Is Chlorpyrifos Banned in the US?
Not entirely. The EPA says chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate insecticide used primarily to control foliage and soil-borne insect pests, and that it has been used as a pesticide since 1965. On August 20, 2021 the EPA issued a final rule revoking all chlorpyrifos tolerances, the maximum residue levels allowed on food, but on November 2, 2023 the US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit vacated that rule, and the tolerances were reinstated on December 28, 2023.
Since then its use on food crops has narrowed. The EPA says the registrant requested voluntary cancellation of food and feed uses except for 11 crops in certain states, and that under the cancellation orders, as of July 1, 2025, no one in the US is allowed to legally use chlorpyrifos on the cancelled crops. The 11 crops the court noted are alfalfa, apple, asparagus, tart cherry, citrus, cotton, peach, soybean, strawberry, sugar beet and wheat. In December 2024 the EPA proposed revoking all tolerances except those for residues from use on those 11 crops, and it says tolerances will remain in place until it issues a final rule.
On risk, the EPA says its 2020 human health risk assessment found that risks from chlorpyrifos residues in food were not of concern, but that drinking water exposures significantly add to those risks, and that its levels of concern were exceeded when drinking water from all registered uses was combined with food and residential exposures. In that assessment it said the science addressing neurodevelopmental effects remained unresolved. Current labels require workers handling and applying chlorpyrifos to wear additional protective equipment, including chemical resistant gloves, coveralls and respirators.
Sources checked September 15, 2026. Every point below links the page it came from.
The sources behind this answer
- Government sourceThe EPA says chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate insecticide, acaricide and miticide used primarily to control foliage and soil-borne insect pests, and that it has been used as a pesticide since 1965. US EPA ↗
- Regulatory filingOn Aug. 20, 2021 the EPA issued a final rule revoking all chlorpyrifos tolerances, the Eighth Circuit vacated it on Nov. 2, 2023, and the tolerances were reinstated on Dec. 28, 2023 when the court’s mandate issued. US EPA ↗
- Regulatory filingThe EPA says the registrant requested voluntary cancellation of food and feed uses except 11 crops in certain states, and that as of July 1, 2025 no one in the US may legally use chlorpyrifos on the cancelled crops. US EPA ↗
- Regulatory filingIn December 2024 the EPA proposed revoking all chlorpyrifos tolerances except those covering use on 11 food and feed crops, and it says tolerances remain in place until a final rule is issued. US EPA ↗
- Government sourceThe EPA says its 2020 human health risk assessment found risks from chlorpyrifos residues in food were not of concern, but drinking water exposures significantly add to those risks and its levels of concern were exceeded in combination. US EPA ↗
- Government sourceIn its 2020 assessment the EPA concluded that the science addressing neurodevelopmental effects of chlorpyrifos remained unresolved and warranted further evaluation. US EPA ↗
- Regulatory filingThe EPA says current chlorpyrifos labels require workers handling and applying it to wear additional personal protective equipment, including chemical resistant gloves, coveralls and respirators. US EPA ↗
Sources checked September 15, 2026. A brand statement is the company’s own claim, which we report but have not verified. Our grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests.