Plant Protection Licenses

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

The New Mexico Plant Protection Act requires all businesses that buy, sell, grow, collect, or install plants to be licensed with the New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA).  The licenses assist the department in maintaining a comprehensive record of locations where plant material may be displayed, stored, imported into, or delivered within the state. 

Obtaining a License

 UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Call NMDA at 575-646-3207 for assistance.

License Categories

A license is required for each location at which one or more of the activities listed below are conducted.

Nursery Dealer - any person who buys and resells nursery stock or who handles nursery stock on a consignment basis, when the stock is not grown on their premises;

Florist Dealer - any person who buys and resells floral stock, when the stock is not grown on their premises;

Inspection Certificate (IC)

Required if nursery or floral stock is propagated or grown on the premises.  All locations where stock is grown must be listed on the license application in order to schedule timely inspections.

Collected Plant Permit (CP)

Required to collect plants growing in the wild for commercial sale.  Permit numbers must be displayed on both sides of the vehicle used to transport collected plants.

Special Dealer License (SD)

Available to persons who buy and resell only cacti or vegetable plants.  Cacti are those plants which belong to the cactus family, including: cholla, barrel, hedgehog, prickly pear, pincushion, and Christmas cactus.  Palm yucca, soaptree yucca and ocotillo are not cacti.

Special Vegetable Plant Inspection Certificate (SVPI)

Available to persons who sell only vegetable plants grown on their premises.

Farmer’s Market Inspection Certificate (FM)

Available to Farmer’s Markets and Growers Cooperatives who supply the department with a list of registered persons authorized to sell plants at the market or cooperative. The plants must be grown by the registered persons on land owned or leased by them and can only be sold at the registered location.

Farmer's Market License Application UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Fees 

Fees are set by regulation and are specified in the Plant Nursery Licensing and Inspection Regulation

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

License Maintenance

Renewal

Double Fees

Renewals which are  postmarked or hand delivered on or after October 1 are subject to double license fee.

Change of Address

License holders must notify the department in writing of address or business name changes.  Prompt notification will insure notices and renewals are properly mailed.                                                                          

Inspections

Once a license has been issued, the license holder is subject to inspection of each location and all plant material.  The purposes of this inspection are:

• The detection and mitigation of plant pests such as insects, weeds, and diseases.

•  Verification of proper certification of plants and cut flowers imported from out-of-state and transported within the   state.

•  Assurance that only healthy plant material is being offered for sale to the consumer.

•  Determination that the proper licenses or permits have been obtained and that they are necessary to the activities of  the business.

Certification of Shipments

The Plant Protection Act requires that all nursery and florist stock transported into and within the state be accompanied by a certificate of inspection signed by the proper state official.  These are often located on the invoice or on the container of plants.  In addition, plants may be regulated by Quarantines for specific pests, and  will require additional statements of certification.  See Plant Quarantines

Penalties

Stop sale orders may be issued on individual plants, or groups of plants, which do not meet pest free or vitality requirements.  A stop sale order may also be issued on an entire shipment due to lack of required certification, or if pests are found.

 Frequently Asked Questions