United States Department of Agriculture

Agricultural Marketing Service

Federal Grain Inspection Service

Directive 9180.55 June 03, 2019

Distribution: FGIS, OSP, Industry Originating Office: FMD PPMAB

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in its programs on the basis of race, color, 

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TDD).

To file a complaint, write to the USDA, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, 

Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal employment opportunity 

employer.

OFFICIAL COMMERCIAL INSPECTION SERVICES

Contents

OFFICIAL COMMERCIAL INSPECTION SERVICES ��������������������������������������������������������1

1. PURPOSE �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

2. REPLACEMENT HIGHLIGHTS �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

3. GENERAL INFORMATION �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

4. REQUESTS FOR SERVICE, WORK RECORDS, AND CERTIFICATES ������������������������

5. SAMPLING AND INSPECTION �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

6. FEES ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

7. REVIEWS AND MONITORING �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

8.ATTACHMENTS �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
FGIS Directive 9180.55 June 03, 2019

Page 2

1. PURPOSE

This directive establishes the policies and procedures for requesting, performing,

certificating, and monitoring official commercial inspection services (OCIS) performed

under the U.S. Grain Standards Act as amended (USGSA), and the Agricultural

Marketing Act of 1946, as amended (AMA).

2. REPLACEMENT HIGHLIGHTS

This directive supersedes FGIS Program Directive 9180.55 dated 8-1-05  Thi

directive is updated to permit OCIS for Rice and Graded Commodities under the AMA.

Additionally, Attachment 1 depicting all OCIS certificates types is embedded. Adobe 

Acrobat is required to open and view the attachment for this directive

3. GENERAL INFORMATION

a. Official commercial inspection services, like other official services, provide for

the inspection of grain, rice, and graded commodities in a lot or submitted sample,

by official personnel, using approved and check tested equipment. Unlike

other services, applicants for this service may also request that sampling and

inspection procedures be modified, certain equipment be used, file samples not be

maintained, and certificates not be issued.

b. There are two types of official commercial inspection services: official commercial

sample-lot inspection services and official commercial submitted sample inspection

services

(1) Official commercial sample-lot inspection services consist of official service

providers sampling identified lots of grain, rice, or graded commodities and

analyzing the lots for grade, official factors, official criteria, or any combination

thereof, according to the Official U.S. Standards for Grain, Rice, and Graded

Commodities, this directive, other FGIS instructions, and the request for 

inspection

(2) Official commercial submitted sample inspection services consist of an

applicant, or their agent, submitting grain, rice, or graded commodity samples

to an official service provider to analyze for grade, official factors, official

criteria, or any combination thereof, according to the Official U.S. Standards

for Grain, Rice, or Graded Commodities, this directive, other FGIS instructions,

and the request for inspection

(3) As used in this Directive, official service provider means FGIS field office

personnel, official agency, and AMA cooperator.

c. Official commercial inspection services are not available for the inspection of 

export grain, export rice, or export graded commodities or for phytosanitary 

inspections
FGIS Directive 9180.55 June 03, 2019

Page 3

4. REQUESTS FOR SERVICE, WORK RECORDS, AND CERTIFICATES

a. Requests for Service  Any interested person may request an original, reinspection

retest, appeal, or Board appeal official commercial inspection service, as

applicable under the USGSA or AMA

(1) Requests must be filed, in writing, with the official service provider that is

responsible for providing the requested service

(a) For original inspection, reinspection, and retest requests, applicants for

service may use any form that provides all necessary information

(b) For appeal and Board appeal inspection requests, applicants for service

must use FGIS-907, “Application for Inspection and Weighing Services.

(2) Requests may include one or more lots.

(3) Requests must include a detailed description of the sampling and inspection

procedures that are to be used and whether or not file samples will be

maintained and certificates issued. For example:

“ABC Grain Company requests official commercial sample-lot inspections on

all trucklots of corn and soybeans delivered to Elevator X from May 1, 1992,

to May 1, 1993. Each trucklot shall be sampled with the elevator’

mechanical truck probe in three randomly selected locations. Each trucklo

sample shall be inspected for moisture, test weight per bushel, BCFM or FM,

odor, and damaged kernels (total). The percent of damaged kerne1ls (total)

shall be determined on a 100-gram portion for lots of corn and on a 50-gram

portion for lots of soybeans. Do not maintain file samples, do not issue

certificates.”

b. Work Records. Official service providers must complete and maintain a detaile

work record for each official commercial inspection performed.

