Kansas pesticide and fertilizer record rules for lawn care companies

Last reviewed October 11, 2026 · 8 min read

The short answer

In Kansas, the application record is the statement of services: every pesticide business gives each customer it applies pesticides for a statement or contract with the business’s name, office address and license number, the customer’s name and address, each pest, each product’s complete label name and EPA registration number, the quantity applied and total area, the concentration or rate when applicable, the quantity of mixture applied, the date, location, and start and end time, the expiration date of any guarantee, the name and certification number of the applicator (and of the supervisor, when applicable) and the wind direction and velocity. A product applied below the label rate must be marked “PESTICIDE APPLIED AT LESS THAN LABEL RATE” unless the customer accepted it in writing beforehand. Records cover general use and restricted use alike. The statement reaches the customer within 30 days and before payment is due, on paper unless they agree to electronic delivery, and a copy is kept three years. Kansas has no lawn sign rule.

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

Who regulates lawn care applicators

The Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA), through the Secretary of Agriculture, administers and enforces the Kansas pesticide law. Its pesticide rules are in Kansas Administrative Regulations article 4-13, “Pesticides”.

A “pesticide business” is any individual, partnership, association or corporation that applies pesticides to the property of another for compensation. “Under the supervision of” means acting under the instructions and control of another person who is available if and when needed, even if not physically present, unless the label says otherwise.

The pesticide law and its rules are uniform statewide: no city, county or other local authority may adopt an ordinance in conflict with, in addition to or supplemental to them (zoning, fire codes and hazardous waste disposal rules excepted).

A pesticide business licensee that violates the law or its rules may face a civil penalty of $100 to $5,000 per violation, each day of a continuing violation being a separate violation, with a $10,000 maximum for a continuing violation. Other license, certificate or registration holders may face $100 to $500 per violation, with a $2,500 maximum for a continuing violation. A violation is also a class A misdemeanor, each separate violation a separate offense. It is unlawful to refuse or neglect to keep the required records, or to make false or fraudulent records, invoices or reports.

Sources: K.S.A. 2-2438a Definitions, K.S.A. 2-2468 Citation; 2-2470 Allowable applications; 2-2480 Uniformity; 2-2481 Format of documentation, KDA “Pesticide Law Regulations” (K.A.R. 4-13, KDA compilation dated September 2010, “not the official regulations”), K.S.A. 2-2440e Civil penalties, K.S.A. 2-2461 Criminal penalties, K.S.A. 2-2453 and 2-2454 Unlawful acts

