Industrial Hemp in Santa Clara County
USDA has approved California’s state regulatory plan for hemp production, effective January 1, 2022. Cultivation is allowed in Santa Clara County under the state regulatory plan and Santa Clara County Industrial Hemp Ordinance.
California Food and Agricultural Code requires all growers, breeders, and established agricultural research institutions of industrial hemp to register with the County Agricultural Commissioner prior to cultivation. Registration procedures are outlined in Sections 4901 in Title 3 of the California Code of Regulations and applications are available on CDFA’s Industrial Hemp Program webpage.
Frequently Asked Questions: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/industrialhemp/faq.html
Summary of Santa Clara County Industrial Hemp Ordinance
-Maximum of 250 acres allowed for cultivation
-No operations allowed within ¼ mile of a sensitive receptor (ex. child day care facilities, schools, playfields, religious institutions, etc.)
-No operations allowed within 200 ft of a dwelling or right-of-way
-Each operation site must be posted with appropriate signage at specific locations on property
-Permission granted to commissioner/contractors to enter properties
The Santa Clara County Industrial Hemp Program was made possible through the promulgation of the Santa Clara County Industrial Hemp Ordinance, adopted by the Board of Supervisors on August 25, 2020.
Please call our office if you have specific questions regarding the ordinance. If you would like to view the complete ordinance (definitions p. 1, use regulations p. 18, and conditions p. 25).
Anyone wishing to cultivate industrial hemp in Santa Clara County must register with California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) through the Santa Clara County Office of the Agricultural Commissioner and obtain clearance with the Santa Clara County Planning and Development Department. Registration must be completed and approved before cultivation.
Those wishing to cultivate industrial hemp shall register as a grower, a seed breeder, or both. Those wishing to produce and sell industrial hemp nursery stock for planting or cultivating must also possess a nursery license issued by CDFA, and may be required to register as a grower, a seed breeder, or both. Nursery stock means any plant for planting or for propagation.
In preparation of the Industrial Hemp Program, Santa Clara County will begin accepting registration applications after the Hemp State Plan is approved. Please call our office if you are interested in planting hemp. For now, due to the COVID-19 health crisis, applications and payments (payable to CDFA) need to be mailed to our San Martin office, located at:
80 West Highland Ave, Building K
San Martin, CA 95046
Do not plant or cultivate industrial hemp until registration has been approved. Any planting or cultivation before registration is approved may result in crop destruction and violations for unpermitted cannabis cultivation.
You can sign up to receive e-mail updates from CDFA regarding industrial hemp by visiting CDFA’s subscription webpage, or by sending a blank e-mail to: [email protected]
The following links will help you prepare your registration paperwork for submission to the Santa Clara County Office of the Agricultural Commissioner:
• CDFA Industrial Hemp Program
• California Industrial Hemp Laws and Regulations
• CDFA Industrial Hemp Registration Packet for Growers
• CDFA Industrial Hemp Registration Packet for Seed Breeders
• CDFA Nursery License Application
• CDFA Industrial Hemp Program Frequently Asked Questions
Forms and Reference Materials
• Lands Eligible For Hemp Operations in Santa Clara County
(Revised December 2020)
• Santa Clara County Industrial Hemp Registration Application
• Santa Clara County Industrial Hemp Best Management Practices
• Industrial Hemp Registration Checklist
• Industrial Hemp Registration Checklist Guidelines
Quick Links
- California Department of Food and Agriculture
- Reporting Pest/Insect Problems
- U.C. Master Gardeners Online
- South County Perchlorate Cleanup Info
- Department of Pesticide Regulation
- Structural Pest Control Board
- Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
- U.C. Agriculture and Natural Resources
- Santa Clara County Farm Bureau
- California Farm Bureau
- Cornell Vegetable MD Online - Vegetable disease identification
- U.C. Fruit and Nut Research Information Center
- Tree Selection Guide
- United States Department of Agriculture