United States Department of Agriculture 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

Fruit and Vegetable Programs

______________________________________________________________________________ Distribution:

Originating Office:

File Maintenance 

Instructions:

HQ, FPM, FS, CM

Field Operations Branch

File in Bulletin Binder

FPD 12-01

04/12/12

PURPOSE

BACKGROUND

POLICY

Fresh Products Division Bulletin

COMPUTER-GENERATED (ELECTRONIC) FV-200, FV-201, 

FV-248 AND FV-248A

To outline the guidelines for the issuance of computer-generated Shipping 

Point and Receiving Market license cards and the use of FV-248 and 

FV-248a.

An electronic computer-generated license program has been developed for 

the issuance of Shipping Point and Receiving Market license cards. 

Guidelines for the use of the Assistant Authorization Record, FV-248, were 

included in the 2005 edition of the Federal and Federal-State Shipping 

Point Supervisors Instructions. In addition, a Process Auditor Specific 

Audit Program training addendum, FV-248a, has been developed to 

facilitate licensing of process auditors. The following guidelines shall be 

used for the issuance of the computer-generated FV-200 and/or FV-201,

and for the recording and maintenance of shipping point inspector/market 

licensee and process auditor qualifications. Additional information on the

FPD licensing policy is found in the Federal and Federal-State Shipping 

Point Supervisors Instructions, which will be updated with the following 

information.

FV-200 and FV-201 Computer-Generated Versions

The only approved computer-generated license program is the Georgia 

Federal State Shipping Point Inspection Service (FSIS) “License Control 

Program”. Georgia FSIS has shared this program with other Federal-State 

inspection programs operating under a cooperative agreement with USDA,

AMS, Fresh Products Division (FPD). All FSIS programs using the Georgia

License Control Program must sign a memorandum of understanding with 

FPD which outlines the use of electronic signatures and responsibilities of 

the parties involved. See exhibit 1. 

The numbering system for computer-generated license cards shall be a 

systematic and controlled program. Numbers of license cards shall be 

assigned by designated FSIS personnel in a secure and password protected 

computer program. The License Control Program provides a master 

database of electronic signatures. These signature images (such as Federal 
FPD 12-01 Page 2

4/12/12

POLICY, 

continued

Program Manager [FPM], Branch Chief, etc.) may be imported as a 

“Picture File” or entered using an electronic signature capturing device 

(Inspectors). Computer-generated license cards shall bear the name of the 

issuing state. Computer-generated or manual reports of license card 

numbers and corresponding names of inspectors must be available to 

FPMs/Federal-State Supervisors (FSs). Computer-generated licenses may 

be issued for periods up to three years for full time or experienced 

inspectors; in all cases, an expiration date must be entered on the card.

All qualifications needed to obtain a computer-generated FV-200 or FV-201 

and policies regarding supervisory work shall be the same as those outlined 

in the Federal and Federal-State Shipping Point Supervisors Instructions.

The inspector’s electronically-captured signature is imported into the 

signature block from a Master Database of electronic signatures prior to 

printing the serially-numbered license card; therefore, there is no 

requirement to sign a computer-generated license. The control, retention 

and return of computer-generated license cards shall be the same as that of 

conventional license cards. 

Computer-generated FV-200 and FV-201 license cards are issued with 

pre-printed paper stock available from: Georgia FSIS, PO Box 71767, 

Albany GA 31708, Ph. 229-432-7505; or Sunbelt Business Forms, PO Box 

1685, Albany, GA 31702, Ph. 229-888-6813.

FV-248, Inspector’s Assistant Authorization Record

Cooperating Federal-State Inspection programs may keep the FV-248 in an 

electronic format so long as all the information on the official FV-248 

(09/98) is included and the information is available for review by the 

FPM/FS. FSIS programs may record additional information in conjunction 

with an electronic FV-248.

FV-248a, Process Auditor Specific Audit Program Training addendum

The FV-248a is for the purpose of simplifying the issuance of license cards 

to Process Auditors who have been trained in various FPD specific audit 

programs. The FV-248a is intended to be kept electronically as an excel 

program workbook. It includes pages that may be used to verify the AMS 

ISAAP requirements for continual professional development as described in 

FPB Directive 701 (07/26/10), and Form FPB 701b. 

The words “Process Auditor” shall be used on FV-200 and FV-201 license 
FPD 12-01 Page 3

4/12/12

POLICY, 

continued

cards to authorize individuals who have met the requirements to audit 

specific FPD audit programs. Additional auditor information will be 

recorded on the FV-248a as follows:

1. The FV-248a will be distributed to cooperating programs by 

FPM/FS or FPD Audit Branch personnel in electronic format. 

2. Cooperating programs will be responsible for completing the 

information needed to verify that auditors have been trained and 

licensed. The FV-248a will be completed by the FPD Audit Branch 

for Federally-employed auditors.

3. Each cooperating program will have one file. Completed documents 

shall be named with the state and date in the following format: 

FV-248a STATE 00-00-00.xlsx. Each revision shall have a new 

date. 

4. Cooperating Programs will return the completed or updated 

FV-248a to the FPM/FS at least annually. 

5. FPM/FS or delegated Audit Branch personnel will review and verify 

the contents of the FV-248a. This will be done during supervisory 

visits or BIQMS reviews. After review, the reviewing official will 

complete the block labeled FPM/FS/FPD approval date.

6. Approving officials will save the approved FV-248a document in a 

designated protected electronic file system under control of FPD. 

7. When revised or updated FV-248a documents are saved, older 

versions will be archived. 

Bruce W. Summers, Director

Fresh Products Division