(a) No person may offer for sale or distribute certified nursery stock as a nursery stock grower or dealer without first obtaining the appropriate nursery stock certificate from the commissioner. The commissioner may not issue a certificate to a person who does not sell certified nursery stock. Certificates are issued solely for these purposes and may not be used for other purposes.
(b) A certificate issued by the commissioner expires on December 31 of the year it is issued.
(c) A person required to be certified by this section must apply for a certificate or for renewal on a form furnished by the commissioner which must contain:
(1) the name and address of the applicant, the number of locations to be operated by the applicant and their addresses, and the assumed business name of the applicant;
(2) if other than an individual, a statement whether a person is a partnership, corporation, or other organization;
(3) the type of business to be operated and, if the applicant is an agent, the principals the applicant represents; and
(4) source or sources of purchased nursery stock.
(d) No person may:
(1) falsely claim to be a certified dealer, grower, broker, or agent;
(2) make willful false statements when applying for a certificate; or
(3) sell or distribute certified nursery stock to an uncertified nursery stock dealer who is required to be certified or nursery stock grower.
(e) Each application for a certificate must be accompanied by the appropriate certificate fee under section 18H.07.
(f) Certificates issued by the commissioner must be prominently displayed to the public in the place of business where certified nursery stock is sold or distributed.
(g) The commissioner may refuse to issue a certificate for cause.
(h) Each grower or dealer is entitled to one sales location under the certificate of the grower or dealer. Each additional sales location maintained by the person requires the payment of the full certificate fee for each additional sales outlet.
(i) A grower who is also a dealer is certified only as a grower for that specific site.
(j) A certificate is personal to the applicant and may not be transferred. A new certificate is necessary if the business entity is changed or if the membership of a partnership is changed, whether or not the business name is changed.
(k) The certificate issued to a dealer or grower applies to the particular premises named in the certificate. However, if prior approval is obtained from the commissioner, the place of business may be moved to the other premises or location without an additional certificate fee.
(l) A collector of nursery stock from the wild is required to obtain a dealer's certificate from the commissioner and is subject to all the requirements that apply to the inspection of nursery stock. All collected nursery stock must be labeled as "collected from the wild."
History:2003 c 128 art 5 s 4; 1Sp2005 c 1 art 1 s 47