The ARS Culture Collection was initially established to provide cultures and microbiological expertise for USDA research programs. The success of many of these programs led to the distribution of strains to other researchers and, in turn, local programs required strains from other sources; thus exchange was inevitable. The dilemma has been to meet the needs of legitimate scientific exchange but at the same time not divert a major portion of effort from the intended role of research. Policies have been established to permit fulfillment of both goals.

• There is currently no charge for cultures in the general collection but there is a $20 fee per strain for distribution of strains accessioned into the ARS Patent Culture Collection since 1983.
• Requests must be limited to 12 strains per request and may total no more than 24 strains to a given laboratory on an annual basis outside of a cooperative research and development agreement.
• Requests should be made via the online ordering system for strains in the public access catalog. Inquiries regarding strains not found in the online catalog should be made by e-mail to Mr. James Swezey , in writing, or by fax (309-681-6672) and should include the accession number, if known from the literature, the name of the organism, or intended use and a complete mailing address.
• Strains can only be sent to an institutional address (i.e., university, company, research institute) but will not be shipped to a home address.
• Plant pathogenic strains require that an APHIS PPQ 526 permit be obtained and provided by the requestor before transport within the United States. Prior to shipment of plant pathogenic strains to foreign locations, the requestor must provide the appropriate national importation permit or official written documentation from the appropriate governmental authority that no permit is required.
• Strains pathogenic to animals require an APHIS VS 16-3 permit in advance of shipment. For requests outside of the United States, an import permit from your national government must be provided to the ARS Culture Collection in advance of shipment. If no permit is required, a signed, official letter from your national government that no import permit is necessary must be provided to the ARS Culture Collection in advance of the shipment.
• Note that for strains held in the ARS Patent Culture Collection an original signed letter of request directed to Mr. James Swezey is needed for strain distribution because of patent laws.
• A Materials Transfer Agreement (MTA) is not required for distribution of non-BL-2 strains maintained in the general collection of the ARS Culture Collection.
• An MTA is not required for distribution of strains maintained in the ARS Patent Culture Collection if the cultures are released to the public through issuance of the subject patent or released by direction of the depositor. However, it is the responsibility of the requestor to comply with all national and international patent laws concerning use of these strains.