Federal Certificates
Moving agricultural material to other countries is regulated internationally by National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPO) of countries involved. The NPPO in the U.S. is the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine (USDA-APHIS-PPQ). The Division of Entomology & Plant Pathology Nursery Inspectors are Authorized Certification Officials (ACO) who are capable of performing inspections and issuing certificates for export. The objective of the program is to prevent the introduction or spread of certain pests and pathogens as determined by the importing country. Requirements differ based on the product to be exported and the country it is exported to. Contact your local inspector for more information.
State Certificates
In some cases, other states may also require a State Phytosanitary Certificate for the movement of plants or plant products. Requirements differ based on the product and shipped destination. Summaries of state requirements can be found on the National Plant Board site. Contact your local inspector for more information.
Types of Phytosanitary Certificates
- PPQ Form 577, Phytosanitary Certificate
- PPQ Form 579, Phytosanitary Certificate for Re-export
- PPQ Form 578, Processed Product Certificate
- State Phytosanitary Certificates
| Fees for Federal and State Phytosanitary Certificates issued by the IDNR | |
|---|---|
| Issuance of Federal and State Phytosanitary Certificates | *$50 |
| Reissue Requested by Exporter/Consignee | *$50 |
| State Phytosanitary Certificate Issued to Non-certified Nurseries of other businesses | $50 |
| State Phytosanitary Certificate Issued to Certified Nurseries, Greenhouses | No charge |
*There is an additional $6 PCIT user fee charged by USDA-APHIS for all Federal Phytosanitary certificates.
How Do I Request an Inspection
You will need to contact your local inspector to request an inspection. Please provide the commodity type, amount of commodity (weight, board feet, etc.), certified origin, destination, and approximate date of departure on the Application for Inspection form.
What is FGIS?
The Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) conducts official sampling and inspections of grain offered for export under the U.S. Grain Standards Act and the Agriculture Marketing Act of 1946. APHIS and FGIS have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that sets forth policies and procedures. If applying for a Phytosanitary certificate based on an inspection performed by FGIS, ensure the 921-2 Inspection Report is attached to the application in the Phytosanitary Certificate Issuance Tracking (PCIT) system.
Species of grain that FGIS can inspect (current as of March 2021)
| Common Name | Botanical Name |
|---|---|
| oat | Avena byzantina |
| oat | Avena sativa |
| canola | Brassica napus |
| soybean | Glycine max |
| cotton | Gossypium spp. |
| sunflower | Helianthus annuus |
| barley | Hordeum vulgare |
| lentil | Lens culinaris |
| flax | Linum usitatissimum |
| rice | Oryza sativa |
| bean | Phaseolus spp. |
| pea | Pisum sativum |
| rye | Secale cereale |
| sorghum | Sorghum bicolor |
| triticale | Triticosecale spp. |
| wheat | Triticum aestivum |
| wheat | Triticum compactum |
| wheat | Triticum durum |
| Mung bean | Vigna radiata |
| corn | Zea mays |
