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Fertilizer

This program regulates fertilizers, soil conditioners, and plant amendments sold in Colorado for agricultural and home use. Product labels and advertisements are monitored for false or misleading statements. Fertilizers are sampled by our inspectors and tested by our Bio-Chemistry Laboratory to verify the listed ingredients.

Laurel Hamling

Fertilizer Program Administrator

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News

The 2020-2023 Fee Schedule has been approved and may now be viewed.

​AgLicense records show 686,973 tons of fertilizer distributed in Colorado during the calendar year 2022. ​

​AgLicense records show 806,557 tons of fertilizer distributed in Colorado during the calendar year 2021. ​

CDA Biochemistry Laboratory

Official Sample Results for fertilizer samples collected January 1 - June 30, 2022

Official Sample Results for Fertilizer samples collected July 1 - December 31, 2022

Colorado registers all labels classified as fertilizers, soil conditioners/amendments, plant amendments, and seed treatments. Potting soils are exempt. Tonnage reports are due once per year in January for the previous calendar year of distribution.

All product registrations and tonnage reports are submitted online via Colorado's AgLicense system. If you do not have an online AgLicense account, contact us.

The produce label registration fee is $40 per product regardless of the package size. The minimum tonnage fee is $50 per registrant; this minimum fee also applies to -0- tonnage reports.

The tonnage fee for fertilizer is $1.10/ton. This includes a $1.00 Groundwater Protection Program Fee. Further information on the Department's Agricultural Water Quality Program is found here

The tonnage fee for soil conditioners and plant amendments is $0.10/ton. No Groundwater Protection Program Fee is assessed on soil conditioners and plant amendments.

The tonnage fee for fertilizers sold in packages of ten pounds or less is $0.01025/lb

Revised Fertilizer, Soil Conditioner, and Plant Amendment rules became effective July 30, 2022.  The rules may be viewed by following the Code of Colorado Regulations link here and navigating to Fertilizers 8 CCR 1202-4. A Summary of the changes is in Part 9.9.

Further information can be found in Frequently Asked Questions.


Quick Links

Information for fertilizer retailers on the necessary documentation needed for an inspection

Fertilizer Inspection

Fertilizer test results from the CDA Biochemistry Lab
2019

The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) - TFI is the leading voice in the fertilizer industry, representing the public policy, communication, and statistical needs of producers, manufacturers, retailers, and transporters of fertilizer.

Forms and Downloads

Complete the following steps for Fertilizer and/or Soil Conditioner/Plant Amendment registration in Colorado:

Fertilizer Registration

Registration Fees

  • If you are currently registered and just renewing you can do so on the AgLicense website. Contact our office to obtain your login credentials.
  • The annual registration period is February 1 - January 31 of each year, and registrations must be renewed each year by January 31.
  • The product registration fee is $40.00/product. A late penalty fee of $40.00/product will be assessed on all product registration renewals paid after the due date of January 31.
  • Need to add new fertilizer, soil conditioner, or plant amendment products? Login to your AgLicense account, click on Products, then click the button for 'Add New'. Follow the prompts to upload the labels for review and remit the registration fee online using a credit card or e-check.
  • Paper application for Fertilizer Product Registration

Tonnage Fees

Tonnage fees are collected annually for the previous 12 months, January-December. Registrants will report and pay tonnage online by February 15th. If unable to report and pay online, please call the office at (303) 869-9103 within the 45-day period ending February 15 each year, or the late penalty fee of 10% of the distribution fee, or $50.00 (whichever is greater) will be assessed.

  • Registrants, except those who package fertilizers in containers of 10 pounds or less, must report and pay a distribution fee of $1.10/ton for all commercial fertilizers that are distributed in the State of Colorado.
  • Registrants of specialty fertilizers or small packages in containers of 10 pounds or less must pay a tonnage fee of $.01025/pound.
  • In your annual tonnage report, you must report the amount of tonnage and the Colorado county where each product is sold or distributed.
Soil Conditioner/Plant Amendment Registration

Registration Fees

  • If you are currently registered and just renewing, you can do so on the AgLicense website. Contact our office to obtain your login credentials.
  • If you are registering for the first time, please contact our office to register your company in Colorado.
  • The annual registration period is February 1 - January 31 of each year, and registrations must be renewed each year by January 31st.
  • The product registration fee is $40.00/product. A late penalty fee of $40.00/product will be assessed on all product registration renewals completed after the due date of January 31.
  • The Paper application for Fertilizer Product Registration is also used for Soil Conditioners and Plant Amendments.

Tonnage Fees

Tonnage fees are collected annually for the previous 12 months January-December. Registrants will report and pay tonnage online by February 15th. A late penalty fee of 10% of the distribution fee, or $50.00 (whichever is greater) will be assessed.

  • Registrants of soil conditioners and/or plant amendments must pay a tonnage fee of $.10/ton

For more information on tonnage reporting, go to the Frequently Asked Questions page.

Please contact Laurel Hamling with any questions.

 
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Laws and Regulations

Colorado Revised Statutes

Colorado Revised Statutes are made available for public use by the Committee on Legal Services of the Colorado General Assembly through a contractual arrangement with the LexisNexis Group. Any person wishing to reprint and distribute all or a substantial part of the statutes in either printed or electronic format must obtain prior permission from the Committee on Legal Services; permission is not required to reprint fewer than 200 sections of C.R.S. (please see §2-5-118, C.R.S.).

The Lexis Nexis website is the only official source of the Colorado Revised Statutes.

Instructions for using Lexis Nexis

  • Title 35, Article 12: Commercial Fertilizers and Soil Conditioners Law, Sections 35-12-101 to 35-12-120
  • Code of Colorado Regulations: Fertilizers 8 CCR 1202-4
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Contact Us

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Laurel Hamling
Program Administrator
laurel.hamling@state.co.us
Phone number: (303) 869-9096
Fax number: (303) 466-2860

Megan Winter
Administrative Assistant
megan.winter@state.co.us
Phone number: (303) 869-9103