Japanese Beetle Regulated Areas in BC: What Contractors Need to Know Before You Dig (2026 Update)
A plain-English guide to BC's Japanese beetle regulated areas in 2026 — which cities are affected, what actually requires a CFIA movement certificate, and what changed under the 2023 rule update.
Quick Answer
As of 2026, BC's Japanese beetle regulated areas cover parts of Vancouver, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, and Kamloops. If you're excavating or landscaping in one of these zones, the rule that matters most for contractors is this: soil alone is not regulated. Only plants with soil, soil-related matter, or growing media still attached require a CFIA movement certificate before leaving the area. This has been the rule since a May 2023 update — but it's still one of the most common points of confusion on job sites today.
Where Are the Regulated Areas Right Now?
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has established Japanese beetle regulated areas in BC in response to ongoing detections of the pest since it first appeared in the False Creek area of Vancouver in 2017. The regulated area has expanded several times as the beetle has been found in new locations:
Vancouver — regulated since 2018, following the original False Creek detection
Burnaby — added in 2022
Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam — added in 2022
Kamloops — added in 2025, following detections in the city's Westsyde neighbourhood in 2024
The exact boundaries within each city are mapped by the CFIA and can shift as new detections occur, so it's worth checking the current boundary map before assuming a site is outside the regulated zone. Vancouver's own regulated area remained unchanged for 2026, but that isn't guaranteed to hold for every city going forward — Kamloops is a recent example of a zone appearing where none existed before.
What Actually Requires a Movement Certificate?
This is where a lot of contractors get tripped up, because the rules changed in a way that isn't widely known yet.
Before May 2023: both soil and plant material were treated as regulated articles requiring a movement certificate to leave a regulated area.
Since May 2023: the CFIA removed soil alone, and green waste, from the list of regulated articles. What remains regulated is specifically plants with soil, soil-related matter, and/or growing media still attached — think rooted plants, sod, ornamental grasses, shrubs, bedding plants, and similar material where root systems are intact with dirt attached.
Practically, that means:
Regulated (needs a certificate): rooted plants, turf/sod, bedding plants, or any plant material with soil or growing media attached to the roots
Not regulated (no certificate needed): soil by itself, above-ground plant clippings and trimmings with no soil attached, compostable green waste that's substantially free of soil
If a project involves excavating soil with no plants attached, that soil can leave the regulated area without a movement certificate. If it involves digging out rooted plants, shrubs, or turf, the plant material attached to that soil is what triggers the certificate requirement — year-round, regardless of season.
The Free Municipal Option — and Where It Stops Working for Commercial Jobs
Both Vancouver and Burnaby offer municipal drop-off points for regulated material, and it's worth knowing about them because they're genuinely useful for small volumes:
Vancouver: small volumes (up to about half a pickup truck load) of regulated material can go to the Vancouver Transfer Station on Kent Ave North, accompanied by a CFIA movement certificate. Larger volumes must go to the Vancouver Landfill in Delta for deep burial, also with a movement certificate and by appointment.
Burnaby: the Eco-Centre is the designated drop-off point for green waste leaving the regulated area, and landscapers bringing material there still need to present a movement certificate before tipping.
The catch for contractors running commercial-scale jobs: the contractor is still responsible for getting their own CFIA movement certificate before moving anything, still has to book their own landfill appointment for deep burial, and the free option is capped at small volumes. For a single homeowner project, that's manageable. For a multi-site contractor or a larger excavation job, coordinating certificates, appointments, and disposal logistics across several loads becomes a real time cost — which is usually the point where it makes sense to hand that coordination to a dedicated disposal partner rather than managing it in-house.
What Happens If Regulated Material Is Moved Without a Certificate?
The CFIA restricts movement of regulated articles out of these areas specifically because unauthorized movement is how the beetle spreads to new locations. Moving regulated plant material without a certificate isn't just a paperwork oversight — it's the exact behavior the regulation exists to prevent, and it carries compliance risk for the person or company responsible for the site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does soil alone need a movement certificate in BC? No. As of the May 2023 rule change, soil by itself — with no plants or growing media attached — is not a regulated article and does not require a CFIA movement certificate to leave a Japanese beetle regulated area.
Which BC cities currently have Japanese beetle regulated areas? As of 2026, regulated areas exist in Vancouver, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, and Kamloops.
Is the movement certificate requirement seasonal? For plants with soil, soil-related matter, or growing media attached, the restriction applies year-round, not just during the beetle's summer flight season.
Where can I get a CFIA movement certificate? Movement certificates are issued directly by the CFIA. Contractors working regularly in a regulated area may also want to ask about multi-use annual certificates, which the CFIA considers on a case-by-case basis for companies with recurring hauls to the same approved destination.
Can I take regulated material to a municipal landfill myself? For small volumes, yes — both Vancouver and Burnaby have designated drop-off points, but a movement certificate and, in some cases, an advance appointment are still required.
This article reflects Japanese beetle regulated area boundaries and movement certificate requirements as published by the CFIA and the City of Vancouver as of 2026. Regulated area boundaries can change; contractors should verify current requirements directly with the CFIA before moving material.
Sources:
Canadian Food Inspection Agency — Japanese Beetle in British Columbia: https://inspection.canada.ca/en/plant-health/invasive-pests-and-plants/insects/japanese-beetle/japanese-beetle-bc
City of Vancouver — Japanese Beetle: https://vancouver.ca/home-property-development/japanese-beetle.aspx
City of Vancouver — Disposal of Plant and Soil Material from the Japanese Beetle Regulated Area: https://vancouver.ca/home-property-development/disposing-of-green-waste.aspx
CFIA — Guidance for the Movement of Plants Leaving a Japanese Beetle Regulated Area in BC: https://inspection.canada.ca/en/plant-health/invasive-pests-and-plants/insects/japanese-beetle/japanese-beetle-bc/guidance-movement-plants
City of Burnaby — Eco-Centre: https://www.burnaby.ca/services-and-payments/recycling-and-garbage/eco-centre
