Screenings are the by-products produced from cleaning seed to prepare it for sale to farmers for planting. Most of the material found in screenings is considered inert matter such as hulls or pieces of leaves and stems. Screenings might also include weed seed. Screenings are used in the manufacture of animal feed and potentially have other uses. The Minnesota Screenings Act (M.S. 21.71-21.78) prohibits noxious weed seed in screenings sold in Minnesota. Noxious weeds are weeds that are highly objectionable due to their adverse affects on crops, livestock, human health or the environment. They are also regulated under the Minnesota Noxious Weed Law and the Minnesota Seed Law.

Screenings Permit

The Minnesota Screenings Act requires that the purchaser of screenings have a current screenings permit. By having this permit, the holder certifies that they have a method for devitalizing, or killing the noxious weed seed. Common methods include grinding or heat treatment. There is no fee for this permit but it must be renewed annually.

• Screenings Permit Application (PDF: 88 KB / 1 page)

List of Current Screenings Permit Holders

List of current screenings permit holders is not available through the MDA license look-up database. The list is maintained by the Seed & Noxious Weed Unit in the Plant Protection Division. If you have screenings to sell, you should check the list to make sure the person, or firm, you wish to sell to is permitted for the current year.

2011 Screenings Permit Holders