Mandatory scheme
USDA Organic certification (NOP)
USDA Organic certification (NOP) — mandatory scheme, United States. It binds operations producing or handling products sold, labeled or represented as organic; certified by USDA-accredited certifying agents (ACAs).
- Jurisdiction
- United States
- Record class
- Mandatory scheme
- Instrument
- Certification
- Last verified
Where this applies
This record is scoped to United States. Scope is part of the claim: a rule that binds one part of a country does not bind the whole of it, and this library states the scope its sources state.
Instrument
Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA); 7 CFR Part 205
Who it binds
Operations producing or handling products sold, labeled or represented as organic; certified by USDA-accredited certifying agents (ACAs).
What it requires
Products sold or labeled as organic must be certified under the USDA National Organic Program by an accredited certifying agent. Operations with USD 5,000 or less in annual organic sales are exempt from certification but must still follow the production and labeling rules (7 CFR 205.101). The Strengthening Organic Enforcement final rule took effect 19 March 2024, bringing many intermediaries into certification.
Route to the authority
Last verified:
Related records and requirements
- Food and Agriculture — Applies if you make an organic claim about a product you produce or handle.
- USDA Organic (National Organic Program) — The general USDA Organic certification-scheme page — same program, described there without this jurisdiction's binding-law framing.
This page is for information only; it is not legal advice, and it does not establish whether this record applies to your business. Verify current status through the official source above.