Spanish Translation Guide for Pesticide Labeling
The Spanish Translation Guide for Pesticide Labeling (or Spanish Translation Guide) is a resource for the translation of the required human health and safety sections on pesticide labeling from English to Spanish. The Spanish translations ensure that workers have access to important information to protect themselves and others from pesticide exposure, protect the environment, and get appropriate help if exposed to a pesticide product.
The Pesticide Registration Improvement Act of 2022 (PRIA 5), enacted on December 29, 2022, amended the Federal, Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) to require Spanish language translation for sections of the end use product labels where translation examples are available in the Spanish Translation Guide. The new FIFRA requirement specifies that the Spanish language translation must appear on the product container, or a link to such translation via scannable technology or other electronic methods must be readily accessible on the product label. For more information see Introduction to Bilingual Labeling.
EPA initially developed the Spanish Translation Guide in 2019 in response to feedback from stakeholders who believe that having bilingual pesticide labeling is critical to the wellbeing of pesticide handlers, applicators, and farmworkers, many of whom do not speak English as a first language. The Spanish Translation Guide is written in a universal form of Spanish to reach as many Spanish speakers as possible. It helps registrants maintain accurate, consistent translations on pesticide product labels and ease their burden when adding Spanish translations.
EPA released a revised version of the Spanish Translation Guide in December 2024. This version replaces the first edition released in 2019. Drawing on stakeholder feedback, the 2024 version includes additional information on:
- Restricted use pesticides;
- Misuse statements;
- First aid and precautionary statement label language;
- Personal protective equipment (PPE) label statements;
- New sections on engineering controls, environmental hazards, and physical or chemical hazards; and
- Storage and pesticide container disposal instructions.
Each section that is included in the Spanish Translation Guide is a section of the labeling that must be translated in its entirety to meet the requirements of section 3(f)(5) of FIFRA. The Spanish Translation Guide does not require any changes to the approved English labeling language.
As specified in PRIA 5, beginning in 2025, pesticide registrants will need to translate all sections of the pesticide end use label that are included in the Spanish Translation Guide into Spanish and ensure that the translations are “true and accurate.” The guide includes several new sections required to be translated, such as environmental hazard statements. Registrants who have already translated the new sections into Spanish and verified that the translations are “true and accurate” do not have to revise those sections of the label. Registrants also do not need to change existing English statements on their label to match the English statements in the Spanish Translation Guide. EPA generally allows pesticide registrants to translate their product labels into any language as long as there is an EPA-accepted English version of the label, and the translation is true and accurate. Many pesticide registrants, particularly those with homeowner-use pesticides, already have their product labeling fully translated in Spanish. However, there are many other products with labeling that is only available in English.
PRIA 5 requires the Agency to notify registrants within 10 days of updating the Spanish Translation Guide. The Federal Register Notice announcing the release of the second edition of the Spanish Translation Guide is posted in docket EPA-HQ-OPP-2024-0521 at www.regulations.gov.
The December 2024 version of the Spanish Translation Guide does not affect or change the implementation deadlines provided in PRIA 5. As the Spanish Translation Guide is updated in the future, the registrant is responsible for ensuring labels incorporate translations for all required sections in the updated Spanish Translation Guide according to the timing outlined in PRIA 5. PRIA 5 provides a timetable outlining when labels will be required to be updated depending on the type of product (agricultural versus non-agricultural).
- For agricultural use pesticide labels, companies must update their product label with the new information within one year after the date of publication of the updated Spanish Translation Guide or the latest EPA approved label (whichever is earlier).
- For antimicrobial and non-agricultural use pesticide labels, companies must update their product label with the new information within two years after the date of publication of the updated Spanish Translation Guide or the latest EPA approved label (whichever is earlier).
The Spanish Translation Guide for Pesticide Labeling may be downloaded at the following links:
- Second edition of the Spanish Translation Guide for Pesticide Labeling (pdf)
- First edition of the Spanish Translation Guide for Pesticide Labeling (pdf)
More information on the PRIA 5 requirements and deadlines to implement bilingual labeling are available at EPA’s website for Bilingual Labeling Questions & Answers.
Additional pesticide-related Spanish translation resources are offered by the Pesticide Educational Resources Collaborative.