• No license is required to dig wild ginseng on private land in Georgia, but written permission must be obtained from the landowner.

• Ginseng growers and dealers (defined as anyone who purchases ginseng for the purposes of resale) are required to register with the state annually.

• The harvest season for ginseng in Georgia is August 15 to December 31. Ginseng harvested during this season may be sold from September 1 of the harvest year to March 31 of the next year.

• Georgia state law requires all harvested ginseng to have at least 3 prongs and a fruiting stalk present.

• Georgia requires that the ripe berries of wild ginseng be planted immediately after harvest at the same location at which the ginseng was harvested.

• Ginseng may not be harvested on state land in Georgia.

• The Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Program, Wildlife Resources Division, serves as the state’s ginseng coordinator. This office can be reached at (770) 918-6411 or:

Ginseng Management Program
Georgia DNR, Wildlife Resources Division
2065 U.S. Highway 278 SE
Social Circle, GA 30025

• A permit is required to collect ginseng in Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests. Contact National Forests in Georgia at (770) 297-3000 or via mail:

1755 Cleveland Highway
Gainesville, GA 30501