(a) General application requirements—(1) Requirements and license application. Any person producing or intending to produce hemp must have a valid license prior to producing hemp. A valid license means the license is unexpired, unsuspended, and unrevoked.

(2) Application dates. Applicants may submit an application for a license at any time.

(3) Required information on application. The applicant shall provide the information requested on the application form, including:

(i) Contact information. Full name, residential address, telephone number, and email address. If the applicant is a business entity, the full name of the business, the principal business location address, full name and title of the key participants, title, email address (if available), and employer identification number (EIN) of the business; and

(ii) Criminal history report. A current criminal history report for an individual, or if the applicant is a business entity, all key participants, dated within 60 days of the application submission date. A license application will not be considered complete without all required criminal history reports.

(4) Submission of completed application forms. Completed application forms shall be submitted to USDA.

(5) Incomplete application procedures. Applications missing required information shall be returned to the applicant as incomplete. The applicant may resubmit a completed application.

(6) License expiration. USDA-issued hemp producer licenses shall be valid until December 31 of the year three years after the year in which license was issued.

(b) License renewals. USDA hemp producer licenses must be renewed prior to license expiration. Licenses are not automatically renewed. Applications for renewal shall be subject to the same terms, information collection requirements, and approval criteria as provided in this subpart for initial applications unless there has been an amendment to the regulations in this part or the law since approval of the initial or last application.

(c) License modification. A license modification is required if there is any change to the information submitted in the application including, but not limited to, sale of a business, the production of hemp in a new location, or a change in the key participants under a license.

(d) Licensing for research. (1) Producers that produce hemp for research must obtain a USDA license. However, the hemp that is produced for research and does not enter the stream of commerce is not subject to the sampling requirements in §§ 990.24 and 990.26; provided that the producer adopts and carries out a USDA approved alternative sampling method that has the potential to ensure, at a confidence level of 95 percent, that the cannabis plant species Cannabis sativa L. that will be subject to this alternative method will not test above the acceptable hemp THC level.

(2) USDA licensees shall ensure the disposal of all non-compliant plants in accordance with § 990.27. Only research institutions registered with DEA to handle marijuana can keep hemp that tests over the 0.3 acceptable hemp THC level until the end of the study.

(3) USDA licensees shall comply with the reporting requirements in § 990.71 including reporting disposal of non-compliant plants.