Service Fees

AMS announced the 2023 rates it will charge for voluntary grading, inspection, certification, auditing and laboratory services for a variety of agricultural commodities including meat and poultry, fruits and vegetables, eggs, dairy products, and cotton and tobacco on May 22, 2023.  View the Federal Register Notice for the complete listing of fees.

Activity  Cost
Certification for Futures Contract $4.25/bale
Transfer of Certification Data to New Owner or Certified Warehouse (Electronic transfer performed) $0.20/bale or $5.00 per page minimum

Form 1: Grading Services for Producers (submitted by licensed sampler)

$2.75/bale

Form 1 Review (new sample submitted by licensed sampler) $2.75/bale
Form A Determinations (sample submitted by licensed warehouse) $2.75/bale
Form C Determinations (sample submitted by non-licensed entity; bale sampled under USDA supervision) $2.75/bale
Form D Determination (sample submitted by owner or agent; classification represents sample only) $2.75/bale
Foreign Growth Classification (sample of foreign growth cotton submitted by owner or agent; classification represents sample only) $6.00/sample
Arbitration (comparison of a sample to the official standards or a sample type) $6.00/sample
Practical Cotton Classing Exam (for non-USDA employees) Exam: $150/applicant
Reexamination: $130/applicant
Special Sample Handling (return of samples per request) $0.50/sample
Electronic Copy of Classification Record $0.05/bale ($5.00/month minimum with any records received)
Form A Rewrite (reissuance of Form 1, Form A, or Futures Certification data or combination) $0.15/bale or $5.00/page minimum
Form R (reissuance of Form 1 classification only) $0.15/bale or $5.00/page minimum
International Instrument Level Assessment $4.00/sample

Dairy

Fees effective October 1, 2023

Activity Regular per hour Overtime per hour Holiday per hour
Continuous Resident Grading Service $95.00 $116.00 $137.00
Continuous Resident Grading Service 6 p.m.-6 a.m. $105.00 $128.00 $151.00
Non-resident and Intermittent Grading/Inspection Service $120.00 $155.00 $190.00
Non-resident Services 6pm-6am (10 percent night differential) $132.00 $171.00 $190.00
Equipment Review $135.00 $192.00 $249.00
Equipment Review 6 p.m. - 6 a.m. $148.00 $211.00 $249.00
Audit Services $135.00 NA NA
Export Certificate $104.00/certificate NA NA
Special Handling $52.00/certificate NA NA
Uncertified Copy of Certificate $12.00/copy NA NA
Derogation Application $125.00/application NA NA

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Fees effective October 1, 2023

Activity Cost
Quality and Condition Inspections for Whole Lots $242.00/lot
Quality and Condition Half Lot or Condition-Only Inspections for Whole Lots.  $200.00/lot
Condition—Half Lot $185.00/lot
Quality and Condition or Condition-Only Inspections for Additional Lots of the Same Product. $110.00/lot
Dockside Inspections—Each package weighing <30 lbs $0.044 per pkg
Dockside Inspections—Each package weighing >30 lbs $0.068 per pkg
Charge per Individual Product for Dockside Inspection $240.00 per lot
Charge per Each Additional Lot of the Same Product $110.00 per lot

 

Activity Regular per hour Overtime per hour Holiday per hour

Hourly rate for inspections performed for other purposes during the grader's regularly scheduled work week

$116 $153 $190
Audit Verification Services - Federal and State $155    
GFSI Certification Fee $250 per audit    

Processed Fruits and Vegetables

Fees effective October 1, 2023

Activity Regular per hour Overtime per hour Holiday per hour
Lot Inspections $90.00 $116.00 $142.00
In-plant Inspections Under Annual Contract (year-round) $95.00 $117.00 $139.00
Additional Graders (in-plant) or Less Than Year-Round $95.00 $121.00 $148.00
Audit Verification Services - Federal and State $155    
GFSI Certification Fee $250 per audit    

Meat 

Fees effective October 1, 2023

Activity Regular per hour Overtime per hour Holiday per hour
Scheduled Grading (8 hours per day between 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM, 40 hours per week) $86.00 $107.00 $129.00
Unscheduled Grading (8 hours or less per day between 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM) $114.00 $132.00 $154.00
Night Differential $95.00 $118.00 $129.00
Auditing Activities $165.00 $244.00 $253.00

Egg & Poultry

Fees effective October 1, 2023

Activity

Regular per hour Overtime per hour Holiday per hour
Scheduled, (in-plant) hours $68.00 $88.00 $106.00
Scheduled, Night Differential  (6pm-6am) $75.00 $98.00 $106.00
Scheduled, Sunday Differential $87.00 $112.00 N/A
Scheduled, Sunday and Night Differential $97.00 $124.00 N/A
Unscheduled $99.00 $122.00 $147.00
Audit Service $165.00 $244.00 $253.00

Science and Technology

Fees effective October 1, 2023

Activity Regular per hour Overtime per hour Holiday per hour
Laboratory Testing Services $110.00 $128.00 $147.00
Laboratory Approval Services (effective Jan 1, 2024) $188.00 $216.00 $238.00

Seed

Fees effective October 1, 2023

Activity Regular per hour Overtime per hour Holiday per hour
Laboratory Testing $67.00 $97.00 $119.00
Administrative Fee $17.00/certificate    
Auditing Services $132.00/audit    
OECD Seed Schemes for Corn Seeds $0.33/100 pounds    
OECD Seed Schemes for Other Seeds $0.22/100 pounds    

Tobacco 

Fees effective July 1, 2023

Activity Regular Overtime Holiday

Domestic Permissive Inspection and Certification

$55.00 $64.00 $72.00
Export Permissive Inspection and Certification $0.0025/pound    
RMAGrading   $0.015/pound    
Pesticide Test Sampling   $0.0065/kg or $0.0029/pound    
Pesticide Retest Sampling   $115.00/sample and $55.00/hour    
Standards Course $1,250.00/person    
Import Inspection and Certification   $0.0170/kg or $0.0080/pound    

Rice

Fees effective October 1, 2023

Activity Regular Overtime Holiday
Contract (per hour per Service representative) $75.10 $112.70 $150.30
Noncontract (per hour per Service representative) $93.90 $140.90 $160.30
Export Port Services $0.047/cwt    
Inspection for quality (per lot, sublot, or sample inspection):      
Rough rice $55.40    
Brown rice for processing $51.20    
Milled rice $43.90    
Factor analysis for any single factor (per sample):      
Milling yield (Rough or Brown rice) $42.90    
All other factors (all rice) $30.80/factor    
Total oil and free fatty acid $54.00    
Faxed and extra copies of certificates $1.90/copy    
Stowage examination (service-on-request):      
Ship $43.90 (per stowage space, minimum 5 spaces per ship)    
Subsequent ship examinations $43.90 (per stowage space, minimum 3 spaces per ship)    
Barge $43.30/examination    
All other carriers $15.60/examination    
Aflatoxin (Rapid Test Kit) $39.60/test    
All Other Mycotoxins (Rapid Test Kit) $45.70/test