Learn about pesticide classification, sale and use, and the Allowable List of pesticides.
The provincial government regulates the sale, use, transportation, storage and disposal of pesticides in Ontario. Ontario’s Pesticides Act and Ontario Regulation 63/09 provide the province’s framework to regulate pesticides to protect human health and the natural environment.
The federal government registers and designates pesticides into one of four classes so they can be sold and used in Canada. Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency reviews, evaluates and registers pesticides to meet current health and safety standards in Canada. After the federal government registers a pesticide, it is automatically classified in Ontario according to the federal class designation and available for sale and use. There are no applications required to classify a pesticide in Ontario.
| Federal product class | Provincial class | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | Class A | The pesticide is only used to manufacture a pest control product. |
| Restricted | Class B | The pesticide is restricted by the federal government out of concern of environmental risk or human health. Additional information must be shown on the label regarding essential conditions for display, distribution and limitations on use. Specific qualifications may be required for a person to use this product. |
| Commercial | Class C | The pesticide can only be used by trained persons including certified farmers, licensed exterminators and permit holders. |
| Domestic | Class D | The pesticide is primarily used by the general public for personal use and in and around their homes. |
| N/A | Class E | Corn and soybean seeds that are treated with neonicotinoids are restricted for use by certified persons in Ontario. |
| Learn more about pesticide classes and their related requirements. | ||
| ## Ontario Class E | ||
| Ontario has an additional class of pesticides designated as Class E, created to regulate the sale and use of corn and soybean seeds treated with the following neonicotinoids: | ||
| * clothianidin | ||
| * imidacloprid | ||
| * thiamethoxam |
Learn more about neonicotinoid rules for vendors and growers.
The cosmetic use of pesticides is considered a non-essential use. Ontario bans the cosmetic use of pesticides to protect Ontarians from unnecessary risk by only allowing certain, low-risk pesticides for controlling weeds and pests on lawns and gardens. Pesticides can only be used for cosmetic purposes if the: * use is permitted under an exception to the ban, or * active ingredient in the pesticide is included on the Allowable List
A List of Active Ingredients Authorized for Cosmetic Uses (Allowable List) was created so you know what products you can and can’t use. The Allowable List includes the active ingredients in pesticides that: * meet certain ministry criteria * are considered low-risk * are allowed for use in Ontario
Anyone can use these pesticides to control weeds and other pests on: * lawns * gardens * driveways * parks * around the home
The ministry updates the list periodically by adding or removing active ingredients based on changes to federally-registered pesticides and requirements under the cosmetic pesticide ban. Please check the list to ensure you use the most current version. You can also find previous versions of the Allowable List below.
You can submit a form to the ministry to request that the Director under the Pesticides Act consider adding an active ingredient to the Allowable List. If the active ingredient meets specific criteria set out in the regulation and is appropriate for cosmetic use, it will be added to the Allowable List.
Current version: Version 5, effective November 28, 2022 Loading Data last updated: November 5, 2022 Search The search will include results from any hidden columns. Search Skip to results Displayed columns Select all columns Active ingredient name Date added Apply filters Reset all filters List of Active Ingredients Authorized for Cosmetic Use (Allowable List) data set
1 - 20 of 82. Page 1 of 5 Active ingredient name Date added Acetic acid 01/05/2020 Ammonium soaps of fatty acids 01/05/2020 Ammonium soaps of higher fatty acids 01/05/2020 Aureobasidium pullulans strain dsm 14940 01/05/2020 Aureobasidium pullulans strain dsm 14941 01/05/2020 Azadirachtin 01/05/2020 Bacillus subtilis mbi 600 01/05/2020 Bacillus subtilis qst 713 01/05/2020 Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki 01/05/2020 Bacillus thuringiensis tenebrionis 01/05/2020 Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. galleriae strain SDS-502 01/05/2020 Beauveria bassiana strain ANT-03 04/03/2022 Beauveria bassiana strain CFL-A 28/11/2022 Boracic acid (boric acid) 01/05/2020 Borax 01/05/2020 Brassica hirta white mustard seed powder 01/05/2020 Calcium disodium EDTA hydrate 12/09/2022 Canola Oil 01/05/2020 Capsaicin 01/05/2020 Capric acid 12/09/2022 Displaying rows 1 – to 20 of 82 rows Download other formats List of Active Ingredients Authorized for Cosmetic Use (Allowable List) data set mecp-pesticides-allowable-list-en-utf8-2022-12-05.json List of Active Ingredients Authorized for Cosmetic Use (Allowable List) data set mecp-pesticides-allowable-list-en-utf8-2022-12-05.csv List of Active Ingredients Authorized for Cosmetic Use (Allowable List) data set Updated: May 05, 2026 Published: May 05, 2020 *[N/A]: Not Applicable