Where certificates come from now
Since the Strengthening Organic Enforcement rule took effect, a certifier "must issue a certificate of organic operation" that is "generated from the Organic Integrity Database" (7 CFR 205.404(b)). Each certified operation has a 10-digit NOP ID. If your supplier sends you a PDF that was not produced by the database, ask for the database version.
How to find a certificate in the Organic Integrity Database
- Go to organic.ams.usda.gov/integrity.
- Type the operation's name in the Operation column. If you only know the product, type it in the Certified Products column; the USDA's FAQ notes you can filter by country, state and city as well.
- Open the operation's profile. You will see its status, certifier, NOP ID, anniversary date and the scope of what is certified.
- Use Print Certificate to download the certificate you will upload to Amazon.
Whose certificate do you need? The operation that makes and labels the finished product. If you sell a co-packed private-label product, that is often the co-packer's certificate, and your brand needs to be on it.
The five fields to check against your listing
| Certificate field | What to check | Why it matters on Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| Operation status | Reads Certified, not Suspended or Revoked | A suspended or revoked operation cannot sell or label products as organic |
| Operation name and other names | Your brand name appears as the operation name or a listed other name | Amazon has asked private-label sellers to show the label's brand is on the certificate |
| Certifier | Same certifier named on your label's "Certified organic by…" line | The regulations require the certifier's name on the label; a mismatch is easy to spot |
| Scope (crops, handling, livestock, wild crops) | Handling is certified if the operation processes or packs your product | A farm certified for crops does not cover a processed product |
| Certified products | Your product or its category is listed | Products outside the listed scope are not covered by the certificate |
Certificates for imported products
An operation certificate is not the same as an NOP Import Certificate. Since SOE, every certified organic shipment entering the United States needs an electronic import certificate issued from the database by the exporter's certifier, and since October 1, 2025, shipments that arrive without one cannot be fixed after arrival. Import certificates are not public in the database. If you import, the importer of record must also be certified.
Keep it current
- Check the profile after each NOP anniversary date and before large inbound shipments.
- Re-check whenever you change co-packer, certifier or brand name.
- Keep the downloaded PDF with the date you pulled it, in case Amazon asks again.
If the certificate checks out but the listing still says more than the certificate covers, the listing is the problem. See how to get a restricted listing back, or let us run certificate-to-ASIN verification across your catalog.