Contact Information:

National Appeals Division

Eastern Regional Office

P.O. Box 68806

Indianapolis, Indiana 46268

National Appeals Division

Southern Regional Office

P.O. Box 1508

Cordova, Tennessee 38088

National Appeals Division

Western Regional Office

755 Parfet Street, Suite 494

Lakewood, Colorado 80215

1-877-4USDA NAD 

www.nad.usda.gov

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 

USDA’s 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, D.C. 20250-9410, or call (202) 

720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider 

and employer.
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If you’ve...been turned down for a farm 

loan, had your mortgage accelerated, 

or been denied program payments, 

assistance, or a grant...You can appeal 

to the NATIONAL APPEALS DIVISION

Who are we and 

what do we do?

The National Appeals Division is an independent 

office that reports directly to the Secretary of Agriculture. Our job is to give you an opportunity to file an 

appeal and receive a hearing if you disagree with a 

program decision you’ve received from one of these 

agencies:

n Farm Service Agency,

n Rural Housing Service,

n Risk Management Agency,

n Natural Resources Conservation Service,

n Rural Business-Cooperative Service, or

n Rural Utilities Service.

Filing an appeal with us gives you a chance to explain 

why you don’t agree with what the agency decided. 

You’ll be able to present your case and any evidence, “face to face” or on the telephone, to one 

of our Hearing Officers. Their job is to find out what 

happened, review the evidence, and decide if the 

agency’s decision is right or wrong.

How do I file an appeal?

It’s easy to file an appeal with us. Here’s how:

Your appeal must be in writing and be 

postmarked no later than 30 days after the 

date you received the agency’s decision.

Your appeal must include all the reasons 

why you think the decision you received is 

wrong and it must be signed by you.

Your appeal must be mailed or faxed, 

along with a copy of the letter you received 

from the agency, if possible, to one of our 

three Regional Offices. Once the Regional 

Office receives your letter, your appeal will be 

processed and assigned to a Hearing Officer. 

Then, within a matter of days, you will be 

contacted with further information. 

Where can I find more 

information about NAD?

Visit our website at www.nad.usda.gov. There 

you can research NAD’s decisions and locate 

information you may need to know about our 

process. For example, you can read the NAD 

statute and procedural regulations, find out 

where to send your appeal, download an e-guide 

to filing an appeal, and download the NAD Guide 

to its Hearing Officers.

If you don’t have access to a computer attached 

to the Internet, or if you prefer to speak with a 

person, you may contact our Regional Offices 

by calling our toll-free number: 1-877-4USDA 

NAD. If you call from your home State, your call 

will be automatically routed to the appropriate 

Regional Office.

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