Pesticides and pesticide devices

In the United States, pesticides and pesticide devices must comply with the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (“FIFRA”) and applicable state and local laws, including registration and labeling requirements. Pesticides and pesticide devices include: (1) any product intended for preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any pest and (2) any product that makes any antimicrobial, antifungal, antibacterial, anti-mold, or pesticide claims.

Common examples of conventional pesticides include:

• Insecticides
• Rodenticides
• Herbicides
• Fungicides
• Repellants
• Antimicrobial pesticides

Common examples of pesticide devices include:

• Ultraviolet light units
• Sound generators
• Insect traps
• Ground vibrators
• Water-treatment units
• Air-treatment units

I do not believe my product is a pesticide, why was I sent here?

Products that make any antimicrobial, antifungal, antibacterial, or other pesticide claim (for example, products marketed to disinfect, repel insects, remove allergens, or prevent bacteria) may be considered pesticides or pesticide devices under Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations. For more information, go to the EPA page on Pesticides.

Pesticide Claims

A product may be classified by the EPA as a pesticide if the product claims, states or implies, even indirectly, that it can or should be used to prevent, destroy, repel, mitigate, or take any other similar action against any kind of pest. Examples of “pests” include insects, mold, bacteria, mites, mildew, and animals. For listings on Amazon.com, this could appear anywhere in detail page text, on an image, or both.

Some common pesticide claims include:

• Prevents, blocks, removes, neutralizes or controls bacteria or other pests
• Sanitizes, disinfects or sterilizes
• Resists mildew
• Removes or prevents mold

In addition to these more common claims, there is a very broad range of products that are also identified as pesticides by FIFRA due to specific terms used in describing the product. A few examples of these less common claims are:

• A door knob claiming to resist bacteria
• Socks or shoes that claim antimicrobial properties
• A boat or automobile cover claiming to prevent mildew
• A mattress claiming to be antibacterial
• A dehumidifier claiming to mechanically prevent mold
• A pillow case claiming to be resistant to dust mites
• A “mildew resistant” shower curtain

Examples of permitted listings

Pesticides and pesticide devices that comply with FIFRA and all applicable state and local laws, including registration and labeling requirements. To be eligible for sale in the US, all pesticides must be labeled with a valid EPA registration number and EPA establishment number, or qualify for one of the exemptions specified below. Pesticide devices must be labeled with an EPA establishment number.

Examples of prohibited listings

• Unregistered pesticides (for example, insecticide chalk, tres pasitos)
• Pesticide products and pesticide devices sold by non-U.S. residents
• Pesticide products not intended for sale in the U.S. (these may look like recognized brands, but they do not have an EPA registration or establishment number)
• Pesticide listings without EPA information in the Pesticide Marking attribute
• Pesticide devices that were manufactured in a location or facility other than an EPA-registered establishment, that lack a clearly visible EPA establishment number on the label, or that make false or misleading claims
• Restricted use pesticides, which are not to be available for purchase or use by the general public
• Products labeled for professional use only
• Products labeled for use by individuals/firms licensed or registered by the state to apply termiticide products
• Products not registered with the EPA and all applicable state and local laws that make a pesticide claim, including those that may be subject to specific state registration requirements, unless subject to one of the limited exclusions below
• Pesticide products that make false or misleading claims or are otherwise misbranded (for example, claims regarding the safety of the pesticide or its ingredients, such as “safe”, “non-poisonous", “non-injurious”, “harmless”, “non-toxic”, or “all natural”)
• Pesticide products that make public health claims (for example, products marketed to control or mitigate any disease, infection, or pathological condition)
• Mosquito repellent bracelets and stickers that are not approved brands per Amazon policy. Approved Brands: Bugables, BugBand, BuggyBands, BuggyBeds, Cliganic, Coleman, Cutter, Evergreen Research, Mosquitno, Mosquito Guard, OFF!, Ortho, Para’Kito, Pic, Repel, RiptGear, Safer Brand, Sawyer, Scentpellent, Summit, Superband, Terro, Thermacell
• Pesticide products that are in broken packaging or are being sold in a quantity or amount different from what is listed on the label approved by the EPA

Are any products excluded from EPA registration requirements?

Exclusions from EPA registration requirements are narrow and primarily apply to:

• Items treated with a pesticide that has been registered for that use and that do not make any public health claims or pesticide claims beyond preservation of the article itself (see EPA requirements for Treated Articles)
• Pesticide products made exclusively from a specific list of active and inert ingredients and that meet specific labeling and other requirements (see EPA requirements for Minimum Risk Pesticides)
• Human and animal drugs regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (for more information, go to Restricted products: Drugs & drug paraphernalia)

Please also remember that some pesticides may be hazardous materials and therefore ineligible for Fulfillment by Amazon. For more information, please review the Dangerous goods identification guide.

How to apply to sell these products on Amazon

Approval from Amazon is required to sell these products. As per Amazon policy, only U.S. residents are eligible to list pesticide products on Amazon.com, and must complete a training. For each pesticide product, an EPA registration must be provided.

Qualifying to sell pesticides:

1. In Seller Central, select Inventory and click Add a product.
2. Run a search for the ASIN you wish to sell.
3. In the search results, click the Listing limitations apply link across from the ASIN.
4. Click Request approval to start the application process.
5. Once redirected to Seller University, complete the training with an 80% or higher score.
6. Once you have passed the training, click Continue from the Results page and click Exit the course.
7. Once redirected to the application workflow, check the box to agree to the Guaranty and click Submit.

How to add EPA information to a listing

All listings of pesticides, pesticide devices, or products that make pesticidal claims require sellers to input a Pesticides marking attribute.

Listings of pesticide products and devices require evidence of an EPA registration and/or EPA establishment number or a certification that the product is exempt from EPA regulations.

You must provide a valid EPA registration number or EPA establishment number, as applicable, for each pesticide or pesticide device listing, or specify that your product qualifies for an exemption.

Detailed instructions for adding the Pesticide Marking attribute to new or existing pesticide or pesticide device listings are available on the Compliance ID attribute – Pesticide Marking page.

Additional useful information

To learn more about selling or supplying pesticides and pesticide devices online, the publicly available pesticides eLearning course can be found here, or you can visit the following links:

• Restricted products
• General listing restrictions
• Prohibited product claims
• EPA Pesticide Registration Manual
• EPA's Pesticide Devices: A Guide for Consumers
• The full text of FIFRA
• EPA’s summary of FIFRA and guidance on Illegal Pesticide Products
• EPA Conditions for Minimum Risk Pesticides
• EPA Requirements for Treated Articles
• Labeling requirements under FIFRA

Last updated May 26, 2021