individual animal movements, or quarantines.
No. The MLFCA does not require a small dairy to be an LLC. Contact your accountant or attorney for further advice.
We are here to help! Getting a new business off the ground can be a daunting task, but our staff is ready to help guide you through the process whether your dream is to sell farm fresh, pasteurized milk or create artisan cheeses or other dairy products.
Visit our website (https://liv.mt.gov/Meat-Milk-Inspection/Milk-and-Egg-Bureau/Milk-Section), then call us at 406-444-5202, or email us (MMEIOffice@mt.gov) to get started!