Classified Ads Guidelines

General Guidelines

Legal Requirements: Any item for sale or service offered in a classified notice must conform to all applicable laws and regulations regarding sale and movement. The Editor may summarize any known legal requirements or requirements imposed by the Commissioner in each category’s headnote; however, this summary will not be deemed exclusive should the Editor become aware of other laws or regulations.

License and Permit Requirement: An advertiser must hold all required licenses and permits for any product or service advertised, and all applicable licenses and permits must remain valid throughout the advertising run.

Testing Requirement: Advertisers must hold valid permits/licenses and ensure products conform to applicable laws and testing requirements throughout the advertising run.

Documentation Requirement: An advertiser must appropriately document any product that requires documentation, and the documentation must remain valid throughout the product’s advertising run.

Advertising Rules and Submission Process:

  • All advertisements published in the Market Bulletin must relate directly to the agricultural industry or be a product of the industry. Items submitted for sale through the Market Bulletin must meet at least one of the following criteria:
    • The item must be produced or raised by the advertiser on their own farming operation;
    • The item must be made by the advertiser from materials on their own farm; or
    • The item must be owned and used by the advertiser on their own farming operation and must not be part of a commercial entity’s inventory.
  • Classified notices are not permitted for businesses or real estate professionals unless items are owned personally and unrelated to business or commercial operations.
  • Classified notices in all categories are limited to 30 words and run for two consecutive issues.
    • Without the Editor’s advance special authorization, each subscriber may only run one classified notice in an issue of the Bulletin.
    • Following approval, classified notices will be published in only two issues per submission; however, a person may make a written request to publish a classified notice in up to four consecutive issues. If extended publication is permitted, a new classified notice must be submitted after the four-issue publication period to continue publication of the classified notice.
  • All categories are published in every issue.
  • Each classified notice submitted for publication must meet the following requirements:
    • The notice must be submitted via mail in writing, via online form https://agr.georgia.gov/market-bulletin, or via email mbclassifieds@agr.georgia.gov;
    • The notice must be legible;
    • The notice must appear on a single sheet of paper separate from any other notice;
    • The notice must be accompanied by the category name and the name, mailing address, street address, telephone number, and subscriber number of the person submitting the notice; and
    • The notice must be followed by the below certification statement and the signature of the person submitting the notice. “I hereby certify that the above notice meets all necessary requirements for publication in the Farmers and Consumers Market Bulletin.”
  • Legal, License, and Testing Requirements: Advertisers must hold valid permits/licenses and ensure products conform to applicable laws and testing requirements throughout the advertising run.

Category-Specific Advertising Requirements

 

The following additional restrictions apply to classified notices:

  • Animals in General:
    • All animals must be healthy and apparently free of contagious, infectious or communicable diseases.
    • All animals advertised must be individually and specifically identified.
    • Classified notices for free or unwanted livestock will not be published.
    • Individuals may sell their own animals; however, livestock dealers are required to have a Livestock Dealer License from GDA. For more information, please call the Animal Protection Division at (404) 656-4914.
    • Livestock must have been in the advertiser’s possession for at least 90 days.
    • All out-of-state animals offered for sale in the Market Bulletin must meet all Interstate Animal Health Movement Requirements including appropriate testing for the species and a current official Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (health certificate) or NPIP 9-3 for poultry. For more information, please call the GDA Animal Protection Division at (404) 656-4914.
    • Pets are not eligible for advertisement in the Bulletin.

Animal Specific Guidelines:

Equine:

  • Advertisers in the Equine or Equine Stud Services categories must submit current negative Coggins tests for each equine advertised. This includes horses, ponies and donkeys. Buyers are urged to request verification of a negative Coggins from the advertiser before purchasing any equine. Generalized classified notices, such as those selling “many horses” or “variety to choose from,” will not be published. For more information, please call the GDA Equine Health Division at (404) 656-3713.

Goats and Sheep:

  • All goats and sheep offered for sale must be individually identified in compliance with the USDA Scrapie Program. For more information, please call the GDA Animal Protection Division at (404) 656-4914.

Non-traditional Livestock:

  • Advertisers selling fallow deer, axis deer, sika deer, elk, red deer, reindeer and caribou must submit a current deer farming license with their classified notices.
  • Farmed deer greater than 12 months old are required to have a negative Brucellosis test within 30 days and a negative TB test within 90 days to move intrastate. Classified notices submitted without a copy of the license and negative sample results (if applicable) will not be published. For information about deer farming licenses, contact the Georgia Department of Agriculture Livestock and Poultry Section at (404) 656-3665. For information on other hoofed stock, excluding llamas and water buffalo, contact the Georgia Department of Natural Resources at (770) 761-3044.
  • Camelids (llama, alpaca) must be individually identified; bison (some people mistakenly call them buffalo) and water buffalo must meet the same requirements as cattle.
  • Antelope must be individually and officially identified, and 6 months of age and older are required to have a negative Brucellosis test within 30 days and a negative TB test within 90 days prior to entering Georgia.
  • PLEASE NOTE:  Importation of any cervid into Georgia requires a special permit from the GDA State Veterinarian and DNR. At this time, cervids are not permitted into the State. 

Poultry/Fowl:

  • Any person engaged in buying live poultry of any kind for resale, or in selling live poultry of any kind bought for resale, must be licensed by the Georgia Department of Agriculture.  Possessing such a license does not by itself disqualify an individual from advertising poultry in the Market Bulletin.
  • Chicks, ducklings, etc., must have been raised by the advertiser before offering them for sale in the Market Bulletin.
  • Mallard ducks must be at least three generations from the wild before they can be advertised in the Market Bulletin. Advertisers must include this information in classified notices submitted for publication.
  • PLEASE NOTE:  Out-of-state poultry must have a negative Avian Influenza test and negative pullorum test within 21 days of entering Georgia. For more information, please call the GDA Animal Protection Division at (404) 656-4914.

