---
kind: "section"
citation: "7 U.S.C. § 2481"
title: "7"
title_heading: "Agriculture"
number: "2481"
heading: "Plant variety protection"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/7/2481"
units:
  - "Chapter 57 — Plant Variety Protection"
  - "Subchapter II — Protectability of Plant Varieties and Certificates of Protection"
  - "Part H — Certificates of Plant Variety Protection"
---

# §2481. Plant variety protection

- (a) If it appears that a certificate of plant [variety](/usc/7/2401.md?p=a-10) protection should be issued on an application, a written notice of allowance shall be given or mailed to the owner. The notice shall specify the sum, constituting the issue fee, which shall be paid within one month thereafter.
- (b) Upon timely payment of this sum, and provided that deposit of [seed](/usc/7/2401.md?p=a-6) has been made in accordance with [section 2422(3)](/usc/7/2422.md?p=3)[^1] of this title, the certificate of plant [variety](/usc/7/2401.md?p=a-10) protection shall issue.
- (c) If any payment required by this section is not timely made, but is submitted with an additional fee prescribed by the [Secretary](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-2) within nine months after the due date or within such further time as the [Secretary](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-2) may allow, it shall be accepted.

## Footnotes

[^1]: See References in Text note below.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 91–577, title II, § 81, Dec. 24, 1970, 84 Stat. 1551.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Section 2422(3) of this title, referred to in subsec. (b), was redesignated section 2422(4) of this title by Pub. L. 103–349, § 4, Oct. 6, 1994, 108 Stat. 3139.