RETURNING APPLICANTS ONLY
All persons who wish to grow or process industrial hemp in Minnesota must obtain a hemp pilot program license. All individuals who sell hemp seed for planting, process raw hemp plants or plant parts, conduct laboratory testing, or handle raw, viable hemp seed must also obtain a license.
Only first-time applicants need to submit fingerprints and pass a criminal background check.
Applications that are incomplete or do not include the required attachments listed below will not be considered.
You must submit the following THREE items to the Industrial Hemp Program at the MDA if you are a returning applicant:
- A current, detailed map of the field location(s); Google map or FSA map acceptable, and
- Disclosure of any felony or gross misdemeanor drug convictions since your last application, and
- A completed, signed Hemp Pilot Program Grower Application and/or Processor Application.
Mail these three items to: Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Plant Protection Division, Industrial Hemp Program, 625 Robert Street North, St. Paul, MN 55155-2538
Fax: 651-201-6108
Email: margaret.wiatrowski@state.mn.us
No one will have access to your private data except those permitted access by law, your written consent, court order, or those department employees whose job duties require access. Names, addresses of study participants, and locations of research or study sites are private data.
All applicants are required to immediately notify the MDA if they wish to change any information associated with their license at any time during the growing season, including, but not limited to: changing a field location, number of acres grown, amount of seed planted, number of fields, and final product being produced and marketed. Any additional fees incurred by the amendment will be assessed and billed to the pilot.
2019 FEES
The MDA is required to collect annual fees for registration of sites and certification of hemp crops through randomized THC testing. The MDA is also required to administer criminal background checks for all first-time applicants. The following fees will be assessed by MDA if your application is approved. All fees are non-refundable.
| Grower for One Grow Location (0-5 acres) | $350 |
| Grower for One Grow Location (5-100 acres) | $550 |
| Each Additional Grow Location (≤ 10 miles of Initial) and/or each additional 100 acres of initial field | $50 each |
| Each Additional Grow Location (> 10 miles from the initial) | $100 each |
| Each Additional THC Test Beyond First Harvest | $250 |
| Processor ONLY License | $250 |
Next Steps
If your application is approved, then you will be sent an acceptance packet, which includes a License Fee Request form and a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Only after you have returned those signed documents, plus required fees, will you be issued an industrial hemp pilot license. You cannot take physical possession of hemp seed or propagative materials until you have obtained a current license.