What it requires
- Every pest control product manufactured, possessed, handled, stored, transported, imported, distributed or used in Canada must be registered under the PCP Act (s. 6) — using an unregistered product is itself an offence.
- The product label must display a PCP Registration Number (typically a 4- or 5-digit number followed by 'P.C.P. Act' or 'Pest Control Products Act') and be bilingual in English and French.
- The label must state each active ingredient by chemical name and percentage (the 'Guarantee'), plus directions for use, target pests, sites, rates, precautions, first aid and environmental hazards — the label is law and binds the applicator.
- Every registered product is assigned to one of four classes shown on the principal display panel: DOMESTIC (general public, in/around the home), COMMERCIAL (only for the commercial uses stated on the label), RESTRICTED (additional conditions set by the Minister — typically licensed applicators only), or MANUFACTURING (used only to make another regulated product).
- All registered products and their labels must be searchable in the PMRA Public Registry / Pesticide Label Search, and registrants must report adverse incidents and annual sales data to Health Canada.
- Provincial law (in BC, the Integrated Pest Management Act) layers on top: Commercial- and Restricted-class products generally may only be applied by a licensed applicator employed by a licensed company.
Who it affects
- Homeowners — may legally buy and apply only Domestic-class products, exactly as the label directs.
- Licensed pest control companies and applicators — the only parties who may purchase and apply Commercial- and Restricted-class products in BC.
- Retailers — may only sell products that are currently registered; selling an unregistered, discontinued or improperly labelled product is an offence under the PCP Act.
- Importers and manufacturers (registrants) — must hold a current registration certificate, keep label content compliant, and report incidents and sales.
- Property managers, stratas and landlords contracting pest control services — should verify the operator is using registered products by checking the PCP # in service reports.
Penalties for violation
PCP Act s. 68: on summary conviction, fines up to $200,000 and/or imprisonment up to 6 months; on indictment, fines up to $500,000 and/or imprisonment up to 3 years. PMRA inspectors may also seize products, suspend or cancel registrations, and issue stop-sale or recall orders.
Our day-to-day practice under this regulation.
Before any product enters our truck, we look it up in the Health Canada Pesticide Label Search by PCP Registration Number and confirm the registration is current and the class matches our licensed scope (Commercial or Restricted). The current label is the version we follow on site — no off-label rates, sites or pests — and every service report we leave with a customer records the product name, PCP #, active ingredient, amount applied and the technician's pesticide applicator licence number, so the chain of custody from federal registration to your property is fully documented.