Fertilizer registration fees by state, and how they're calculated

Most states charge a fee for each fertilizer product you register, usually per brand and grade, and most charge it every year. As of October 2026, the per-product figure for a small packaged specialty product in our 46 researched states runs from $25 in Arkansas to $150 in Washington (for a two-year registration), with a median of $60. What you actually owe depends on how the state counts a product, whether it prices specialty fertilizer differently, your package sizes and the renewal cycle.

Registration fees are only one of three charges

States can charge for a company license, for each product registration and for tonnage (a per-ton inspection fee). The three are usually billed separately. See the pillar guide for how they fit together.

Some small-package registration fees include the inspection fee:

• Delaware's $40 per grade for packages of 10 lb or less is a combined registration and inspection fee paid instead of the per-ton fee.
• South Carolina's $60 per brand and grade for packages of 10 lb or less is paid in place of the per-ton tax.
• Iowa's $100 for packages of 25 lb or less is an annual registration and inspection fee.
• Kentucky's $100 is $50 for registration plus $50 for inspection.

A higher registration fee can therefore mean a lower tonnage bill or none at all. Compare total cost, not just the registration line.

The range, as of October 2026

• 37 of the 46 researched states charge a per-product fee, and 28 of those fall between $40 and $100.
• The lowest are Arkansas ($25 per brand) and Maryland and West Virginia ($30 for small packages).
• The highest are Washington ($150 new and $120 to renew, for two years), New Hampshire ($128), Maine and Michigan ($125 each) and Wyoming ($115). Michigan's $125 is a $25 registration fee plus a $100 water quality protection fee.
• New Jersey takes specialty labels with the company license and charges no per-product fee. Louisiana requires label approval, but the sources reviewed state no per-product fee.
• Alaska, Alabama, Hawaii, Missouri, South Dakota, Tennessee and Wisconsin have no product registration. Wisconsin does require a one-time $25 permit for a mixed fertilizer whose N, P2O5 and K2O guarantees total less than 24%, such as a 4-4-4.

The states covered by separate rules: Florida charges $200 per specialty product a year, Virginia $50, and California $200 per label first and $100 to renew on a four-year cycle. New York reviews labels with its company license and has no product registration.

What counts as one product

Most states charge per brand and grade, so each N-P-K formula under each brand name is its own registration. Package sizes usually aren't:

• Ohio says container sizes don't need separate registrations.
• Vermont registers each grade but not each package size.
• In New Mexico, one fee covers all sizes when the labels are identical except for net weight.

There are exceptions. Arkansas treats any fertilizer that differs in more than its N-P-K grade or common name as a separate brand. The research found it unclear whether two grades sold under one product name count as one fee-bearing brand or two, so ask the agency. Oregon requires sample-size packages to be registered too.

Specialty vs farm pricing

Ten states register only specialty (non-farm) products: Arizona, Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and South Carolina. Farm fertilizer there is handled through the license or not registered at all. The other 29 researched states that register products charge the same fee whatever the use, with a few exceptions:

• Montana: $45 for specialty fertilizer, $30 for commercial fertilizer and $20 for soil amendments.
• Kentucky's statute puts its $50 registration fee on specialty fertilizers only, with no fee stated for farm fertilizer.
• Oklahoma defines specialty fertilizer by package size. Packages under 30 lb pay $100 a year, while bulk or packages over 30 lb are registered once with no stated fee.

See Specialty vs commercial fertilizer.

Package-size tiers

Many states charge more to register small packages, usually because the small-package fee replaces the per-ton fee. Examples from the research, as of October 2026:

Mississippi's cutoff is worded two ways: agency forms say "less than 10 lb" and the statute says "10 lb or less." Adding a bigger bag can change your category. Texas drops the flat fee for a product also sold over 5 lb, and Kentucky adds quarterly tonnage reports for the portion sold in packages over 10 lb. See Small-package fertilizer rules.

Annual, two-year and longer terms

Most registrations run a year and expire on one date for every registrant. Of the 39 researched states that register products, 19 expire December 31 and 14 expire June 30. Some use longer terms:

• North Dakota: $50 per product for a fixed two-year period, currently July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2028. A product added mid-period still expires June 30, 2028.
• Washington: $150 new and $120 to renew, for a two-year period that ends July 1.
• Maine: $125 a year, or $250 for two years or $375 for three if the commissioner agrees.
• Arizona: $50 per brand and grade per year, with a one- or two-year option.
• California: four-year label registrations.

Don't count on proration. Kansas, Minnesota and Oregon say their fees are not prorated, so a Kansas product registered in May pays the full $45 for a registration year that ends June 30.

Late fees and payment costs

Missing a renewal costs more than renewing on time. Some examples:

• Colorado: $40 per product after January 31.
• Minnesota: a penalty of 50% of the fee, which cannot be waived.
• North Dakota: $100 per product after July 31, and registrations not renewed by October 1 are cancelled.
• Oregon and Washington: $50 per product.
• Georgia: $90, $120 or $150, depending on the month you renew.
• Indiana: 100% of the filing fee after July 31.

How you pay can also add cost. Rhode Island's portal adds 5% for cards or 3% for ACH. West Virginia charges $35 extra on foreign checks. New Hampshire takes only mailed paper checks for registration. If a product has already been sold unregistered, see Sold fertilizer without registering?.

