Tractor Supply Company must stop selling California restricted-material pesticides during a five-year probation that takes effect December 7, 2026, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation announced November 6. The restriction affects those pesticide purchases through the retailer, following repeated dealer-licensing and sales violations, according to DPR.
The probation also requires Tractor Supply to obey all laws and submit quarterly sales reports to DPR. If the company violates the agreement, the department may move to suspend its California pesticide dealer licenses. That potential suspension is conditional, not a penalty already imposed.
Inspections found violations at 65 stores
County agricultural commissioners cited 65 of Tractor Supply’s 99 California locations during inspections in 32 counties between January 1, 2023, and June 30, 2025, DPR said. The citations covered a range of pesticide-law violations, rather than a single type of sales violation.
Inspectors found purchases, sales and deliveries of restricted-material pesticides without requests for permit, license or certification information. Several locations also sold pesticide products without a dealer license, according to the department.
DPR said its licensing action includes restricted-material sales in Placer County and through Tractor Supply’s online store without requests for the required purchaser information. The findings therefore cover both an in-store location and the company’s online sales channel.
Sales review adds unregistered-product findings
Separately, DPR reviewed company sales records from April 2022 through April 2026 and identified 123 sales of unregistered pesticide products in California. Those included 75 restricted-material sales. DPR said Tractor Supply did not request copies of purchasers’ permits in those cases, as required by law.
A coalition of county district attorneys brought a separate action to resolve most violations identified by county agricultural commissioners, DPR said. The department’s November 6 announcement concerns its own pesticide dealer licensing discipline, with the sales prohibition and reporting requirements beginning December 7.
