California · Food and Agricultural Code - FAC

FAC §52481: Except as otherwise provided in this section or in Section 52486, it is unlawful for any person to ship, deliver, transport, or sell any agricultural or vegetable seed within this state, other than th

Misdemeanor

What this law says, in plain English

It is unlawful to ship, deliver, transport, or sell agricultural or vegetable seed in the state without completed germination testing within specified timeframes: 8 months for dealer resale or 15 months for retail sales.

Read the full statutory text
Except as otherwise provided in this section or in Section 52486, it is unlawful for any person to ship, deliver, transport, or sell any agricultural or vegetable seed within this state, other than the seed that is described in Section 52451, unless the test to determine the percentage of germination that is required by Article 8 (commencing with Section 52451) has been completed within the following period, exclusive of the calendar month in which the test is completed, immediately prior to shipment, delivery, transportation, or sale: (a) In the case of any agricultural or vegetable seed that is shipped, delivered, transported, or sold to a dealer for resale, eight months. (b) In the case of any agricultural or vegetable seed that is sold at retail, 15 months. (c) In the case of any agricultural or vegetable seed that is packaged under conditions that the secretary finds and determines will prolong the viability of the seed, the secretary may designate, in regulations that are adopted pursuant to this chapter, a longer period than otherwise specified in this section, and may require any additional labeling that may be necessary to maintain identification of seed that is packaged under these conditions. (d) Seed labeled under Section 52455 is not subject to subdivision (b) upon expiration of the viability assurance statement. This exemption does not limit the right of the enforcing officer to enforce other applicable sections of this chapter.

Verify at the official source: California legislative text

Facing this? Know exactly what happens next.

MOFRD turns this code section into your situation: the deadlines that apply to you, the forms your county uses, and the resolution paths people in your position actually take. Free for 3 days — no card required.

This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.