Colorado pesticide and fertilizer record rules for lawn care companies

Last reviewed October 11, 2026 · 8 min read

The short answer

In Colorado, a licensed commercial applicator must keep a record of every pesticide application made for hire, general use as well as restricted use: the customer’s name and address, the location if different, the target pest, the site treated, the pesticide by its EPA registration number, the dilution rate, the application rate, the carrier if not water, the date and the start or stop time to the half hour, and the name and license number of whoever made or supervised it. Keep records 3 years at the address on your business license. At each turf or ornamental application, leave the customer a written statement and post a lawn sign, and notify people on the Pesticide-Sensitive Registry beforehand. Colorado’s fertilizer law sets no lawn application records or limits.

General information, not legal advice. Rules change and can depend on what you apply and where. Confirm what applies to your business with the Colorado Department of Agriculture, Pesticides and the product label before you rely on anything here.

Who regulates lawn care applicators

The Colorado Department of Agriculture regulates pesticide application under the Pesticide Applicators’ Act, C.R.S. §§ 35-10-101 to 35-10-128. The Department’s rules for the Act are 8 CCR 1203-2; the current version took effect September 14, 2025.

Anyone in Colorado who uses or supervises the use of any pesticide or device is subject to the Act and its rules. Being “engaged in the business of applying pesticides for hire” covers evaluating pest problems, recommending controls, mixing, loading or applying pesticides, and soliciting, advertising or contracting to do any of these, for money or anything of value. The Act’s definition of “plant regulator” excludes plant nutrients, trace elements and soil amendments, so fertilizer alone is not regulated as a pesticide under the Act.

Cities and counties may not impose notification requirements on commercial applicators that are stricter than the Act’s and, apart from limited exceptions (such as zoning, fire codes, water protection and their own property), may not regulate the use, notification, licensing or record keeping of applicators the Act regulates.

Sources: Colorado Revised Statutes 2024, Title 35 (Pesticide Applicators’ Act; Commercial Fertilizer Act, PDF), CDA: Pesticide Applicator Inspections, 8 CCR 1203-2, Rules Pertaining to the Pesticide Applicators’ Act (effective September 14, 2025, PDF), Secretary of State: 8 CCR 1203-2 rule information and version history

Licenses you need

Commercial applicator business license: required to apply pesticides for hire, issued only for the categories in which the business’s qualified supervisor is licensed. The fee is $350 a year. The Department says the license runs for the calendar year, expires December 31 and is not prorated; renewing after December 31 and before February 1 costs a $35 late fee, and from February 1 a new application is required.
A separate business license is needed for each business location where permanent employees apply pesticides for hire. A business operating under more than one name from one location must list each name and keep separate pesticide application records and business records for each; the Department charges $100 a year per additional name.
To be licensed, the business must carry liability insurance of at least $400,000 (with 10 days’ notice to the Commissioner before cancellation), employ or contract with a qualified supervisor licensed in its categories, train its technicians and mark its application equipment. The insurance must be on file with the Department whenever an application is made.
Qualified supervisor: required for anyone who, without supervision, evaluates pest problems, recommends pesticides, mixes, loads or applies any pesticide, sells application services, or supervises others doing so. A certified operator license is required to apply restricted use pesticides without a qualified supervisor on site; it has no experience requirement.
Applicants for either license must be 18, pass a general exam and an exam in each category, and pay a $100 license fee; the Department says the license is valid for three years. A person certified in another state can get a certified operator license without testing for the unexpired term of that license ($150); there is no reciprocity for qualified supervisors or business licenses.
Categories for lawn care: 206, Turf Pest Control (pesticides on managed turf against insects, mites, slugs, snails, nematodes, plant diseases or weeds, weeds in ornamental beds and mulched or xeriscaped areas, and weeds on sidewalks, driveways and similar areas outside the right-of-way), and 207, Ornamental Pest Control (ornamental trees, shrubs, beds and flowers, not turf or indoor plants). A turf qualified supervisor needs at least four months of turf field experience within the two years before applying; an ornamental one at least eight months over at least two calendar years within the previous five (college credit can shorten both).
Renewal: without retesting, a qualified supervisor or certified operator needs 7 core credits (2 laws and regulations, 1 each in pesticides and their families, applicator safety, public safety, environmental protection and use) plus 2 pest management credits each for turf and ornamental, earned before the license expires; the Department says there is no grace period. A license renewed up to 30 days late costs a 10% penalty; after that it needs reinstatement within 180 days or a new license.
Technicians: the business needs at least one qualified supervisor for every 15 technicians, no more than 8 of them without a certified operator license, and a responsible qualified supervisor must be reachable by voice while a technician uses a pesticide. A turf technician needs at least 36 hours of training (12 classroom, 24 on the job, at least 8 of those from a licensed supervisor or operator) and an ornamental technician at least 40 hours before applying without a licensed or experienced person present, with 4 hours of ongoing training each year of employment after the first season. A technician applying a restricted use pesticide must be trained, at least 18 and under the on-site supervision of a qualified supervisor.
Training records: recorded on the Commissioner’s form, the original kept for the whole employment plus three years after the technician leaves, ongoing training records for three years, with a copy to the technician or the Commissioner on request.
Report changes to your application information within 15 days. Qualified supervisors and certified operators notify the Commissioner within 15 days of starting or leaving work with a licensed business, and the business does the same when a qualified supervisor joins or leaves.
Vehicles, trailers and mobile equipment used to apply or carry pesticides show the business name in letters at least 2 inches high and the city and state at least 1 inch high, on both sides of a motor vehicle. A copy of the label (or the original container) for each product in use must be with the applicator at the site.

