Only residents of Florida are eligible to place ads in the Florida Market Bulletin. In addition, some advertising categories have specific requirements that must be met. These requirements are outlined below. 

No, the Florida Market Bulletin ceased being published in paper form in June 2008. It is available online only.

No, there are no fees required to view or place ads in the Florida Market Bulletin.

Only the current month's ads are posted on the FDACS website. Previous months' ads are removed so that advertisers are not contacted after their posting has expired. However, PDF versions of previous ads dating back to January 2005 are archived online by the State Library and Archives of Florida.

The deadline for submitting a classified ad is the 25th of the month prior to the month the ad is to appear. For example, for an ad to run in the June issue, it must be received by 5 p.m. on May 25.

Ads received by the deadline will appear in the Florida Market Bulletin.

The Florida Market Bulletin is posted on the web on the first of each month. Ads received by the 25th of the month will be posted online on the first day of the following month.

Agricultural Machinery

1. Ads for machinery and equipment manufactured specifically for agricultural purposes are eligible for publication. Ads for jeeps, trucks, ATVs or automotive equipment will not be accepted.
2. Agricultural machinery, with the exception of rototillers, must be at least 7.5 horsepower.
3. Push-type lawnmowers are not eligible.
4. Listings for sale must be accompanied by the following owner-signed statement: "This machinery has been used by me in an agricultural endeavor and is not offered for sale by an equipment dealer or commercial enterprise."

Aquaculture

Ads for alligator sales must be accompanied by a signed statement that the seller has a state permit to deal in alligators.

Bees and Equipment

1. State law requires that all beekeepers be registered with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. To register, contact the Bureau of Apiary Inspection, Division of Plant Industry, P.O. Box 147100, Gainesville, FL 32614, telephone (352) 372-3505.
2. Beekeepers offering bees for sale must submit their registration number with their ad. However, beekeeping equipment that does not contain bees can be advertised without a registration number.

Cattle

1. The cattle owner's name must appear in "Cattle for Sale" listings.
2. Cattle moving within the state to farms or markets or changing ownership no longer require a brucellosis test. However, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services strongly recommends that all new herd additions be tested as a "best management practice" for animal health.
3. All cattle and bison 18 months of age or older moving within Florida must have official individual identification. Examples of official individual identification and exemptions from this requirement are listed on our Cattle Movement Requirements webpage. 

Farm Employment/Services

1. Farm labor is the only employment listing permitted.
2. Anyone seeking farm labor must offer a specific job for employment with pay, i.e., farm manager, ranch hand.
3. Housekeeping, nursing, companionship, and domestic and personal service jobs are not acceptable.
4. Ads offering auctioneer services must include the auctioneer's name and Florida license number.

Farm Harvest Products

This category includes only the end products of farm harvest (i.e., vegetables, honey, fruit, hay, etc.) grown or produced on the advertiser's farm. For organic products requirements, see below under Organic Farm Harvest Products.

Farmland

1. All listings must offer 10 or more adjoining acres of land which must be zoned for agriculture.
2. Listings must be accompanied by the following owner-signed statement: "This property offered for sale or lease is personally owned by me, is zoned for agriculture, and is not offered for sale or lease by a licensed real estate dealer, broker or salesperson."

Goats

All goats offered for sale or exhibition must be individually identified with official USDA ear tags for the National Scrapie Eradication Program. Breed registry tattoos may be used if accompanied by the breed registration certificate. To obtain official USDA ear tags, the owner must first obtain a flock/herd identification number. To obtain a flock/herd ID number, contact the USDA Veterinary Services Area Office at (352) 313-3060.

Horses, Mules, Ponies

1. Ads for this category must be accompanied by the following owner-signed statement: "This animal has had a negative Coggins test within the past 12 months."
2. The owner must supply the buyer with the original owner's copy or a laboratory-certified copy of the negative Coggins test for change of ownership.

Miscellaneous

1. Advertisement will be accepted for this category if the item does not fit under any other category and is not otherwise prohibited.
2. Examples of unacceptable ads: Recreation, camping and sporting goods; crafts and craft items; household pets; household appliances; air conditioners; building supplies; commercial fencing material; books and documents; boats; guns; commercial fertilizer; antiques; campers; and other personal items.

Organic Farm Harvest Products

1. This category includes only the end products of farm harvest (i.e., vegetables, honey, fruit, hay, etc.) grown, packaged and stored on the advertiser's farm, without the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides or irradiation.
2. To advertise organic farm harvest products, an organic certification identification number and the name of the certifying agent must be submitted with the ad. For information about organic certification, contact the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Marketing and Development, 435 Mayo Building, Tallahassee, FL 32399, telephone (850) 617-7330.

Poultry, Fowl, Eggs

1. Listings for domestic birds and birds used for food are acceptable.
2. The selling and purchasing of game birds (quail, pheasants, etc.) require a permit from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Farris Bryant Building, 620 Meridian St., Tallahassee, FL 32399, telephone (850) 488-6253.
3. Domestic poultry being sold out of state must be enrolled in the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP), and all shipments must be accompanied by a VS 9-3 form, a report of sales of hatching eggs, chicks and poultry. For information about becoming an NPIP participant, call (850) 251-1226 or visit www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/npip.
4. Ads for all migratory birds offered for sale must include a state game farm license number and a federal fish and wildlife permit number. For state license information, contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Farris Bryant Building, 620 S. Meridian St., Tallahassee, FL 32399, telephone (850) 488-3641. For federal permit information, contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 75 Spring St. SW, Atlanta, GA 30303, telephone (404) 679-7070.
5. It is the seller's and purchaser's responsibility to have all required licenses and permits.
6. No ads will be accepted for fighting birds of any type; pet birds, such as canaries and finches; or hawkbill birds, such as parrots and macaws.