Recent changes and conflicting figures

Several fees changed recently or appear differently across official sources:

• New Mexico: SB 143 raised the fee from $5 to $50 per brand or grade effective July 1, 2026. The current application form shows $50, but agency web pages still show $5.
• New Hampshire: RSA 431:4, as amended effective July 1, 2025, sets $128 per grade of each brand. Older sources showing $75 predate recent amendments.
• Nebraska: registration at $50 per product begins January 1, 2027.
• Kansas: the agency form and page charge $45, while the statute as published still says $5.
• Massachusetts: MDAR charges $100 per product. The statute provides a $25 combined fee for specialty packages of 10 lb or less, which the current MDAR page doesn't mention.
• Vermont: the statute and current program charge $85. An older page and a 2019 FAQ say $20 per nutrient guarantee, up to $140.

Treat these as unsettled and confirm with the agency before you file.

A worked example

Say you sell three specialty products, all in packages of 5 lb or less: a 1-lb houseplant food, a 4-lb 10-10-10 and a 2-lb bloom booster. As of October 2026, first-year registration would cost:

• Ohio: 3 × $50 = $150
• Kentucky: 3 × $100 = $300, with no tonnage reports because every package is 10 lb or less
• North Carolina: 3 × $55 = $165, plus the $100 company license that NCDA&CS appears to expect
• Washington: 3 × $150 = $450 for two years, then 3 × $120 = $360 to renew

That's $1,065 in registration fees for four states before any license or tonnage fees.

Registration fees by state

State	Product registration	Fee per product	Renews
Alabama	Not required	—	—
Alaska	Not required	—	—
Arizona	Specialty (non-farm) products	$50	Yearly, by June 30
Arkansas	Every product	$25	Yearly, by June 30
California	Every product (label)	$200 first, $100 renewal	Every 4 years
Colorado	Every product	$40	Yearly, by January 31
Connecticut	Every product	$75	Yearly, by June 30
Delaware	Every product	$40	Yearly, by December 31
Florida	Specialty products (49 lb or less)	$200	Yearly, by June 30
Georgia	Specialty (non-farm) products	$60	Yearly, by June 30
Hawaii	Not required	—	—
Idaho	Every product	$75	Yearly, by December 31
Illinois	Every product	$70	Yearly, by December 31
Indiana	Every product	$50	Yearly, by June 30
Iowa	Every product	$100	Yearly, by June 30
Kansas	Every product	$45	Yearly, by June 30
Kentucky	Every product	$100	Yearly, by December 31
Louisiana	Every product	—	Yearly, by December 31
Maine	Every product	$125	Yearly, by December 31
Maryland	Every product	$30	Yearly, by January 31
Massachusetts	Specialty (non-farm) products	$100	Yearly, by December 31
Michigan	Specialty (non-farm) products	$125	Yearly, by December 31
Minnesota	Specialty (non-farm) products	$100	Yearly, by December 31
Mississippi	Every product	$50	Yearly, by June 30
Missouri	Not required	—	—
Montana	Every product	$45	Yearly, by December 31
Nebraska	Every product	$50	Yearly, by December 31
Nevada	Every product	$80	Yearly, by December 31
New Hampshire	Every product	$128	Yearly, by December 31
New Jersey	Specialty (non-farm) products	labels filed with the license, no fee	Yearly, by June 30
New Mexico	Every product	$60	Yearly, by December 31
New York	Not confirmed	—	—
North Carolina	Specialty (non-farm) products	$55	Yearly, by June 30
North Dakota	Every product	$50	Every 2 years
Ohio	Specialty (non-farm) products	$50	Yearly, by November 30
Oklahoma	Every product	$100	Yearly, by June 30
Oregon	Every product	$35	Yearly, by December 31
Pennsylvania	Specialty (non-farm) products	$100	Yearly, by June 30
Rhode Island	Every product	$100	Yearly, by December 31
South Carolina	Specialty (non-farm) products	$60	Yearly, by June 30
South Dakota	Not required	—	—
Tennessee	Not required	—	—
Texas	Every product	$50	Yearly, by August 31
Utah	Every product	$75	Yearly, by December 31
Vermont	Every product	$85	Yearly, by December 31
Virginia	Specialty products	$50	Yearly, by June 30
Washington	Every product	$150	Every 2 years
West Virginia	Every product	$30	Yearly, by June 30
Wisconsin	Not required	—	—
Wyoming	Every product	$115	Yearly, by December 31

Sources

• NCDA&CS Registration of Commercial Fertilizer Products
• Maryland Registration Fees schedule
• Mississippi FFLSP program page
• WVDA fertilizer registration application
• OISC Fertilizer forms
• Delaware Code Title 3, Chapter 21
• 505 ILCS 80/4 and 80/6
• Kentucky fertilizer application instructions
• New Mexico SB 143 (2026) and NMDA registration application
• Iowa Code 200.8
• OTSC fee structures
• Montana Fertilizer Product Registration
• ODAFF Plant Industry: Fertilizer
• NDDA Fertilizer Registration and Licensing Guidelines
• RCW 15.54.325
• 7 M.R.S. §743
• Michigan fertilizer license and registration requirements
• KDA Fertilizer page and K.S.A. 2-1202
• MDAR Fertilizer or Lime Registration and M.G.L. c.128 §68
• 6 V.S.A. 364
• RSA 431:4
• Nebraska LB948 update letter
• CDA ICS fee schedule
• Minn. Stat. 18C.425
• OAR 603-059
• Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 40-6-6
• Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 40.12
• FDACS Fertilizer Licensing and CDFA Fertilizing Materials Guide