Himalayan Balsam was added to Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in April 2009 in Wales and England. It will be included in Scotland by the end of 2011. As such, it is an offence to plant or otherwise allow it to grow in the wild.

Schedule 9: The main piece of legislation covering non-native species is in the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended). Section 14 prohibits the introduction into the wild of any species of animal (including birds, reptiles, fish, invertebrates etc.) that is not ordinarily resident in and is not a regular visitor to Great Britain in a wild state, or any species of animal or plant listed on schedule 9. Most non-native species listed on schedule 9 are already established in the wild, but continue to pose a conservation threat to native biodiversity and habitats, such that further releases should be regulated.