Questions and Answers About Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) Permits

Plant Protection and Quarantine

April 2003

Q. What is a permit?
A. A permit is a written, oral, or electronic authorization by PPQ to move regulated articles, including: plants, plant products, biological control organisms, plant pests, noxious weeds, items that may harbor these organisms, or means of conveyance in accordance with the conditions prescribed.

Q. Who needs a PPQ permit?
A. Any person interested in moving a regulated article (as described above) needs a permit.

Q. What is a plant pest?
A. A plant pest means any living stage of any of the following that can directly or indirectly injure, cause damage to, or cause disease in any plant or plant product:
a) a protozoan
b) a nonhuman animal
c) a parasitic plant
d) a bacterium
e) a fungus
f) a virus or viroid
g) an infectious agent or other pathogen
h) any article similar to or allied with any of the articles previously specified.

Q. Why would the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) require me to have a PPQ permit?
A. USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) requires permits under the authority of the Plant Protection Act of 2000. Import permits are required for agricultural products that pose a risk of introducing exotic plant pests and diseases into the United States. This includes the interstate
movement of plant pests, including arthropods, mollusks, plant pathogens, vectors, noxious weeds, nematodes, and items that may harbor these organisms.

Authorization to move live plant pests may be obtained by permit. PPQ carefully weighs the risks against expected benefits in making decisions to issue permits.

Import permits are also required for the movement of plants whose populations are threatened in the wild and are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Q. How do I apply for a PPQ permit?
A. You can apply for a permit by completing the appropriate application obtained from Permit Services at USDA–APHIS–PPQ, 4700 River Road, Unit 133, Riverdale, MD, 20737, 1–877–770–5990, or from our Web site on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/permits.

Q. Is there a fee for obtaining a PPQ permit from APHIS?
A. There are currently no charges for PPQ permits, except for the General Permit to Engage in the Business of Importing, Exporting, or Re–Exporting Terrestrial Plants listed on the CITES. The fee for that is $70.00.

Q. How do I obtain more information on this subject?
A. Additional information concerning PPQ permits may be obtained by contacting USDA–APHIS–PPQ, 4700 River Road, Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737, or by calling 1–877–770–5990. Information may also be obtained by visiting the USDA–APHIS–PPQ Web site at www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/permits.

For information concerning the import and export of animals and animal products, please contact APHIS Veterinary Services’ National Center for Import and Export at (301)734–3277, or through the Web site at www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/ncie.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDAís TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202)Ý720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. <

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