(1) Official service providers may use any form or format that suits 

their needs and is approved by the FGIS field office manager who is 

responsible for the area in which the grain, rice, or graded commodity is 

located; e.g., standard or special pan tickets, inspection logs, letterhea

paper, or electronic (computer) records.

(2) The information shown on the work records must:

(a) Be printed or written legibly in English;

(b) Show the date, specified service point, identification of the lot or sample,

and the results of the inspection; and
FGIS Directive 9180.55 June 03, 2019

Page 4

(c) Include the name or initials of the official inspection personnel who are 

responsible for the accuracy of the inspection results

(3) If official certificates are not issued, the official service provider that performed

the inspection must maintain the original of the completed work record, and 

provide a copy to the applicant for service and interested party upon request.

The official service provider that performed the inspection must maintain the 

original copy of each work record

c. File Sample

(1) Official service providers are not required to maintain file samples unless

requested by the applicant for service, or an interested party, or when 

deemed necessary by FGIS

(2) When requested or otherwise deemed necessary, official service providers

must:

(a) Maintain file samples for the minimum retention period specified

by the applicant or as specified in Directive 9170.13.

(b) Retain file samples in a manner that will preserve the representativeness

of the sample from the time they are obtained until they are discarded

d. Certificate

(1) Official service providers are not required to issue official certificates unless

requested by the applicant for service or an interested party, or when deemed 

necessary by FGIS

(2) When requested or otherwise deemed necessary, official service 

providers must issue certificates in accordance with the requirements 

in sections 800.160 - 800.165 of the regulations under the USGSA an

sections 868.70 – 868.75 of the regulations under the AMA; Grain Inspectio

Handbook IV, Chapter 3; Bean Inspection Handbook, Chapter 4; Rice 

Inspection Handbook, Chapter 6; and Pea and Lentil Handbook, 

Chapter 8

(3) Official commercial sample-lot inspection certificates must:

(a) On FGIS 905-2L, show the captions “Official Commercial Sample Lot

inspection,” immediately below the captions “U.S. Grain Standards Act

and “Official Green Certificate”;

On FGIS 993-1, show the captions “Official Commercial Commodity 

Inspection” and “Official Green Certificate” immediately below the caption 

“Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946”;
FGIS Directive 9180.55 June 03, 2019

Page 5

(b) Include a statement, if requested by the applicant for inspection or

another interested party, describing the use of any non-FGIS approved 

sampling equipment, or special sampling or inspection procedures that 

were agreed to by the applicant for inspection and the official service 

provider; e.g., “The sample was drawn from three randomly selecte

locations in the lot, using an open-throat probe” or “The percent of 

damaged kernels (total) was determined on a reduced (50 gram) factor 

portion”; and

(c) Any other information and statements of fact as provided by FGIS

instructions or approved by the appropriate FGIS field office manager.

(4) Official commercial submitted sample inspection certificates must:

(a) On FGIS 914-1L, show the captions “Official Commercial Submitted

Sample Lot Inspection” and “Official Blue Certificate” immediately below 

the caption “U.S. Grain Standards Act

On FGIS 994-1, show the captions “Official Commercial Commodity 

Submitted Sample Inspection” and “Official Blue Certificate” immediately 

below the caption “Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946”;

(b) Include a statement, if requested by the applicant for inspection or 

another interested party, describing the use of any special inspection 

procedures that were agreed to by the applicant for inspection and the 

official service provider; e.g., “The percent of damaged kernels (total) 

was determined on a reduced (50 gram) factor portion.”; and

(c) Any other information and statements of fact as provided by FGIS 

instructions or approved by the appropriate FGIS field office manager.

Note: An OCIS certificate created by third party provider software must be

approved by FGISonline in advance of an official agency using such 

certificate to ensure conformance with FGIS requirements.

5. SAMPLING AND INSPECTION

a. Sampling Requirements. (Applicable to official commercial sample-lot inspections

only.) Samples must be obtained:

(1) By an authorized FGIS sampler or an FGIS-licensed sampler;

(2) Using an FGIS-approved sampling device, or an open-throat probe, a truck 

tailgate sampler, or a mechanical truck probe (core or gravity-fill type only); 

and
FGIS Directive 9180.55 June 03, 2019

Page 6

(3) According to the sampling procedures in FGIS Grain Inspection

Handbook I, sampling chapters in the Rice, Bean, and Pea and Lentil 

Inspection Handbooks; or as agreed to by the applicant for inspection and the 

official service provider, provided that such procedures are reasonable and 

proper; e.g., an applicant may ask that only two probe samples be drawn, a

random, from each truck lot, but the applicant may not direct that samples be 

taken from particular areas in the lot

Note: The same type of equipment and procedures used for obtaining the 

sample used for the original inspection shall be used for obtaining a sample 

for any subsequent reinspection, retest, or appeal inspection.

b. Inspection Requirements. Grain, rice, or graded commodities must be inspected

(1) By an authorized FGIS inspector or an FGIS-licensed inspector;

(2) Using FGIS-approved inspection equipment, or commercial equipment.

Commercial equipment includes devices that are approved or allowed by local

or state weights and measures jurisdictions as “legal for trade.” Much of the

FGIS official equipment meets stricter tolerances or design requirements than 

commercial equipment; however, commercial equipment may be considered

for official commercial inspection services.

(3) According to the inspection procedures in FGIS Grain Inspection

Handbook II, Inspection Chapters in the Rice, Bean, and Pea and Lentil 

Inspection Handbooks; or as agreed to by the applicant for inspection and 

the official service provider, provided that such procedures are reasonable 

and proper; e.g., an applicant may ask that the percent of damaged kernel

be determined only if, in the inspector’s judgment, the sample or lot contains 

0.5 percent or more of damaged kernels  Otherwise, the inspector shoul

indicate “less than 0.5 percent” on the work record for percent of damaged

kernels

Note: The same procedures used for performing the original inspection shall 

be used for performing any subsequent reinspection, appeal inspection, or 

Board appeal inspection.

c. “Other Criteria” Test Requirements. “Other criteria” tests (e.g., aflatoxin, protein

and oil content) must be performed:

(1) By an authorized FGIS technician or an FGIS-licensed technician;

(2) Using FGIS-approved equipment and calibrations; and

(3) According to the test procedures in the appropriate FGIS handbooks or 

directives
FGIS Directive 9180.55 June 03, 2019

Page 7

6. FEES

Fees assessed for official commercial inspection services shall be reasonable and

nondiscriminatory

(1) FGIS field offices shall charge according to published fees.

(2) Official agencies and AMA cooperators shall either charge the fees shown in 

their approved fee schedule or charge a negotiated fee. If a negotiated fee is

charged, the official agency and AMA cooperator must:

(a) Use their approved fee schedule as a basis for the fee.

(b) Include a statement in their approved fee schedule that official 

commercial inspection service is available, upon request, and fees for 

this service will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis

7. REVIEWS AND MONITORING

a. Reviews. Official service provider managers must review each new

request for official commercial inspection service and determine if the requested 

modifications in sampling and/or inspection procedures are reasonable and proper. 

Although official service providers are not restricted by State law, managers should 

ensure that commercial equipment meets minimum State and local specifications 

and tolerances

(1) Both the FGIS field office and the official service provider manager must 

approve all procedural modifications, in writing, prior to providing the 

requested official commercial inspection services.

(2) Copies of procedural modification requests and approvals must be provided 

to interested parties upon request

b. Monitoring. Offical service provider Quality Assurance specialists must monitor the

grading accuracy of FGIS agricultural commodity graders and FGIS-licensed 

inspectors who perform official commercial inspection services, using any methods 

deemed appropriate; e.g., over-the-shoulder supervision, referee samples, an

separation monitoring

8. ATTACHMENTS

Open the attachment navigation pane on the left of the display. Double click on the

attachment to open it. The attachment can be saved locally for us

Attachment 1: Example certificates