No person shall sell, offer for sale, or transport for sale any agricultural, vegetable, flower, tree or shrub seed within this State:
Notwithstanding the prohibition contained in this subsection, agricultural or vegetable seeds packaged in hermetically-sealed containers under the conditions specified in rules and regulations promulgated under the New Jersey State Seed Law (Revision of 1963), P.L. 1963, c. 29 (C. 4:8-17.13 et seq.), may be sold, exposed for sale, offered for sale or transported for sale for a period of 36 months after the last day of the month that the seeds were tested for germination prior to packaging. Agricultural or vegetable seeds in hermetically-sealed containers may be sold, exposed for sale, offered for sale or transported for sale more than 36 months after the last day of the month in which they were tested for germination prior to packaging, if they are retested within a nine-month period, exclusive of the calendar month in which the retesting is completed, immediately prior to sale, exposure for sale, offering for sale or transportation.
This subsection does not apply to tree and shrub seeds.
N.J.S. § 4:8-17.16