California is beginning a phase-out of paraquat, a highly toxic weedkiller still used on U.S. farms. On August 10, 2026, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) announced that all manufacturers of pesticide products containing paraquat dichloride (paraquat) have voluntarily canceled their product registrations in the state, the first step toward ending paraquat use in California.
Paraquat is an herbicide that research has linked to Parkinson’s disease. It is banned in dozens of countries and the subject of ongoing litigation in state and federal courts.
If you or someone in your family developed Parkinson’s disease after exposure to paraquat, you may qualify for a lawsuit. Call (310) 207-3233 or fill out our contact form for a free, confidential case evaluation.
The California Paraquat Announcement
DPR said the last remaining registrant canceled its paraquat product registration on August 6, 2026, clearing every paraquat product from the state’s registered list. California Secretary for Environmental Protection Yana Garcia noted that for years “communities have fought to end the use of paraquat.”
The cancellations came after a reevaluation DPR opened in November of 2024 under Food & Agricultural Code section 14086. As part of that review, the department ordered paraquat manufacturers to submit new scientific data by June 5, 2026, to fill gaps in its human-health toxicology database. Rather than produce the studies, the companies pulled their products from the market, a withdrawal that began with Syngenta earlier this year.
The phase-out is not immediate. Under California law, licensed dealers may generally sell existing stocks of a canceled pesticide for up to two years after each product’s effective cancellation date. Growers who use remaining supplies must continue to follow all label directions and applicable state and federal requirements.
Research Links Paraquat to Parkinson’s Disease
Scientists have studied paraquat’s connection to Parkinson’s disease for decades. Research published in the American Journal of Epidemiology and later analyses by the National Institutes of Health have found that people exposed to paraquat face a significantly elevated risk of developing the disease.
California regulators reached similar conclusions about other harm. In December 2024, DPR released preliminary assessments identifying potential associations between paraquat exposure and thyroid impacts and birth defects, and found the herbicide may pose serious risks to wildlife, most notably birds.
California’s Farmworkers and Rural Communities at Risk
California sprays more paraquat than any other U.S. state, and its use is heavily concentrated in the San Joaquin Valley; more than three-quarters of the state’s total is applied in just eight counties. Farmworkers and people who live near treated fields face heightened exposure because paraquat can drift on dust that blows across farmland and into surrounding neighborhoods.
Where Does EPA Stand on Paraquat?
California’s action follows Vermont, which became the first U.S. state to ban paraquat outright. At the federal level, paraquat remains legal. The EPA has announced plans to host a roundtable on the herbicide, and advocacy groups like the Center for Biological Diversity have sharply criticized the agency for inaction. “The writing is on the wall — paraquat is on its way out,” said Nathan Donley, the group’s environmental health science director. A 2021 legal challenge to the EPA’s reapproval of paraquat, brought by farmworker and environmental organizations, remains pending.
The Paraquat Parkinson’s Lawsuits
Paraquat is also at the center of a growing wave of product liability litigation. Thousands of farmers, agricultural workers, and pesticide applicators have filed lawsuits alleging that exposure to paraquat caused their Parkinson’s disease.
These cases are consolidated in a federal multidistrict litigation (MDL) — a process that groups similar lawsuits before one judge for efficiency while keeping each case individual (unlike a class action). The paraquat MDL (In re: Paraquat Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 3004, Case No. 3:21-md-3004-NJR) is proceeding before Chief Judge Nancy J. Rosenstengel in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. More than 6,500 cases were pending in the MDL with additional claims moving through state courts.
Do I Qualify for a Paraquat Lawsuit?
You may be eligible to pursue a claim if you were diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and have a history of paraquat exposure. Farmers, licensed applicators, agricultural or nursery workers, or people who lived or worked near fields and orchards where paraquat was sprayed may qualify for a case.
The deadline to file a paraquat lawsuit is set by each state’s statute of limitations. Some states have shorter statutes of limitations than others, so we recommend consulting with an attorney as soon as you can.
Wisner Baum is Handling Paraquat Lawsuits
Wisner Baum has spent decades holding chemical companies and other powerful defendants accountable, obtaining more than $4 billion in verdicts and settlements since 1985. The firm handles paraquat and other toxic-exposure cases on a contingency basis: if we do not win your case, you do not owe us attorney’s fees.
If paraquat exposure led to your diagnosis, our attorneys can help you understand what to expect in a paraquat Parkinson’s lawsuit. Paraquat is not the only pesticide tied to the disease. Our firm also represents people harmed by chlorpyrifos and Parkinson’s disease.
To learn more, contact Wisner Baum today at (310) 207-3233 for a free, confidential case review.
