PRIA 5 fee increase adds 5% to registration fees from Oct 2026
The PRIA 5 fee increase adds 5% to all covered EPA pesticide registration service fees for applications received on or after October 1, 2026.
PRIA 5 fee increase applies from October 1, 2026
EPA pesticide registration service fees went up 5% for covered applications received on or after October 1, 2026, the start of fiscal year 2027. EPA announced the PRIA 5 fee increase on October 8, 2026 and says it "applies across all PRIA registration service fee categories for covered applications received during FY 2027."
The new amounts are in EPA's FY 2027 fee schedule, effective October 1, 2026. It covers 226 fee categories across EPA's three divisions, inerts and miscellaneous actions. Annual maintenance fees are not affected.
Why the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act raised the fee
PRIA 5 is the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act of 2022, which amended FIFRA section 33 (7 U.S.C. 136w-8). Section 33(b)(6) gives EPA two optional 5% steps, each tied to the date EPA receives an application (7 U.S.C. 136w-8):
- Under (6)(A), EPA "may increase by 5 percent" the fee for applications received from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2026. EPA used this step, so FY 2025 and FY 2026 filings already paid 5% over the statutory table.
- Under (6)(B), EPA "may increase by an additional 5 percent the registration service fee in effect as of September 30, 2026" for applications received on or after October 1, 2026.
That second step is the one now in force. Because it stacks on a fee that already carried the first 5%, a category that took both steps is about 10.25% above the PRIA 5 statutory table (1.05 x 1.05). EPA's PRIA updates page puts it the same way: applications received on or after October 1, 2026 "will be subject to the 5% fee increase from the levels in effect on September 30, 2026."
The statute says "may," and the second step had a condition. EPA had to begin implementing the PRIA 5 Process Assessment Report's recommendations first. EPA says it has "begun or completed 80% of the recommendations". EPA's notice calls the step an inflation adjustment.
EPA pesticide registration fees for FY 2027
Some examples from EPA's category pages, as full fees before any waiver. Decision times didn't change.
| Category | FY 2027 fee | Increase over FY 2025-26 | Decision time |
|---|---|---|---|
| R010 new active ingredient, food use | $1,189,991 | about $56,700 | 36 months |
| R300 new product, identical or substantially similar | $2,504 | about $120 | 4 months |
| A450 antimicrobial new use, direct food use, tolerance or exemption | $151,261 | about $7,200 | 23 months |
| I001 new food use inert ingredient | $42,665 | about $2,000 | 15 months |
Do pending applications pay the new fee?
No, not if EPA received the file by September 30, 2026. FIFRA section 33(b)(6)(B) ties the increase to applications "received on or after October 1, 2026." The earlier file keeps the fee in effect when it arrived, even if EPA decides it later. And a new submission received on or after October 1 pays the FY 2027 fee, including one you withdraw and refile.
The statute also allows extra charges for a wrong category or decision period, a denied waiver, or a category change after screening. If EPA requests an extra payment on a pre-October application, confirm the rate with EPA before paying.
Small business waivers still apply
The waivers are percentages, so they apply to the adjusted fee. A business with 500 or fewer employees can request a 50% waiver if its average annual global gross revenue from pesticides did not exceed $60 million. If that average is $10 million or less, it can request a 75% waiver (EPA small business waivers). For R010, that means $594,996 with the 50% waiver and $297,498 with the 75% waiver (R010 category page).
Paying the FY 2027 fee
The fee is due when you apply. EPA takes payment through Pay.gov form EPA-2 (Pesticide Registration Improvement Act, Prepayment). Card payments top out at $24,999, while ACH through Pay.gov has no limit. Attach the Pay.gov acknowledgement to the front of the application. With a waiver request, pay 25% or 50% up front. If the fee is still unpaid 14 calendar days after EPA receives the application, EPA rejects it and invoices 25% of the fee (Paying PRIA application fees).
The review clock starts 21 days after EPA has both the application and the fee. EPA decides on a waiver request within 60 days (7 U.S.C. 136w-8).
Maintenance fees are separate
EPA states the adjustment does not change annual maintenance fee caps or per-product maintenance fee structures. These separate fees come from FIFRA section 4(i) and are due by January 15 each year.
The per-product fee was $4,875 for FY 2026, the same as FY 2025. Check EPA's FY 2027 maintenance fee notice before using that amount in your budget.
What happens after FY 2027
PRIA 5 runs through September 30, 2027 (EPA). If Congress does not reauthorize it, section 33(m) cuts registration service fees to 40% below the September 30, 2027 level in FY 2028 and 70% below in FY 2029. The requirement to pay these fees ends on September 30, 2029 (7 U.S.C. 136w-8).
To check the fee for your own category, you can ask RegAffairs AI about the PRIA 5 fee increase and open the EPA sources behind each answer.