Poultry/Fowl Requiring Permit/License:

  • Advertisers selling wood ducks must submit a Waterfowl Sale permit with the ad. Classified notices for wood ducks that do not have this permit will not be published. For permit information, email permitsR4MB@fws.gov or call the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service at (404) 679-7070.
  • Advertisements selling pen-raised Bobwhite quail must be accompanied by a copy of the Commercial Quail Breeder's License. Classified notices for quail that do not have this license will not be published. For information on this license, visit https://georgiawildlife.com/licenses-permits-passes/commercial or call the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division at (706) 557-3244.
  • PLEASE NOTE:  Canada Geese may not be sold. Please direct questions regarding Canada Geese to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

Stock Dogs:

  • Classified notices in this category are limited to breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club as herding, working or hunting dogs (exclusively in an agricultural context). Classified notices for breeds that do not meet those definitions will not be published.
  • Advertisers must submit a copy of a current Rabies Vaccination Certificate signed by a licensed veterinarian for dogs 12 weeks and older and include the age of all dogs being advertised. Classified notices submitted without this information will not be published.

Swine:

  • Advertisers submitting swine classified notices must submit proof of a negative brucellosis and pseudorabies test from within the past 30 days. Exceptions are swine from a validated brucellosis-free herd and/or qualified pseudorabies-free herd; these operations must submit proof of those certifications. Buyers are urged to request proof of a negative brucellosis and pseudorabies test prior to purchase.
  • PLEASE NOTE: Feral hogs may not be offered for sale or advertised in the Market Bulletin. For further information on the transportation and holding of feral hogs, please refer to Agriculture Rule 40-13-15 (Transportation and Holding of Live Feral Hogs).

Aquaculture & Supplies:

  • Aquatic animals, including catfish and trout, must be recognized by Georgia’s aquaculture industry.
  • Advertisers selling sterile triploid grass carp must submit a current Wild Animal License from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Classified notices submitted without this license will not be published. In addition, entities producing and selling or reselling domestic fish in Georgia are required to obtain a free Aquaculture Registration permit. For more information on aquaculture rules and licensing in Georgia, including a listing of domestic fish and other fish species requiring a Wild Animal License, visit https://georgiawildlife.com/aquaculture or call (770) 761-3044. 

Boarding Facilities:

  • The Georgia Animal Protection Act requires boarding and breeding facilities to be licensed. A current license number must be submitted with classified notices for publication in the “Boarding Facilities” category. Classified notices submitted without this information will not be published. For more information, please call the GDA Equine Health Division at (404) 656-3713.

Employment:

  • Farm Help Needed and Seeking Farm Employment classified notices must be related to agricultural farm work. Only farm work wanted, or farm help wanted classified notices are allowed in the Farm Employment column.
  • Classified notices submitted for domestic help, companions, babysitters, housekeepers, commercial or non-agricultural, etc. will not be published.

Farm Machinery:

  • Indicate whether machinery or equipment is in running condition. Only farm machinery and equipment owned by the advertiser and used in his or her own farming operation can be advertised. 

Farm Supplies:

  • Please indicate if machinery, power tools or equipment advertised is in running condition.

Farm Services:

  • Any farm service advertised must be performed by the advertiser personally on the farm of the individual desiring service.

Firewood:

  • Firewood must be cut from the advertisers personal property. Classified notices for firewood must use the cord measurement when specifying the amount of firewood for sale.

Handicrafts:

  • All items advertised in the Handicrafts column must be made by the advertiser and not purchased for resale. These items must be usable in the home or on the farm.

Heavy Equipment:

  • Indicate if equipment is in running condition. 

Lawn and Garden:

  • Please indicate if machinery, equipment or power tools advertised are in running condition.  

Plants/Flowers: 

  • Advertisers selling officially protected plants must have a permit to sell such plants. Classified notices submitted without this permit will not be published. For information on the sale or shipment of protected plants, visit https://www.fws.gov/Endangered/permits/index.html or call the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at (404) 679-7097.
  • For questions about ginseng, visit https://georgiawildlife.com/ginsengprogram or call the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Ginseng Management Program at (706) 557-3213.

Real Estate:

  • All farm property listed within this category (for sale or rent/lease) must consist of 10 acres or more.
  • Out-of-state subscribers owning farm property within Georgia are allowed to advertise in this category.
  • Real estate agents, businesses, brokers or dealers that sell land on a commission basis are not eligible to advertise.
  • Farmland classified notices are restricted to properties classified as farms.
  • Commercial or city properties will not be published or advertised. The Editor will determine if the property to be advertised can be classified as a farm.

Seeds:

  • Advertisers must submit a current state laboratory report (fewer than nine months old) for purity, noxious weeds and germination for each seed lot advertised. Classified notices submitted without this information will not be published. For information regarding certified seed, call the GDA Seed Licensing & Testing Program at (229) 386-3145.

Things to Eat:

  • Advertisers producing and offering for sale shell eggs at retail to the end consumer must obtain an egg candling certificate from the Georgia Department of Agriculture. The department offers in-person training classes on egg candling. Call (470) 656-3627 or email candling@agr.georgia.gov for more information.

Timber:

  • Timber must be individually owned and produced by the advertiser on his personal property. No companies or businesses are permitted to advertise timberland in this category.
  • Timberland advertised must be at least one acre.
  • Timber wanted classified notices will not be published.

Vehicles:

  • Indicate whether vehicles are in running condition.

Wanted:

  • Items wanted in all classified categories will be advertised here.