California Proposition 12 Certification

• Pre-Assessment

Upon receiving your application for Proposition 12 certification, our team conducts a preliminary assessment to determine if the producer and/or distributor appears to comply or may be able to comply with Prop 12 regulations. The application for certification can be found on the Program Documents tab.

• On-Site Inspection:

Within three months of the pre-assessment, an on-site inspection is scheduled at your facility. Each production unit, facility, and site that produces or distributes covered animals or products that are included in the operation for which certification is requested will be inspected. The inspection involves a comprehensive assessment of the facility, covered animals, covered products, and records. 

All on-site inspections will be conducted when a representative of the operation is available and can access operation records and at a time when facilities and activities that demonstrate Prop 12 compliance or capability to comply can be observed.

• Compliance Evaluation:

Following the on-site inspection, our certification team evaluates the findings to determine if the Prop 12 requirements are met. Any areas of non-compliance are identified, and corrective actions must be submitted within 30 days.

• Certification Decision:

SCS conducts a final technical review of the inspection report and corrective actions documentation, then makes the final certification decision.

• Annual Inspection:

To maintain certification, an on-site inspection is conducted once every 12 months following the initial inspection. 

What does the certification process involve?

The certification process includes an initial on-site inspection, followed by annual inspections thereafter, to ensure ongoing compliance with Prop 12 regulations.

How long does it take to obtain certification?

Once an operation’s application for certification is received and reviewed, an on-site inspection will be conducted within 3 months.

After completion of the initial on-site inspection, the on-site inspection report and any additional information requested from or supplied by the applicant will be reviewed. If it is determined that the confinement or distribution system and all procedures and activities of the applicant's operation are in compliance with Prop 12, SCS shall grant certification within two weeks after the on-site inspection.

If an applicant for certification is not in compliance with Prop 12 regulations, a written notification of noncompliance will be sent to the applicant. The applicant may correct noncompliance and submit a description of the corrective actions taken with supporting documentation to SCS within 30 days after receiving the written notification of noncompliance. After review of the corrective action(s) documentation, a certification decision will be made within one week.

Where can I find the inspection checklist for producers and distributors?

The inspection checklist can be found in the Program Documents tab.