National Appeals Division (NAD)

Director's Welcome

Welcome to the National Appeals Division (NAD) website

NAD is an office that reports directly to the Secretary of Agriculture and is, by law, independent from the direction and control of any other agency within USDA. Our sole mission is to conduct impartial administrative appeals hearings of adverse program decisions by the following USDA agencies: the Farm Service Agency, the Risk Management Agency, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Rural Housing Agency, the Rural Business Cooperative Service, and the Rural Utilities Service.

Anyone who disagrees with an agency program decision can resolve their dispute by filing an appeal with NAD and receiving a hearing. A NAD hearing provides an opportunity for an appellant to present their case, including any new evidence, before an independent Administrative Judge (AJ). The AJ reviews the facts and evidence presented and determines if the agency decision was in error.

On this website, you’ll find everything you need to know about NAD, from how and where to file an appeal to searching previous NAD decisions for reference. It’s designed to be user-friendly so you can find your way around easily and obtain information quickly. You can read about filing an appeal and how to contact us.

You can also view our appeal process video on USDA's YouTube channel.

Frank M. Wood

Director