How Health Canada evaluates and regulates pesticides
Learn about the steps we take and how we evaluate and monitor pesticides in Canada.
On this page
Our regulatory process
Health Canada's Pesticides Regulatory Directorate (PRD) regulates pesticides to ensure they meet the requirements to protect the health and safety of people and the environment, while effectively managing pests.
Pesticides are strictly regulated in Canada:
Health Canada uses a risk-based approach to make decisions on pesticides:
Pre-market period
The pre-market period is the period before a pesticide and its uses are registered in Canada. It covers 6 steps.
Step 1: Applying to register a pesticide
An individual or group may apply to register a pesticide in Canada. The application must include a wide range of detailed scientific studies and information about the pesticide. It's like a resume or a curriculum vitae for a pesticide, but much more comprehensive.
Learn how an individual or group can apply to register a pesticide:
- Registration toolkit (video)
Step 2: Screening the application
We check to make sure the application has all the required information. It must be complete, scientifically accurate and include studies that meet international standards.
Learn how we manage submissions:
Step 3: Conducting a scientific assessment
We decide if a pesticide meets our effectiveness (value), health and environment requirements by reviewing scientific studies and data.
Our scientists conduct 4 types of scientific assessments to determine whether the pesticide is needed and can be used safely:
- chemistry
- we review what a pesticide is made of, including its chemical and physical properties
- value
- we check whether a pesticide can effectively prevent or manage a pest without causing harm to the crops or sites where it's used
- risk to human health
- we review studies to find out if pesticide exposure could cause negative effects to your health
- risk to environment
- we review studies to find out if pesticide exposure could cause negative effects to plants, animals and the environment
Learn more about assessments:
Step 4: Consulting the public
We hold open public consultations before we make a major decision about a pesticide. These decisions may include:
- registering a new pesticide or
- adding new uses to an existing pesticide that are very different from what it's currently registered for
We review the public's input and respond to comments before we make a final decision.
Learn about open consultations, proposed decisions and the findings about a variety of pesticides:
Step 5: Making the final decision
We make a final decision on a pesticide after we carefully review and consider comments from the public. We will either approve a pesticide with specific conditions or reject it.
If we approve a pesticide, we limit its use to certain pests, crops and sites. We set these conditions based on our scientific assessment (step 3).
Learn how final decisions are made and access the latest list of decisions made on various pesticides:
Step 6: Registering and labelling the pesticide
Once we approve a pesticide, we register it, assign a registration number and issue the approved label. The label describes how to correctly use the pesticide, any restrictions and safety precautions.
Search for pesticide information available to the public:
Post-market period
The post-market period is the period after a pesticide and its uses are registered for use in Canada. It covers 2 steps.
Step 7: Monitoring
Through our Pesticide Compliance Program (PCP), we do inspections to prevent unauthorized pesticides from being available on the Canadian market and to verify that anyone manufacturing, distributing, importing or using pesticides respect the requirements of the law. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency monitors and enforces regulations related to pesticides and food safety.
Learn more about the regulatory monitoring:
We also monitor scientific information that becomes available after a pesticide is approved, including:
- Incidents or negative effects reported by manufacturers and users;
- Results from water monitoring in Canada;
- Changes to the pesticide's approved chemistry; and
- Published scientific literature and regulatory information.
If our scientists identify risks, we take action to protect your health and the environment.
Learn more about scientific monitoring:
- Water monitoring
- Mandatory incident reporting
- Mandatory pesticides sales reporting
- Updated pesticide chemistry verification process and work plan
Step 8: Conducting re-evaluations and special reviews
We make sure that pesticides continue to meet current scientific standards and requirements to protect your health and the environment by:
- re-evaluating a registered pesticide every 15 years
- conducting special reviews when there's new information about a registered pesticide that raises concerns about health or environmental risk
If the new scientific information shows possible risks, we may modify or cancel the pesticide registration.
Learn more about our re-evaluation and special review processes: