QUARANTINE COMPLIANCE
MOVING BUSINESSACROSS SLF ZONES
Violating SLF quarantine rules carries fines up to $60,000. Here’s what your business needs to know.
This guide covers nurseries, landscapers, lumber yards, moving companies, truckers, and event rental companies operating across spotted lanternfly quarantine zone boundaries.
Know Your Zone
Current Quarantine Status by State
Quarantine boundaries change. This reflects status as of June 2026 — always verify with USDA APHIS before commercial shipments.
Pennsylvania
Statewide quarantine since 2019. First state to establish a formal SLF quarantine order. Largest commercial permit program in the country.
New Jersey
Statewide quarantine. NJ Dept. of Agriculture manages commercial compliance. All regulated article movement requires documentation.
New York
Most counties under quarantine. Check NYS DEC for current county list — boundaries have expanded each year since 2020.
Delaware
Statewide quarantine. DASE (Delaware Dept. of Agriculture) manages compliance inspections.
Maryland
Statewide quarantine effective March 2026. All counties now regulated. MDA permit program active.
Virginia
Quarantine LIFTED March 2025. SLF reached statewide establishment — VDACS determined quarantine was no longer a viable management tool. No longer under formal quarantine, but SLF is present statewide.
Washington DC
Not under a state-style quarantine order. Regulated by USDA at the federal level. Commercial movement of regulated articles is still subject to federal USDA APHIS rules.
All other confirmed states
CT, OH, IN, IL, NC, WV, MI, MA, TN, KY, RI, GA, and others — check the USDA APHIS current quarantine map for up-to-date boundaries before any commercial movement.
Always verify: Boundaries change as SLF establishes in new areas. Check the USDA APHIS current map before any commercial movement. USDA APHIS SLF page ↗
What Can't Move
Regulated Articles
“Regulated articles” is the legal term for materials that cannot be moved across quarantine zone boundaries without compliance documentation. Know what falls in scope.
Plants & Plant Parts
- →Nursery stock (trees, shrubs, perennials)
- →Cut firewood and raw lumber with bark
- →Bark mulch and wood chips
- →Tree cuttings and grafts
- →Any plant with roots or soil attached
Outdoor Household Articles
- →Outdoor furniture (chairs, tables, benches)
- →Grills, smokers, fire pits
- →Recreational vehicles and trailers
- →Boats and watercraft
- →Lawn equipment and mowers
Building & Construction Materials
- →Quarry stone and building stone with rough surfaces
- →Packing materials made of organic material (wood, straw)
- →Reusable wooden crates and pallets
- →Lumber (rough-cut, unprocessed)
- →Bark-on logs and timber
Vehicles & Equipment
- →Landscaping equipment (mowers, excavators, skid steers)
- →Construction equipment that has been outdoors
- →Flatbed trailers and enclosed trailers
- →Outdoor recreational equipment (ATVs, camping gear)
- →Any vehicle that has been parked outdoors in a quarantine zone
By Industry
Obligations by Business Type
Your specific compliance requirements depend on what you move and where. Here’s what applies to each industry.
Nurseries & Greenhouses
Permit required- ✓Pennsylvania Nursery Compliance Inspection (PNCI) required for all outbound shipments from PA
- ✓Must obtain a valid compliance permit before any movement of nursery stock
- ✓Visual inspection of all regulated plant material — check root balls, containers, and stakes
- ✓Maintain a Compliance Agreement with your state department of agriculture
- ✓Documentation required: inspection date, inspector name, destination, description of articles
- ✓Self-certification may be available for businesses with strong inspection track records
Landscapers
Inspection log required- ✓All equipment leaving a quarantine zone must be inspected and certified clean
- ✓Check mowers, trailers, and tools for egg masses before crossing zone boundaries
- ✓Maintain a physical inspection log — date, location inspected, crew member, destination
- ✓Soil on equipment is a regulated article — clean thoroughly before departure
- ✓Mulch and cut plant material moved commercially requires documentation
- ✓If operating in multiple states, your compliance agreement covers all regulated movements
Lumber & Firewood
Permit or kiln-dry- ✓Cannot move firewood from quarantine zones without a USDA permit — no exceptions
- ✓Rough-cut lumber with bark is a regulated article and requires documentation
- ✓Kiln-drying exemption: heat-treating at 140°F (60°C) for 60 minutes destroys egg masses and exempts lumber from permit requirements
- ✓Kiln-dried lumber must be certified and marked as heat-treated
- ✓Log yards: inspect incoming and outgoing loads from quarantine-zone sources
- ✓Bark mulch from quarantine zones requires documentation for commercial movement
Moving Companies
Pre-move inspection- ✓Must inspect trucks before departing a quarantine zone — document the inspection
- ✓Customer goods are regulated articles when they include outdoor items (furniture, equipment, garden tools)
- ✓Brief customers in quarantine zones that outdoor articles require inspection before loading
- ✓Create a standard pre-move inspection checklist for all quarantine-zone jobs
- ✓Document inspection: truck ID, date, location, crew member who performed inspection
- ✓Liability: if SLF is found at destination that originated with your load, enforcement may follow
Event Rental Companies
All outdoor equipment- ✓Tents, canopies, chairs, tables, and staging are regulated articles when moved across quarantine lines
- ✓Inspect all equipment returning from events in quarantine zones before putting back in inventory
- ✓Particularly check tent poles, chair legs, and fabric folds — common egg mass locations
- ✓Equipment stored outdoors between events is higher risk — inspect before any out-of-zone delivery
- ✓Document inspections for each batch of equipment moving across zone boundaries
- ✓Consider zoning your fleet: equipment that stays inside quarantine zones vs. equipment that crosses
Step by Step
The Compliance Permit Process
Getting compliant is a one-time process for most businesses. Annual renewal takes minutes. Here is the full sequence.
