Overview

Amazon requires sellers to provide specific compliance identification attributes for any product classified as a pesticide or pesticide device under U.S. federal law. Many sellers are surprised to learn that everyday items like antimicrobial clothing, mildew-resistant shower curtains, and antibacterial mattresses can trigger this classification. Understanding these requirements is essential to keeping your listings active and avoiding enforcement actions.

Key Points / What Sellers Need to Know

• Broad EPA definition — The Environmental Protection Agency classifies far more products as pesticides than most sellers expect. Any item marketed with claims about disinfecting, repelling insects, removing allergens, or preventing bacteria may fall under federal pesticide regulation.
• Marketing claims are the trigger — In many cases, a single pesticidal claim in your listing copy is the only reason a product gets flagged. Removing that claim may be enough to lift the restriction entirely.
• Compliance ID attribute required — Flagged products must include values for the Compliance ID attribute in Seller Central, specifying either an EPA registration number or an EPA establishment number.
• Only qualified U.S. residents may sell — Amazon restricts pesticide and pesticide device sales on Amazon.com to qualified U.S.-based sellers who can demonstrate proper EPA credentials.
• Non-pesticide and exempt options exist — If your product is incorrectly flagged, Amazon provides a workflow to declare it as either not a pesticide or exempt from registration under federal law.

What Gets Flagged as a Pesticide

The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) gives the EPA broad authority to classify products as pesticides based on the claims made in their marketing. Common trigger phrases include any language stating that a product kills, blocks, removes, neutralizes, or controls bacteria or other pests, as well as claims about sanitizing, disinfecting, or sterilizing. Products described as preventing mold or resisting mildew also fall under this classification.

The range of affected products is wider than most sellers realize. A door knob marketed as bacteria-resistant, shoes with antimicrobial properties, a boat cover that prevents mildew, a mattress described as antibacterial, a dehumidifier that claims to mechanically prevent mold, a pillow case resistant to dust mites, and a mildew-resistant shower curtain can all be flagged. These are everyday consumer goods that happen to use pesticidal language in their product descriptions.