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Changes to Grain Licensing and Examination Fees
License fees for the 2026-2027 licensing year are changing for Minnesota grain buyers and grain storage entities.
Fee increases will be phased in over the next several years. By 2029, all license holders will pay the fees outlined below:
Examinations are required for all licensed grain buyers, except facilities that have received a USDA grain storage inspection in the last year.
Why doesn’t my renewal fee match the new fee schedule?
The Minnesota Legislature implemented a yearly limit on the fee increases. Your yearly fee must not increase by more than 150% of what it was the year before.
For example, if your previous license fee was $220, it cannot exceed $330 this year. However, it will increase each year by up to 150% until your fee matches the above schedule.
As a result of this limit on yearly increases, some license holders will see increases to their fees for up to four years (2029) until their fees match the schedule above. Your specific estimated fee increase summary is available upon request.
The tables below show how license fees will phase in over the next several years.
| License Year | 2025/2026 (previous fee) | 2026/2027 | 2027/2028 | 2028/2029 | 2029/2030 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Example 1 | $110.00 | $165.00 | $247.50 | $371.25 | $500.00 |
| Example 2 | $140.00 | $210.00 | $315.00 | $472.50 | $500.00 |
| Example 3 | $220.00 | $330.00 | $495.00 | $500.00 | $500.00 |
| Example 4 | $275.00 | $412.50 | $500.00 | $500.00 | $500.00 |
| Example 5 | $415.00 | $500.00 | $500.00 | $500.00 | $500.00 |
| Example 6 | $550.00 | $500.00 | $500.00 | $500.00 | $500.00 |
| Example 7 | $700.00 | $500.00 | $500.00 | $500.00 | $500.00 |
| License Year | 2025/2026 (previous fee) | 2026/2027 | 2027/2028 | 2028/2029 | 2029/2030 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Example | $110.00 | $165.00 | $247.50 | $300.00 | $300.00 |
Frequently Asked Questions for Grain Licensing Fee Change
After 20 years without any increases, grain license fees were updated during the 2025 legislative session. In 2017, the legislature required the grain licensing program to provide greater oversight of the grain industry, including mandatory inspections of every facility. Additional inspections increased the cost of labor, and the MDA was required to address the difference between the cost to execute what is required in law and the amount brought in from licensing fees.
The updated fee structure takes into account the most expensive portion of the law, the required onsite examinations.
A flat license fee for buying and storing grain has been implemented and examination fees are based on measured bushel capacity.
The legislature mandated that fees should be phased in overtime, requiring that they cannot be increased more than 150% over what you paid the previous year. If your current fees differ from the fee structure set in statute, then your fees fall under this provision within the law.
Examination fees are charged based on bushel capacity:
- Facilities can calculate their expected examination fee by multiplying their bushel capacity by $.0035
- Minimum examination fee of $350
- Maximum examination fee of $4,000
- Examination fee of $200 is required for those with no bushel capacity
Examinations are required for each facility.
Facilities that hold a USDA warehouse license may be exempt from the requirement for examination by the MDA. However, these facilities must still pay for and maintain a Minnesota Grain Buyer’s license.
