Fertilizing Materials Inspection Program
1220 N Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 • 916-900-5022 • Fax: 916-900-5349 • fertilizer@cdfa.ca.gov
The Fertilizing Materials Inspection Program is an industry-funded program that ensures consumers receive fertilizing materials that are safe and effective and meet the quality and quantity guaranteed by the manufacturer. The program's three arms include registration, inspection and research.
Fertilizer Materials RegistrationLearn how to register a fertilizer product, find helpful forms.
The fertilizer registration program ensures fertilizer products are in compliance with California Code of Regulations for fertilizer. Product labels are reviewed in the order they are submitted. It generally takes 60 to 90 days to complete a fertilizer registration. It is unlawful to sell an unregistered fertilizer product in California. To ensure your product fulfills registration, please begin the registration process 6 months in advance of planned date of first sale.
- ONLINE APPLICATION DATABASE
Sign up on our online database for ease of your fertilizer materials registration. Through the database, you can apply for and manage fertilizer licenses and registrations; calculate and pay your required mill and tonnage reports; and view correspondence from registration staff.
New to the database? Click: “Enroll New User” on the top of the sign-in screen.
Need a paper application? Use these forms to register: - REGISTRATION LABELING AIDS
Labeling guide, flow charts, and checklists to help with specific registration topics
- FERTILIZER LAWS AND REGULATIONS
Review the pertinent sections of the California Food and Agriculture Code and the California Code of Regulations (CCR).
- We also follow the guidelines of the Association of American Plant Food Control Officials (AAPFCO)
- Already have a product, need a label update? Use this form to submit changes to CDFA:
- Register your Organic Input Material
- Database Video Instructions
Register a fertilizer product for Organic food and crop production
Fertilizer Materials ResourcesFind your local inspector, find currently registered products, see fee schedule.
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FIND YOUR INSPECTOR
- Fertilizer Notices to Industry
- Notice to Industry - AB 856 Organic Input Materials - 12.28.09.pdf
- Notice to Industry - Ammonium Nitrate - 12.14.05.pdf
- Notice to Industry - Base Fertilizing Ingredients - 03.30.10.pdf
- Notice to Industry - Bat Guano - 05.12.17.pdf
- Notice to Industry - Chelates Containing NPK - 08.21.95.pdf
- Notice to Industry - Foliar Elemental Sulfur - 05.24.04.pdf
- Notice to Industry - Gypsum - 03.24.99.pdf
- Notice to Industry - Heavy Metals Analysis - 08.12.20.pdf
- Notice to Industry - Humic Acid - Acceptable Product Claims - 02.13.03.pdf
- Notice to Industry - Humic Acid Method - 03.15.09.pdf
- Notice to Industry - Mycohrizae propagules - 05.18.20.pdf
- Notice to Industry - Organic Disclosure - 06.18.12.pdf
- Notice to Industry - Organic Input Materials License & Registration - 12.24.10.pdf
- Notice to Industry - Phosphorous Acid - 03.30.04.pdf
- Notice to Industry - Provisional Registration - 11.29.21.pdf
- Notice to Industry - Registration of Ammonia Extracts - 12.15.21.pdf
- Notice to Industry - Seabird Guano - 09.01.22.pdf
- Notice to Industry – Seaweed and Kelp Extracts – 05.23.23
- Notice to Industry - Silicon - 07.13.20.pdf
- Notice to Industry - Weight and Measures - 05.22.17.pdf
- CURRENT FERTILIZING MATERIALS INFORMATION
- Fertilizer Product Database - find a product in the channels of trade
- Fertilizer Licensee List - list of current fertilizer licenses
- Fertilizer Tonnage Report by Year - Yearly tonnage numbers
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FERTILIZING MATERIALS COMPLAINT FORM
Use this form to communicate complaints about fertilizing materials
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Fertilizing Materials Inspection Fees
A licensee whose name appears as the guarantor on the label who sells or distributes bulk fertilizing materials to the end user or whose name appears on the label of a packaged fertilizing material shall pay to the secretary an assessment not to exceed two mills ($0.002) per dollar of sales of all fertilizing materials. In addition, the secretary may impose an assessment in the amount not to exceed one mill ($0.001) per dollar of sales of fertilizing materials to provide funding for research and education regarding the use and handling of commercial and organic fertilizer, including environmental effects. The current assessment is one mill ($0.001) per dollar of sales for all fertilizing materials, and an additional one mill ($0.001) per dollar of sales of fertilizing materials to provide funding for research and education regarding the use and handling of commercial and organic fertilizer, including environmental effects. Inspection fees are due on a quarterly basis.
Find nutrient information for many crops, see what's new in fertilizer research
Fertilizer Materials PublicationsFind tonnage reporting and research studies.
- Evaluation of Heavy Metals & Dioxin in Inorganic Commercial Fertilizers and California Cropland Soils
- Role of Fertilizer and Micronutrient Applications on Arsenic, Cadmium, and Lead Accumulation...
- A Generalized Trace Element Mass Balance Model for Cropland Soils: Arsenic and Cadmium
- Fertilizer Tonnage Report by Year
Information on the Fertilizer Inspection Advisory Board, New legislation, and more.
- Fertilizer Inspection Advisory Board
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Proposed Legislative Action
No pending legislation at this time.