Tip: Violations carry civil penalties up to $2,500 each, doubled for a second violation, and some, including failing to keep records, are class 2 misdemeanors.

Sources: Colorado Revised Statutes 2024, Title 35 (Pesticide Applicators’ Act; Commercial Fertilizer Act, PDF), 8 CCR 1203-2, Rules Pertaining to the Pesticide Applicators’ Act (effective September 14, 2025, PDF), CDA: Pesticide Applicator Certification and Licensing Program, CDA: Pesticide Licensing FAQs, Commercial Applicators, CDA: Qualified Supervisor and Certified Operator Licensing Information, CDA: Pesticide License Categories, CDA: Workshops & Continuing Education Credits (CEC), CDA: Technician Training and Non-Certified Applicator Resources

What to record for each application

Licensed commercial applicators keep accurate and legible office records of each pesticide application made for hire, general use as well as restricted use (8 CCR 1203-2 Part 6.03). Each record holds:

The name and address of the person for whom the application was made
The location of the application, if different from that address
The target pest, named specifically; a general term such as “broadleaf weeds” is acceptable only if the label uses that exact term
The site, crop, commodity or structure treated
The specific pesticide applied, recorded by its EPA registration number (the brand name and manufacturer may be added)
The dilution rate: the amount of product or active ingredient per unit volume of carrier; a product used straight from the container is entered as “no dilution”, “aerosol” or “RTU”
The application rate: the total gallons or pounds of the final tank mix applied per unit of area or volume
The carrier, if other than water
The date, and the time to within half an hour when the application started or stopped, kept so it is clear which (“A.M.” or “P.M.” alone is not enough)
The name and license number of the person who made or supervised the application; when a technician applies a restricted use pesticide, both the technician and the on-site qualified supervisor
When the label requires it, the EPA Endangered Species Protection Bulletin for the county and month of the application (one copy can serve several applications)

When a licensed business subcontracts an application to another licensed business, both keep records of it and both are responsible for any required notice. Making false or misleading statements in a required record, or failing to keep or submit required records, is unlawful.

Sources: 8 CCR 1203-2, Rules Pertaining to the Pesticide Applicators’ Act (effective September 14, 2025, PDF), Colorado Revised Statutes 2024, Title 35 (Pesticide Applicators’ Act; Commercial Fertilizer Act, PDF)

How long to keep records and who can ask for them

Keep application records for three years after the date of the application.
Keep them at the address given on your business license application.
The Department inspects licensed businesses’ application records, training records, licenses, storage and equipment. A new licensee should expect an inspection in its first year, and licensees are then inspected on a rotating basis, on average about every three years.
The Department may enter, with consent or a warrant, to inspect and copy all records the Act requires. Its employees may not disclose information from records submitted to it except to authorized persons such as state and federal officials, courts and physicians.

