In Korea, twenty-nine types of microbial pesticides and thirty-two types of naturally occurring materials and chemicals are exempt from MRL (maximum residue level), and fifty types of active ingredients of pesticides are exempt from establishing the acceptable daily intake (ADI) during the pesticide registration process. Out of these materials, twenty-nine types of microbial pesticides and thirty-two types of naturally occurring materials and chemicals are exempt from MRL. Twenty-seven microorganisms and fifteen chemicals are exempt from both ADI and MRL. The European Union exempts the MRL for 148 active pesticide ingredients, and CODEX suggested sixty-three substances as exempt substances from setting the MRL. In Japan, sixty-five types of pesticide components were exempted from MRL. MRL-exempted substances differed depending on the referenced agency, which is presumed to be due to differences in the types of pesticides approved and the approved usage methods in each country. In most countries, MRL exemptions for pesticides are based on toxicity and exposure assessments, and these substances are composed of substances that have a very low risk to the human body or remain in food and are not exposed to the human body and MRLs are exempted based on GAP (good agricultural practice) approved during the licensing process. By referring to the CODEX and the European Union's MRL exemption guidelines, a guideline for evaluating pesticide safety was prepared to determine it as an MRL-exempt substance when setting standards for pesticide residue in Korea. Conclusively, most regulatory agencies decide whether to exempt pesticides from MRL by considering GAP and indications for use during the registration process, and criteria for evaluating exemptions include risk factors, possibility of human exposure and management options.