All states › Nebraska
What Nebraska requires before soil amendments, plant amendments, inoculants, biostimulants and similar products are sold there, field by field, with the source for each. Checked on October 4, 2026.
Whether a product is a fertilizer, soil amendment, plant amendment or beneficial substance depends on what its label claims, and each state decides; the same product can fall in different categories in different states. This site lists what each state's law and agency say. It does not say which category any product is in.
Fees, forms and rules change: confirm with the state agency before you register or sell.
| Regulating agency | Nebraska Department of Agriculture (Director of Agriculture), Fertilizer ProgramThe words in the source (2)“The Nebraska Commercial Fertilizer and Beneficial Substances Act shall be administered by the Director of Agriculture.” “The Nebraska Department of Agriculture’s (NDA’s) Fertilizer Program is primarily a consumer protection program” |
|---|---|
| Product categories the state defines | Commercial fertilizer; soil conditioner (until December 31, 2026); beneficial substance (the act's new category, which includes any plant biostimulant, soil amendment, chemical or biological substance beneficial to a plant and its growing environment, if it can be demonstrated by scientific research to be beneficial to soil, media or at least one plant species; it excludes plant nutrients, pesticides, unmanipulated animal or plant manure and commercial fertilizer). The act also defines microorganism and specialty product (a product for nonfarm use).The words in the source (5)“Beneficial substance means any claimed or advertised substance that can be demonstrated by scientific research to be beneficial to soil, media, or at least one species of plant.” “Includes any plant biostimulant, soil amendment, chemical or biological substance that is beneficial to any plant and growing environment of such plant” “Does not include any primary or secondary nutrient for plants, plant micronutrient, pesticide, unmanipulated animal or plant manure, or commercial fertilizer” “Soil conditioner means any formula or product distributed, except unmanipulated animal and vegetable manures, which, when added to the soil, is intended to (a) change the physical condition of the soil” “Specialty product means a product for nonfarm use” |
| Product registration required | Yes. Until January 1, 2027, each soil conditioner must be registered before it is distributed in Nebraska; beginning on and after January 1, 2027, all products (commercial fertilizers and beneficial substances) must be registered. The distributor who first causes distribution into or within the state is responsible.The words in the source (3)“Prior to January 1, 2027, each soil conditioner shall be registered before being distributed in this state. Beginning on and after January 1, 2027, all products shall be registered before being distributed in this state.” “The distributor who first causes the distribution of the product into or within this state shall be responsible for compliance with the product registration requirements of this section.” “Beginning January 1, 2027, all fertilizer and beneficial substances must be registered with NDA for distribution.” |
| Registration fee per product | $50 per product, with one copy of the labeling; registrations expire December 31 each year. Note: NDA's current beneficial substance application (Form 148) still says the product "is exempt from any registration fee"; the statute as amended by LB948 sets $50 per product. The words in the source (2)“accompanied by one copy of the labeling for such product and a fee of fifty dollars per product” “must be complete with an application fee of $50 and a copy of the label” |
| Licence or permit fee | $25 a year for each facility in Nebraska that manufactures or distributes commercial fertilizer or beneficial substances; an out-of-state firm with no Nebraska facility licenses its principal out-of-state office. Renewed on or before January 1.The words in the source (3)“accompanied by an annual license fee of twenty-five dollars. Licenses shall be renewed on or before January 1 of each year.” “Any out-of-state manufacturer or distributor who has no distribution facility within this state shall obtain a license for his or her principal out-of-state office” “The licensing fee is $25 annually per each facility.” |
| Renewal period and date | Product registrations expire December 31 each year. Firm licences are due January 1 and expire December 31; NDA mails renewal notices in mid-November.The words in the source (3)“All registrations shall expire on December 31 of each year.” “The license fee is due January 1st and expires December 31st.” “our Department will send you an annual renewal notice in mid-November.” |
| Tonnage reporting and inspection fee | Inspection fee set by the director, capped at 15 cents per ton, paid by the person distributing to the ultimate user; the rule in force sets 10 cents per ton. Semiannual tonnage reports: for 2026, by July 31 and December 31, 2026; from 2027, by July 31 and January 31 each year. Licensees must file even when no fee is due; the minimum fee is $10. Late fees: 25% of the delinquent amount per month, up to 100%. Note: NDA's page says the $10 minimum applies only if tonnage is reported, and no payment is due if no tonnage is reported. The words in the source (7)“not exceeding fifteen cents per ton” “an inspection fee at the rate of ten cents (10¢) per ton” “not later than July 31, 2027, and each July 31 thereafter, and January 31, 2028, and January 31 of each year thereafter, a semiannual tonnage report” “not later than July 31, 2026, and December 31, 2026, a semiannual tonnage report” “shall file such report regardless of whether any inspection fee is due” “The minimum inspection fee required pursuant to this section shall be ten dollars” “an additional administrative fee of twenty-five percent of the delinquent amount for each month it remains unpaid, not to exceed one hundred percent of the original amount due” |
