Measures for the Administration of Pesticide Business Licensing

(As amended by Order No. 3 of 2025 of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, on July 15, 2025)

(Originally promulgated as Order No. 5 of 2017 of the Ministry of Agriculture on June 21, 2017; revised by Order No. 2 of 2018 of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs on December 6, 2018, and by Order No. 3 of 2025 of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs on July 15, 2025)

Chapter I General Provisions

Article 1

These Measures are formulated in accordance with the Regulations on Pesticide Administration  to regulate pesticide business activities and strengthen the administration of pesticide business licenses.

Article 2

These Measures apply to the application, review, issuance, and supervision and administration of pesticide business licenses.

Article 3

Any entity selling pesticides within the territory of the People’s Republic of China shall obtain a pesticide business license.

Article 4

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs shall be responsible for supervising and guiding the nationwide administration of pesticide business licenses.

Licenses for the sale of restricted-use pesticides shall be issued by the agricultural and rural authorities of the people’s governments of provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government (hereinafter referred to as “provincial agricultural and rural authorities”). Licenses for the sale of other pesticides shall be issued respectively by the local agricultural and rural authorities of the people’s governments at or above the county level (hereinafter referred to as “local agricultural and rural authorities at or above the county level”) upon applications submitted by pesticide business operators.

Article 5

The administration of pesticide business licenses follows the principle of one license per enterprise: one pesticide business operator shall be granted only one pesticide business license.

Article 6

Local agricultural and rural authorities at or above the county level shall strengthen the information-based and digital management of pesticide business licenses, and promptly upload information regarding pesticide business licensing and supervision to the pesticide administration information platform of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

Chapter II Application and Acceptance

Article 7

A pesticide business operator shall meet the following conditions:

(1) Having business personnel who hold a technical secondary school diploma or above in agronomy, plant protection, pesticides, or related fields, or who have completed at least 56 class hours of training at a professional education institution, who are familiar with pesticide administration provisions, have professional knowledge of pesticides and pest control, and are able to guide the safe and rational use of pesticides;

(2) Having business premises of no less than 30 square meters and a storage premises of no less than 50 square meters, both effectively isolated from other commodities, living areas, and drinking water sources; where other agricultural inputs are also sold, a relatively independent pesticide business area shall be set up;

(3) The business premises and storage premises being equipped with ventilation, fire protection, poisoning prevention, and other facilities, as well as shelves, counters, and other display facilities matching the types and categories of pesticides operated;

(4) Having traceable electronic information code scanning and identification equipment, and a computer management system for recording the purchase, storage, sale, and other information of pesticides;

(5) Having management systems and post operating procedures including incoming goods inspection, ledger records, safety management, safety protection, emergency response, warehouse management, pesticide waste recycling and disposal, and use guidance;

(6) Other conditions specified by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

An operator engaged in the business of restricted-use pesticides shall also meet the following conditions:

(1) Having professional and technical personnel who are familiar with professional knowledge related to restricted-use pesticides and pest control, and who have at least two years of work experience in agronomy, plant protection, pesticides, or related fields;

(2) Having clear identified sales counters, storage premises, and  their supporting safety facilities and equipment;

(3) Complying with the designated-sites business layout of restricted-use pesticides formulated by provincial agricultural and rural authorities.

Branches of pesticide business operators shall also comply with the provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article. Where a branch of a restricted-use pesticide operator engages in the business operation of restricted-use pesticides, it shall comply with the provisions on designated-sites operation of restricted-use pesticides.

Article 8

An applicant for a pesticide business license shall submit the following materials to the local agricultural and rural authorities at or above the county level:

(1) Application form for a pesticide business license;

(2) Copy of the identity certificate of the legal representative (person in charge);

(3) Education or training certificates of business personnel;

(4) Descriptive materials and photos of the address, area, floor plan, etc. of the business premises and storage premises;

(5) List and photos of the computer management system, traceable electronic information code scanning equipment, safety protection and storage facilities;

(6) Catalog and texts of relevant management systems;

(7) Statement on the authenticity and legality of the application materials;

(8) Other materials specified by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

Article 9

The local agricultural and rural authorities at or above the county level shall handle the application materials submitted by the applicant according to the following circumstances:

(1) Where a pesticide business license is not required, inform the applicant immediately the application will not be accepted;

(2) Where there are errors in the application materials, allow the applicant to correct them on the spot;

(3) Where the application materials are incomplete or do not meet the statutory form, inform the applicant on the spot or within five working days of all content that needs to be supplemented or corrected; if no notification is made within the time limit, the application shall be deemed accepted as of the date of receipt of the application materials;

(4) Where the application materials are complete and meet the statutory form, or the applicant submits all supplementary or corrected materials as required, accept the application.

