CDFA - Border Protection Stations

California’s Border Protection Stations (BPS) are the first line of defense in our pest exclusion efforts. At these stations, vehicles are inspected for commodities infested with invasive species. California established its first agricultural inspection stations in the early 1920s. Today there are 16 of these facilities located on the major highways entering the State (see interactive map). At these stations, vehicles and commodities are checked to ensure they are pest free and meet all regulatory requirements.

Most years, more than 20 million private vehicles and 7 million commercial vehicles were inspected at the BPS. From these vehicles, inspectors rejected over 82,000 lots of plant material (fruits, vegetables, plants, etc.) because they were in violation of California or federal plant quarantine laws.

Watercraft, self-movers, recreational vehicles and utility vehicles comprise about five percent of the vehicles that pass through the stations yearly. Commercial vehicles cover over 25 percent of the traffic. The remaining 70% are classified as passenger private vehicles that are required to be screened for routes of travel determining pest risk and level of inspection. Inspectors are busy day in and day out, filtering and inspecting these 20 million vehicles that come into the State. As a result, inspectors intercepted thousands of contraband material annually.

For more information, visit our website at https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/PE/ExteriorExclusion/borders.html