Seed conditioning plants and mobile cleaners must be approved by the North Dakota State Seed Department to condition field-inspected seed for final certification. To be approved, conditioners must meet certain minimum requirements for equipment and management practices.

Seed Department requirements are established to ensure compliance to the requirements of the Federal Seed Act Regulations section 201.73.

• Facilities must be able to perform processing without introducing admixtures
• Identity of the seed must be maintained at all times
• Records of all operations relating to certification shall be complete and adequate to account for all incoming seed and final disposition of seed
• Conditioners shall permit inspection by the certifying agency of all records pertaining to all classes of certified seed.
• Conditioners shall designate an individual who shall be responsible to the certifying agency for performing such duties as may be required by the certifying agency.
• Seed lots of the same variety and class may be blended and the class retained. If lots of different classes are blended, the lowest class shall be applied to the resulting blend. Such blending can only be done when authorized by the certifying agency. 

Seed Conditioner Permit
A permit is required to operate as a certified seed conditioner in North Dakota. Permits are issued on an annual basis following an inspection of the facility by a Seed Department inspector. Seed conditioning facilities must meet minimum requirements to obtain a permit. Facility managers and the designated samplers are under agreement to handle all seed, records and to draw representative samples of all seed lots for certification according to the certification rules and regulations.

Approved conditioners with multiple facilities or mobile units must have a separate permit for each facility or mobile unit.

Growers who condition their own seed using their own equipment on their own premises are not required to have a permit. However, they are not allowed to condition seed for other growers.

Facility Management
Facility managers must understand and agree to all of the requirements on the permit application. The facility manager and employees are responsible for all items specified on the agreement. In general, the agreement covers all items relating to the proper conditioning and handling of certified seed, record retention and adherence to state and federal seed laws, including Plant Variety Protection.

Permission to operate as an Approved Certified Seed Conditioning Facility is granted on an annual basis and may be revoked at any time without notice under the following circumstances:

• Conditions specified in the Agreement are not fulfilled
• Violations of state certification standards
• Violations of state seed laws
• Violations of the Federal Seed Act

For more information
Conditioners listed on this website meet the minimum standards established by the department for equipment, facility management and proper seed handling. The ability to properly clean seed also involves skill and experience. Customers are urged to discuss their cleaning needs with an approved conditioner to determine whether they have the ability to meet their needs.