We read the 2024 printout of the statute; we could not confirm whether the 2025 or 2026 legislative sessions changed the three-year retention or other figures in it.

Customer notice, posting and lawn signs

Written statement: at the time of each turf or ornamental application, leave the customer (or someone at the treated location, if different) a printed or legibly written statement that a pesticide was applied, naming each pesticide, the date and the label’s precautionary statements needed to protect people, animals and property. No exact wording is required.
At a commercial property or other site run by an off-site owner where no owner or agent is present, give the customer the written statement promptly after the application; it may be a copy of the labels. At a multi-unit dwelling where no owner or agent is present, also post notice-of-application signs carrying your phone number, the pesticide name and the date.
These notices may be sent electronically only after the customer (or the person at the site) has asked for it in writing, and you must keep a record of that request; without it a paper notice is required.
Lawn signs: post every turf or ornamental application at the time of application with at least one sign at a conspicuous point of entry. The sign is water resistant, at least 4 inches tall and 5 inches wide, black lettering on bright yellow: “WARNING” in at least 60-point bold, “PESTICIDES APPLIED” in at least 24-point bold, a circle at least 2 inches across with a slash over an adult, child and dog, and the applicator’s name in at least 18-point bold.
At a commercial property where no owner or agent is present, the sign also shows your phone number, the pesticide name and the date applied, in at least 18-point bold.
Placement: the bottom of the sign at least 18 inches above the ground and its top no higher than 48 inches; on the lawn at the property boundary, 2 to 5 feet from the sidewalk (or the road, or the property line if there is no road), with more signs where landscaping hides it. Greenbelts, parks, athletic fields, playgrounds and the common areas of multi-unit and commercial properties are posted at the main entrances and within the treated property; golf courses at the clubhouse and the first and tenth tees. The statute and rules do not say how long the sign stays up.

Pesticide-Sensitive Registry: the Department keeps a registry of people with a Colorado physician’s proof of medical justification, renewed every two years; registrations expire November 1 each year. Since July 2024 it is an online searchable database open only to the correspondence contact of each licensed or registered business. Before every turf or ornamental application, try to notify each registry person who lives on property abutting the treated property (an alley does not break abutting), who lists the treated property as their principal employment or school address, or whose home is within 250 feet when the treated property lies entirely within 250 feet. Failing to give the notice is unlawful.

The notice gives the date, approximate time and address of the application, by phone, mail, in person or electronically.
Non-electronic attempts are made 24 hours or more before the application and receipt confirmed; if that fails, notice is placed on the person’s door immediately before the application.
One electronic notice (text or email, not voicemail, post or social media) is enough if nothing changes; a change of date, time or location needs a new electronic notice at least 24 hours before, and you must keep a record that it was sent.

Tip: Every customer invoice must carry the statement “Commercial applicators are licensed by the Colorado Department of Agriculture.” in at least 10-point type on the front, at the top or bottom. It may be printed, stamped or stickered, but not handwritten.

Fertilizer rules

Colorado’s Commercial Fertilizer, Soil Conditioner, and Plant Amendment Act regulates product registration, labels, distribution fees, sampling, misbranding and adulteration of fertilizers sold in the state. Products are registered by the company whose name is on the label, at $40 a product a year, and registrants report tonnage by county each year. Neither the statute nor its rule, 8 CCR 1202-4, sets applicator licensing, application records, nitrogen or phosphorus limits, blackout dates or setbacks for lawn applications.

Sources: Colorado Revised Statutes 2024, Title 35 (Pesticide Applicators’ Act; Commercial Fertilizer Act, PDF), CDA: Fertilizer (Inspection and Consumer Services), 8 CCR 1202-4, Fertilizers and Soil Conditioners (effective July 30, 2022, PDF)

How GroundsQuote’s chemical records line up

GroundsQuote keeps an application record for each chemical a crew puts down on a job. On a job at a property in Colorado, Finish job asks the crew for the details Colorado lists, and the records export with the columns in Colorado’s order. Here is each item Colorado lists, set against what the record actually holds. Keeping the record complete and correct is still your responsibility.

