Pesticide Complaint Investigations
Pesticide Illness, Misuse, Illegal Applications, or Worker Safety Complaints
If you or anyone else is seriously ill, call 911 for help. In less serious cases, call your doctor or the Poison Control Center, 1-800-222-1222. At no charge, the Poison Control Center will give you first-aid information and advise you on what to do next.
Whenever pesticide complaints occur, they should be reported to our office without delay so we can investigate the complaint. Prompt reporting is the best way to ensure investigators can get the facts of the case and collect useful evidence. Please call 707-464-0878 and ask to speak with someone regarding your pesticide complaint.
It is very helpful if you write down what happened and provide that information to our office. Information you should include is:
- When and where the incident happened
- Who was involved (if you know)
- What you saw, smelled, and/or tasted, if anything
- Names and symptoms of anyone who was sick and if they sought treatment
Completing an investigation may take days, weeks, or months, depending on the complexity of the investigation. You can ask our office if you want us to send you written information on the outcome of the investigation.
Useful Links
DPR Community Guide to Recognizing and Reporting Pesticide Problems
En Español: Una Guía Comunitaria Para Reconocer y Reportar Problemas con Pesticidas
Pesticide Worker Safety Complaint
To report possible pesticide worker safety complaints, call our office immediately at 707-464-0878. You can file your complaint anonymously, but it helps our investigation if you provide your contact information. If you don't want your employer or anyone to know you filed a complaint, let our office know and we will not to reveal your name to anyone.
Mobile App for Pesticide Incident Reporting
CASPIR (California's System for Pesticide Incident Reporting) is a mobile app that can be used by farmworkers in agricultural settings to report pesticide incidents in California from mobile phones and tablets. It is available in both English and Spanish and reports can be made anonymously.
You can download the free app on GooglePlay or App Store (for Apple iOS devices).
More information about the app can be found at the CaliforniaDepartment of Pesticide Regulation’s webpage.
Environmental Complaints
To file an environmental complaint with the California Environmental Protection Agency, you can fill out this online form.
Pest Control Business Complaints
If you have a question or complaint about a person or business that applied a pesticide, you can call our office to ask questions or file a complaint. If the applicator is a Department of Pesticide Regulation licensee, you can find out if a person or company has a valid license by downloading these lists. If the applicator is a Structural Pest Control Board licensee, you can verify the license status with the Department of Consumer Affairs License Search
