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  1. Home
  2. Pesticide Registration

Conventional Pesticide Registration

For More Information
  • Registration Division Chemical Assignments
  • Registration Division Contacts
  • Pesticide Registration Manual
  • Policy and Guidance Documents
  • Pesticide Registration Requirements 
  • Antimicrobial Pesticide Registration
  • Biopesticide Registration
  • Inert Ingredients Registration
  • Public involvement in pesticide registration
  • Pesticide Regulatory Consultants
On this page:
  • What are conventional pesticides
  • Conventional Reduced Risk Pesticide Program
  • Pre-application meeting
  • Endangered Species Act information
  • Requirements
  • Guidance documents
  • Work plans

What Are Conventional Pesticides

Conventional pesticides are all active ingredients other than biological pesticides and antimicrobial pesticides. Conventional active ingredients are generally produced synthetically, i.e., are synthetic chemicals that prevent, mitigate, destroy, or repel any pest; or that act as a plant growth regulator, desiccant, defoliant or nitrogen stabilizer.

Wood preservative and anti-foulant products that do not have antimicrobial uses and agricultural fungicide and aquatic herbicide products are either classified as a conventional or a biochemical pesticide. Biochemical pesticides with a toxic mode of action are classified for the purposes of the registration process as conventional pesticides.

Conventional Reduced Risk Pesticide Program

The Conventional Reduced Risk Pesticide Program expedites the review and regulatory decision-making process of conventional pesticides that pose less risk to human health and the environment than existing conventional alternatives. The goal of this program is to quickly register commercially viable alternatives to riskier conventional pesticides. This ensures that these reduced risk pesticide uses get into the marketplace and are available to growers as soon as possible. Expected participants in this program are the chemical companies and state or federal agencies that submit to the agency initial registration and amended registration applications for pesticide products. Learn More>>>

Pre-Application Meeting

Before assembling an application for product registration or an amendment to a product registration, an applicant or registrant should first consider scheduling a pre-application meeting. The pre-application meeting provides an opportunity to discuss and confirm the data and labeling requirements that apply to that application. To schedule a meeting, please go to the Conventional Pesticide Division Contact List for the Registration Division Ombudsman or the appropriate Product Team contact person.

Endangered Species Act Information

When granting pesticide registrations, EPA must comply with section 7(a)(2) of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to protect federally threatened or endangered (listed) species. To address this obligation, before registering any new conventional active ingredient (AI), EPA will evaluate the potential effects of the AI on federally threatened or endangered (listed) species, and their designated critical habitats, and initiate ESA consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service (the Services), as appropriate. 

As part of its analysis, and under its existing authorities, EPA will consider the likelihood that the registration action may jeopardize the continued existence of listed species or adversely modify their designated critical habitat and provide its findings to the Services. If EPA predicts that jeopardy or adverse modification is likely, the Agency will only make a registration decision on the new AI after requiring registrants to implement mitigation measures that EPA determines would likely prevent potential jeopardy or adverse modification. In accordance with this effort, applicants should consider proposing mitigations or use patterns that eliminate or reduce potential impacts to listed species in their applications for new active ingredients. For more information, please contact the Registration Division Ombudsman or the appropriate Product Team prior to submitting an application. See the Progress Toward Protections for Federally Listed Species webpage and the  ESA Policy for New Active Ingredients: Q&A (pdf) (4.18 MB) to learn more about Endangered Species Act information for new conventional pesticide active ingredients.

Requirements

Requirements for All Applicants

  • Overview of Requirements for Pesticide Registration and Registrant Obligations
  • Data Requirements
  • Labeling
  • Forms

Guidance Documents

  • Policy and Guidance Documents
  • Harmonized Test Guidelines
  • Pesticide Registration Notices

Work Plans

The workplans for conventional new pesticide chemicals and new pesticide uses represent our current list and schedules for these important actions. However, the Agency has included room for flexibility in these workplans to ensure a quick response should an emerging public health or environmental issue arise.

Specific questions regarding the ongoing status of a chemical should be referred to the appropriate product manager, team leader, or branch chief on our contacts page. 

Conventional Fiscal Year Work Plans

  • New Active Ingredients
  • New Uses of Existing Pesticide Ingredients
  • Reports of previous fiscal year registration decisions

Pesticide Registration

  • About Pesticide Registration
  • Electronic Submission of Applications
  • Pesticide Registration Manual
  • Fees and Waivers
  • Registration Information by Type of Pesticide
  • — Antimicrobial Registration
  • — Biopesticide Registration
  • — Conventional Registration
  • — Inert Ingredient Regulation
  • Requirements and Guidance
  • — Data
  • — Forms
  • — Labeling
Contact Us about Pesticide Registration
Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on November 29, 2024
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