Turning this hobby into a small business?

[Wynn Dee13]

Thanks and good luck!

[Franco24]

Thank you. While it's on my mind ... Do I need licensing to list a classified here on the OB and ship? that'd be a way for my to lighten my load with all of these big hybrid and species divisions.

I have a feeling I'm seriously over thinking things. But I personally can't bring myself to sell or even just ship plants knowing its illegal. Are to regulations only for certain plants? Are orchids and tropicals non-native to the US allowed?

I'm very lost, frustrated, and confused.

[Ray]

You may need a license to operate a business in your state or town, and you may need specific permits to ship plants into specific states (AZ, CA, HI) or to export them, but there is nothing illegal about buying or selling plants. Consider that you will also likely need a tax ID so you can collect sales tax from buyers in your state.

[Daethen]

I think a large part of ebay would be shut down if licenses were required from every buyer and seller of plants. Besides, we all have traded or gifted plants on the forums and would also be in trouble. I'm with Ray.

[Franco24]

Alrighty! Good news everyone!

I have a USDA supervisor coming to my house on wednesday to inspect my orchids and growing conditions. And as long as everything clears standards (which i'm sure they all will) I'll be eligible to get my nursery license that day.

Just to clarify to everyone it is INDEED "illegal" to ship plants out of your own state (I was fine shipping bareroot within my own state of New Jersey without any licensing) . And if shipping anywhere plants must be shipped bareroot with all medium removed. This eliminates the possibilities of any pest traveling in the plants medium. There is additional certification and inspections needed if my plants were to be shipped with medium.

He said I shouldn't have a problem because most orchids aren't hardy here in the US. But I may run into issues shipping west of the Mississippi where some orchids can be grown outside year round.

I opted to just get the license to have piece of mind that im doing everything legally.

I save money on shipping stuff bareroot anyway. So the guy said all I need is my nursery license. I got the all clear to start listing as long as nothing is shipped until the following week. And that in each box i place a copy of my nursery license.

[stefpix]

When I bought plants online from legit vendors I never received a copy of the license with the order. Only vendors from Hawaii had the box stamped by some inspector.

Did you have to pay fees to get the certification and inspection of the nursery?

[Franco24]

Originally Posted by stefpix

When I bought plants online from legit vendors I never received a copy of the license with the order. Only vendors from Hawaii had the box stamped by some inspector.

Did you have to pay fees to get the certification and inspection of the nursery?

I mentioned that I never saw anything from the plethora of people I've ordered orchids from. He said some people have it listed directly on the shipping label, so if someone isn't looking for it - it's easily overlooked.

I'm assuming it isn't heavily regulated (otherwise a ton of people would be shut down), but it is indeed illegal.

It's a 75$ yearly fee. I do see a greenhouse in my near future so I figured I might as well just get it now and cover my butt with every sale.

[Ray]

And deduct it from your taxes!

[isurus79]

Wow, what an ordeal. I would never have even thought that shipping plants without a license would be "illegal." Seems like more government overreach to me. *sigh*

[goodgollymissmolly]

"....more government overreach to me....."

Nonsense! The government has a responsibility to limit (and hopefully prevent) both the import and domestic spreading of pathogens and pests infecting agriculture, horticulture, and native vegetation.

Without these controls we would have massive failure of agricultural crops resulting in worldwide famine, many more horticultural problems such as those allowing unhindered distribution of ornamentals that serve as intermediate sexual hosts for rusts, to name one, and distribution of insect pests into areas where they now do not exist.

Your objection reeks of some political idealogy soapbox and is short on common sense and scientific reasoning.