Exporting Plant Material

On this page:

All plants shipped from Maine must:

  • Be healthy and apparently free from insects and diseases,
  • Must meet the import requirements of the destination state or country,
  • Be accompanied by an inspection (Nursery Stock) certificate,
  • In some cases plants may need to be accompanied by a phytosanitary (plant health) certificate

Shipping Requirements

Shipping requirements for plant material are based on the type of plant material being shipped, the location where the plants were grown and the destination of the shipment.  Consult these resources to determine the requirements for shipping plants:

For domestic shipments

For International shipments

Inspection (Nursery Stock) certificates

An inspection (Nursery Stock) certificate is a document issued by the Division of Animal and Plant Health stating that the nursery or premises that the plants are from has been inspected and found to be free from pests.

  • All shipments of plants destined to other states should be accompanied by a Nursery Stock Certificate.
  • Businesses regularly shipping plant material will be asked to sign a compliance agreement allowing them to reprint the Nursery Stock Certificate.
  • One-time plant shippers or those only shipping plants occasionally may obtain Nursery Stock Certificates by contacting the Horticulture Program
  • There is no fee for obtaining Nursery Stock Certificates

Phytosanitary Certificates

A phytosanitary certificate is a document issued by the Department of Agriculture that verifies that plants in the shipment have been inspected on a specific date prior to export, are free of pests and found to meet any specific conditions required by the destination state or country. In order to schedule an inspection time, phytosanitary certificates must be requested 2 weeks prior to shipment.

Phytosanitary Certificate Fees:

  • $106 for commercial shipments (shipments with a value greater than $1250)
  • $60 for non-commercial shipments (shipments with a value less than $1250)
  • $15 for replacing any certificate
  • An additional $6 federal fee will be added to all federal phytosanitary certificates for international shipments

Contact the Horticulture Program for more information on obtaining a phytosanitary certificate