Certification Status
The current state of an organic operation's certification — not certified, in review, certified, suspended, or revoked.
An organic operation's certification status is the current state of its relationship with its USDA-accredited certifying agent. The status determines whether the operation may sell products as organic, when it must re-apply, and what remediation (if any) is open against it.
The status states
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Not Submitted | The operation has begun the process but hasn't yet submitted a complete application + OSP. No products may be sold as organic. |
| In Review | Application submitted, OSP under review by the certifier. May include scheduled inspection. Existing certifications continue if this is a renewal. |
| Certified | The operation is currently certified. Products may be sold, labeled, and represented as organic per the scope of certification. |
| Suspended | Certification is on pause due to a noncompliance under NOP §205.662. The operation may correct and resume. Products from the suspension date forward may NOT be sold as organic until reinstatement. |
| Revoked | Certification is permanently terminated. Re-applying requires a new application and may carry a waiting period under NOP §205.663. |
Status changes
The certifier — not the USDA — issues status changes for a specific operation. Common triggers:
- NOT_SUBMITTED → IN_REVIEW — operation submits its OSP and any required attachments
- IN_REVIEW → CERTIFIED — certifier accepts the OSP and the inspector's report; certificate issued
- IN_REVIEW → NEEDS_INFO — certifier requests more information; operation responds and re-submits
- CERTIFIED → SUSPENDED — uncorrected noncompliance, pesticide drift, OSP deviation, or recordkeeping failure
- SUSPENDED → CERTIFIED — operation submits a notice of correction and the certifier verifies remediation
- SUSPENDED → REVOKED — escalation when corrections aren't made
- CERTIFIED → REVOKED — serious or repeat violations bypass suspension
Why the status matters externally
Buyers, distributors, and retailers that handle organic products are required to verify their suppliers' current certification status before purchase. Certificates are public via the USDA's Organic Integrity Database, which lists every certified operation in the U.S. with its current status.
Renewal cadence
Certification is annual. Operations submit an updated OSP, the certifier reviews changes, the inspector visits, and a new certificate is issued. Most certifiers require updated submissions 60–90 days before the prior certificate expires.
Quick Organics + certification status
Operation.certificationStatus (NOT_SUBMITTED / IN_REVIEW / CERTIFIED / SUSPENDED / REVOKED) is the platform's first-class field for this. The certifier-side dashboard surfaces operations by status; admins can see and override status from /admin/operations/[id].
Cited regulations
Linked to the current eCFR text of 7 CFR Part 205. Reviewed before publication.
QO Editorial Team
Quick Organics
Quick Organics' editorial team writes about USDA organic certification, the Organic System Plan, and the daily realities of running a certified organic operation. Material is reviewed against the current eCFR text of 7 CFR Part 205 before publication.