Certificates of Free Sale

Certificates of Free Sale are sometimes requested by foreign purchasers to assure that products are freely available and sold in the United States. Depending on the nature of the product, a U.S. company can obtain a Certificate of Free Sale from the appropriate regulatory authority. When a regulatory agency should issue a Certificate of Free Sale, Virginia Economic Development Partnership will not issue one. If your product is regulated by any of the following agencies, use these sources to obtain a Certificate of Free Sale:

Virginia Economic Development Partnership will only issue Certificates of Free Sale if:

  • The product is manufactured in Virginia
    •
  • The product is not governed by a regulatory agency such as the EPA, FDA, or VDACS
  • The appropriate regulatory agency will not issue a certificate based on a specific exclusion or other circumstance

To request a Certificate of Free Sale, please complete our Request for Certificate of Free Sale form. For best results, use the current version of the Adobe Reader.

The issuance of Certificates of Free Sale is determined on a case-by-case basis. The cost per Certificate is $20.00 for normal processing (3 weeks) or $30 for expedited processing (1-2 weeks). In addition to the completed form, your request must include:

  • Original labels for each product. If labeling is in a foreign language, it must be translated into English. The labels must be flat; do not send products with the label applied to them. Labels in PDF or scanned format are acceptable.
  • If applicable, proof in writing of denial of Certificate of Free Sale from a regulatory agency indicating that they are unable to issue the certificate(s) in the event the product(s) would normally be governed by such an agency.

Please direct any questions and return the completed form and attachments to:

Mary Maier
Virginia Economic Development Partnership
International Trade
P.O. Box 798
Richmond, VA 23218-0798
mmaier@yesvirginia.org