On June 5, 2026, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) issued California Notice 2026-05 announcing the availability of the semiannual report summarizing the reevaluation status of pesticide products during the period of July 1, 2025, through December 31, 2025. All pesticides sold or distributed in the United States must be registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) before they can be used. DPR evaluates all pesticides before they can be sold or used in California to address California-specific conditions to protect human health and the environment. DPR also conducts a continuous evaluation process following registration to assess new information on the potential risks and impacts of pesticide use to people and the environment.
Title 3 of the California Code of Regulations (3 CCR) Section 6221, specifies several factors under which DPR may initiate a reevaluation, including but not limited to:
- Public or worker health hazard;
- Environmental contamination;
- Pesticide residue overtolerance;
- Fish or wildlife hazard;
- Lack of efficacy;
- Undesirable phytotoxicity;
- Hazardous packaging;
- Inadequate labeling;
- Disruption of the implementation or conduct of pest management;
- Other information suggesting a significant adverse effect;
- Availability of an effective and feasible alternative material or procedure that is demonstrably less destructive to the environment; and
- Discovery that data upon which a registration was issued is false, misleading, or incomplete.
The report complies with the requirement of 3 CCR Section 6225, which requires DPR to prepare a semiannual report describing pesticides reevaluated, under reevaluation, or for which factual or scientific information was received, but no reevaluation was initiated. DPR states that starting July 1, 2026, DPR will no longer post semiannual reports in this format and will instead comply with 3 CCR Section 6225 with semiannual updates to the Continuous Evaluation and Mitigation Update Webpage.
The report contains two sections:
- Reevaluations — initiated when an investigation indicates a significant adverse impact has occurred or is likely to occur; and
- Preliminary Investigations (Evaluations) — initiated when DPR receives possible adverse impact data or information resulting from the use of a product and/or active ingredient (AI), but no reevaluation has been initiated.
Reevaluations
DPR initiates a reevaluation when an investigation indicates a significant adverse impact has occurred or is likely to occur. Each current reevaluation is summarized in the report with the following five areas: (1) Basis and Scope, (2) Data Requirements (if any), (3) Summary of Scientific Evaluation (e.g., protocol development, study/data submission and evaluation, DPR analysis papers, risk assessments), (4) Related Legislation (if any), and (5) Mitigation Efforts and Status (if any).
The reevaluations in this report include the following:
- Chloropicrin;
- Cyfluthrin;
- Diphacinone;
- Neonicotinoids (Non-agricultural Uses on Non-production Outdoor Ornamental Plants, Trees, or Turf);
- Paraquat Dichloride; and
- Second-Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides (SGAR).
Preliminary Investigations (Evaluations)
DPR conducts preliminary investigations of products and AIs for which it, or other state or county agencies, have identified possible hazards. As a result of evaluation, the investigation may lead to formal reevaluation.
The preliminary investigation in the report includes the following:
For more information on the semiannual report or any of DPR’s reevaluations, visit the Reevaluation Program Webpage or the Continuous Evaluation and Mitigation Update Webpage.
