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Pesticide Storage Rules

Where and how you store pesticides affects children, animals, water and your own health. This guide covers the principles, and your state agency has the rules that apply where you farm.

Why is storage a safety issue, not just housekeeping?

Most pesticide poisonings involving children and animals happen with products that were within reach. Storage also affects fire risk, water contamination and how long a product stays usable.

Good storage is mostly about three ideas: keep the product secured, keep it identified and keep it separate from things that people and animals consume.

Weather and seasons change the picture. Extreme heat can affect some products, and freezing can ruin others. The label's storage statement tells you what to watch for, and a simple thermometer in the space can help you notice a problem.

• Check the label for storage temperature statements.
• Keep product away from direct sun and moisture.

What makes a storage space suitable?

The label usually gives storage directions, including temperature considerations and whether a product is sensitive to freezing or heat. A dedicated, well-ventilated and dry space that can be locked is a sound starting point.

Avoid storing pesticides in a basement, a house, a barn stall or a shed attached to living or feed areas. Ask your state agency or extension office about the requirements for storage structures, which can vary by state and by quantity.

Shelving should be made of material that does not soak up liquid, such as sealed or non-absorbent surfaces, so that a leak can be cleaned without the material holding residue. Ask your extension office what flooring and shelving materials work best for your situation.

• Lockable and limited access
• Dry and ventilated
• Away from living areas, feed, food and seed
• Posted with emergency contacts

How should containers be kept?

Keep products in their original containers with the original labels. Never transfer to food or drink containers. If a label is torn or faded, contact the manufacturer or your state agency for guidance, because a product with no label has no instructions.

Store liquids below dry products if shelving is needed, so leaks do not drip onto other items. Keep lids tight and check for leaks, swelling or damage regularly.

Check that container lids and seals are intact before you put anything away after use. A cap that is not fully tightened can leak slowly onto shelving where nobody notices for weeks.

Which products should be kept apart?

Some products should not be stored together, and the label or safety data sheet may say so. Fertilizers, fuels and certain chemicals can react with or fuel a fire involving pesticides. If you are unsure, ask your fire department or state agency before you decide how to arrange a space.

For fire planning, tell your local fire department where chemicals are stored. Responders need to know before they arrive.

Fire departments often welcome the chance to visit a farm before an emergency. Invite them to look at the storage area, the access road and water sources, so that they can plan how they would respond if the building were burning.

What about security and visitors?

A locked door is the minimum. Consider whether delivery drivers, hired help or visiting children could access the space. Post a sign that tells people not to enter, in the languages used on your farm.

Keep the keys with trained handlers rather than hanging them in a shared place.

What records and supplies belong nearby?

Keep an inventory list, the safety data sheets and the emergency numbers outside the storage space so responders and workers can use them without going in. Keep spill cleanup supplies and a source of clean water accessible.

Check the space every season for leaks, pests, moisture and old products. Products that have separated, caked or changed color deserve a call to your state agency for disposal advice.

• Inventory list and safety data sheets, stored outside the room
• Emergency numbers and poison help information
• Spill supplies and clean water
• Keys held by trained handlers only

What about flooding, wind and other weather?

If your site floods or is exposed to storms, plan ahead. Ask your extension office whether storing products on higher ground is advisable, and have a plan for securing or moving them. After a flood or fire, treat the area as potentially contaminated and call the state agency before cleaning up.

The National Weather Service provides forecasts and warnings for your area.

Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Written by the Farm Safety Editorial Team. See our editorial policy.