(1) Producers and handlers of organic products must submit an application packet and fees to the department each year to receive or maintain certification.

(a) New applicant fee: A new application fee of $500 must be submitted with each new application.

(b) Renewal fee: A renewal fee must be submitted annually by March 1st with each renewal application. Renewal fees for producers, handlers, and processors are assessed based on the gross annual income received by the operation for the production or handling of organically certified products. The renewal fee is based on the following fee schedule:

(i) The maximum renewal fee shall not exceed $25,000 per primary facility or location.

(ii) The minimum renewal fee is $570 for operations with more than: 25 acres in production (excluding fallow, pasture, hay, haylage, and silage), or more than five production sites, or more than 15 products.

(iii) Operations certified to the retailer scope are exempt from the gross annual income assessment and are charged a $1,500 renewal fee per retail location or facility.

(iv) Renewal applications and fees submitted after March 1st must include a late fee in addition to the renewal fee.

(c) Inspection fee: An inspection fee must be submitted after each annual and announced additional inspection conducted by the department. The inspection fee is the sum of the fees associated with the scopes of the inspection. Inspection fees are based on the following fee schedule:

(i) Operations with a producer scope plus either the handler or processor scope and less than $250,000 in gross annual income qualify for a $300 reduction in their inspection fee.

(ii) Each primary location or facility must receive an annual on-site inspection. In the event more than one primary location or facility is included under one certification, the operation will be charged an inspection fee per primary location or facility.

(iii) Additional announced inspections, if necessary to determine compliance or requested by the operation, will be charged to the new applicant or certified operation per the inspection fee table. Unannounced inspections conducted by the department are not charged an inspection fee.

(iv) Out-of-state inspections, if necessary to determine compliance or requested by the operation, shall be charged $500 plus associated travel costs in addition to the inspection fee.

(2) New and renewal applicants may request additional evaluations throughout the year. A fee is charged to the operation based on the service requested.

(a) New scope: The request to add a new scope of certification will be charged to the certified operation at a rate of $100 per new organic system plan submitted.

(b) New site application: Each new site application submitted by a renewal applicant after March 1st will be charged $40 per application.

(c) Land assessment: A fee of $100 per inspection will be charged to a renewal applicant when an evaluation of one or more production sites is part of an inspection. The land assessment fee does not apply to the annual examination of a renewal applicant's existing certified sites.

(d) New facility: Certified operations are charged a fee of $100 per request to evaluate an additional facility.

(e) Expedited services: New and renewing applicants may request expedited services. Expedited services are defined as inspections and reviews conducted outside of the normal timelines and may be provided by the department if sufficient staff is available to expedite the work.

(i) Expedited services that do not require an inspection are charged a rate of $500 to receive an evaluation and certification decision within five business days from the acceptance of the request.

(ii) Expedited services requiring an inspection prior to a certification decision are charged a rate of $750 to receive an inspection on an expedited and agreed upon timeline that takes the crop harvest or anticipated production or handling dates into consideration. The review of the inspection report will be completed within five business days from the date of the inspection. The expedite fee is in addition to the inspection fee outlined under the certification fee schedule.

(f) Mediation fee: A $500 fee plus the cost of a formal mediator, if applicable, will be charged to a new or renewal applicant when mediation is accepted by the department.