Governor Phil Murphy • Lt. Governor Tahesha Way

Department of Agriculture

Regulations on Plant Shipment info NJ

The New Jersey Department of Agriculture inspects and surveys areas surrounding ports of entry to detect the introduction of foreign and domestic pests before they become a significant threat to the state's agricultural industry. These surveys, conducted by the Department's Division of Plant Industry, also detect and monitor the abundance and distribution of indigenous plant pests of economic importance. By documenting the presence, absence, or distribution in New Jersey of important plant pests, the Division enables farmers and plant growers to sell and transport plant materials to other states and foreign countries. Very often, other states or foreign countries require such surveys as a condition of certification that New Jersey grown plants and plant products are free of significant plant pests.

Vegetable transplants shipped into New Jersey from other states are inspected by the Division to prevent the movement into New Jersey of diseased or infested vegetable plants. All vegetable plants shipped into New Jersey must be certified to have been grown under an official certification program of the state of origin, or to have been inspected and certified to be apparently free of injurious insects, nematodes and plant diseases on the basis of an inspection conducted no more than three days prior to their removal from the soil. Each crate, basket or other container coming into New Jersey must contain an official certificate documenting the inspection or certification program.