Licenses you need

Pesticide business license: needed to advertise, offer, sell or perform any pest control service or apply any pesticide on the property of another in Kansas, including under a subcontract with a licensed business. People applying on premises they own, lease or operate (and their employees) are exempt.
No business license is issued until the business is, or employs, a certified commercial applicator in each category it applies for. A business must be licensed in every category it works in and employ at least one person holding commercial certification in each subcategory it works in.
Category 3, ornamental and turf pest control, covers pesticide application in the maintenance of ornamental trees, shrubs, flowers and turf: subcategory 3A is ornamental, 3B is turf (lawns, golf courses, turf farms) and 3C is interior landscape. Subcategory 7C, industrial weed control, covers control of pest weeds; KDA’s categories list describes it as weed control around buildings and structures, parking lots and sidewalks.
Business license fees: $140 per category plus $15 for each uncertified individual employed to apply pesticides; on and after July 1, 2028 these become $112 and $10. An uncertified individual employed for more than 10 days in a 30-day period, or for five consecutive days, must be reported to KDA within 30 days of hiring and the fee paid then. The license expires December 31 and is renewed by meeting the same requirements as a new license.
Bond or insurance: before a business license is issued, file a surety bond of at least $6,000 a year or a certificate of liability insurance with at least $25,000 bodily injury and $5,000 property damage coverage for each occurrence. KDA says non-aerial insurance must include limited pollution coverage for pesticide application, issued in the exact name on the business license. The insurer must tell KDA at least 10 days before the insurance expires, is reduced or cancelled, and the license is suspended without a hearing until coverage is replaced.
Vehicle marking: businesses licensed in category 3 or 7 mark each vehicle used to apply pesticides or carry application equipment with the business name or registered trade name and the business license number on each side, in letters and numbers at least 1½ inches high in a contrasting color.
Commercial certification: anyone using a restricted use pesticide needs a commercial applicator’s certificate, except (among others) employees of a pesticide business using non-aerial methods who work only under the supervision of a certified commercial applicator. To be certified you must be at least 18 and pass a closed-book General exam and a category or subcategory exam, each with at least 75%, within 12 months of each other; KDA charges $45 per exam and per retake.
Renewal: a commercial applicator’s certificate expires at the end of the second calendar year after the year of issue and may be renewed for a three-year period by exam or by approved recertification training. KDA requires 7 recertification credits each for 3A and 3B (3 for 3C) plus one core credit per period, with 50 to 60 minutes of training counting as one credit. Training done in the period still counts if the renewal and fees reach KDA within 30 days after expiration.
KDA lists reciprocity with Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas in limited categories, for a $75 per category fee; Kansas residents cannot be certified by reciprocity. Show your certificate or pocket card when a customer, a law enforcement official or KDA asks.
Registered pest control technicians: a business applying pesticides for ornamental, turf or interior landscape pests may use only certified commercial applicators or registered technicians, except that an uncertified applicator may apply general use pesticides while a certified applicator or registered technician is physically present. An uncertified applicator must become certified or registered within 90 days of being employed.
Technician training for ornamental, turf or interior landscape work is at least 40 hours: 30 hours of supervised application and 10 hours of classroom instruction, under a training program KDA approves and the business resubmits every five years. KDA charges $40 to register a technician, or $25 when the $15 fee was paid that year. Registration expires at the end of the calendar year; renewal requires six hours of approved classroom training during the year. A technician carries the KDA identification card while applying, and the status ends when they leave the business.
Registered technicians and other uncertified applicators may not apply a restricted use pesticide unless supervised by a commercial applicator certified for restricted use pesticides in that category or subcategory.

Supervision means the certified applicator has given the uncertified applicator instructions in handling and applying the pesticide, is reachable by telephone, two-way radio or similar means during the application, is present when the label requires it, and both work from the same business address.

Training records for technicians give, for each session, the trainee’s typed or printed name, the subject, classroom or on-the-job, the date, the hours, and the signatures of the trainee and of the business’s officer or representative who gave the training, and are kept 3 years. A business must notify KDA in writing within 30 days of a change of business address or name, hiring or terminating employees who apply pesticides, a change in certification or technician status, or a change of manager, operator, authorized representative or resident agent.

Sources: K.S.A. 2-2440 Pesticide business license, KDA “Pesticide Business License Requirements” (July 2026), K.S.A. 2-2440a Pesticide business licensee requirements, K.S.A. 2-2440b Pest control technician registration, K.S.A. 2-2440c Registered pest control technician; training; records, K.S.A. 2-2440f Uncertified applicators; supervision and training records, K.S.A. 2-2441a Commercial applicator’s certificate, K.S.A. 2-2443a Commercial applicator examination, reciprocity, fees, K.S.A. 2-2444a Categories of qualification, K.S.A. 2-2446 Renewal of certification or registration, K.S.A. 2-2448 Proof of financial responsibility, K.S.A. 2-2450 Suspension for lack of insurance or certified applicator, K.S.A. 2-2456 Registration and marking of equipment, KDA “Pesticide Law Regulations” (K.A.R. 4-13, KDA compilation dated September 2010, “not the official regulations”), KDA “Commercial Applicator Certification Information” (October 2025), KDA “Commercial Applicator Recertification Information” (October 2025), KDA “Initial Training Program Requirements for Registered Pest Control Technicians” (July 2026), KDA “Commercial Pesticide Applicator Categories” (August 2015)

