Overview

Selling pesticide products on Amazon to California buyers comes with an extra layer of regulatory compliance beyond federal EPA rules. The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR) enforces its own registration requirements and levies a mill assessment fee on registered pesticide sales, and Amazon actively checks whether listed products meet these state-level standards.

Key Points / What Sellers Need to Know

• State registration is mandatory — Pesticides sold into California must be registered with the CDPR unless they qualify for a specific federal exemption. Products that lack registration and do not meet exemption criteria will be blocked from sale in the state.

• Minimum risk exemptions exist — Certain pesticide products classified as "minimum risk" under Section 25(b) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) may be exempt from CDPR registration, provided they satisfy all conditions established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

• Amazon enforces compliance proactively — Amazon reviews pesticide listings to verify whether products hold valid California registration or meet the minimum risk exemption conditions. Non-compliant products may be suppressed or removed from the marketplace.

• Mill assessment fees apply — The State of California collects a mill assessment fee on all sales of registered pesticides. Sellers shipping registered pesticides into California are responsible for calculating and remitting this fee to the CDPR.

• Professional guidance is recommended — Sellers dealing in pesticide products should consult a tax or regulatory advisor familiar with CDPR rules, or contact the CDPR directly, to ensure full compliance.

How CDPR Registration Works

At the federal level, the EPA regulates the sale and distribution of pesticides across the United States under FIFRA. However, California imposes additional requirements through the CDPR, which maintains its own registry of approved pesticide products. Before a pesticide can be legally sold to customers in California, it must either appear on the CDPR's active registration list or meet the narrow criteria for a minimum risk exemption under federal law. The registration process is managed directly through the CDPR, and sellers can consult the department's official website for application procedures, required documentation, and current timelines. Products that have not completed this process — and that do not qualify for an exemption — are considered non-compliant and cannot be offered for sale to California addresses on Amazon.