In what states is a permit required for trialing in the USA?

US State Permit Required? Trials
Alabama No License only for sales
Alaska N/A N/A
Arizona Yes Distribute is broadly defined:  4. "Distributor" means any person who offers for sale, sells, barters, solicits business or otherwise supplies fertilizer materials. So the answer is yes to licensed/registred for fertilizer field tests. We do not currently regulate soil amendments.
Arkansas Email They do not have to be registered. However, we do ask that you let us know what product or ingredient you are testing, who you are working with and where and description of the product to include a Safety Data Sheet. The crops from the trials or test cannot go to market.
California No* Per Section 2319 of the California Code of Regulations, “Experimental use of a fertilizing material for noncommercial value is exempt from registration, when all of the following conditions have been satisfied: (a) The material shall not be sold. (b) The material shall be conspicuously identified on the display panel as “EXPERIMENTAL USE ONLY”. (c) The user(s) or recipient(s) of the material shall be documented by the manufacturer. Documentation shall be retained and available to the secretary upon request for at least three years from date the material was provided.”
Colorado Yes All labels for fertilizers, soil conditioner and plant amendment products distributed in Colorado must be registered, even if it is for research purposes only.  “Distribute” means to import, consign, sell, offer to sell, barter, or otherwise supply a commercial fertilizer, soil conditioner, plant amendment, compost, or manure, for use in or shipment to this state.
Connecticut   Emailed
Delaware No* You would not need to register the fertilizer or soil conditioner products if it is only being used for a trial. Nutrient Management requirements contact Dr. Amy Shober at the University of Delaware. Her email is ashober@udel.edu.***
Florida No Nothing in our fertilizer regulations addresses products used in research trials, but our tonnage reporting is based on sales. Therefore, we have always taken the stance that fertilizer products that are for research purposes only are not required to be licensed/registered.
Georgia Depends They would require registration unless the research is being done by a university or other government sponsored institution.
Hawaii N/A N/A
Idaho Email If you are conducting this research in Idaho, we will need the full product label for what you are using for the research and the following: Location of test plots: Landowner: Size of plots: Dates of testing: Crops to be tested: Method of Application: Harvest determination – what is the intended outcome for the tested crop (e.g. destroyed, personal use, open market, etc.)?
Illinois Yes Applied to soil needs to be registered
Indiana No License only for sales
Iowa Email Firms do not need to be licensed or products registered for field trials. There are several conditions. There must be no charge to producer or landlord for product, application, or any other service. We ask that trial size be limited to 40 acres or less. Results must be made available to the Department.
Kansas   Emailed
Kentucky Email We would want to see a proposed label for the product, and a basic idea of how much is expected to come into the state, but as long as it is strictly for trials we would not require registration of the product.
Louisiana No License only for sales
Maine No We don’t require permits for trials
Maryland   Emailed
Massachusetts Yes A license to manufacture and distribute would be required along with tonnage reporting with the amount of material distributed into MA for the trials.
Michigan Yes Yes, you need to register the labels used in research. Even though ag labels don’t need registration, during research they do.
Minnesota Depends Companies are allowed to test/run trials on fertilizer products and soil/plant amendment products. Product registration is not required if the product is only used for unpaid field trials. If the product is being sold in Minnesota, product registration is required. When products contain biosolids, refer to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) webpage on biosolids. When products contain industrial waste and/or digestates refer to the MPCA on Land Applications of Industrial By Products for contact information and more information on permit requirements, limits on acreage, and if crops can be sold. When the product contains microorganisms, you are required to contact the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service  (USDA APHIS) for contact information and more information on permit requirements, limits on acreage, and if crops can be sold. When a product contains pesticides, this also may require a permit through the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) pesticide unit and/or the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Check with the local and county agencies for any limits they may have on acreage or field trials/experiments. There are no limits with the MDA on acreage for unpaid trials/experiments that do not contain microorganisms, biosolids, industrial waste products, and/or pesticides. Crops from trials that do not include microorganisms, biosolids, industrial waste products, or pesticides can be sold. While not required, it is recommended to let us know when and where trials are being conducted in case any inspections occur in the trial areas.
