Washington Seeks to Cover Regulatory Costs with Huge Increases to Hemp Registration Fees

The Washington Department of Agriculture has published a proposal to significantly increase fees for growers, processors, marketers and seed distributors in order to cover the costs or overseeing the industrial hemp pilot program. The regulator hopes to raise enough fees to become self funded. The Department of Agriculture has yet to indicate when the comment period will close or if a public hearing will be scheduled.

A summary of the fee increases include:

• A single grower or processor/marketer license fee will increase from $300 to approximately $7,500

• A combination (grower and processor/marketer license fee will increase from $300 to approximately $14,500

• A seed distributor license fee increasing from $300 to approximately $7,500

• Reducing the application fee for a combination (grower and processor) license from $800 to $450

Interested businesses should file a comment letter with the Department of Agriculture at the address below.

Submitting Written Comments:

Send written comments using one of the following:

By mail:
Henri Gonzales, Agency Rules Coordinator
Washington State Dept. of Agriculture
PO Box 42560
Olympia, WA 98504-2560

By fax: (360) 902-2092
By e-mail: wsdarulescomments@agr.wa.gov