Regulated Organism and Soil Permits |
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Compliance, Enforcement and Inspections:
Intrastate Movement
A PPQ 526 Permit is not needed for intrastate movement (movement within a state), unless the organism was originally moved into the state under a PPQ 526 permit and the permit requires Federal approval for further movement (listed as a condition in the PPQ 526 permit) or the organism is a Program Pest (i.e. currently under federal quarantine – when in doubt contact the PPQ permit unit). Please contact the PPQ permit unit if you have questions about federal quarantines for specific regulated organisms, telephone 301-734-0841, Toll Free 866-524-5421, or email at pest.permits@aphis.usda.gov.
Interstate Movement
A PPQ 526 Permit is required for the interstate movement (movement across state lines) of any plant pest or noxious weed. Permits are required despite the distribution of the organism within the State.
Importation
A PPQ 526 Permit is required for the importation into the United States and territories of a plant pest or noxious weed. Permits are required despite the distribution of the organism with the United States.
Shipping Requirements for Importing Regulated Organisms
Regulated organisms must be shipped in sturdy, leak proof containers. Imported shipments must have an original, Red and White (PPQ Form 599) shipping label on the outside of the package. These labels are addressed to the Plant Inspection Station. Each label is individually numbered and has a corresponding permit number. Detailed instructions for using the labels are given on the back of the label and in the permit. They are mailed to the permittee by FedEx Ground after permit issuance. The PPQ 599 shipping labels are only required for importation, not domestic movement.
The permit holder is required to account for the use and disposition of each label, unless the labels are barcoded. For labels that are not barcoded, a label tracking sheet is provided to the permittee with the label package. The tracking sheet is used to document label use and is returned to the Permit Unit when new labels are requested or when the permit expires. No tracking sheet is needed for barcoded labels. Additional labels can be obtained by using the My Shipments/Labels feature in ePermits or sending an email to Redandwhitelabelrequest@aphis.usda.gov.
The shipment must be addressed to the Inspection Station on the PPQ 599 shipping label. For permits issued prior to the use of the new electronic ePermit system, each shipment must contain a copy of the permit corresponding to the original PPQ 599 shipping label on the outside of the package. For permits issued using the ePermit system only (those permits with numbers starting P526-07-xxxxx), include the following information in the shipment:
- Name of Permit Holder
- Permit Number
- Label Number.
Hand Carry
Permitted articles may be hand carried into the United States only if certain requirements are met. First, hand carrying must be requested in the application and authorized in the permit conditions. The permit conditions will list the specific steps that must taken in order to hand-carry the articles into the U.S. The applicant may request that someone else be allowed to hand carry the organisms but the person must be identified on the permit. An authorization to hand-carry shall only be issued to Citizens or permanent United States residents with a valid passport or permanent visa. Hand-carry authorizations shall not be issued to foreign nationals or individuals with temporary visa.
Containment Facility Inspections
A facility inspection may be required before a PPQ 526 Permit is issued. A PPQ inspector will document aspects of the facility to determine if the facility and equipment are adequate for containment of the organism(s). A PPQ containment specialist will evaluate the documentation and determine if the facility is adequate. In most cases, if the application is for the receipt of foreign organisms (i.e. foreign strain, biotype, race, isolate) or a Program Pest (i.e. currently under federal quarantine) the facility must be inspected. Diagnostic facilities are also inspected. The applicant will be informed if their facility must be inspected after review of the permit application. Guidelines are available.