(a) Every pesticide prior to being distributed, sold, or offered for sale within this State or delivered for transportation or transported in intrastate commerce or between points within this State through any point outside this State shall be registered in the office of the Board, and such registration shall be renewed annually before January 1 for the ensuing calendar year. Beginning in 1988, the Board may by rule adopt a system of staggered three-year registrations. The applicant for registration shall file with the Board a statement that includes all of the following:

(1) The name and address of the applicant and the name and address of the person whose name will appear on the label, if other than the applicant.

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(2) The name of the pesticide.

(3) A complete copy of the labeling accompanying the pesticide and a statement of all claims to be made for it including directions for use.

(4) If requested by the Board, a full description of the tests made and the results thereof upon which the claims are based.

(5) In the case of renewal of registration, a statement with respect to information which is different from that furnished when the pesticide was last registered.

(6) Repealed by Session Laws 2011-239, s. 1, effective June 23, 2011, and applicable to applications for registration or renewals of registration filed on or after that date.

(7) Any other information needed by the Board to determine the amount of annual assessment payable by the applicant.

(b) The applicant shall pay an annual registration fee of one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) plus an additional annual assessment for each brand or grade of pesticide registered. The annual assessment shall be fifty dollars ($50.00) if the applicant’s gross sales of the pesticide in this State for the preceding 12 months for the period ending September 30th were more than five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) and twenty-five dollars ($25.00) if gross sales were less than five thousand dollars ($5,000.00). An additional two hundred dollars ($200.00) delinquent registration penalty shall be assessed against the registrant for each brand or grade of pesticide which is marketed in North Carolina prior to registration as required by this Article. In the case of multi-year registration, the annual fee and additional assessment for each year shall be paid at the time of the initial registration. The Board shall give a pro rata refund of the registration fee and additional assessment to the registrant in the event that registration is canceled by the Board or by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

(c) The Board, when it deems necessary in the administration of this Article, may require the submission of the complete formula of any pesticide.

(d) If the pesticide is properly registered with the United States Environmental Protection Agency and is in compliance with the requirements of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 143-443, the Board shall register the pesticide. Provided, however, that if it does not appear to the Board that the article is such as to warrant the proposed claims for it or if the article and its labeling and other material required to be submitted do not comply with the provisions of this Part, it shall not register the article and in turn shall notify the applicant of the manner in which the article, labeling, or other material required to be submitted fail to comply. The Board may suspend or cancel the registration of a pesticide when the pesticide or its labeling does not comply with this Part.

(e) The Board is authorized and empowered to refuse to register, or to cancel the registration of any brands and grades of pesticides as herein provided, if the registrant fails or refuses to comply with the provisions of this Part, or any rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, or, upon satisfactory proof that the registrant or applicant has been guilty of fraudulent and deceptive practices in the evasions or attempted evasions of the provisions of this Part, or any rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. The Board may require the manufacturer or distributor of any pesticide, for which registration has been refused, cancelled, suspended or voluntarily discontinued or which has been found adulterated or deficient in its active ingredient, to remove such pesticide from the marketplace.

(f) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Part, registration is not required in the case of a pesticide shipped from one plant within this State to another plant within this State operated by the same person.

(g) Any pesticide declared to be discontinued by the registrant must be registered by the registrant for one full year after distribution is discontinued. Any pesticide in channels of distribution after the aforesaid registration period may be confiscated and disposed of by the Board, unless the pesticide is acceptable for registration and is continued to be registered by the manufacturer or the person offering the pesticide for wholesale or retail sale. Provided, however, this subsection shall not apply to any brand or grade of pesticide which the Board determines does not remain in channels of distribution due to method of sale by registrant directly to users thereof.

(h) A pesticide may be registered by the Board for experimental use, including use to control wild animal or bird populations, even though the Wildlife Resources Commission may not have concurred in the declaration of the animal or bird populations as pests under the terms of Article 22A of Chapter 113 of the N.C. Gen. Stat..

(i) The Board shall be empowered to set forth criteria for determining when a given product constitutes a different or separate brand or grade of pesticide.

(j) Each manufacturer, distributor or registrant of a pesticide shall supervise the activities of any employee or agent to prevent the making of deceptive or misleading statements about the pesticide. (1971, c. 832, s. 1; 1973, c. 389, ss. 1, 7; 1975, c. 425, ss. 1, 2; 1979, c. 448, ss. 2, 3; c. 830, s. 10; 1981, c. 592, s. 2; 1987, c. 559, ss. 3-7; c. 827, s. 39; 1989, c. 544, s. 13; 1993, c. 481, ss. 1.1, 2; 1995, c. 445, s. 2; 2003-284, s. 35.4(e); 2009-451, s. 11.2; 2011-239, s. 1.)