You may need a licence to sell certain household products containing poison

You may need a poisons licence if you’re selling products containing certain chemicals or ingredients. Poisons licences are issued by your local council.

The licence runs from 1 January until 31 December, whenever you apply. You’ll be sent a reminder to reapply by 31 May each year.

The following table shows some examples of the most common poisons requiring a licence.

Poison
Concentration requiring a licence
Products these poisons may be found in

Alpha-chloralose
Any concentration
Rodent killer

Ammonia
10% or more
Window/glass cleaners, multipurpose cleaners, bathroom cleaners, polishing waxes, drain cleaners, oven cleaners

Formaldehyde
5% or more
Air freshener, fabric softener, carpet cleaner, upholstery cleaner

Formic acid
25% or more
Limescale remover, toilet cleaner

Hydrochloric acid
10% or more
Limescale remover, domestic cleaner, leather processing product

Hydrofluoric acid and fluorine-based compounds
Any, apart from 3% or more sodium silicofluoride and 3% or more sodium fluoride
Stain removers

Metallic oxalates
10% or more oxalic acid dehydrate
Leather and wood cleaner

Nitrobenzene
0.1% or more
Floor polish

Phenols
0.5% and less than 5% of other phenols
Liquid disinfectants and antiseptics

Potassium hydroxide
17% or more
Oven cleaner, drain cleaner

Sodium hydroxide
12% or more
Caustic soda, oven cleaner, drain cleaner

Contact your local council if you’re not sure whether you’ll need a licence for a particular product. You could also contact the manufacturer or speak to your wholesaler.

Penalties

You could be fined up to £500 (and an extra £5 for each day you continue to break the law) if you sell a poison not covered by your licence.

You could be fined up to £500 if you get in the way of a council inspection, don’t allow samples to be taken or don’t provide required information when asked.