Mississippi   Emailed
Missouri No License only for sales
Montana Yes Registration in Montana is required "before distribution in this state". "Distribute" means to offer for sale, sell, barter, or otherwise supply commercial fertilizers or soil amendments.
Nebraska No No permits need if used for research and not sold in the marketplace. No other permits needed.
Nevada Email Packages weighing less than one pound (< 1 lb) are not required for registration before allowable to distribute. Email Jim Zhang JianZhang@agri.nv.gov with label, efficacy data, trial size & location, contact info if trial in another state
New Hampshire   Emailed
New Jersey   Emailed
New Mexico No License only for sales
New York No License only for sales
North Carolina No Trial fertilizers or fertilizers applied for experimental, or demonstration purposes do not have to be registered in North Carolina.
North Dakota No If the products used in field testing in North Dakota were sold in North Dakota for the purposes of field testing, they would first need to be registered and the entity making the sale would need to possess a North Dakota Fertilizer Distributor’s license.
Ohio Yes You will need to register your products to be able to conduct trials with them in Ohio.
Oklahoma Depends If product is being distributed to certified research organizations or OSU Extension and not to any potential end-users then licensure and registration is not required, but licensure is preferred for in good faith standing. If to a potential end-user, such as an on-farm trial or farmer led project, then licensure and registration are required prior.
Oregon Yes If a crop nutrient / amendment product is going to be distributed into Oregon for any purpose, it needs to be registered and properly labeled first.
Pennsylvania Email No license and registration for research purposes however, notification should be provided to me regarding the company name, product, and location of trials.
Rhode Island   Emailed
South Carolina No The company only needs a license to distribute the products. I do not consider research trials distribution.
South Dakota No License only for sales
Tennessee   Emailed
Texas Yes For firms doing trials & testing we would issue a research fertilizer permit instead of a commercial fertilizer permit. There are no fees due. Complete a fertilizer application form, product label and written description of the research and products being applied. Include location of the research and any intended disposition of crops harvested in the research trials. Requirements for disposal would be crops that are used in the trial cannot enter the food chain and must be safely disposed of.  **Use usual form, just don't pay fees**
Utah No License only for sales
Vermont No License only for sales
Virginia No VDACS would not require license or registration for products undergoing research trials.
Washington Yes Any fertilizer product distributed into WA must be registered regardless of whether it is intended to be sold or used for experimental purposes.
West Virginia Depends If it is your own company’s product you are doing trials on then it does not need to be registered. If you are doing a trial on another company’s products then they will need to be registered.
Wisconsin No Typically low analysis nonagricultural fertilizers having less than 24% N P K are required to have a permit. However, fertilizer products provided without cost to a recognized research institution for the purpose of scientific research are exempt from the fertilizer product permit requirement in ATCP 40.12(2)(b). Fertilizers with more than 24% N P K are exempt from the permit requirement, e.g. a 10-10-10 grade is 30% N P K. The department has the authority to request the scientific evidence relied upon to substantiate your product's performance claims ATCP 40.08(7). We expect use of relevant scientific methods, experimental and statistical procedures and techniques that are viewed appropriate by the scientific community. Furthermore, ATCP 40.48 includes requirements for scientific substantiation for verifying the validity of a permitted product's claims. This includes field test standards in Wisconsin Legislature: Chapter ATCP 40 Appendix D and field test reports in Wisconsin Legislature: Chapter ATCP 40 Appendix D. When research is completed outside of Wisconsin, or in locations not equivalent to Wisconsin growing conditions, the documentation must substantiate how each claim is relevant to use of the product under Wisconsin growing conditions. If the product being used does not have a label or SDS sheet, be sure to inform handlers of risks associated with use (e.g. PPE requirement), or other limitations that might impact use of crops grown during the trial.
Wyoming No Registration only for sales