Certificates and Permits
What is a phytosanitary certificate?
A phytosanitary certificate is a document issued by a certified state or federal official that verifies that plants have been inspected and are free from pests, pathogens, and invasive weeds of concern to the importing state or country. All applications for certificates must be done online through the PCIT system.
What is a plant import permit?
A plant import permit is an official document listing requirements and restrictions from the receiving country. Please check with your area horticulturist for requirements. For detailed information, review our import permit information.
What is a plant shipping permit?
An Oregon shipping permit is a certificate issued by ODA that certifies the plant material is regularly inspected and found free of dangerous pests and diseases. Plant material shipped out of state must be accompanied by a shipping permit.
Importing plant material from Domestic locations (USA)
General Requirements
Nursery stock shipped into Oregon must meet the following requirements:
- Be free of pests, diseases, and noxious weeds.
- Be accompanied by a shipping certificate issued by a state regulatory official for the state of origin.
- Meet all Oregon and federal phytosanitary requirements.
- Comply with notification requirements, if applicable.
Notification Rule
ORS 603-054-0027
Oregon has quarantines that apply to most incoming plant material. These quarantines may be specific to species, pathogens, or insect pests. All plants coming into Oregon must:
- Be in compliance with Oregon's quarantines
- Be shipped with all required Quarantine Certificates issued by the state of origin
In order to confirm that such plant material meets Oregon's requirements, the receiving nursery in Oregon (primarily) is required to send a Notification to the ODA's Nursery and Christmas Tree Program. The notifications can be sent to quarantine@oda.oregon.gov or to FAX 503-986-4564.
The following information needs to be included in every email or fax:
- The nursery license or shipping permit of the nursery sending the plants
- The
Genus species and quantity of plants in the shipment
- Federal quarantine certificates (see examples below)
- State-issued certificates for all applicable quarantines (see examples below)
- Test results if required by the Oregon quarantine
The tool below can be used to help identify which quarantine certificates should be included in your notification email. There are tabs that include a How-to Guide to use this tool, Notification Requirements, and a table showing which quarantines apply to which origin states. Some quarantines are host-specific, so there are additional tabs listing host groups for those quarantines. Please note that this tool is not comprehensive for all of Oregon's quarantines, it serves to guide documents that need to be included in the notifications.
2023 Reference tool for importing plants into OR.xlsx
Oregon Quarantines
Notable restrictions
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Blueberry nursery stock must have been tested for Blueberry Scorch Virus prior to arriving in Oregon (more information here)
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Grapevine nursery stock must have originated from an official certification program approved by the ODA, and include a phytosanitary certificate (more information here)
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Butterfly bushes can only include the approved cultivars (more information here)
Importing plant material from international locations
The USDA regulates importing plants from international locations. Please refer to the following website to determine if the plants you want to import require a permit or are included in special restrictions.
USDA Guide for Importing Plants into the USA
Importers of international nursery stock may also need to do the following:
- Obtain an import permit from USDA
-
Notify ODA via email
- Review Oregon plant quarantine and import information