🇺🇸 United States · Federal EPA/FIFRA terminology · Reviewed 25 August 2026
An EPA Registration Number identifies a registered pesticide product. An EPA Establishment Number identifies the final location where a pesticide or device was produced. They answer different questions, and one cannot replace the other.
A registered pesticide normally shows both. A pesticide device normally shows only an establishment number. A genuine minimum-risk pesticide that meets every condition in 40 CFR 152.25(f) has no federal EPA product registration number, and adding an EPA number merely to satisfy a form can create a false or misleading label.
This guide shows how to read each format, what the number proves, what it does not prove, and which record to verify before you send documents to a marketplace.
For the wider documentation library, browse the XrdaGrid guides. Our evidence rules are documented in the XrdaGrid methodology.
EPA Registration Number vs Establishment Number at a glance
| Question | EPA Registration Number | EPA Establishment Number |
|---|---|---|
| What it identifies | A federally registered pesticide product and the company that holds the registration | The final physical establishment where a pesticide, active ingredient or device was produced |
| Typical format | 1234-56: company number plus product number |
1234-PA-01 or 1234-CHN-1: company number, state or country code, and facility number |
| Label prefix | EPA Reg. No. or EPA Registration No. |
EPA Est. |
| What it proves | EPA assigned a registration to that pesticide product | EPA registered that production location and assigned it a facility identifier |
| What it does not prove | Government endorsement, marketplace acceptance, or that every current claim and sale is lawful | Product registration, product review, safety or efficacy, compliance, certification, endorsement, or marketplace acceptance |
| Where to verify | EPA’s Pesticide Product and Label System for the two-part basic registration | EPA’s active pesticide and device-producing establishment list |
The fastest test is the label prefix. EPA Reg. No. is the product record. EPA Est. is the producing-location record. A number that identifies a factory cannot prove that EPA registered the product made there.
How to read an EPA Registration Number
A basic federal pesticide registration number has two parts. In EPA Reg. No. 1234-56, the first part is the registrant’s EPA company number and the second part is the product number assigned in that company’s sequence. The number must be preceded by EPA Registration No. or EPA Reg. No. on the product label.
The number is useful because it lets you connect the package to a specific federal registration and accepted label history. EPA’s Pesticide Product and Label System can be searched by registration number, product name or company. Use the two-part basic number for the clearest product-level check.
Registration is not endorsement. Federal labeling rules expressly prohibit presenting the registration number in a way that suggests EPA recommends or endorses the product. A registration also does not promise that a marketplace will accept a listing or that a particular use, claim, state registration or seller role is correct.
How to read an EPA Establishment Number
An establishment number identifies a producing site. EPA describes an establishment as a site where a pesticide product, active ingredient or device is produced. In this context, production is broader than chemical manufacturing: it includes activities such as formulating, packaging, repackaging, labeling and relabeling.
The format normally combines the company’s EPA number, a two-letter U.S. state code or three-letter country code, and a facility number. For example, EPA Est. 1234-PA-01 points to a particular Pennsylvania establishment associated with company 1234. A foreign format can look like EPA Est. 1234-CHN-1.
The final establishment where production occurred is the one that matters for the label. EPA allows the establishment number on the label or immediate container. If it cannot be read through an outer wrapper or container, it must also appear on that outer packaging.
An establishment number is not a product credential. EPA’s own establishment list says that the number does not signify that the pesticide or device complies with FIFRA. It identifies the registered location where the item was produced.
When a label should show both numbers
A federally registered pesticide product normally carries both identifiers because two separate facts must be traceable:
- The product registration. The EPA Registration Number connects the label to the federally registered pesticide product.
- The production location. The EPA Establishment Number identifies the final establishment where that package was produced or labeled.
- The current label. The product name, active ingredients, claims and directions should match the applicable accepted label rather than merely sharing a number.
- The seller’s role. A reseller may rely on the manufacturer’s lawful label; it must not borrow a number from a different product or rewrite claims beyond the label.
Seeing both numbers is therefore normal for a registered pesticide. It does not make the numbers interchangeable. If a form asks for a product registration number, entering the establishment number answers a different question.
Do not confuse a three-part distributor number with a facility number
A supplemental distributor product can have a three-part registration number such as EPA Reg. No. 1234-56-7890. The first two parts identify the basic registered pesticide. The third part is the supplemental distributor’s EPA company number.
That third part is not an establishment code. The producing establishment remains a separate EPA Est. number. EPA’s supplemental-distribution rules also limit how the distributor label may differ from the basic product label; the distributor route does not create a separately reviewed formulation.
| Number shape | What it usually is | What to check next |
|---|---|---|
1234-56 |
Basic EPA product registration number | Search the product and accepted label in PPLS |
1234-56-7890 |
Supplemental distributor registration number | Trace the basic two-part registration and confirm the distributor relationship |
1234-PA-01 |
Domestic establishment number | Search EPA’s active establishment list and compare the physical site |
1234-CHN-1 |
Foreign establishment number | Check the company, country code and facility in the establishment record |
Special cases: device, minimum-risk product or ordinary pesticide
Registered pesticide
Expect a registration number and an establishment number
The product record and final production location are both identified. Verify the product in PPLS, the site in EPA’s establishment list, and the claims against the accepted label.
Pesticide device
Expect an establishment number, not a product registration number
Devices are regulated under FIFRA but are not registered under section 3. EPA does not conduct the same premarket product review. The establishment number identifies where the device was produced; it does not mean EPA approved, certified or endorsed it.
