Structural Pest Control and Pesticides - Product Registration
Pesticide Product Registration
As specified in Section 143-442 of the North Carolina Pesticide Law of 1971, all pesticide products are to be registered with the state before being offered for sale. The Structural Pest Control & Pesticides Division’s Pesticide Registration Unit is responsible for executing this portion of our law. To accomplish this, unit personnel ensure that appropriate fees have been submitted, document/deposit the fees, and process new product applications, renewal forms, and registration certifications. Unit staff also review product labeling, field questions regarding our registration process, and provide guidance on how to meet both state and federal pesticide registration requirements. Approximately 16,000 pesticide products are registered in North Carolina each year.
Even though federally registered pesticide labeling has been reviewed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), our staff conducts a supporting review to help ensure only properly labeled products are eligible for purchase in North Carolina. In addition to the federally registered pesticides, North Carolina also requires registration of what the EPA defines as “minimum risk pesticides”, identified in 40 CFR §152.25(f). Pesticides that meet the EPA’s requirements for minimum risk status are not required to be federally registered, and their labeling has not been reviewed by the EPA. However, since they do make pesticidal claims, they are required to be registered in North Carolina. Registration Unit staff review the labeling of these pesticides to help ensure they meet the requirements set by the EPA. Guidance is often extended to registrants to help them better understand how to structure their labeling to meet minimum risk standards.
Registration Unit staff also process Stop Sale, Stop Use, or Removal Orders for pesticides that have not been properly registered prior to being sold in the state or for those that bear misbranded labeling.
Product Registration
North Carolina does require registration of all federally registered pesticides as well as minimum risk pesticides (25(b) pesticides) which are exempt from federal registration. When evaluating applications to register minimum risk pesticides, North Carolina reviewers refer to ingredient and labeling standards established by the EPA. A product must meet these standards to be registered as a minimum risk pesticide in North Carolina. Please visit EPA-Minimum Risk Pesticides for more information regarding EPA standards for minimum risk pesticides.
When registering a pesticide in North Carolina, registrants must submit a copy of the end-use labeling, one copy of our application, and the appropriate fees for each product. Fees consist of:
- $150.00 registration fee
- Pesticide Environmental Trust Fund (PETF) assessment. The PETF assessment is:
- $25.00 per product - if sales within the state were $0.00 to $5000.00 the previous fiscal year (running October 1st through September 30th)
- $50.00 per product - if sales within the state were over $5000.00 the previous fiscal year.
When registering a new product with the state, the registrant must supply a copy of the end use labeling and one completed copy of our New Product Registration Form along with the required registration fee and PETF assessment. The PETF assessment to register a new product is $25.00. The assessment to renew the registration of a product will be $25.00 or $50.00 depending on sales of the product in North Carolina during the previous fiscal year. Please see above. The current registration fee is $150.00 for both new and renewal registrations. Based on the current fee structure, the total to register a new product is $175.00 and the total to renew a product registration is either $175.00 or $200.00 depending on the appropriate PETF assessment.
If an unregistered pesticide is found being offered for sale within the state, a "Stop Sale, Stop Use, or Removal Order" is issued. In addition to the registration fee and the PETF assessment, a $200 delinquent registration penalty is collected when a pesticide under stop sale is granted registration in the state. For further information, please contact Lee Davis
Label Revisions
The Pesticide Registration Unit is responsible for reviewing any updated or revised labels. Revised labels can be submitted any time during the year. The labels can be submitted through the Kelly Registration Systems website or directly to us through one of the mailing addresses provided below. Revised labels, if approved, will be added to the registrant’s file, and are considered the most current label for the product. No additional registration fees are required for revised labels of currently registered products. Do not send a copy of the EPA stamped approved label unless requested. Please do not submit labels via CDs, USB, or email.
- Physical Address (FedEx, UPS, other courier deliveries)
NC Dept. of Agriculture & CS
Steve Troxler Ag Sciences Center
SPC&PD
Registration Unit
4400 Reedy Creek Road
Raleigh, NC 27607
- Mailing Address (US Postal Service deliveries) Note: USPS does not deliver to our physical address.
NC Dept. of Agriculture & CS
Steve Troxler Ag Sciences Center
SPC&PD
Registration Unit
1090 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1090
Supplemental Labeling and FIFRA 2(ee) Bulletins
North Carolina does require submission of supplemental labeling and 2(ee) bulletins. Registration Unit personnel review these documents and compare their contents to the requirements set for them by the EPA.
Special Local Need (SLN) Registrations
Section 24(c) of FIFRA, the federal pesticide law, specifies that a state may provide registration for additional uses of federally registered pesticides for distribution and use within the state to meet a special local need. "Special Local Need" is defined as "... an existing or imminent pest problem within a state for which the state lead agency, based upon satisfactory supporting information, has determined that an appropriate federally registered pesticide is not sufficiently available."
