(A) Except as provided in division (C) of this section, no person shall distribute in this state a specialty fertilizer until it is registered by the manufacturer or distributor with the department of agriculture. An application, in duplicate, for each brand and product name of each grade of specialty fertilizer shall be made on a form furnished by the director of agriculture and shall be accompanied with a fee of fifty dollars for each brand and product name of each grade. Labels for each brand and product name of each grade shall accompany the application. Upon the approval of an application by the director, a copy of the registration shall be furnished the applicant. All registrations shall be valid for one year beginning on the first day of December of a calendar year through the thirtieth day of November of the following calendar year.

(B) An application for registration shall include the following:

(1) Name and address of the manufacturer or distributor;

(2) The brand and product name;

(3) The grade;

(4) The guaranteed analysis;

(5) The package sizes for persons that package fertilizers only in containers of ten pounds or less.

(C)

(1) No person who engages in the business of applying custom mixed fertilizer to lawns, golf courses, recreation areas, or other real property that is not used for agricultural production shall be required to register the custom mixed fertilizer as a specialty fertilizer in accordance with division (A) of this section if the fertilizer ingredients of the custom mixed fertilizer are registered as specialty fertilizers and the inspection fee described in division (A) of section 905.36 of the Revised Code is paid.

(2) No person who engages in the business of blending custom mixed fertilizer for use on lawns, golf courses, recreation areas, or other real property that is not used for agricultural production shall be required to register the custom mixed fertilizer as a specialty fertilizer in accordance with division (A) of this section if the facility holds a nonagricultural production custom mixed fertilizer blender license issued under section 905.331 of the Revised Code.

(D) A person who engages in the business of applying or blending custom mixed fertilizer as described in division (C) of this section shall maintain an original or a copy of an invoice or document of sale for all fertilizer the person applies or distributes for one year following the date of the application or distribution, and, upon the director's request, shall furnish the director with the invoice or document of sale for the director's review.

(E) All money collected under this section shall be credited to the pesticide, fertilizer, and lime program fund created in section 921.22 of the Revised Code.

Amended by 128th General AssemblyFile No.9, HB 1, §101.01, eff. 7/17/2009.

Effective Date: 10-29-1996; 06-30-2005