Hemp Producer Licensing

License Required

Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-10-01-.03(1)

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.  The hemp producer license authorizes the producer to sell harvested hemp as an unprocessed commodity to wholesalers and distributors.  If a hemp producer alters harvested hemp beyond its form as a farm commodity (e.g., by trimming, filtering, or packaging the crop for its component parts) or offers harvested hemp for retail sale, the producer MUST also have a hemp-derived cannabinoid (HDC) supplier license and HDC retail license, as appropriate, under Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-10-02 and 0080-10-03.

Hemp Producer License Renewal

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) is pleased to announce that a new license renewal process is available to licensed hemp producers who plan to cultivate hemp or possess rooted hemp at the SAME PHYSICAL ADDRESS during the upcoming 2025 – 2026 license period as they did during the 2024-2025 license period.

The new renewal process will be facilitated through TDA’s secure, online portal.  Use of the online portal is streamlined, leading to efficiency for submission, review, and approval of hemp producer licenses.

TDA delivered license renewal notices to the email address(s) on file with the Department to all currently licensed hemp producers.  Please review the email notice along with the guidance documents attached before beginning the renewal process in TDA’s secure, online portal. 

New Hemp Producer Licensing Process

1.  Review the TDA hemp rules and regulations at www.tn.gov/agriculture/farms/hemp-industry/hemp/hemp-legalities.html.  

2.  Review the Hemp Producer Application Guide

3.  Complete and submit a Hemp Producer Application. Applications will be processed in the order received. 

4.  Once the application is processed, the applicant will receive an email at the email address provided on the hemp producer application requesting Grow Area information and the required documents for license approval. These documents MUST be uploaded in PDF format through TDA’s secure online portal for review and approval. Please submit all documents at the same time.  See required documents listed below.

5.  Once all required information and documents are uploaded to TDA’s secure portal, TDA will review the documents for final approval.  If TDA has questions about the documents provided, the applicant will be contacted.

6.  With final approval of documents, an email will be sent to the email address provided on the application. This email will provide an invoice for the license fee(s) and prompt the applicant to log into TDA’s secure portal to submit payment.

7.  Once the invoice is paid in full, a digital license will be sent to the applicant via email. The license shall be printed and posted conspicuously inside the business.