- 1
Identify Your State Contact
Contact your state department of agriculture or USDA APHIS. Each state manages its own commercial compliance program under USDA oversight.
- 2
Sign a Compliance Agreement
Most states require a formal Compliance Agreement that describes your business operations, the regulated articles you move, and your inspection protocols.
- 3
Complete Required Training
Some states (PA, NJ) require employees to complete USDA or state SLF inspection training before self-certifying shipments.
- 4
Obtain Your Permit Number
After your Compliance Agreement is approved, you receive a permit number. Annual permits are available for frequent commercial shippers.
- 5
Document Every Movement
Use the state's official compliance certificate or create documentation that includes: permit number, date, location of inspection, inspector name, description of articles, and destination.
- 6
Renew Annually
Compliance agreements and permits require annual renewal. Set a calendar reminder — shipping with an expired permit carries the same penalties as shipping without one.
Pennsylvania
PA has the most developed compliance program — with online permit applications, inspection training, and self-certification for qualifying businesses.
PA Dept. of Agriculture → SLF Compliance ↗Self-Certification
Frequent shippers in some states can qualify for self-certification, reducing the per-shipment burden. Requires completion of state-approved inspection training.
USDA APHIS SLF Permits ↗Before Every Movement
Inspection Protocols
A compliant inspection is not just a visual scan — it requires documentation. Here is what a proper inspection entails.
Visual Survey
Walk the perimeter of all regulated articles. Look for gray-brown waxy smears approximately 1" × 0.5" on any hard surface.
Undercarriage & Equipment Check
Use a flashlight to check wheel wells, trailer frames, undercarriages of mowers, and the underside of any outdoor equipment. Egg masses prefer sheltered spots.
Vegetation & Bark
Check all plant material, bark surfaces, rough stone, and wooden components. Pay attention to bark crevices and the base of shrubs.
Documentation
Record the inspection: date, location (full address), inspector name, specific articles inspected, and the result. Keep records for at least 2 years.
If Found
If SLF or egg masses are found: do not move the articles. Scrape egg masses into isopropyl alcohol. Contact your state agriculture department. Moving detected SLF is a separate violation.
What to Document
Enforcement Reality
Fines and Enforcement
USDA APHIS and state agriculture agencies actively enforce quarantine rules. These are not theoretical risks.
Federal Penalties
- —Civil penalty: up to $60,000 per violation — issued by USDA APHIS
- —Criminal penalties available for knowing, willful violations
- —Each shipment is a separate violation — a single truckload counts as one violation per regulated article type
- —Stop-movement orders can halt your entire business operation pending investigation
State Penalties
- →Pennsylvania: fines vary — PDA has issued cease-and-desist orders and monetary fines to nurseries and landscapers
- →New Jersey: civil administrative penalties up to $25,000 per violation per day
- →New York: violations of agricultural quarantine orders subject to civil penalty
- →Maryland: newly quarantined (2026) — enforcement framework rolling out now
Documented Case: PA Nursery, 2021
A Pennsylvania nursery was issued a civil penalty of $22,500 in 2021 for moving regulated nursery stock out of the quarantine zone without a valid permit. The company had been previously contacted about compliance requirements. USDA APHIS cited failure to obtain a Compliance Agreement as the basis for the action. This case is frequently cited by state agriculture agencies as an enforcement example.
Start Here
Official Resources
State Agriculture Departments
Moving regulated articles between states? See state-by-state reporting contacts →
When in Doubt, Stop and Report
If you find SLF or egg masses on a load that’s about to cross a quarantine boundary, do not move it. Contact your state agriculture agency immediately. Stopping a shipment voluntarily is always treated more favorably than a completed violation.
Related Guides
Stay Compliant
Quarantine Updates.
Boundary changes, new state quarantine orders, and permit program updates — delivered when they happen.