# Regulations


Pesticide use in the United States is governed by federal law under which the approved label is legally binding. Understanding that is what lets you tell responsible information from the kind that will get you into trouble.

## Start here

**[Why the pesticide label is the law](/regulations/fifra-and-labels/)** — what FIFRA requires, what "use inconsistent with its labeling" actually covers, and why this site publishes no application rates. This is the site's editorial charter as much as a regulatory explainer.

## Restricted-use products

Some pesticides are classified by the EPA as posing potential unreasonable adverse effects without added restrictions. These may only be applied by, or under the direct supervision of, a certified applicator, and are not available for purchase or use by the general public.

If any source presents a restricted-use product as a homeowner option, that source is wrong, and acting on it would be a federal violation rather than a grey area.

## State variation

Several states restrict particular product classes more tightly than federal law does, notably in the rodenticide and neonicotinoid areas, and these restrictions have changed repeatedly. Applicator certification requirements and company registration rules are also set by state.

We have not yet published per-state regulation pages. When we do, each will be built from that state's own agriculture department source rather than from a secondary summary, because secondary sources in this area are frequently out of date. Until then, your state department of agriculture is the authoritative place to check.


Source: https://againstpest.shop/regulations/