Does Your Business Need a Spotted Lanternfly Permit?

To prevent the spread of spotted lanternfly, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) issued a quarantine for counties where the presence of this pest has been confirmed. Businesses and organizations conducting business in the quarantine zone must have permits from PDA to move vehicles, equipment and goods within and out of the zone.

Counties in the quarantine area:

Berks
Bucks
Carbon
Chester
Dauphin
Delaware
Lancaster
Lebanon
Lehigh
Monroe
Montgomery
Northampton
Philadelphia
Schuylkill
A permit provides evidence that you have completed training on how to follow the rules of the quarantine order, and you agree to do all you can to ensure that you are not carrying SLF. You will receive a tag for your vehicles to show that you have the SLF permit from the PDA.

Who should take the training within the business?
Penn State Extension and PDA have developed a self-paced, “train the trainer” online course to train designated employees - usually an owner, manager, or supervisor - within a company on how to comply with the quarantine regulations. Once a designated employee passes the course, they will receive from PDA the requested number of spotted lanternfly permits for company vehicles.

The designated employee must train fellow employees before granting them a permit.

Example Scenarios
1. A tax preparation business has an office within the quarantine zone. Employees drive their personal cars to work and work in the office all day. The business has no company cars, and is not actively moving products.

This business does not need a permit. However, employees are encouraged to complete and carry a compliance checklist in their own vehicles.

2. A potato chip company has a manufacturing facility in the quarantine zone that packages pallets of product, and ships either in its own fleet of trucks or with common carriers.

This business needs a permit. The company should designate one or more supervisors/managers in charge of warehousing or trucking to take the permit training and exam, and request enough permits to cover all vehicles under his/her authority. That designated person should then train all workers in the product movement/transport stream and maintain a record of who has been trained. They should place a permit in each company vehicle, along with documentation to show that inspections are being done and control measures (such as vehicle washes) are done at appropriate times to keep spotted lanternfly from moving with the product or vehicle. Training and inspection/control records must be kept for two years.

3. The PA Department of Agriculture (PDA) has a regional office within the quarantine zone. In the course of their duties, some regional staff drive state vehicles within the zone, and some drive in and out of the quarantine zone.

This organization needs a permit. A designated regional employee should take the permit training and exam, requesting enough permits for all vehicles in the work group. The designated employee then trains others in the group, maintains the training record, and provides the permits to be in each vehicle. Each vehicle should carry a log to track Spotted Lanternfly inspection or control measure activities. Records must be kept for two years.

4. A business based in western Pennsylvania, outside the quarantine zone, routinely delivers truckloads of product to New Jersey, also outside any quarantine area. The truck drives through the quarantine area but does not stop to load or unload any product.

This business does not need a permit. However, the business should consider securing the truck and load from hitchhiking Spotted Lanternfly.

5. An agricultural business that is based outside the quarantine zone routinely delivers produce to a retail distribution center in the quarantine zone. The truck stops in the zone, unloads product, may or may not load material for the return trip.

This business needs a permit. This business, although it is based outside the quarantine zone, needs to have a Spotted Lanternfly permit.

How to obtain a permit from PDA
If your business or organization meets the criteria for requiring a spotted lanternfly permit, the designated employee(s) need to complete the online course offered by Penn State Extension and PDA. This free, self-paced course will provide the information and resources necessary for the designated employee to then train fellow employees about best operating procedures within the quarantine zone. The requested number of vehicle permits will be issued to the business once the designated employee passes the online course.

If you have questions about obtaining a SLF permit, please contact SLFPermit@PA.gov.