California Law Will Track PFAS Pesticides Used on Crops

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1603 on September 27, 2026, creating new reporting requirements for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in agricultural pesticides. The statute requires state regulators to flag intentionally added PFAS ingredients in public pesticide databases and post an online registry of approved PFAS pesticides by January 1, 2028. The measure is about tracking and public reporting only. It does not ban any pesticide, require produce labels, or set residue limits.

Key takeaways

• Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1603 into law on September 27, 2026, establishing mandatory state tracking for PFAS pesticide ingredients.
• By January 1, 2028, or upon posting the 2026 pesticide use data, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) must flag PFAS in its reporting database and publish an online list of all registered PFAS pesticides.
• California legislative findings note that 53 PFAS pesticides are allowed in the state, with an estimated 2.5 million pounds of active ingredients applied to California crops annually.
• The law does not ban PFAS pesticides, does not establish produce residue tolerances, and does not require point-of-sale grocery labels.

What happened

On September 27, 2026, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1603, Chapter 531 of the Statutes of 2026, authored by Assemblymember Nick Schultz (D-Burbank). The measure, titled "Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): Department of Pesticide Regulation," was enrolled on September 3, 2026, after the Assembly concurred in Senate amendments on August 26, 2026, by a vote of 63 to 9. The bill was formally approved and filed with the California Secretary of State on September 27, 2026.

The Governor's office listed AB 1603 among the bills signed in its September 27 legislative update. The new law adds Sections 13200 and 13201 to the California Food and Agricultural Code, creating explicit duties for the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR). Those sections cover how DPR flags and publicly lists pesticides that contain PFAS ingredients.

What changed

AB 1603 establishes a formal statutory definition for PFAS in California pesticide regulation. Under Food and Agricultural Code Section 13200, PFAS is defined as a class of fluorinated organic chemicals containing at least one fully fluorinated carbon atom. The statute defines "PFAS pesticide ingredients" as PFAS intentionally added to a pesticide formulation as active, adjuvant, or inert ingredients.

Operatively, the statute sets a strict regulatory timeline for state tracking:

• On or before January 1, 2028, or on or before the posting of the pesticide use reporting database containing 2026 data, whichever occurs first, DPR must indicate if a pesticide contains PFAS pesticide ingredients in its public pesticide use reporting database.
• DPR must formally classify PFAS as a "category of interest" and document PFAS use trends in its annual pesticide use report.
• By January 1, 2028, DPR must publish a comprehensive list of all registered pesticides that contain PFAS pesticide ingredients on its public internet website.
• DPR must submit this registry to the agricultural commissioner of each California county.
• Following initial publication, DPR must update the public registry within 60 calendar days whenever it registers any new pesticide containing intentionally added PFAS ingredients.

The bill's statement of legislative intent mentions a goal to "begin phasing out the use of PFAS pesticides," but the operative sections only require tracking and listing. The statute does not ban, restrict, or phase out any pesticide, does not set legal limits for residues on food, and does not set a sunset date for registered products.

Who is affected

The duties in AB 1603 fall on the Department of Pesticide Regulation. County agricultural commissioners will receive the list of registered PFAS pesticides. The sources do not describe any new filing duties for pesticide makers.

Pesticide use that already appears in DPR's pesticide use reporting database will carry a PFAS flag when the product contains PFAS ingredients. The sources do not describe any new duties for growers, grocers, or food companies.

What it means for shoppers

For shoppers, AB 1603 changes nothing on food packaging. The law does not mandate warning labels, on-pack disclosures, or store signage on raw produce or packaged foods containing California-grown ingredients. Shoppers will not see a PFAS notice on fresh strawberries, bagged spinach, or canned goods.

What it adds is public data. Once DPR publishes its list, due by January 1, 2028, anyone can check which registered pesticides contain PFAS ingredients, and the use database will show where and how much PFAS-containing pesticide is used. Because the list is posted online, shoppers outside California who buy California produce can see the same information.

FDA runs its own pesticide residue monitoring program and posted its 2024 report in September 2026; we covered it in FDA Pesticide Report: Imports Fail 9x More Often. AB 1603 does not change that federal program.

The background

In the legislative findings written into AB 1603, the California Legislature stated that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved 70 active ingredient PFAS pesticides, of which DPR has permitted 53 for use within California. The Legislature noted that 23 of those 53 California-approved pesticides are not authorized for use in the European Union.

The findings cite a 2025 analysis of DPR pesticide use data indicating that approximately 2,500,000 pounds of active ingredient PFAS pesticides are applied to California agricultural crops annually. The Legislature also cited 2023 testing by DPR, in which 37 percent (348 out of 930) of sampled California-grown produce contained detectable traces of PFAS pesticides. Out of 78 produce varieties sampled, 40 commodity types contained traces, including peaches, nectarines, lettuce, spinach, grapes, and strawberries.

At the federal level, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tracks environmental PFAS in food. Its PFAS page says PFAS "can enter the food supply through crops and animals grown, raised, or processed in contaminated areas." FDA says it has tested over 1,900 samples of foods on the U.S. market, and that in its Total Diet Study no PFAS were detected above the method detection limit in over 95 percent (1,290 of 1,352) of the fresh and processed foods tested. That FDA page is about environmental contamination; it does not discuss PFAS pesticide ingredients.

AB 1603 is one of several California disclosure laws signed in late September; another is SB 869, covered in California Will Flag Sugary Restaurant Drinks With an Icon.

What to watch next

The deadlines in AB 1603:

• Database updates: By January 1, 2028, or upon posting 2026 pesticide use data, DPR will incorporate the mandatory PFAS flag into the statewide pesticide use reporting database.
• Public web registry: DPR must publish its initial public inventory of registered PFAS pesticides on its website no later than January 1, 2028, and transmit copies to county commissioners.
• Updates: after the list is published, DPR must update it within 60 calendar days of registering any new pesticide containing intentionally added PFAS.

One limitation: the findings report traces of PFAS pesticides in 348 samples but give no residue levels, and the sources do not say whether those traces pose a health risk. The law also does not name which pesticides count as PFAS, and the sources do not state the cost of implementation or whether EPA or other states plan similar tracking.

If you want to see what is in the packaged foods you buy, scan the label with the Aurascan app; it explains each ingredient with cited sources.