Questions and

Answers About Plant

Protection and

Quarantine (PPQ)

Permits

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.

Factsheet

Plant Protection and Quarantine April 2003

APHIS

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, DC 20250–9410 or call (202) 720–5964

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

employer.

United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture