To import plants to the USA, you generally need three things lined up before the shipment moves: confirmation that the species is admissible, a written import permit from the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and a phytosanitary certificate issued by the plant protection office of the country you’re shipping from. On arrival, the shipment must be declared to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and pass inspection. Miss any of those pieces and the plants can be seized, destroyed, or returned at your cost.
Confirm the Plant Is Admissible
Start with the species, not the paperwork. APHIS sorts plants into those that can enter with standard permits and inspection, those subject to added restrictions such as post-entry quarantine or mandatory treatment, and those that are prohibited outright.1Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Plants with Special Requirements and Prohibited Plants Anything on the federal noxious weed list at 7 CFR 360.200 is flatly barred.2eCFR. 7 CFR 360.200 – Federal Noxious Weed List
A separate category catches a lot of importers: the Not Authorized Pending Pest Risk Analysis (NAPPRA) list. Plants on it cannot be imported because APHIS hasn’t finished evaluating their pest risk. Commercial access requires a formal market access request and a wait that can run months or longer, though small quantities for research may qualify for a controlled import permit.3Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Not Authorized Pending Pest Risk Analysis (NAPPRA)
The APHIS online database (ACIR) lets you look up a plant by scientific name and country of origin to see the conditions that will apply. Do this before you place an order.
Apply for an APHIS Import Permit
Most plants intended for planting require a written permit from APHIS before entering the country. Federal regulation requires the application to be filed at least 30 days before the plants reach a U.S. port of entry.4eCFR. 7 CFR 319.37-5 – Permits Treat 30 days as the floor. Unusual species or origins take longer.
Applications go through APHIS eFile at efile.aphis.usda.gov, which requires an account and identity verification (eAuthentication).5Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. APHIS eFile A PPQ 587 application must include the scientific name and quantity of each plant, the country of origin, the U.S. port of entry, the shipping method, and the expected arrival date.4eCFR. 7 CFR 319.37-5 – Permits Standard PPQ 587 permits are free.
Controlled import permits, used for research material and NAPPRA-listed plants, are also issued at no charge. They’re valid for one year and can be renewed for up to two additional years if permit conditions haven’t been violated.6Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Controlled Import Permits – Frequently Asked Questions
Get a Phytosanitary Certificate From the Exporter
Alongside your U.S. permit, the shipment must include a phytosanitary certificate issued by the national plant protection organization of the exporting country. It certifies that the plants were inspected, found free of regulated pests, and meet U.S. import requirements.7Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Phytosanitary Certificate Without it, the shipment will be refused at the border no matter what permit you hold.
USDA policy generally requires the certificate to be issued within 30 days of the inspection, and the plants must ship within that window. You cannot obtain the certificate yourself. The seller or exporter arranges the inspection and paperwork in the origin country, so confirm the overseas nursery will handle it before you pay.
Extra Permits for CITES, Endangered Species, and the Lacey Act
Plants protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) or the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) need permits beyond the standard APHIS import permit.8U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. CITES Permits and Certificates If you import ESA-regulated plants commercially, you need a USDA Protected Plant Permit, which costs $70, is valid for two years, and covers multiple shipments. Allow up to 30 days for processing; apply using PPQ Forms 621 and 587 through APHIS.9Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. CITES (Endangered Plant Species)
The Lacey Act, amended in 2008 to cover plants and plant products, makes it a federal offense to import any plant that was harvested, possessed, or sold in violation of the laws of its country of origin.10U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Lacey Act There’s no permit for it. If the plant was illegally collected under foreign law, bringing it in violates the Lacey Act even with every USDA document in order.
Small Lots of Seed: A Shortcut for Seeds
Seeds generally follow the same rules as live plants, but APHIS runs a streamlined path for small quantities. Under the Small Lots of Seed program, you can import seeds with a PPQ 587 permit and no phytosanitary certificate, provided every one of the following is true:11Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Seeds With Special Requirements and Prohibited Seeds
- No more than 50 seeds (or 10 grams) of a single species per packet, and no more than 50 packets per shipment.
- The seeds are not a federal noxious weed, parasitic plant, or NAPPRA-listed species.
- The seeds don’t require treatment, aren’t coated or pelleted, and aren’t embedded in growing media or seed tape.
- Each packet shows the seller’s name, the scientific name, and the country of origin, with a matching invoice that also lists the seed lot code.
- The seeds contain no pesticide residues.
- The shipment goes to the APHIS Plant Inspection Station listed on the permit, using the green and yellow shipping label.
Tomato and pepper seeds do not qualify for the program at any quantity and still require a phytosanitary certificate.11Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Seeds With Special Requirements and Prohibited Seeds Field and agricultural crop seeds also have to satisfy the Federal Seed Act import provisions in 7 CFR 361.
