Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 52251. Section 52251.
This chapter shall be known as the “California Seed Law.”
ARTICLE 1. Short Title and Definitions [52251. - 52262.]
Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC 1.
in effectCal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 52252. Section 52252.
Unless the context otherwise requires, the definitions in this article govern the construction of this chapter.
Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 52253. Section 52253.
“Advertisement” means representations, except those on the label, which are disseminated in any manner or by any means that relate to seed which is subject to this chapter.
Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 52254. Section 52254.
“Agricultural seed” means the seed of any domesticated grass or cereal, and of any legume or other plant that is grown as turf, cover crop, forage crop, fiber crop, or field crop, and mixtures of such seeds. It does not, however, include any variety that is generally known and sold as flower seed or vegetable seed.
Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 52254.3. Section 52254.3.
“Board” means the Seed Advisory Board.
Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 52254.4. Section 52254.4.
“Certification” means to certify as to the variety, purity, quality, type, strain, or other genetic character of agricultural or vegetable seed.
Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 52254.5. Section 52254.5.
“Labeler” means any person whose name and address appears on the label pertaining to or attached to a lot or container of agricultural or vegetable seed, or both agricultural and vegetable seed, for sale and distribution within the state.
Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 52255. Section 52255.
“Labeling” means all labels, and other written, printed, or graphic representations, in any form whatsoever, which accompany and pertain to any seed whether the seed is in bulk or in containers, and it includes invoices.
Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 52255.5. Section 52255.5.
“Noncommercial seed sharing activity” means the receiving or giving away of seed by a noncommercial entity without the creation of a contractual obligation or an expectation to receive anything of value in return. This definition does not prohibit a noncommercial entity engaging in noncommercial seed sharing activity from receiving the progeny of the seeds it distributes to the extent that the activity does not violate the federal Plant Variety Protection Act (7 U.S.C. Sec. 2321 et seq.). Noncommercial seed sharing activity does not include receiving, storing, or distributing patented seed.
Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 52256. Section 52256.
“Noxious weed seed” means the seed or propagule of any species of noxious weed, as defined in Section 5004. As used in this chapter, noxious weed seed are of two classes, prohibited noxious weed seed and restricted noxious weed seed, which are defined in Sections 52257 and 52258, respectively.
Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 52256.5. Section 52256.5.
“Person” also means any individual, partnership, corporation, trust association, cooperative association, or any other business unit or organization.
Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 52257. Section 52257.
“Prohibited noxious weed seed” means the seed or propagule of any species of noxious weed which the director, as provided in Section 52332, finds and declares to be a prohibited noxious weed seed and which either: (1) is not known to occur, or is of limited distribution, in this state; (2) is not widely distributed throughout the state and which not only reproduce by seed, but also by underground roots or stems; or (3) is under eradication measures in this state.
Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 52257.5. Section 52257.5.
“Conditioner” means any person who cleans, scarifies, or blends to obtain uniform quality, or who conducts other operations which would change the purity, germination, or identity of any lot of seed, including, but not limited to, packaging, labeling, blending together of uniform lots of the same kind or variety, or the preparation of a mixture.
Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 52257.6. Section 52257.6.
“Process” means any modification of the form or nature of agricultural or vegetable seed, or any treatment of the seed, which renders it inviable.
Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 52257.8. Section 52257.8.
“Research” means any research related to the variety, purity, quality, type, strain, or other genetic and physiological characteristics of agricultural or vegetable seed or the production thereof.
Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 52258. Section 52258.
“Restricted noxious weed seed” means the seed or propagule of any species of noxious weed, the seed of which is not otherwise designated as prohibited noxious weed seed, and which the director, as provided in Section 52332, finds and declares to be a restricted noxious weed seed.
Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 52259. Section 52259.
“Vegetable seed” means the seed of any crop which is or may be grown in gardens or on truck farms and which is generally known and sold under the name of vegetable seed.
Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 52260. Section 52260.
“Weed seed” means any noxious weed seed or vegetable seeds, and any seed that is not included in the definitions of agricultural seed, if it occurs incidentally in agricultural seed or vegetable seeds.
Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 52261. Section 52261.
“Viability” means a description of living seeds which are capable of germinating.
Cal. Food and Agricultural Code - FAC § 52262. Section 52262.
“Farm” means a place of agricultural production which has annual sales of agricultural products of one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026