Nursery Inspection Program

Plants Inside of Nursery

About the Nursery Inspection Program

The mission of the Nursery Inspection Program is to prevent the introduction and spread of agricultural pests and protect agriculture and the consumer against economic losses resulting from the sale of inferior, defective, or pest-infested nursery stock. The Nursery Inspection Program is an integral part of the State's agricultural pest prevention system. Nursery inspection and regulatory activities have prevented numerous pests from being disseminated throughout agricultural and suburban communities by prevention and/or eradication of pests at the nursery level. The quality of nursery stock has improved as a direct result of the regulation of nursery stock.

Growing Nursery Products, Flowers, or Foliage

California License to Sell Nursery Stock

In order to sell any nursery product you must have a California License to Sell Nursery Stock. See additional information for questions. 

General License Information

  • The LICENSE IS NOT TRANSFERABLE to another person.  The fee for a new license is due at the time any change in ownership occurs.  The LICENSE TO SELL NURSERY STOCK is issued for a 12-month period.  There are four such 12-month periods:  January through December; April through March; July through June; and October through September.  New licenses are issued for the license period commencing nearest to the date of receipt of the application. 
  • The LICENSE must be RENEWED no later than the 10th day of the first month of the licensee’s license period.  If the fee is not received by the date, the license is forfeited and thereafter can be renewed only upon payment of penalty in the form of a registration fee, or upon receipt of a signed statement that no nursery stock was sold from the first day of the license period to the date regular fee was paid.
  • The MINIMUM FEE FOR LICENSE is $150.  It is required for each branch sales yard, store or sales location which is owned and operated in the state.  A location where nursery stock is grown or assembled for distribution directly to customers is a branch sales yard, store or sales location and requires an additional license. 
  • In addition, an ACREAGE FEE is required for land in excess of one acre used in the production, storage or sale of nursery stock. The acreage fee established by the Secretary may not be less than $25 or more than $900.  In calculating the acreage fee, the total acreage of all branch sales and growing-grounds shall be used. The acreage fee does not apply to those licensees whose gross income from the production of cut flowers and cut ornamentals are 75 percent or greater of the gross income of their nursery. 

California Nursery Stock Certificate

If your nursery is found to be commercially clean, you may request a California Nursery Stock Certificate. Call our Plant Health and Pest Prevention Program at (760) 752-4700 for a nursery inspection.  

Shipping Nursery Stock

If you ship nursery products to other states, counties or countries, you may need one or more of the following:

  • Certificate of Quarantine Compliance
  • State Phytosanitary Certificate
  • Federal Phytosanitary Certificate
  • California Nursery Stock Certificate

48-hour advance notice is required for certification inspections. Inspection fees apply.

You may also need to be active in one of the following programs:

Contact our Plant Health and Pest Prevention Program at 760-752-470. 

Receiving Plant Shipments

Persons or companies receiving nursery products not labeled with a California Nursery Stock Certificate must call our office at (760) 752-4713 for inspection and release.

Incoming plant products must be kept in an isolated holding area away from production areas to prevent possible pest infestations.  Some shipments may need to be held for several days pending lab analysis of samples taken during inspection.