So you want to get a growers license in California?
One of the most common questions we get from people is “how to get a Growers license in California?” It seems most people want to become growers or are cultivators looking to become licensed. In this article we give you a quick summary of what it takes to get a growers license in California.
In order to get a growers license in California one of the first steps is finding property. The property must meet your city or county local ordinance requirements. Most of those requirements will include finding property in the correct zoning. The property will also need to be at least 600 feet away from any schools & daycare’s. Keep in mind that every city and county is slightly different. Some of them may require you to be further away, for example 1000 ft.
State cultivation licenses are based upon the square footage of canopy you wish to grow in. Unlike previous regulations, such as Prop 215, there is no focus on plant count. The only thing they are really concerned with is how big your grow will be. Our California Regulations page provides details on the sizes for each license.
Before you embark on the journey of getting a growers license in California, keep in mind that is not a simple process. Cultivators are highly regulated and must meet many requirements in order to operate. The city and state will be very strict on the size of your canopy. Sometimes the city may have a different definition of canopy than the state does. All the scales you use will need to be certified and registered with the local AG commissioner. If you’re using artificial lighting there are typically requirements for renewable energy. Fire departments often have many requirements you must meet. In our experience, fire sprinklers are, almost always, required so if you are on a property without them, that’s a very large cost to add.
It’s certainly not easy, it’s definitely not cheap, but it can be done. We have permitted 5+ acres so far. If you want to get a growers license in California, we can help you get it done.