Prepare the Shipment
One rule outweighs every other packing detail: soil is prohibited. Plants must arrive completely free of soil, sand, earth, and all other growing media, including bonsai and penjing.1Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Plants with Special Requirements and Prohibited Plants Soil hides insects, nematodes, and fungal spores that inspectors can’t reliably spot.
Bare-root the plant by gently washing all soil from the roots, then wrap the roots in damp newspaper or paper towels and seal them in a plastic bag to keep them from drying out in transit.12Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. International Travel – Plants, Plant Parts, Cut Flowers, and Seeds Pack the plant in a sturdy, ventilated box.
Every package needs the scientific name of each plant (not just the common name), the country of origin, and the permit number. These labels have to match the phytosanitary certificate and permit exactly. A mismatch gives inspectors a reason to hold or reject the shipment.
Declaration and Inspection at Arrival
Every plant shipment arriving in the United States must be declared to CBP, whether it’s in a container or your carry-on. Failing to declare is one of the fastest routes to a penalty, even when the plants themselves would have been admissible.13U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Bringing Agricultural Products Into the United States
Inspection depends on shipment size. Twelve or fewer plants are inspected by CBP agriculture specialists at the first port of entry. Thirteen or more are forwarded to an APHIS Plant Inspection Station for a more thorough exam.14U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Importing Plants and Plant Products If your shipment needs APHIS inspection, the permit will specify which station to send it to.
Inspectors review the paperwork and physically examine the plants. If everything checks out, the shipment is released. If pests turn up, some issues can be resolved through fumigation or other approved treatments at the port. Plants that fail entry requirements or carry pests with no available treatment are destroyed or returned to the origin country at the importer’s expense.14U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Importing Plants and Plant Products
Post-Entry Quarantine for Certain Species
Clearing customs isn’t always the end. Some species must spend time in post-entry quarantine, grown under controlled conditions and inspected periodically for pests or diseases that weren’t visible at the port. The default period is two years, though APHIS sets different durations for specific groups.15Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Postentry Quarantine
- Chrysanthemums: 6 months after importation.
- Hydrangeas: 9 months after importation.
- Carnations (Dianthus): 1 year after importation.
- Hops (Humulus): a meristem culture is grown from the imported plant and observed for 6 months, after which the original plant is destroyed and the culture remains in quarantine for an additional year.
Certain genera, including Rubus (raspberries and blackberries) from Europe, must be grown in screened enclosures during quarantine. Chrysanthemums, hydrangeas, and carnations require a greenhouse or other enclosed building.16U.S. Department of Agriculture. Agreement for Postentry Quarantine State Screening Notice (PPQ Form 546) Before the plants arrive, you sign PPQ Form 546 committing to those conditions, and APHIS can inspect your facility at any time during the quarantine.
Bringing Plants Home in Your Luggage
The basic rules still apply if you’re carrying plants back yourself, but the process is a little simpler. Travelers may bring up to 12 bare-rooted plants, absolutely no soil, as long as the plants aren’t prohibited, aren’t protected under CITES or the ESA, and aren’t subject to special restrictions like post-entry quarantine.12Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. International Travel – Plants, Plant Parts, Cut Flowers, and Seeds
You still need a phytosanitary certificate from the country you’re leaving, and you must declare the plants on your customs form. CBP agriculture specialists will inspect them at the first port of entry. Anything intended for planting always requires the phytosanitary certificate.13U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Bringing Agricultural Products Into the United States Practically, that rules out digging up something on vacation. The plant has to be inspected by the exporting country’s plant protection office, which usually means buying from a nursery that can arrange the paperwork.
Penalties for Skipping Steps
Prohibited or undeclared plants are confiscated and destroyed. Beyond that, CBP can assess civil penalties of up to $1,000 per first-time offense for non-commercial quantities, and commercial violations carry significantly higher penalties.13U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Bringing Agricultural Products Into the United States Repeat offenses or deliberate smuggling can produce steeper fines and criminal prosecution.
The penalty attaches to the failure to declare, not to the plant. Perfectly legal orchids missed on the customs form can still result in a fine. When in doubt, declare and let the inspectors sort it out.
State Rules on Top of Federal
Federal clearance isn’t the last step. Individual states run their own plant quarantine rules and can restrict or prohibit species that the federal government allows, usually to protect against pests or diseases of regional concern. A plant that clears APHIS inspection in one state can still violate a quarantine somewhere else. Check with the state department of agriculture where the plants will be grown before you import. The National Plant Board publishes summaries of each state’s plant regulatory requirements, which is a useful starting point.