GUIDE / GROUNDS CARE RULES

Ontario's Cosmetic Pesticide Ban: What It Means for Commercial Grounds

By Joseph Antoine, Owner, Antoine Landscape Contractors · Last updated: October 2026

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QUICK ANSWER

Ontario bans most pesticides for cosmetic use on lawns, gardens, patios, driveways, parks and schoolyards, including on commercial properties.
Only products whose active ingredients are on the province's can be used for appearance.
Exceptions include health and safety, such as poison ivy and giant hogweed.
The most reliable weed control is dense turf and good bed care.

01 —

What the ban covers

Ontario bans most pesticides for cosmetic use on lawns, gardens, patios, driveways, parks and schoolyards, including on commercial properties.

The province gives examples: products containing 2,4-D, Diazinon and glyphosate are banned for these uses.

02 —

The Allowable List

Only products whose active ingredients are on the Allowable List can be used for appearance.

It replaced the old pesticide classes on May 1, 2020.
The current version is Version 5, effective November 28, 2022.
Examples the province gives include borax, corn gluten meal, soap and sulphur.

03 —

Exceptions

Check current conditions with the province before relying on any exception.

Health or safety, such as wasps, mosquitoes and plants poisonous to touch like poison ivy and giant hogweed
Golf courses, with conditions
Other prescribed uses

04 —

Licensing

Unless exempt, applying pesticides commercially on property you don't own needs an exterminator licence, and a business that employs applicators needs an operator licence.

05 —

Weed control that works without spraying

Dense, healthy turf and well-kept beds leave weeds little room.

Mow at about 6–8 cm (Landscape Ontario), or about 3 in (Guelph Turfgrass Institute)
Overseed and core aerate from mid-August to mid-September
Fertilize in fall, following OMAFA timing
Mulch and hand-weed beds
Fix open paver joints

06 —

Can we spray that?

Pick a situation to see how the rules usually apply.

What do you want to control?

Limited

Weeds in lawns

For appearance, only products on Ontario's Allowable List can be used. The best weed control is thick turf: mowing at 6–8 cm, overseeding, aeration and fall fertilizing crowd weeds out.

Use other methods

Weeds in beds

Hand-weeding, a mulch layer and dense planting. Bare soil grows weeds.

Limited

Weeds in interlock and parking-lot joints

The ban covers patios and driveways too. Pull or scrape weeds, then fix the cause: open joints. Re-sanding or repairing pavers is a job for our hardscape crews.

Commercial hardscape & interlock →

Health & safety exception

Poison ivy or giant hogweed

Plants that are poisonous to touch fall under a health-and-safety exception. Treatment is done by a licensed exterminator. We'll flag them when we see them.

Separate rules

Insects or disease on trees

Tree pests have their own rules. Have an arborist assess the tree first.

FAQ —

Frequently asked questions

Can a contractor spray weeds in a parking lot?

Not with banned products for appearance. The ban covers driveways and patios, so only products whose active ingredients are on the Allowable List can be used, unless an exception applies.

Is 'natural' weed killer allowed?

Only if its active ingredient is on the Allowable List.

What about poison ivy?

Health and safety is an exception, and it includes plants poisonous to touch such as poison ivy. Check current conditions with the province.

Do the rules apply to businesses?

Yes. The ban covers lawns, gardens, patios and driveways regardless of owner, with listed exceptions.

RELATED —

General information. Confirm current rules with Ontario's Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks before applying any product.

Request a proposal

Tell us about the property. We'll walk the site and send a written proposal. Or call (647) 459-7775.