Chapter III Review and Decision

Article 10

The local agricultural and rural authorities at or above the county level shall review the application materials for a pesticide business license, and conduct on-site verification or entrust subordinate agricultural and rural authorities to conduct on-site verification if necessary.

Article 11

The local agricultural and rural authorities at or above the county level shall make an approval decision within 20 working days from the date of acceptance. If the conditions are met, issue a pesticide business license; if not, notify the applicant in writing and explain the reasons.

Article 12

A pesticide business license shall indicate the license number, operator’s name, domicile, business premises, storage premises, business scope, validity period, legal representative (person in charge), unified social credit code, and other items.

Where an operator establishes a branch, the address of the business premises and storage premises of the branch shall also be indicated.

The numbering rule of a pesticide business license is: Pesticide Business License + abbreviation of province + issuing authority code + business scope code + serial number (four digits).

The business scope shall be marked as “Pesticides” or “Pesticides (excluding restricted-use pesticides)”.

The format of pesticide business licenses shall be uniformly formulated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

Chapter IV Alteration and Renewal

Article 13

The validity period of a pesticide business license is five years.

During the validity period, if the operator changes its name, legal representative (person in charge), domicile, adjusts its branches, or reduces its business scope, it shall apply to the original issuing authority for reissuance of the license within 30 days from the date of the change, and submit relevant supporting materials.

The original issuing authority shall complete the review within 20 working days from the date of accepting the application for alteration. If the conditions are met, replace the license; if not, notify the applicant in writing and explain the reasons.

Article 14

An operator that adds restricted-use pesticides to its business scope or changes the address of its business premises or storage premises shall re-apply for a pesticide business license in accordance with these Measures.

Article 15

Where a pesticide business operator intends to continue pesticide business upon expiration of the pesticide business license, it shall apply to the original issuing authority for renewal 90 days prior to the expiration date.

Article 16

To apply for renewal of a pesticide business license, the operator shall submit an application form, a comprehensive report on pesticide business operations, and other materials to the original issuing authority.

Article 17

The original issuing authority shall review the application materials. If the application is not submitted within the specified time limit or the operator fails to meet the requirements for pesticide business, renewal shall not be approved.

Article 18

If a pesticide business license is lost or damaged, the operator shall explain the reasons, provide relevant supporting materials, and promptly apply to the original issuing authority for reissuance.

Chapter V Supervision and Inspection

Article 19

A pesticide business license is not required under any of the following circumstances:

(1) Specialized operation of public-health pesticides;

(2) A pesticide business operator establishing a branch within the administrative area under the jurisdiction of the issuing authority;

(3) A pesticide manufacturer selling pesticides it produces within its production premises, or directly selling such pesticides to pesticide business operators.

Article 20

A pesticide business operator shall place its pesticide business license in a conspicuous position in the business premises. In accordance with the Regulations on Pesticide Administration, it shall establish purchase and sales ledgers, inquire about pest occurrence from purchasers, conduct on-site inspections of pest occurrence if necessary, recommend pesticides based on scientific considerations, correctly explain the scope of use, application method, dosage, technical requirements and precautions of pesticides, and shall not mislead purchasers.

Operators of restricted-use pesticides shall provide application guidance for pesticide users and gradually provide unified application services.

Article 21

An entity engaged in pesticide business via the Internet shall obtain a pesticide business license and file the name of the website, online platform, mobiles application, etc. with the issuing authority within 20 days after launching online operations, except for those operating public-health pesticides and pesticide manufacturers selling their own products via their corporate websites.

Internet pesticide business operators that had launched online operations before January 1, 2026 shall complete the filing by January 31, 2026.

Restricted-use pesticides and other pesticides specified by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs shall not be traded via the Internet.

Any entity that sales restricted-use pesticides beyond its licensed business scope or engages in online business of pesticides prescribed in the preceding paragraph shall be treated as selling pesticides without a pesticide business license.

Article 22

An entity engaged in pesticide business via the Internet shall continuously display all information recorded in its pesticide business license or its link identifier  thereto in a prominent position on the homepage of its website or the main page of its business activities. If any information in the pesticide business license changes, the webpage content shall be updated within 10 days.

A pesticide manufacturer selling its own products via its corporate website shall continuously display all information recorded in its pesticide production license or its link identifier  thereto. If any information in the pesticide production license changes, the webpage content shall be updated within 10 days.

An entity engaged in pesticide business via the Internet shall display the label and other information of the actually sold products completely, truthfully and accurately.

Article 23

Third-party platforms for online pesticide transactions shall establish and implement management systems including pesticide business qualification verification, supervision of online business activities, pesticide information display, real-name pesticide purchase, transaction record keeping, and complaint and report handling, and actively cooperate with the supervision and law enforcement work of agricultural and rural authorities.

Article 24

A pesticide business operator shall upload the pesticide business data of the previous quarter to the pesticide administration information platform of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs or report such data to the issuing authority for filing by other means within 15 days after the end of each quarter.

