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Title 7 — AgricultureRelease 119-73not60

§1611 Illegal Sales of Uncertified Seed

Title 7 › Chapter 37— SEEDS › Subchapter V— SALE OF UNCERTIFIED SEED OF PROTECTED VARIETY › § 1611

Last updated Apr 3, 2026|Official source

Summary

Selling, offering, or advertising uncertified seed by its variety name in U.S., interstate, or foreign commerce is illegal if a PVPA (Plant Variety Protection) certificate says the variety must be sold only as certified seed; seed from a certified lot may be named in a mixture with the variety owner's approval.

Full Legal Text

Title 7, §1611

Agriculture — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

It shall be unlawful in the United States or in interstate or foreign commerce to sell or offer for sale or advertise, by variety name, seed not certified by an official seed certifying agency, when it is a variety for which a certificate of plant variety protection under the Plant Variety Protection Act [7 U.S.C. 2321 et seq.] specifies sale only as a class of certified seed: Provided, That seed from a certified lot may be labeled as to variety name when used in a mixture by, or with the approval of, the owners of the variety.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Plant Variety Protection Act, referred to in text, is Pub. L. 91–577, Dec. 24, 1970, 84 Stat. 1542, which is classified principally to chapter 57 (§ 2321 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 2321 of this title and Tables.

Amendments

1981—Pub. L. 97–98 substituted “sell or offer for sale or advertise, by variety name, seed” for “sell by variety name seed”, “certifying agency, when” for “certifying agency when”, and “owners of the variety” for “owner of the variety”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1981 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 97–98 effective Dec. 22, 1981, see section 1801 of Pub. L. 97–98, set out as an

Effective Date

note under section 4301 of this title.

Effective Date

Section effective Dec. 24, 1970, see section 141 of Pub. L. 91–577, set out as a note under section 2321 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

7 U.S.C. § 1611

Title 7 — Agriculture

Last Updated

Apr 3, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60