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Maryland Department of Agriculture

Apply for Organic Certification

About organic certification in Maryland

Except for operations whose gross agricultural income from organic sales totals $5,000 or less annually, farm operations that grow and/or process foods that are to be sold, labeled, or represented as “100 percent organic," “organic," or “made with organic (specified ingredients or food group(s))" must be certified by a USDA-accredited certifying agent. 

The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) is a USDA-accredited certifying agent for producers located in Maryland.

MDA certifies farm operations to NOP standards under the following scopes:

  • Crops
  • Livestock
  • Wild Crops
  • Handling/Processing (small scale, on-farm processing/handling only. MDA does not certify individual handling/processing facilities)

Before applying for certification

Review NOP standards

The first step for any operator interested in organic certification is to become familiar with the NOP standards, which outline the requirements of a certified operation. Additional information on the USDA National Organic Program website.

Develop an Organic System Plan (OSP)

New applicants for organic certification must develop an Organic System Plan (OSP) in accordance with NOP standards. OSP template forms are found on the right side of this page. To apply for certification, complete all applicable forms and submit them, along with applicable fees, to MDA as outlined in the forms. Recordkeeping templates are also available for your use.

For additional information on the certification process and NOP standards, please review the following documents as you begin to develop your OSP:

  • New Organic Certification Application Cover Sheet
  • Navigating the National Organic Program (NOP) – Organic Crops
  • Additional information can be found on our Organic Resources page.

Organic certification process in Maryland

This is the basic certification process for a production operation in Maryland:

  1. Submit an application and $500 certification fee to MDA. The application outlines the organic system plan (OSP) for the type of operation being certified.
  2. MDA reviews the application to determine if the OSP appears to be in compliance with the National Organic Program.
  3. If the OSP appears to be in compliance with the National Organic Program, MDA will contact the applicant to schedule an inspection.
  4. MDA reviews the application and inspection report to determine if the operation is in compliance with the standards established by the National Organic Program.
  5. MDA issues a certificate to applicants that have met all the requirements.

Apply on Maryland OneStop

Producers who qualify for exemption

Producers who gross $5,000 or less in organic agricultural sales annually are exempt from organic certification. Exempt operations must operate in accordance with all NOP regulations, including recordkeeping requirements.

MDA has created an optional registered exempt program. Producers who qualify and submit the required forms and fees will be listed as a registered exempt operation on MDA's website. Producers who wish to register exempt with MDA should submit an Organic Exempt Applications and associated fees. 

Exempt registrations must be updated annually to maintain listing on MDA's website.