Industrial Hemp in Santa Clara County

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]