A pesticide business operator that establishes a branch shall file with the county-level agricultural and rural authorities where the branch is located within 30 days after its pesticide business license is amended.

Article 25

Local agricultural and rural authorities at or above the county level shall conduct supervision and inspection on pesticide business operations, regularly investigate and compile statistics on pesticide sales, and establish and disclose credit records for pesticide business operators.

Article 26

Where local agricultural and rural authorities at or above the county level find that a pesticide business operator no longer meets the specified conditions, they shall order it to make corrections within a time limit. If the operator refuses to make corrections upon the expiration of the time limit or still fails to meet the specified conditions after corrections, the issuing authority shall revoke its pesticide business license.

Article 27

The issuing authority shall cancel a pesticide business license according to law under any of the following circumstances:

(1) The pesticide business operator applies for cancellation;

(2) The subject qualification is terminated according to law;

(3) No application for renewal is filed upon expiration of the pesticide business license;

(4) The pesticide business license is withdrawn, revoked or canceled according to law;

(5) Other circumstances under which the license shall be canceled according to law.

Article 28

Any entity that engages in pesticide business via the Internet without filing with the issuing authority shall be ordered to make corrections by the issuing authority and may be fined not less than 5,000 yuan but not more than 50,000 yuan.

Article 29

Where a pesticide business operator or pesticide manufacturer engages in pesticide business operation via the Internet without continuously displaying the corresponding license information or its link identifier thereto in accordance with the law, tha matter shall be handled in accordance with Article 76 of the E-Commerce Law of the People’s Republic of China.

Where a pesticide business operator or pesticide manufacturer engages in pesticide business via the Internet without displaying the label and other information of the actually sold products completely, truthfully and accurately, the local agricultural and rural authorities at or above the county level shall order it to make corrections; under any of the following circumstances, a fine of not more than 10,000 yuan may be imposed:

(1) Refusing to make corrections;

(2) Incomplete, false or inaccurate information is displayed for three or more pesticide products;

(3) Committing the same illegal act again within two years;

(4) Other serious circumstances.

Article 30

Where a third-party platform for online pesticide transactions fails to perform obligations such as verifying the qualifications of pesticide business operators, it shall be handled by agricultural and rural authorities at or above the county level in accordance with Article 80 of the E-Commerce Law of the People’s Republic of China.

Article 31

Local agricultural and rural authorities at or above the county level and their staff shall perform their duties in the administration of pesticide business licenses according to law and consciously accept supervision by pesticide business operators and the public.

Article 32

Higher-level agricultural and rural authorities shall strengthen supervision over the administration of pesticide business licenses by lower-level agricultural and rural authorities. If any staff member is found to have violated regulations, they shall be ordered to make corrections; if sanctions should be imposed according to law, a sanction proposal shall be made to the appointment and removal authority or supervisory authority.

Article 33

Where agricultural and rural authorities at or above the county level and their staff commit any of the following acts, they shall be ordered to make corrections; the responsible leading persons and directly liable persons shall be investigated and handled; sanctions shall be imposed according to law; if a crime is constituted, criminal liability shall be pursued according to law:

(1) Failing to perform supervision and administration duties for pesticide business, resulting in heavy losses or adverse social impacts caused by illegal pesticide business activities in their administrative regions;

(2) Granting a business license to an applicant who does not meet the conditions or refusing to grant a business license to an applicant who meets the conditions;

(3) Participating in pesticide production or business activities;

(4) Other acts of engaging in malpractice for personal gain, abusing power, or neglecting duties.

Article 34

Any entity or individual that discovers illegal pesticide business activities has the right to report to agricultural and rural authorities. Agricultural and rural authorities shall promptly verify and handle such reports and keep the reporting person’s information confidential strictly. If the report is verified to be true and plays a positive role in production safety or recovers relatively large losses, commendations or rewards shall be given in accordance with relevant national provisions.

Article 35

A pesticide business operator that engages in illegal pesticide business activities shall be punished in accordance with the Regulations on the Administration of Pesticides; if a crime is constituted, criminal liability shall be pursued according to law.

Chapter VI Supplementary Provisions

Article 36

These Measures shall come into force on August 1, 2017.

Entities that have been engaged in pesticide business activities before June 1, 2017 shall meet the conditions specified in these Measures within one year from the date of implementation of these Measures and apply for a pesticide business license according to law.

Entities that have obtained a pesticide business license in accordance with relevant provisions before the implementation of these Measures may continue pesticide business activities within the validity period; however, those engaged in the business of restricted-use pesticides shall re-apply for a pesticide business license. Those who need to continue pesticide business upon expiration shall re-apply for a pesticide business license in accordance with these Measures 90 days before the expiration date.

Note: This English translation is provided for reference only and does not constitute an official translation. In case of any discrepancy, the Chinese text shall prevail.