Minimum-risk pesticide
Do not invent or borrow an EPA number
A product is federally exempt only if every condition in 40 CFR 152.25(f) is met, including ingredient and labeling conditions. A genuine exempt product has no federal EPA product registration number. EPA warns that registration- or establishment-number statements can mislead consumers into thinking it reviewed or accepted the exempt product.
Not a pesticide or device
Fix classification and claims before supplying a number
An EPA-looking field does not turn an ordinary product into a pesticide. Review the intended use and every pesticidal or public-health claim. Supplying a borrowed number can make the evidence problem worse.
Federal exemption does not erase state law. EPA says states may require registration or impose other requirements for minimum-risk products and devices. Check each target state rather than treating one state’s rule as national.
How to verify the number before submitting documents
- Read the prefix and copy the complete number. Keep every hyphen, letter and final segment. Do not convert
EPA Est.intoEPA Reg. No.. - Match the number to the product type. Registered pesticide, device, minimum-risk pesticide and non-pesticide are different branches.
- Verify a registration in PPLS. Match the company, product name, active ingredients and accepted label — not only the digits.
- Verify an establishment in EPA’s active establishment list. Match the company, physical site, state or country code and facility number.
- For a three-part number, trace the first two parts. They identify the basic registration; the third part identifies the supplemental distributor.
- Compare the package with the current accepted label. A valid number attached to a different formulation, brand relationship or unsupported claim is not valid evidence for your listing.
- Check the platform notice separately. A marketplace can ask for documents or images beyond the federal minimum. Follow the current notice in your account without rewriting what the EPA number means.
What to send when a marketplace asks for the wrong number
Do not force every product into the registered-pesticide branch. Instead, explain the applicable branch and provide evidence that matches it:
- Registered pesticide: product label showing the EPA Registration Number and EPA Establishment Number, plus the matching EPA product record when requested.
- Supplemental distributor product: the complete three-part registration number and evidence that traces back to the basic two-part registration.
- Pesticide device: the product and packaging label showing the correct EPA Establishment Number, without inventing a product registration number.
- Minimum-risk product: the ingredient and label evidence supporting every 40 CFR 152.25(f) condition, plus any required state record — not a borrowed EPA number.
- Not a pesticide: revised claims and product evidence that show why the listing does not make a pesticidal claim.
For platform-specific repair paths, use the guides for an Amazon pesticide or FIFRA flag and a TikTok Shop pet-health EPA registration request. The companion guide on FIFRA claims that trigger marketplace flags covers the words that can move a listing into the pesticide branch.
Want the problem handled rather than decoded? Use our editorial comparison of EPA and FIFRA compliance services to compare help with classification, registration, establishment setup, labeling and marketplace documentation. XrdaGrid does not guarantee a regulator or marketplace outcome.
Frequently asked questions
Is an EPA Establishment Number the same as an EPA Registration Number?
No. The registration number identifies a federally registered pesticide product. The establishment number identifies the final physical location where a pesticide, active ingredient or device was produced. A facility number cannot replace a product number.
My label has only an EPA Establishment Number. Is the product registered?
Not necessarily. Pesticide devices normally have an establishment number and no EPA product registration number. EPA also states that an establishment number does not signify that a pesticide or device complies with FIFRA. Classify the product and verify the record before describing it as registered.
What is the third part of a three-part EPA Registration Number?
For a supplemental distributor product, the first two parts are the basic product registration and the third part is the distributor’s EPA company number. It is not an establishment number.
Does a pesticide device have an EPA Registration Number?
No. EPA states that a device is not required to be registered under FIFRA section 3. It must be produced in a registered establishment and bear the establishment number, while remaining subject to labeling, recordkeeping, import and enforcement provisions.
What number should I use for a 25(b) minimum-risk pesticide?
A product that meets every condition in 40 CFR 152.25(f) has no federal EPA product registration number. Do not borrow or invent one. Provide evidence of the exemption conditions and check any separate state requirement and the current marketplace instructions.
Does an EPA Registration Number mean EPA approved or endorsed the product?
It means EPA registered the pesticide product under FIFRA. It must not be displayed in a way that suggests EPA recommendation or endorsement, and it does not guarantee marketplace acceptance or resolve separate state, labeling or seller-role requirements.
Sources
- EPA — Label Review Training: EPA registration and establishment numbers
- EPA — Active pesticide and device-producing establishments
- EPA — Pesticide Establishment Registration and Reporting
- EPA — Pesticide Registration Manual, Chapter 13: Devices
- EPA — Pesticide Devices: A Guide for Consumers
- EPA — Pesticide Registration Manual, Chapter 9: Supplemental Distribution
- EPA — Pesticide Registration Manual, Chapter 14: Company and Establishment Numbers
- eCFR — 40 CFR 152.25, federal pesticide exemptions
- EPA — Conditions for Minimum Risk Pesticides
- EPA — Pesticide Product and Label System
Last reviewed 25 August 2026. Regulations, EPA systems and marketplace document policies can change. Open the current source and the notice in your seller account before acting.
XrdaGrid publishes general information about United States marketplace and regulatory documentation. This guide does not classify a specific product, determine whether an exemption applies, replace legal or regulatory advice, or guarantee acceptance by EPA, a state or a marketplace. For a product-specific determination, consult a qualified professional.