Friendly reminder to seed sellers: Any person or firm that labels seed for sale in Minnesota must have a seed permit. Permit holders pay fees to the state to support the seed regulatory program.
The permit fee is paid by the labeler making the first sale of seed in the state. Subsequent sales of that lot do not require additional fees. In addition to their responsibility to accurately label seed for sale, seed labelers must also maintain records to allow full traceability of their products, to support their label claims, and a file sample that is representative of the seed sold.
Permit categories and fees are determined by the type, intended use, and amount sold annually. Generally, those that only sell seed labeled by another person or firm do not need a permit. Fees are paid annually or semi-annually, depending on the category of permit.
For more detailed information about the requirements, including application forms, visit the Seed Permits page of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture website: https://www.mda.state.mn.us/plants-insects/seed-permits.