Hawaii pesticide and fertilizer record rules for lawn care companies

Last reviewed October 11, 2026 · 7 min read

The short answer

Hawaii’s application record rule covers restricted use pesticides only. Certified applicators record each restricted use application: the product’s brand or common name, EPA registration number, type of formulation and percent active ingredient, the target pest, the dilution rate, the total amount used, the total area covered, the time and date, the address or location of the treated site, the certified applicator’s name and certification number, the site, and the restricted entry interval and whether posting and oral notification are required. Keep the records two years at the principal place of business, and file an annual report of all restricted use pesticide use by January 30 (Form P-45 and P-45A). No restricted use pesticide may be applied on or within 100 feet of a school during normal school hours. Hawaii sets no record, license, lawn sign or customer notice for general use pesticides on lawns.

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

Who regulates lawn care applicators

Pesticide use in Hawaii is regulated by the Pesticides Branch of the Plant Industry Division of the Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity (DAB, formerly the Hawaii Department of Agriculture) under the Hawaii Pesticides Law, chapter 149A HRS, and the rules in chapter 4-66, Hawaii Administrative Rules.

Every pesticide received, used, sold or distributed in Hawaii must be licensed by the board, so a product used on lawns must hold a Hawaii pesticide license as well as its EPA registration. Since January 1, 2019, no one may use or apply any pesticide containing chlorpyrifos.

No one may use a pesticide in a manner inconsistent with its label, but a lower dosage, concentration or frequency than the label’s is allowed if efficacy is kept; when a commercial applicator makes that deviation it must be with the consent of the person buying the application service. Every application, restricted use or not, must follow the label, use nozzles that do not leak when the spray is off, use reasonable methods to minimize off-target movement, and use equipment that is inspected and kept in good working order. Spray tanks may not be filled with water through a hose or pipe unless there is an air gap or a reduced-pressure principle backflow device.

A commercial applicator who violates chapter 149A may be assessed an administrative penalty of up to $10,000 for each offense, and a knowing violation is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $35,000, up to one year in prison, or both. The law treats the acts or omissions of an employee or agent as also the acts of the employer, and falsifying any required record or report is a prohibited act.

Licenses you need

Hawaii certifies applicators only for restricted use pesticides: the department says you need to be certified only if you use restricted use pesticides, and the law and rules set no state license for applying general use pesticides on lawns.

Restricted use pesticides: no one may apply one unless certified in the category appropriate to the application or working under the direct supervision of an applicator certified in that category.
Category 3, ornamental and turf pest control: covers using or supervising the use of restricted use pesticides to control pests in the maintenance and production of ornamental plants, trees, shrubs, flowers and turf.
Exams: applicants must be at least 18, pass the core exam and each category exam with 70% or better, and may retake a failed exam no sooner than 14 calendar days later; a passing core score is valid for six months.
Term and fees: certifications are valid for five years from the date the exam was passed. Fees are $50 per exam, $100 for an initial certificate or a renewal and $50 for a replacement certificate.
Renewal: pass the exam again or earn continuing education before the certificate expires, 30 hours for Category 3. Apply no sooner than 90 days before and no later than 30 days after expiry, and report any change of name, category, address or employer within 30 calendar days. DAB asks applicators to keep a record of the classes they attend; check its current limit on online credit with DAB.
Direct supervision: the restricted use pesticide is applied by a competent person acting under the instructions and control of a certified applicator who is immediately able to communicate with them, even if not physically present, unless the label says otherwise. The supervisor gives use-specific written instructions the person can understand, makes sure the equipment works safely, the labeling is accessible at all times and required protective equipment is available and used, and is responsible for all violations.
Picloram requires an annual use permit from the department for its purchase and use.
Structural pest control: pest control for hire against wood-destroying pests or other pests which may invade households or other structures is licensed separately by the Pest Control Board under chapter 460J, and applying a restricted use pesticide for structural pest control for a fee is prohibited unless the applicator is a licensed pest control operator or employed by one. The law counts ants, mosquitoes, ticks, wasps, bees, fleas and centipedes in and around structures, including outside areas, as structural pests.

