Nursery and Nursery Dealer Programs

Directory of Mississippi Certified Nurseries and Nursery Dealers (PDF)

The Bureau of Plant Industry certifies Nurseries and Nursery Dealers. The Bureau of Plant Industry does not sell plants or trees.

In Mississippi, there are Nursery Dealers and Nurseries. A Nursery Dealer is a retail establishment that buys plants for resale. A Nursery is an establishment where young plants and trees are grown for sale or for planting elsewhere. Please follow the instructions below for the category in which your business fits.

Select only one certification (Nursery Dealer or Nursery) based on the type of business you have.

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Nursery Dealer Certification

A Nursery Dealer is a retail establishment that buys plants for resale.

Here are the steps to become a certified Nursery Dealer in Mississippi:

1. File a Nursery Dealer Agreement Form (PDF) with the Bureau of Plant Industry by emailing the completed form to nurseryprograms@mdac.ms.gov
2. Upon receipt of the completed Nursery Dealer Agreement Form, the Bureau will issue a Nursery Dealer Certificate. This certificate should be kept on file as the Nursery Dealer may be asked to provide the Certificate to the Nurseries from which they purchase plants.
3. The Nursery Dealer will be inspected by a state inspector at least once a year and certified free of injurious pests and plant diseases.

A new Nursery Dealer can complete and submit the form anytime throughout the year. The certificate will be valid until September 1. Each year, in early August, the Bureau emails renewal notices to all existing Nursery Dealers.

There is no cost to the Nursery Dealer for the inspection or the certification.

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Nursery Certification

A Nursery is an establishment where young plants and trees are grown for sale or for planting elsewhere.

There are 3 Nursery classifications listed below, however, all must meet the same inspection requirements:

1. Nursery outlet: Nursery operation in which less than 50 percent of the nursery stock sold is grown by that nursery. Example: garden centers where most of the nursery stock on hand has been procured from other nurseries as ready-for-sale plants.
2. Commercial grower: Nursery operation in which more than 50 percent of the nursery stock sold or distributed is stock grown by that nursery and may include such plant material as rooted liners or seedlings.
3. Non-commercial grower: Same as a commercial grower, but the individual or partnership that operates the nursery does not depend completely on the sale of nursery stock as a source of income. Examples include an individual working full-time elsewhere to supplement income from the nursery or a “back-yard” type grower who handles a low volume of nursery stock and makes infrequent sales.

Here are the steps to become a certified Nursery in Mississippi:

1. A new Nursery must be inspected to become certified. A new Nursery can request an inspection anytime throughout the year to become a certified Nursery.
2. New Nurseries must file New Nursery Contact Information Form (PDF) with the Bureau of Plant Industry by emailing the completed form to nurseryprograms@mdac.ms.gov when nursery stock is available for inspection. There must be plants to inspect.
3. An inspection will be scheduled and upon completion of a successful inspection, the Bureau will issue a certificate which should accompany each shipment of nursery stock.
4. All nurseries will be inspected at least twice a year and certified free of injurious pests and plant diseases.
5. The Bureau emails renewal notices to all existing Nurseries to renew their Nursery Certificate.

There is no cost to the Nursery for the inspections or the certification.