Colorado record items and GroundsQuote’s chemical application record
Colorado asks for	In GroundsQuote	Status
Name and address of the person for whom it was applied	Customer name and mailing address	Recorded
Location of the application, if different	The property’s street address, unit number, city, state, ZIP and county	Recorded
Target pest, named specifically unless the label uses the general term	Target pest, set for each chemical on the job	Recorded
Site, crop, commodity or structure treated	Where on the property (front lawn, beds, fence line… or a description), required on Colorado jobs	Recorded
Pesticide by EPA registration number (brand and manufacturer optional)	EPA Reg. No., product name and manufacturer, from the chemical’s setup	Recorded
Dilution rate, or “no dilution”, “aerosol” or “RTU” for a product used straight from the container	Mix ratio and use dilution (%), set on the job; the mix ratio is required on Colorado jobs for a product mixed before use, and for a product used straight from the container you type “no dilution” or “RTU” yourself	Recorded
Application rate as gallons or pounds of the final tank mix per area	Rate applied (per area) is product per area; gallons of mix applied and the area treated are kept, so mix per area can be worked out but is not its own column	Partly
Carrier, if other than water	“Carrier, if not water”, set for each chemical and offered on Colorado jobs, with the water or carrier in gallons; exported as “Carrier, if other than water”	Recorded
Date and the start or stop time to the half hour, marked which	Date applied, and each chemical’s own start and finish time when entered (“Chemical started” / “Chemical finished”), else the job’s start and finish times, recorded when the crew starts and finishes it (the office can correct them)	Recorded
Name and license number of who made or supervised it; for a restricted use pesticide applied by a technician, both the technician and the on-site qualified supervisor	Applied by (everyone who applied it) and Supervised by, offered on Colorado jobs, with license numbers when license-keeping is switched on	Recorded
EPA Endangered Species Protection Bulletin for the county and month, when the label requires it	Not handled by GroundsQuote: get the bulletin the label points to and keep it yourself; a copy can be stored as a chemical document, but not by county and month or linked to the job	Not recorded
Technician training on the Commissioner’s form, kept for employment plus three years	Training and ID records for each person, with a copy of the signed form; they stay on file under the person’s name after they leave the team, but hours per category are not tracked	Partly
Customer’s written request for electronic notices	“Application records by email” on the customer’s page records the date they agreed in writing and how; Finish job and the office’s record warn when it is missing (give them a paper copy); exported as “Agreed to electronic records on”	Recorded
Pesticide-Sensitive Registry notices and attempts	Chemical notices & contracts on the customer’s page keep registry listings and notices reached or attempted, with when and how; the schedule and Finish job flag pesticide jobs at a customer with a listing until the notice is logged. Not handled by GroundsQuote: check the Department’s registry for people within 250 feet and send the notice at least 24 hours ahead yourself	Partly
Every customer invoice says “Commercial applicators are licensed by the Colorado Department of Agriculture.” in at least 10-point type	Settings → Invoices → “Wording a state requires on invoices” adds it to your invoice footer, which then prints at the top of every invoice (PDF, invoice page and email) in at least 10-point type; invoices made before keep their old footer	Recorded
Written statement at the time of application, and lawn signs	The application statement names each pesticide, the date and the label’s precautions, and GroundsQuote prints signs laid out from Colorado’s rule with your business name; leaving the statement, posting the signs and adding the extra lines for sites with no owner or agent present are yours	Partly
License renewals and continuing education credits	Not handled by GroundsQuote: each person’s license number, category and expiry can be kept, but track credits and renew licenses yourself	Not recorded

Leave the written statement and post the lawn sign at each application yourself (crews cannot print on the road), and email it only when the customer’s written request is on file (GroundsQuote records it and warns when it is missing). Add the invoice sentence once under Settings → Invoices. Send the Pesticide-Sensitive Registry notices and keep any Endangered Species Protection Bulletin a label calls for yourself. Keep the business license, insurance, supervisor links and continuing education credits outside GroundsQuote.