Sources: DAB: FAQ for Pesticides, HRS chapter 149A, Hawaii Pesticides Law (one page per section, e.g. §149A-2, -13, -25 to -29, -31, -31.2, -33, -35, -41), HAR Title 4, Chapter 66, Pesticides (filed August 23, 2019), Pesticide applicator categories (private and commercial), DAB: Pesticide Applicator Certification / Recertification, HRS chapter 460J, Pest Control Operators (§460J-1, -6, -12, -25, -26)

What to record for each application

Certified pesticide applicators must keep records of all restricted use pesticide applications; the rules set no application record for general use pesticides (HAR §4-66-62). Each record holds:

Brand or common name of the pesticide product applied
EPA registration number
Type of formulation
Percent active ingredient
Scientific or common name of the target pest
Dilution rate
Total amount of pesticide used
Total area covered
Time and date of application
Address or location of the treated site
Name of the certified applicator and his or her certification number
Crop, commodity, stored product or other site
The restricted entry interval and whether posting and oral notification are required (for non-agricultural applications, DAB’s instructions read this as how long after the application ended until the area was safe to enter, for example until the spray had dried)

Certified applicators must also create or verify records showing that each non-certified applicator who mixes, loads, transfers or applies restricted use pesticides has the required qualifications. Failing to keep the required records may lead to revocation of the certification and other penalties.

Sources: HAR Title 4, Chapter 66, Pesticides (filed August 23, 2019), Form P-45, Certified Applicator RUP Use Declaration, with P-45A instructions (Rev. November 6, 2025)

How long to keep records and who can ask for them

Keep restricted use application records at the applicator’s principal place of business for two years, available for inspection and copying by the head of the Plant Industry Division (or staff the head delegates) during reasonable working hours.
Annual report: every certified restricted use pesticide applicator files a report of all restricted use pesticide use within 30 days after the end of each calendar year, listing the applicator’s name and certification number and, for each product, the EPA registration number, product name, active ingredients, total quantity, total area treated, date of application and the location including at least the tax map key number.
DAB’s form says the report is due January 30 on Form P-45 (a declaration) with Form P-45A (the use list). Applicators who applied no restricted use pesticides that year must still file the declaration, and a late or missing report is a violation that may lead to revocation or a fine.
Only the green-highlighted P-45A columns are required for the report, but DAB says filling in every column also meets the state’s restricted use record rule. The location is given by tax map key, with the county named (Hawaii, Maui, Honolulu or Kauai).
The department publishes a county summary of restricted use pesticide use and posts the public information from restricted use records and reports on its website, except for structural pest control.

Sources: HAR Title 4, Chapter 66, Pesticides (filed August 23, 2019), HRS chapter 149A, Hawaii Pesticides Law (one page per section, e.g. §149A-2, -13, -25 to -29, -31, -31.2, -33, -35, -41), DAB: Restricted Use Pesticides Reporting (Act 45), Form P-45, Certified Applicator RUP Use Declaration, with P-45A instructions (Rev. November 6, 2025)

Customer notice, posting and lawn signs

Hawaii’s pesticide law and rules set no lawn sign or posting requirement, no prior notice to customers or neighbors and no pesticide-sensitive registry for turf applications. The only signs in the law and rules are retailers’ signs where pesticides are sold. Posting and oral notification required by a product’s label still apply, and the restricted use record notes whether they are required.

School buffer: since January 1, 2019, no one may apply a restricted use pesticide on or within 100 feet of a school property during normal school hours, and where the label is more restrictive, the label governs.
“School” means any public or private preschool, kindergarten, elementary, intermediate, middle, secondary or high school, and “normal school hours” are Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., excluding days when classes are not in session.
The buffer may be set by tax map key or, where that does not fit, by property boundaries such as fence lines or landscaping. The certified applicator is responsible for violations, and DAB’s school maps are offered for general guidance only.

The annual report, the county summary and the school buffer were added to chapter 149A by Act 45 (2018), signed into law on June 13, 2018.

Sources: HRS chapter 149A, Hawaii Pesticides Law (one page per section, e.g. §149A-2, -13, -25 to -29, -31, -31.2, -33, -35, -41), HAR Title 4, Chapter 66, Pesticides (filed August 23, 2019), DAB: Restricted Use Pesticide Application Buffer Zone Information, Act 45 (2018), SB3095 SD1 HD1 CD1, with Governor’s Message No. 1145

Fertilizer rules

We found no Hawaii fertilizer law for lawn work. Title 11 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes (Agriculture and Animals) has no fertilizer chapter, so no state statute sets a fertilizer license, application record, blackout date or setback for lawn work. HRS chapter 144 is the commercial feed law (animal feed) and has no provision on fertilizer application.