Seeds, Plants, Trees

1. This category includes both ornamental and agricultural varieties, and applies to aquatic plants.
2. It is a violation of Florida law to offer plant material for sale which has not been inspected for insects and diseases. For inspection information, contact the Division of Plant Industry, P.O. Box 147100, Gainesville, FL 32614, telephone (352) 372-3505.
3. Ads for nursery stock (plants, trees, shrubs, vines, bulbs, cuttings, grafts, scions or buds) must be accompanied by a copy of the seller's certificate of registration with the Division of Plant Industry, in accordance with Ch. 581.131, Florida Statutes, effective July 1, 1995. (Exempted from this requirement are aquatic plants, seeds, lawn and pasture grasses, cut flowers, cut fern and cut foliage.)
4. Ads for both plant material and seeds must be accompanied by the following signed statement: "These items are personally grown on my land and have not been purchased for resale."
5. Ads for plants that have been deemed noxious or invasive by the State of Florida will not be accepted.

Sheep, Deer, Llamas

All sheep offered for sale or exhibition must be individually identified with official USDA ear tags for the National Scrapie Eradication Program. Breed registry tattoos may be used if accompanied by the breed registration certificate. To obtain official USDA ear tags, the owner must first obtain a flock/herd identification number. To obtain a flock/herd ID number, contact the USDA Veterinary Services Area Office at (352) 313-3060.

Stock Dogs

1. Advertisement in this category is limited to bred, trained farm stock dogs and the puppies of bred, trained stock dogs; no ads for companion pets or hunting dogs will be accepted.
2. Chapter 828.29, F.S., requires that all dogs sold or offered for sale be at least eight weeks of age and have an Official Certificate of Veterinary Inspection, a.k.a. a health certificate. The certificate must be issued by a Florida-licensed veterinarian no more than 30 days before the sale.
3. The following vaccines and anthelmintics (wormers) must be administered by or under the direction of the licensed veterinarian who signs the certificate: canine distemper, leptospirosis, parainfluenza, hepatitis, canine parvo, and bordetella. A rabies vaccination is required for dogs over three months old.
4. Ads for dogs must be accompanied by the following owner-signed statement: "I certify that these animals have been bred and trained for farm work. Each dog is of legal age for sale and has an Official Certificate of Veterinary Inspection."

Swine

1. All swine (including potbellied pigs) sold or offered for sale or exhibition, except for slaughter, must have evidence of a negative brucellosis test and a negative pseudorabies serologic test which has been conducted within the previous 30 days, unless proof of exemption can be demonstrated.
2. Swine other than feral (wild) swine may move from farm to farm, to markets or change ownership without restrictions. Feral swine may only be moved to locations approved by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Persons transporting feral swine must be registered with the Department and be in possession of a valid identification card while transporting the swine. Feral Swine Trapper Identification cards can be obtained by contacting the Division of Animal Industry, telephone: (850) 410-0900.

If you include your email address in a Florida Market Bulletin ad, it becomes available to anyone anywhere in the world who has access to a computer. Unfortunately, some of these people have bad intentions. Once someone has your email, they might send you unsolicited ads or financial opportunities. You might even receive phishing emails. These are sent by scam artists — posing as legitimate businesses — who try to entice you to provide sensitive personal information, such as bank account information, Social Security numbers, passwords, credit card numbers, etc. Never respond to an email or pop-up window that asks for your personal information. If in doubt, call the institution that claims to be the sender of the email or pop-up window and get verification.

Because the Florida Market Bulletin website is accessible globally through the internet, there is the potential for scammers to target advertisers. Always be on the lookout for potential fraud and scams. Always use sound judgment and common sense. If you feel the least bit uncomfortable about a potential transaction, do not proceed with that transaction. Trust your instincts; if something doesn’t seem legitimate, it probably isn’t.

Here are a few tips to help avoid scams:

• Deal locally and meet in person. Be wary of any buyer who only wants to communicate through email or text messages.
• Be wary of anyone who wants you to wire funds to them via MoneyGram, Western Union, etc. Do not accept wired funds that you did not initiate.
• Be wary of cashier checks and money orders. If it is a fake, you will be held responsible for the funds once the fraud is discovered — often weeks later.
• Be wary of a cashier check or money order that exceeds the sale price of your item and the buyer asks you to return the overpayment in cash or via wire transfer.
• If a buyer wants to pay with a personal check, offer to meet them at their local bank, have the bank teller cash the buyer’s check, and then obtain the cash from the buyer.
• Be wary of anyone offering to make a partial payment and then promising to send the balance after they receive the item.
• Be wary of anyone who wants to buy your item but says they need your help to pay an agent or third party for upfront costs, such as transportation or insurance, and will reimburse you later.
• Be wary of anyone who is willing to purchase an expensive item, such as agricultural equipment, without having viewed it in person.
• Be wary of anyone requesting that you provide a verification code sent to your cell phone via text or phone call.
• Never give out financial or personal information such as your bank account number, Social Security number, passwords, credit card numbers, date of birth, etc.

If you suspect attempted fraud, contact the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. If you have lost money to one of these schemes, visit your local Secret Service field office. 

If you receive an offer for your advertised item via email from someone offering to pay by cashier’s check for more than the purchase price, forward the email to the Federal Trade Commission at spam@uce.gov.

If you are defrauded by someone you dealt with in person, contact local law enforcement authorities.