Licensing Requirements for Pesticide and Fertilizer Applications
The information below outlines licensing requirements for individuals and businesses that apply or distribute:
- Restricted Use Pesticides (RUPs)
- General Use Pesticides (GUPs) for hire
- Fertilizer materials for hire
Pesticide Business License
- Any business applying RUPs, GUPs, or fertilizer materials to another person’s property for hire must be licensed.
- The business must maintain liability insurance.
- The business must employ at least one certified and licensed for-hire commercial applicator who is fully certified in the categories relevant to the business’s operations.
Application of a General Use Pesticide (GUP) for Hire
- Individuals applying GUPs for hire must:
- Be at least 18 years old;
- Be employed by a licensed pesticide business;
- Be either a certified and licensed applicator or a registered technician.
- To qualify as a commercial certified applicator, individuals must pass:
- A written core exam; and
- A category-specific exam.
- To qualify as a registered technician, individuals must complete one of the training options listed on the Registered Technicians page.
Application of Fertilizer Material for Hire
- Individuals applying fertilizer for hire must:
- Be an employee of a licensed business;
- Be a certified and licensed applicator or a registered technician.
- For turf applications, individuals must pass the Category 3b written exam.
- For applications on agricultural lands, individuals must pass the Category 14 written exam.
Use of a Restricted Use Pesticide (RUP)
- To use RUPs on any property for any purpose, individuals must:
- Be at least 18 years of age; and
- Be a certified and licensed applicator; or
- Operate under the direct supervision of a certified and licensed applicator employed by a business, organization, or farm operation.
- To qualify as a commercial certified applicator, individuals must pass:
- A written core exam; and
- A category-specific exam.
- To qualify as a private applicator (using RUPs on their own property for producing agricultural commodities), individuals must:
- Pass a written core exam; and
- Pass a category-specific exam to use fumigants (Category 7D) or to apply RUPs aerially (Category 11).
Direct Supervision of Non-Certified Individuals Using RUPs
- The certified and licensed supervisor is legally responsible for all activities and compliance of the non-certified applicator.
- The non-certified applicator must complete, annually, one of the mandatory training options listed on the Registered Technicians page.
- The supervisor must maintain training records for at least two years. Acceptable trainings include:
- WPS Pesticide Handler Training
- Pesticide Safety Training for Non-Certified Applicators Using RUPs
- The supervisor must ensure that the non-certified applicator:
- Has access to the product label during application;
- Is provided clean, available, and properly worn personal protective equipment (PPE);
- Receives clear site-specific instructions, including location, precautions, use directions, and potential hazards;
- Verifies proper equipment operation daily for mixing, loading, transferring, and applying;
- Has a reliable method of immediate communication with the supervisor;
- Is accompanied by the supervisor at the worksite if required by the product label.
Use of GUPs by Non-Hire Individuals
- Individuals applying GUPs not for hire (e.g., in-house use) are not required to be certified applicators or registered technicians.
- Public employees applying GUPs (e.g., for municipalities or government entities) are also exempt from certification and licensing.
- This exemption applies to all locations, including:
- Schools
- Golf courses
- Community-wide mosquito control