Agriculture / Weights and Measures

Disaster Access Fire Safety Training - REQUIRED

Attendance of a four-hour CAL FIRE safety training is required to participate in the Ag ID program. Please RSVP to only one session, indicating if you have a need for translation services, and in what language. 

CAL FIRE Trainings followed by Q&A and ID issuance Event will be offered on

Friday, May 24, 2024

And

Friday, June 14, 2024

8:30am to 3:30pm

Ted Adcock Community Center, Grand Oak Room

535 Kelly Avenue, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019

Lunch Provided

Attendees of the training may be issued Ag IDs after completion of the training, if eligibility criteria is met and required documentation is submitted. Please direct questions to Jeremy Wagner at (650) 363-4700 or smateoag@smcgov.org.

For the purposes of the Ag ID Program, the San Mateo County Department of Agriculture defines commercial agriculture as the cultivation of arable land by the raising of agricultural or horticultural crops and livestock and their products as a principal or supplemental source of income and intended for sale off the farm, and distribution to wholesalers or retail outlets. The county is including commercial equestrian boarding operations in its eligibility criteria for the Ag ID program. At this time the Ag ID program is only available to commercial livestock businesses. Ag IDs will only be issued to Owners/Operators and managerial employees.

Minimum Number of Livestock Requirements

A minimum number of livestock is required for an operation to be considered commercial, subject to a verification site visit by our department.

• Cattle: 20 head
• Goats or Sheep: 20 animals
• Pigs: 20 animals
• Poultry, Fowl, or Rabbits: 50 animals
• Honeybees: 100 hives
• Horses: Equestrian boarding facilities and horse breeding operations with 20 or more horses are eligible. 

Supporting Documentation Requirements

Supporting documentation includes, but is not limited to:

• Valid Operator Identification Number or Restricted Materials Permit issued by our department
• Valid Certified Producer Certificate
• Current State Organic Certificate
• Current Registration of a Livestock Brand (CDFA Bureau of Livestock Identification)
• Current Annual Apiary Registration Certificate (commercial beekeepers only)
• Current Registration as an Egg Producer with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA)
• For commercial equestrian boarding operations:
  1.  If operating in the county’s unincorporated area, a valid confined animal permit issued by the San Mateo County Department of Building and Planning
  2. If operating within a city’s limits, a valid horse stable permit, business license or other applicable use permit issued by the city’s Department of Planning and Building

Provide a valid driver's license or other state-issued form of identification for each person requesting Ag ID.

• Confirm Program Eligibility: Are you an Owner/Operator or Managerial Employee of a Commercial Livestock Operation?
• Submit An Ag ID Application Packet, including:

1. Ag ID Program Application Form
2. Ag ID Program Indemnification and Hold Harmless Agreement
3. Disaster Livestock Plan Emergency Checklist
4. Maps of all agricultural properties that access is being requested for
5. If the applicant is a managerial employee, an additional Employee Attestation and Worker Protection Statement signed by both the business owner and managerial employee will be required.

• Mandatory CAL FIRE In-Person Training. Ag Commissioner’s staff will register Ag ID Applicants at training and verify completion of 4-hour training. 
• ID Issuance: Once application materials have been submitted and training is completed, the San Mateo County Department of Agriculture will review the materials, confirm program eligibility, and contact the applicant to schedule an appointment to issue the photo Ag ID Card. Ag ID Cards will be valid for three years, expiring on December 31^st of the third calendar year after the ID is issued.

AG ID APPLICATION PACKET - ENGLISH

AG ID APPLICATION PACKET - SPANISH

Administration of the Ag ID Program and Ag ID Terms and Conditions:

 As the administrators of the Ag ID Program, the Agricultural Commissioner’s Office will have the responsibility of verifying eligibility, coordinating, and verifying completion of fire and safety training, printing and distributing of Ag ID cards, record keeping, and renewal notifications.

The Agricultural Commissioner’s Office reserves the right to revoke an Ag ID if the following terms and conditions are not adhered to:  

1. The protection of life is at all times the priority. Ag ID holders are not exempt from mandatory evacuation orders.  Only emergency personnel and law enforcement are allowed access to an area during a hard closure.  Reports from law enforcement or other agency officials regarding unauthorized access to areas under evacuation orders may result in Ag ID revocation.
2. Failure to follow property access restrictions including date, time, length of access and other restrictions imposed by emergency personnel, law enforcement, incident command or their representatives may result in Ag ID revocation.
3. Reports of activities otherwise not authorized under the Ag ID Program may result in Ag ID revocation. 
4. Failure to follow orders and directions from emergency personnel, law enforcement, public works and other personnel managing access to areas under closure may result in Ag ID revocation.
5. Failure to follow orders and directions from emergency personnel, law enforcement, public works and other personnel regarding entry and exit requirements to the property listed on the Ag ID may result in Ag ID revocation.
6. The Agricultural Commissioner’s Office reserves the right to revoke the Ag ID for other reasons as designated by the Agricultural Commissioner.