Nothing exists in Metrc until it has a tag. Not a plant, not a package. Tags are the physical, serialized proof that a specific unit of cannabis is accounted for, and the way you order, receive, and track them is stricter than it looks the first time you open the Admin menu.
Two Types, One Rule
Metrc uses plant tags and package tags. Every facility can order package tags. Plant tags are narrower: only Cultivators and Microbusinesses can order them, since they're the only license types that legally handle live plants.
There's no direct charge when you place a tag order. The cost is already folded into the license fee you paid the DCC. What you can't do is order past the limits the state has set for your license, and you can't ship to a P.O. box, only a physical address on file. Orders go out by UPS ground.
You Cannot Undo an Order
Metrc tags are custom printed per facility and cannot be cancelled once submitted. Wrong quantity, wrong tag type, wrong facility selected from a multi-license account, none of that can be reversed after you hit place order. Read the confirmation screen before you submit, every time, especially if you're ordering across more than one license from the same login.
Don't Receive Until They're in Your Hands
Placing an order doesn't put tag numbers into your Metrc account. They stay unavailable until the physical tags have actually shipped, at which point a Receive button appears on the order. Selecting it populates the tag IDs into your inventory.
Do not select Receive until the tags have physically arrived at your facility. This isn't a convenience step, it's a security control. If tag numbers were live in the system before the physical tags existed at your location, a bad actor could put an unshipped tag on product that shouldn't be trackable yet. Marking receipt early breaks the entire point of the control, even if you're confident the shipment is legitimate.
Three Buckets
Every tag your facility has ever ordered lives in one of three states, viewable from the Tags page under the Admin menu.
| Status | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Available | Assigned to your facility but not yet attached to a lot, plant, or package. Sub-states: Commissioned (generated, not yet received) or Received (in inventory, ready to use) |
| Used | Already attached to a lot, plant, or package. Record shows when it was commissioned, used, and, if applicable, detached for replacement |
| Voided | Lost or damaged before ever being used, formally voided by the Account Manager or an employee with tag permissions |
The One-Time Rule
Both plant tags and package tags can only be used once. A tag that's been attached and later detached, because a plant died, or a package got discontinued, doesn't go back into circulation. It's done. That's why over-ordering slightly is normal practice and under-ordering is the mistake that actually costs you time, since a shortfall means placing a new order and waiting on shipping before you can legally tag the next batch.