California Code of Regulations
Title 3 - Food and Agriculture
Division 1 - Administration
Chapter 4 - Permit Reform Act
Article 1 - Department of Food and Agriculture-Permit Reform Act
Section 300 - Permit Processing Times (Including Licenses, Permits, Registrations and Certificates)

Universal Citation: 3 CA Code of Regs 300

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 38, September 20, 2024

(a) Within the number of calendar days of receipt of an application for a permit shown in column A of subsection (c), the Department shall inform the applicant in writing that the application is either complete and accepted for filing, or that it is deficient, and what specific information or documentation is required to complete the application. An application is considered complete if all necessary fees and information required by the application form have been submitted.

(b) Within the number of calendar days after receipt of a complete application, as shown in column B of subsection (c), the Department shall approve or disapprove the application.

(c) The Department's minimum, median, and maximum time periods, in calendar days, for processing an application from the receipt of the initial application to the final decision, based on the Department's actual performance during the two years immediately preceding the proposal of this section, are shown in columns C, D, and E of the chart which follows:

A B C D E
Maximum time for notifying that application is complete or deficient Maximum time after receipt of a complete application to approve or deny permit ACTUAL DAYS TO PROCESS BASED ON PRIOR TWO YEARS
Permit Type Minimum Median Maximum
(Days) (Days) (Days)
(1) Animal Health and Food Safety Services:
Livestock Meat Inspector License1.......................... 14 60 1 29 325
Poultry Meat Inspector License1.......................... 14 60 5 76 162
Retail Meat Processing Establishment License1.......................... 14 60 1 34 237
Custom Livestock Slaughter Establishment License1.......................... 14 60 6 62 163
Poultry Plant License1.......................... 14 60 19 68 194
Pet Food Processor1.......................... 14 60 48 116 185
Horsemeat and Pet Food Importers1.......................... 14 60 15 32 49
Dead Hauler License.......................... 14 60 4 11 13
--Renewal.......................... 14 60 2 4 5
Renderer License.......................... 14 60 22 37 216
--Renewal.......................... 14 60 7 10 33
Collection Center License.......................... 14 60 7 24 74
--Renewal.......................... 14 60 2 34 59
Inedible Kitchen Grease Transporter Registration.......................... 14 60 3 5 13
--Renewal.......................... 14 60 3 16 93
License for the Production of Biologics.......................... 30 30 12 27 169
--Renewal.......................... 30 30 2 21 47
License to Feed Garbage to Swine1.......................... 10 10 11 11 11
License for Vessel and Aircraft Garbage Collection2.......................... 14 45 8 37 60
Limited Dairy Inspector Certificate2.......................... 30 60 16 17 37
Registered Dairy Inspector Certificate2.......................... 60 140 36 68 142
Certificate of Proficiency in the Analysis of Milk and Milk Products2.......................... 30 90 1 28 76
Frozen Milk Products Plant License1.......................... 60 90 4 29 161
Milk Products Plant License.......................... 60 90 16 29 130
--Renewal.......................... 30 60 1 10 53
Semi-Frozen Milk Products Plant License1.......................... 30 90 1 11 268
Bulk Milk Tanker Permit.......................... 60 90 No historical record.
-- Renewal.......................... 60 90 No historical record.
(2) Division of Inspection Services:..........................
Commercial Feed License1.......................... 14 45 1 13 103
Fertilizing Materials License1.......................... 14 60 1 25 153
Fertilizing Materials Registration.......................... 14 90 1 61 240
--Renewal.......................... 14 90 4 54 239
Livestock Drug--Registration.......................... 14 60 1 28 162
--Renewal.......................... 14 45 1 16 243
Restricted Livestock Drug-- License.......................... 14 60 1 12 83
--Renewal.......................... 14 45 1 22 58
(3) Division of Marketing Services
Produce Dealer Act Licenses1,3.......................... 45 90 1 36 195
Processor or Cash Buying Processor License1.......................... 45 90 9 48 147
Conjunctive License1.......................... 45 90 8 60 183
Agent's License1.......................... 45 90 1 9 70
Milk Handler License4.......................... 45 90 1 12 91
x--Renewal.......................... 45 90 1 16 188
(4) Plant Health and Pest Prevention Services
Seed, Authorization to Sell.......................... 14 75 3 20 78
--Renewal.......................... 14 60 1 10 39
Nursery Stock, License to Sell.......................... 14 60 16 37 123
--Renewal.......................... 14 45 6 16 43
Permit to Move and Use Live Plant Pests or Insects or Noxious Weeds2.......................... 30 90 1 14 102
Permit to Move and Use Plant Quarantine Commodities2.......................... 30 90 1 17 150
Cotton Research Authorization.......................... 45 60 No historical record.
1 Median processing time for renewals does not exceed 7 days.
2 Not subject to Renewal.
3 Includes Broker, Cash Buyer, Commission Merchant, Dealer, or any combination.
4 Includes Handlers and Distributors.

1. New section filed 11-28-89; operative 1-1-90 (Register 89, No. 49).
2. Change without regulatory effect pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations filed 5-2-90; operative 5-2-90 (Register 90, No. 24).
3. Amendment of subsection (c) filed 6-4-90; operative 7-4-90 (Register 90, No. 29).
4. Editorial correction of printing error duplicating subsections (a)-(c) (Register 90, No. 46).
5. Amendment of subsection (c) filed 2-25-91; operative 3-27-91 (Register 91, No. 13).
6. Change without regulatory effect amending article heading and subsection (c) filed 9-2-93 pursuant to title 1, section 100, California Code of Regulations (Register 93, No. 36).
7. Amendment of subsection (c)(4) filed 3-4-99 as an emergency; operative 3-4-99 (Register 99, No. 10). A Certificate of Compliance must be transmitted to OAL by 7-2-99 or emergency language will be repealed by operation of law on the following day.
8. Certificate of Compliance as to 3-4-99 order transmitted to OAL 6-16-99 and filed 7-27-99 (Register 99, No. 31).
9. Amendment of subsection (c)(1) filed 10-25-2001 as an emergency; operative 10-25-2001 (Register 2001, No. 43). A Certificate of Compliance must be transmitted to OAL by 2-22-2002 or emergency language will be repealed by operation of law on the following day.
10. Certificate of Compliance as to 10-25-2001 order transmitted to OAL 2-15-2002 and filed 4-2-2002 (Register 2002, No. 14).
11. Amendment of subsection (c)(1) filed 7-1-2002; operative 7-31-2002 (Register 2002, No. 27).
12. Amendment of subsection (c)(1) filed 4-3-2003; operative 5-3-2003 (Register 2003, No. 14).
13. Change without regulatory effect amending NOTE filed 1-21-2015 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2015, No. 4).

Note: Authority cited: Section 407, Food and Agricultural Code. Reference: Sections 5302, 6305, 6721, 9210, 10981, 14281, 14321, 14591, 14601, 15051, 16153, 18990, 19000, 19010, 19240, 19260, 19300, 19300.5, 19310, 19320, 24741, 24742, 25051, 25052, 33112, 33112.1, 33227, 33704, 35011, 35167, 52351 and 52903, Food and Agricultural Code.

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