(A) "existing or imminent pest problem" means a problem which already exists or is likely to exist.
(B) "based upon satisfactory information an appropriate federally registered pesticide is not sufficiently available" means the state can document that a Special Local Need registration is needed because:
(a) a federally registered product is not available in the state for the desired site(s) to adequately control the target pest(s), or
(b) a federally registered product cannot be applied without causing unacceptable risk to humans and/or the environment, or
(c) the product being requested is necessary to maintain an IPM, resistance management or minor use pest control program, or
(d) a federally registered product could be replaced by a formulation that poses less risk to humans and/or the environment.
In North Carolina, supporting information may be furnished by the NCSU Cooperative Extension Service, commodity group and/or the pesticide registrant and is subject to verification through our internal review process. Pesticide Section personnel provide an initial review the request and, based on the information provided, a preliminary decision is made as to whether the request meets the requirements necessary to qualify for a SLN registration. If the application package seems to qualify for a SLN registration, the Pesticide Minor Use Registration Committee (PMURC) is asked to review it. PMURC is an advisory committee comprised of various North Carolina State University faculty and extension specialists. These individuals have expertise in several areas including entomology, pathology, zoology, toxicology, residue chemistry and weed science. They further review the application package and make a recommendation to the Pesticide Section as to whether the requested SLN registration is valid. If the Pesticide Section determines that the SLN registration is needed, the requested use of the pesticide will be registered in North Carolina. Special Local Need labeling must be in possession of the user when the pesticide is used to address the Special Local Need conditions.
The following list is provided for reference only and is subject to change at any time. If you have questions about a specific North Carolina 24(c) registration, please contact Lee Davis
Emergency Exemptions
FIFRA Section 18 allows the EPA Administrator to exempt any State or Federal agency from any provision of the Act, if the Administrator determines that an emergency condition exists that requires such an exemption.
The EPA defines "emergency condition" to mean an urgent, non-routine situation that requires the use of a pesticide(s). Such a situation is considered to exist when:
1. No effective pesticides are available under the Act that have labeled uses registered for control of the pest under the conditions of the emergency; and
2. No economically or environmentally feasible alternative practices that provide adequate control are available; and
3. The situation:
(a) involves the introduction or dissemination of a pest new to or not theretofore known to be widely prevalent or distributed within or throughout the United States or its territories; or
(b) will present significant risks to human health; or
(c) will present significant risks to threatened or endangered species, beneficial organisms, or the environment; or
(d) will cause significant economic loss due to:
1. an outbreak or an expected outbreak of a pest; or
2. a change in plant growth or development caused by unusual environmental conditions where such change can be rectified by the use of a pesticide(s).
In North Carolina, Emergency Exemptions are usually requested by commodity groups, the Cooperative Extension Service, and/or other State or Federal agencies. These groups are responsible for providing the Pesticide Section with the information necessary to support the exemption. The Pesticide Section provides guidance as needed and all information submitted is subject to verification through our own internal review. Based on the information provided, Pesticide Section personnel make a preliminary decision as to whether the request meets the requirements necessary to qualify for an Emergency Exemption. If the application package appears to qualify, information is forwarded to the Pesticide Minor Use Registration Committee (PMURC) for their review. PMURC is an advisory committee comprised of various North Carolina State University faculty and extension specialists. These individuals have expertise in several areas including entomology, pathology, zoology, toxicology, residue chemistry and weed science. They further review the application package and make a recommendation to the Pesticide Section as to whether the requested Emergency Exemption is valid. If the Pesticide Section determines that the exemption is needed, the application package is forwarded to the EPA for review. The EPA requires that the application be submitted in writing by the head of the requesting State or Federal agency, the Governor of the State involved, or their official designee. In North Carolina, the Commissioner of Agriculture is the official designee and petitions for emergency exemptions are submitted through the Commissioner's office.
Emergency Exemptions are requested by the state and approved or denied by the EPA. If the exemption packages are complete, the EPA can usually review the information and reach a decision within 50 days of receiving the package. If an exemption is approved, use directions must be in hand during the application of the pesticide for the use granted by the exemption. Emergency Exemptions are time limited, and usually expire either one year or three years after issuance. For additional information, contact
Lee Davis
Pesticide Product Registration
NC Pesticide Regulations (section .0301-.0318)
Delinquent Registration Form (product under NC Stop Sale order for non-registration)
- Data on Registered Products (Kelly Registration Systems)
Cancelled Products
- EPA List of Cancelled Pesticide Products
For questions or if additional assistance is required, please contact the NCDA&CS Structural Pest Control & Pesticide Division at 984-236-4625. Directions
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