The pesticide law permits mixing a pesticide with a fertilizer when the label does not prohibit the mixture.

Sources: HRS Title 11, Agriculture and Animals, chapter list, HRS chapter 144, Commercial Feed (§144-1 to -14), HRS chapter 149A, Hawaii Pesticides Law (one page per section, e.g. §149A-2, -13, -25 to -29, -31, -31.2, -33, -35, -41)

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 Hawaii, Finish job asks the crew for the details Hawaii lists, and the records export with the columns in Hawaii’s order. Here is each item Hawaii lists, set against what the record actually holds. Keeping the record complete and correct is still your responsibility.

Hawaii record items and GroundsQuote’s chemical application record
Hawaii asks for	In GroundsQuote	Status
Brand or common name of the product	Product name, as entered in the chemical’s setup	Recorded
EPA registration number	EPA Reg. No., from the chemical’s setup	Recorded
Type of formulation	Formulation, from the chemical’s setup	Recorded
Percent active ingredient	Active ingredients and concentration, from the chemical’s setup	Recorded
Target pest (scientific or common name)	Target pest (editable on the job)	Recorded
Dilution rate	Mix ratio and use dilution (%), set on the job, with the rate applied (per area); the mix is required at Finish job on Hawaii jobs with a restricted use pesticide	Recorded
Total amount of pesticide used	Total used	Recorded
Total area covered	Area treated (sq ft)	Recorded
Time and date of application	Date and time applied, with a chemical’s own start and finish time when entered, else the job’s start and finish times, recorded when the crew starts and finishes it (the office can correct them)	Recorded
Address or location of the treated site	Address, unit number, city, state, ZIP and county	Recorded
Certified applicator’s name and certification number	Applied by: everyone who applied it, and Supervised by, offered on Hawaii jobs at Finish job, each with license and certification numbers when license-keeping is switched on	Recorded
Crop, commodity or other site	Where on the property (front lawn, beds, fence line… or a description), required at Finish job on Hawaii jobs with a restricted use pesticide	Recorded
Restricted entry interval	Re-entry interval from the chemical’s setup, with the time people may go back onto the lawn	Recorded
Whether posting and oral notification are required	“Other records the label requires” (free text); there is no dedicated posting or oral notice field	Partly
Records showing each non-certified applicator’s qualifications	Training and ID records for each person, with a copy of the paper	Partly
Kept two years at the principal place of business	Records are kept in GroundsQuote, with corrections saved as history	Recorded
Annual report location: tax map key and county	County on every record, and yearly totals by county or product; GroundsQuote keeps no tax map key	Partly

Hawaii’s list applies to restricted use pesticides, and Finish job on those jobs reminds the crew of the January 30 annual report and the 100-foot school buffer on school days; GroundsQuote does not know where schools are, keeps no tax map key and files nothing with the state, so file Form P-45 and P-45A yourself (the yearly summary by county or product helps). Keep the written supervision instructions, picloram permits, Hawaii product licenses, any chapter 460J pest control license, continuing education and certificate renewals 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 Hawaii 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 application records for general use products, or only restricted use?

Only restricted use. Certified applicators must keep records of all restricted use pesticide applications; Hawaii’s rules set no application record for general use pesticides.

Do I need a license to treat lawns with general use products?

Not under the state pesticide law. The department says you need to be certified only if you use restricted use pesticides; lawn and landscape work with them falls in commercial Category 3, ornamental and turf. Pest control for hire against pests that may invade households or other structures is licensed separately by the Pest Control Board under chapter 460J.

How long do I keep records, and what goes to the state?

Keep restricted use records two years at your principal place of business, open to the head of the Plant Industry Division. Every certified restricted use applicator also files an annual report of all restricted use pesticide use, due January 30 on Form P-45 with P-45A, even in a year with no restricted use applications.

Can I apply restricted use products near a school?

Not on or within 100 feet of a school property during normal school hours, Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., excluding days when classes are not in session. Where the label is more restrictive, the label governs.

Does Hawaii require lawn signs or customer notices?

We found none. The pesticide law and rules set no lawn sign, posting requirement or prior notice for turf applications; posting and oral notification required by a product’s label still apply.

Does Hawaii limit lawn fertilizer?

We found no state fertilizer law for lawn work: no fertilizer license, application record, blackout date or setback. Chapter 144 HRS is the commercial feed law.