Fees & Cost Share
2025 Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP) Update
February 2026- At this time, a definitive launch date for the Organic Certification Cost Share program has not been established. We have heard that late spring 2026 remains the anticipated timeframe, however the official announcement and the start of enrollment are not yet confirmed. Once enrollment opens by the USDA, the plan is to administer the 2025 and 2026 OCCSP programs concurrently.
We recognize that producers are looking forward to accessing these funds and sincerely appreciate their continued patience. PCO will send out an announcement and the next steps to all PCO-certified clients when the program begins.
PCO Fees
PCO has four types of fees you can expect each year. You’ll get one combined bill for the Basic Fee, Type of Operation Fee, and Sales Assessment Fee (if they apply to you). This bill is sent at the beginning of February each year after you’ve turned in your Annual Update. The inspection bill will be sent seperately.
The Four Fees
This fee covers your basic certification services for the upcoming certification season, including review of your certification documents for compliance with the regulations.
It includes the PCO certification manual, material list, newsletter, and educational events & materials at no additional charge.
You also have direct access to the expertise of certification specialists via phone, mail, or email.
Additional fees will be assessed for the type of operation (e.g. Livestock, Processor/Handler) if requesting certification in other scopes. These fees cover the additional time, paperwork, complexity, inspector assignment, and reviewer expertise required to certify operations that are more complex than those within the crops scope of certification.
The sales assessment fee is calculated on your annual gross organic sales for farming, handling and processing operations in the previous year. You will receive an invoice for these fees after we receive your application or annual update.
The inspection fee includes the inspector’s time spent in preparation for, execution of, and final production of the inspection report. In addition, travel expenses including time, transportation costs, lodging, meals, etc. will be assessed. PCO works hard to coordinate inspections in geographic regions to minimize travel time. You can lower your costs by having records and materials close at hand and well-organized when the inspector arrives.
Other fees may include an application fee (includes processing of application, Certification, and National Organic Program (NOP) manuals, Material Lists, and guidance documents), expedited services, and additional fees related to circumstances beyond the regular certification process.
For a complete list of the current year certification fees, click on the appropriate year below
Terms and conditions
- A late submission of the Annual Update after the deadline will result in a late fee.
- If the certification has not been surrendered prior to invoicing, the renewal fee will apply.
- All fees are non-refundable once they’ve been billed.