| Efficacy or data requirements | No efficacy-data submission is listed among the application contents: the application gives names and addresses, the product name and, for beneficial substances, the percentage of every ingredient, with one copy of the labeling. The definition itself requires that a beneficial substance "can be demonstrated by scientific research" to be beneficial. Note: We read sections 81-2,162.01 to .06, .21 to .23 and LB948; we did not read the whole act or any 2027 rules, so a data request power elsewhere in the act is not excluded. The words in the source (2)“For beneficial substances, the percentage of every ingredient present” “can be demonstrated by scientific research to be beneficial to soil, media, or at least one species of plant” |
| Label requirements (summary) | From January 1, 2027, a packaged beneficial substance must show: net weight or measure; the names and addresses of the manufacturer and of the person on the label (if different from the registrant); the total percentage of active ingredients and each active ingredient with its percentage; the total inactive ingredients and each inactive ingredient over 2%; "other inactive ingredients" for the rest; and, for a product claiming a microorganism, its expiry date and storage conditions. A common name, if any, must be displayed prominently. Bulk deliveries need an accompanying written statement.The words in the source (4)“Beginning on and after January 1, 2027, any packaged beneficial substance distributed in this state, except custom-blended products, shall have placed on or affixed to the package a label stating clearly and conspicuously (a) the net weight or measure of the product” “(d) the identification and percentage of each individual active ingredient” “for any product that claims to contain any microorganism, the expiration date for use of the product and any required storage conditions for the product” “such name shall be prominently and conspicuously displayed on the label” |
| Exemptions relevant to small sellers | Unmanipulated animal and vegetable (or plant) manures are outside the definitions. Custom-blended products are exempt from registration (they need a tag or invoice). The facility licence does not apply to a retail store selling less than five tons of commercial fertilizer or beneficial substances a year. Sales between importers, manufacturers or manipulators who mix products for sale are not restricted.The words in the source (4)“except unmanipulated animal and vegetable manures” “Custom-blended products shall be exempt from the requirements of this section” “The provisions of this section shall not apply to any retail store which sells or offers for sale less than a five-ton volume of commercial fertilizer or beneficial substances annually.” “Nothing in the Nebraska Commercial Fertilizer and Beneficial Substances Act shall be construed to restrict or avoid sales or exchanges of commercial fertilizers or beneficial substances to each other by importers, manufacturers, or manipulators” |
| AAPFCO Uniform Beneficial Substances Bill | Yes: LB948 (2026) renamed the law the Nebraska Commercial Fertilizer and Beneficial Substances Act and adds beneficial substance registration, labels and tonnage reports beginning on and after January 1, 2027. Passed 35-10 with an emergency clause on March 12, 2026; approved by the Governor on March 16, 2026; the amended sections show an effective date of March 17, 2026. Status: Adopted, not yet operative · effective 2027-01-01 Note: The act's own wording does not say it is the AAPFCO Uniform Beneficial Substances Bill; NDA says it aligns Nebraska's definitions with AAPFCO's where it can. The words in the source (6)“shall be known and may be cited as the Nebraska Commercial Fertilizer and Beneficial Substances Act” “Beginning on and after January 1, 2027, all products shall be registered before being distributed in this state.” “Approved by Governor on March 16, 2026” “Passed on Final Reading with Emergency Clause 35-10*-4” “Effective Date: March 17, 2026” “renames the Nebraska Commercial Fertilizer and Soil Conditioners Act as the Nebraska Commercial Fertilizer and Beneficial Substances Act” |
| Online portal or form | Form 148, Application for Registration of Beneficial Substance (https://nda.nebraska.gov/forms/148.pdf), with one copy of the label; the form lists ALSTAR and Kelly Solutions as submission formats. Firm licence fees can be paid online from NDA's Fertilizer Program page (https://nda.nebraska.gov/plant/fertilizer).The words in the source (3)“APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION OF BENEFICIAL SUBSTANCE” “LABEL MUST BE SUBMITTED FOR STATE USE Provide One (1) copy of Product label.” “License fees may be paid online here” |
Other states: California, Colorado, Florida, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Washington. Which states have adopted the AAPFCO beneficial substances bill.