Agriculture / Weights and Measures

COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL HEMP CULTIVATOR & SEED BREEDER REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS

The registration fee and completed application must be submitted to the San Luis Obispo County Ag Commissioner’s Office:

• Fee and application must be submitted to the Ag Commissioner’s San Luis Obispo Office by mail (2156 Sierra Way, Suite A, SLO or [email protected]) or drop off at mail slot at the same address.
• The $900 fee must be paid in the form of a check, cashier’s check or money order made payable to “CDFA Cashier”
• The registration application for commercial cultivators or commercial seed breeders must be complete and accurate. Applications and laws/regulations related to cultivating industrial hemp are available to download on the CDFA website. 
• Criminal History Report for all key participants is required.  To apply for your background check, follow one of the three options outlined on the document titled “Criminal History Report for Industrial Hemp Registration – New 2020 California State Requirements for All Industrial Hemp Registrants.”
• Growers cannot legally plant industrial hemp until the application has been reviewed and approved by the Agricultural Commissioner’s Office. As described in the California Food & Agricultural Code, the Ag Commissioner shall issue a registration to the applicant after determining if the application meets requirements for registration. After applications are received, our office will work with the County Planning Department to make sure the submitted applications are in accordance with county ordinance and State Law. All efforts will be made to assess the applications as quickly as possible, and growers will be directly notified upon approval.

COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL HEMP APPLICATION REVIEW PROCESS

The following items will be assessed prior to issuing a registration to the applicant:

1. Site(s) approval by the County Planning Department.
2. Completeness and accuracy of the registration applications as described in FAC 81003/81004. including the required Criminal History Reports for key participants.
3. Confirmation that the industrial hemp cultivars proposed to be grown meets the requirements as described in FAC 81002 & CCR 4920.
4. Signage requirements (FAC 81006).  Cultivating sites must be posted with signs indicating the plot is industrial hemp. It is recommended that signage be posted prior to planting. We will not delay issuing a registration for lack of signage, but it must be in place at the time of planting.
5. Proposed plots that occur over the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin.  These plots would need confirmation from the San Luis Obispo County Planning Department that the proposed planting meets the requirements of the County’s Ag Offset Ordinance as specifically determined for irrigated hemp cultivation.

COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL HEMP CULTIVATORS OF NURSERY STOCK (SEEDS, SEEDLINGS, & CLONES)

For growers who intend on selling industrial hemp seedlings, clones, cuttings, etc. for planting or propagation, a License to Sell Nursery Stock issued from CDFA is also required. Some seed breeders will also require a Nursery Stock license if they sell any type of seedlings or cuttings; seed breeders who only sell seeds and do not sell or ship other types of nursery stock do not require a nursery license but will likely require a CDFA application to sell seed.

INDUSTRIAL HEMP ADVISORY NO. 02-2019:
https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/industrialhemp/docs/letters/IndustrialHempLetter-NurseryLicense_ADA.pdf

CDFA NURSERY LICENSE APPLICATION WEBSITE:
https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/pe/nsc/nursery/