Everything a GroundsQuote application record holds

When:: Date and time applied (when the job was finished), job start and finish times (the office can correct them), each chemical’s own start and finish when several go down on one job, and when people may go back onto the lawn (from the label’s re-entry interval)
Where:: Customer name, phone and mailing address, street address, unit number, city, state, ZIP and county of the property, and where on the property it went (front lawn, beds, fence line…)
Who:: Everyone who applied it (the crew riding that day starts checked) and the person supervising, trainees and people who planned it, with each one’s standing (certified, registered technician, trained, not certified or registered), license number, certification or ID number, category and expiry, and the business license when license-keeping is switched on
Product:: Name, type, manufacturer, EPA registration number, state registration number, EUP / Section 18 / 24(c) number, active ingredients, scientific name, concentration, N-P-K and slow-release %, formulation, restricted-use flag, signal word, re-entry interval, the label’s precautions, and copies of the label, safety data sheet and fact sheets on file
Amounts:: Rate applied (per area), area treated in sq ft, total product used, mix ratio, use dilution (%), water or carrier (gallons, and the carrier when it is not water), gallons of mix applied, devices placed, lb of N and P per 1,000 sq ft
Job:: Target pest and the equipment used (both set on the job), the vehicle or sprayer’s license plate, where it was mixed and loaded, permit number, other records the label requires, the supervisor’s instructions, whether the drift plan was used, a review sign-off with the reviewer’s license number and corrective action, a map of the treated area attached to the job, service and crew; your business name, address and phone
Weather:: From the nearest weather station at the start and finish (temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, gusts, rain in the last hour, conditions), and the conditions on site: the crew confirms the station reading or enters the wind, direction and temperature they measured
Your state:: Each job follows the rules of the state its property is in: Finish job asks for the details that state lists and waits until they are filled in, and the records export in that state’s column order
Paperwork:: An application statement for each job to print, leave or email (each product with its EPA number, active ingredients, type, purpose, rate, amount and mix, where on the property, the date and time, who applied it, the re-entry time and your notes for the customer, with the state’s own lines), and lawn signs laid out from the state’s rule
Kept beside the records:: Each person’s training, ID copies and certificates and what they are responsible for; neighbor requests and notices, registry notices and attempts, notices given to customers, signed waivers and contracts, each with a copy of the paper; soil tests per property; incidents, disposal and purchases in the chemical logs; totals for a year or a month by county, supervisor or product; whether a customer agreed in writing to get application information by email
Changes:: Corrections are saved as history; the earlier record is kept
Reminders:: Finish job reminds the crew of the state’s own steps (a record deadline, trainee paperwork) and warns when a restricted-use chemical has nobody certified applying or supervising it; the schedule lists chemical jobs left without a record in states with a deadline

See how it works on the job in chemical records and field tools, or read about GroundsQuote for lawn treatment companies.

Official sources

Everything on this page comes from these Colorado sources, checked on October 11, 2026. Read them for the full text and any changes since.

Keep application records as the crew finishes the job

Set the chemicals each service uses once. The crew sees the planned amounts for each lawn, and finishing the job saves the record with the product, rate, area, applicator and weather.

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Questions

Do I need records for general use products, or only restricted use?

Both. Colorado’s rule covers each pesticide application made for hire, general use as well as restricted use. Name the pesticide by its EPA registration number; the brand name and manufacturer are optional.

What does Colorado mean by the application rate?

The total gallons or pounds of the final tank mix applied per unit of area or volume, not the product per area. The dilution rate is recorded separately, as the amount of product or active ingredient per unit volume of carrier, or “no dilution”, “aerosol” or “RTU” for a product used straight from the container.

Can I email the customer statement instead of leaving it?

Only after the customer (or the person at the site) has asked in writing for electronic notices, and you must keep a record of that request. Without it, leave a printed or legibly written statement at the time of application.

What has to be on my invoices?

Every customer invoice must carry “Commercial applicators are licensed by the Colorado Department of Agriculture.” in at least 10-point type on the front, at the top or bottom, printed, stamped or stickered but not handwritten.

Does Colorado have a turf fertilizer law for lawn care companies?

Not one that limits lawn applications. Colorado’s fertilizer act covers product registration, labels and sale; neither it nor its rule sets applicator licensing, application records, nitrogen or phosphorus limits, blackout dates or setbacks for lawns.