Hemp Producer FAQ's

Yes.  A hemp producer license is required per person, per location for any person who possesses rooted hemp or who cultivates cannabis for introduction into commerce, regardless of the quantity.  Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-10-01-.03(1)

For more information about obtaining a hemp producer license, please visit Hemp Producer Licensing.

Yes.  A nationwide criminal background check, facilitated through the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, for the person identified as legally responsible for applicant’s operations is required.  Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-10-01.03(2)(h)

The report MUST be based on fingerprints and be dated within 60 days of a hemp producer application being submitted.

For more information about nationwide background checks, please visit FBI Identity History Summary Checks. 

Yes.  Applicants for a hemp producer license must submit all required information on forms provided by the Department.

Required documentation may include:

• Proof of registration in the applicant’s state of incorporation for any formal business entity.
• Any additional information as required by the Department.

Documentation including proof of business entity registration and a Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) are required as part of the TDA’s hemp producer application. This requirement is in accordance with Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-10-01-.03(2)(c) & (i) and 7 C.F.R. § 990.21(a)(3)(i).

Yes.  Hemp producers MUST report hemp crop acreage to FSA annually and within 30 days of new crops being planted.  Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-10-01.06(1)(h)

Reports MUST meet all FSA requirements, including:

1. Street address and GPS location of site for each area where hemp will be grown;

2. Total acreage or square footage dedicated to production of hemp; and

3. Licensee’s hemp producer license number           

To locate your local FSA office, please visit USDA Service Center Locator.

No.  TDA does not require soil testing for hemp producers.

If you are interested in soil testing for your operation, please contact the UT Soil, Plant and Pest Center.

Products approved for use in Tennessee for use on HEMP (HEMP on the label)

No.  TDA does not require the use of certified seeds. Producers are responsible for choosing their propagative material. 

Producers are responsible for sourcing their propagative material.

The sale of agricultural and vegetable seeds in Tennessee is regulated by TDA and requires a license.

Each seed seller who sells, offers for sale, exposes for sale, distributes, or solicits orders for the sale of any agricultural or vegetable seeds to farmers, retailers, wholesalers, or any others who use or plant agricultural or vegetable seeds in the state shall obtain a license from the commissioner annually. T.C.A. § 43-10-118

For more information about obtaining a seed seller license, please contact TDA’s Feed, Fertilizer, Grain, and Seed Section at (615) 837-5148 or aginputs.seed@tn.gov. 

A hemp producer license is required per person, per location for any person who possesses rooted hemp or who cultivates cannabis for introduction into commerce, regardless of the quantity.  Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-10-01-.03(1)

For more information about obtaining a hemp producer license, please visit Hemp Producer Licensing.

All producers must be inspected by TDA and each variety/grow area must be sampled as described in the USDA Final Rule. Inspections will continue to be done by TDA inspectors at no charge. Inspections may be conducted at any time during regular business hours.   Inspections include any location, licensed by the department, for the purpose of inspecting any cannabis plant, record, or other material as necessary for the efficient enforcement of the Act and this chapter.

TDA uses HPLC-MS to calculate Total THC. Compliance will be Total THC .3% beginning January 1, 2022 in accordance with USDA Final Rule.

Effective 10/31/2025, Tennessee Department of Agriculture will conduct all regulatory sampling and testing for hemp crops in Tennessee.

• The fee for TDA sampling and testing services is $150 per sample.
• Each grow area must be sampled and tested within 30 days of harvest.
• Sampling and testing will be conducted in compliance with Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-10-01-.05(3)(a)-(f).
• Hemp crops must have a Total THC concentration of 0.3% or less to be deemed compliant.
• It is the producer’s responsibility to contact TDA at least 30 days prior to their anticipated harvest date to schedule sampling.

Yes.  TDA encourages self-monitoring of hemp crops. 

Producers are responsible for sourcing a third-party laboratory to perform testing for self-monitoring samples.

NOTE:  Third-Party laboratory test results do not replace regulatory sampling and testing conducted by TDA in compliance with Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-10-01-.05(3)(a)-(f).

To submit a harvest report, please log into TDA’s secure online portal at https://tnlcp.lcp.tracefirst.com/portal/users/sign_in.

USDA's Farm Service Agency is working on developing assistance for hemp growers.