The Nursery Inspection Program conducts inspections of nursery stock in an effort to prevent the spread of insect, weed and disease pests. Each year, the Office of Plant Industry Services inspects more than 8,500 acres of nursery stock for pests and diseases. More than 2,000 nurseries and nursery stock dealers are registered to operate within Virginia.

The Plants and Plant Products Inspection Law authorizes and requires the annual registration and inspection of all plant nurseries including hops in the Commonwealth of Virginia. This law also authorizes the registration and inspection of retail establishments selling nursery stock.

If you offer for sale, sell, deliver, or give away nursery stock, you must first obtain a Nursery Operation or Dealer’s License from VDACS through the Office of Plant Industry Services (application form below). The Nursery Operation License is $75 per year, and the Nursery Stock Dealer License is $25 per year, per location. The licenses expire every December 31. Virginia's Plants and Plant Products Inspection Law (Code of Virginia, Section 3.2-3803) allows for the assessment of late fees if a nursery dealer or grower fails to renew their license within the 30 days following the December 31 expiration date. A $50 late fee for growers and a $15 late fee for dealers will be charged in addition to the license fee.

Nursery stock means all trees, shrubs, woody vines (including ornamentals), bush fruits, grapevines, fruit trees, and nut trees offered for sale and distribution; all buds, grafts, scions, and cuttings from such plants; and any container, soil, and other packing material with such plants or plant products. Unless designated by the Board, nursery stock shall not include florist or greenhouse plants for inside culture or use.

Chapter 393 of the 2025 Acts of the Virginia General Assembly enacted legislation that becomes effective on January 1, 2027. The legislation added requirements for retail establishments selling invasive plants, which are listed in Virginia’s Plants and Plant Products Inspection Law, to post signage identifying these 39 species of plants as invasive, educating consumers regarding invasive plant species, and encouraging consumers to ask about alternatives. If such plants are being sold or offered for sale without the proper signage, those plants will stop the sale of those plants until a sign is posted. VDACS has developed template signs for retail establishments to use and can be found in the Nursery Inspection Resources section below. Retail establishments may create their own signs; however, the signs must meet certain criteria and include specific information, which is all listed in the Guidance Document titled “Guidance on Invasive Plant Species Signage Requirements at Retail Establishments” and found in the Nursery Inspection Resources section below.