Growing Cotton

We have received inquiries about the legality of growing cotton in Santa Clara County. To address these concerns, we reached out to the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) in April 2023 and obtained the following information:

We contacted the CDFA Nursery, Seed and Cotton Program and confirmed that there are no specific requirements for growing cotton in Santa Clara County. If you plan to sell the cotton as nursery stock, you may need a nursery stock license. However, if you are growing cotton for personal use in your own garden, you do not need any permits or licenses from the CDFA.