What to record for each application

Kansas’s application record is the statement of services (K.S.A. 2-2455): every pesticide business gives each customer for whom it applies pesticides a statement of services or contract, and keeps records of all pesticide applications, general use and restricted use alike. The statement may be part of any business form the licensee uses, such as an invoice or contract. It holds:

The business name, address and license number of the pesticide business, the address being the street address of the office that serves that customer
The name and address of the customer, with the street address or rural route and box number
Each pest to be controlled: the statute allows general terms, the rule asks for the common or scientific name of each pest and lets weeds be stated as grassy or broadleaf weeds, and KDA says names must be more specific than “bugs” or “weeds”
The complete product name of each pesticide as it appears on the label and its EPA registration number (the Kansas registration number if it has no EPA number)
The quantity applied and the total area to which the pesticide was applied (square feet, square yards, acres or similar)
The concentration or rate of application when applicable: the concentration as the percent of active ingredient in the mixture actually applied, the rate as volume or weight of pesticide per unit of length, area or volume matching the label’s mixing directions
The quantity of mixture actually applied, in gallons or another volume for a diluted pesticide, or in pounds or another dry weight for granules and other undiluted products
The date, location, and start and end time of the application
The expiration date of any guarantee given
The signature and applicator certification number of the person who did the application and, when applicable, of the person who supervised it; legible printed names may serve as the signatures
The wind direction and velocity, except for applications inside an enclosed structure, structural barrier treatments within 10 feet of a building, seed treatment, soil injection, trenching around a structure, or bait stations

Kansas law allows applying a pesticide at any dosage, concentration or frequency less than the label’s, unless the label prohibits it or the Secretary has limited it under K.S.A. 2-2471. When a pesticide is applied below the label rate, the statement must say “PESTICIDE APPLIED AT LESS THAN LABEL RATE” conspicuously, or the business must have explained this and obtained the customer’s written acceptance before the first application.

For periodic service under one contract (for example monthly visits), the full statement is given after the first treatment, then a supplemental statement after each later application with the date, each pesticide and quantity applied, the wind direction and velocity and the applicator’s signature (KDA adds the EPA number). A certified commercial applicator not working for a pesticide business makes a written statement of work for each restricted use application with the same items plus their own name and address.

Sources: K.S.A. 2-2455 Written statement for services to customer; records, KDA “Pesticide Law Regulations” (K.A.R. 4-13, KDA compilation dated September 2010, “not the official regulations”), KDA “Statement of Service Requirements” (August 2015; policy effective October 1, 2014), KDA “Pesticide Business License Requirements” (July 2026), KDA “Commercial Applicator Certification Information” (October 2025), K.S.A. 2-2468 Citation; 2-2470 Allowable applications; 2-2480 Uniformity; 2-2481 Format of documentation

How long to keep records and who can ask for them

The statement of services must reach the customer within 30 days of the service and before payment is due (unless prepaid), and by close of business the next business day when the customer asks for it.
Give it on paper unless the customer agrees to receive all or part of it electronically.
Keep a copy of each statement of services or contract for three years from the expiration date of the statement or contract (KDA: three years after the application, or after any guarantee or service agreement expires).
When KDA asks, provide a duplicate of a statement given to a customer within two business days. On request, give KDA copies of statements, records of all pesticide applications during any period and records of all employees who applied pesticides.
Documents may be kept on paper, electronically or both, must be producible as a readable paper copy, and go to KDA in the format KDA chooses.
In office buildings, apartment houses and other multi-tenant buildings, make information about pesticides applied available to the owner or manager, and to a tenant about their own unit on request.
A person claiming damage from a pesticide application files a written statement with KDA within 60 days after discovering the damage; not filing creates a rebuttable presumption that the damage did not come from the application.

Sources: K.S.A. 2-2455 Written statement for services to customer; records, KDA “Statement of Service Requirements” (August 2015; policy effective October 1, 2014), KDA “Pesticide Business License Requirements” (July 2026), K.S.A. 2-2468 Citation; 2-2470 Allowable applications; 2-2480 Uniformity; 2-2481 Format of documentation, KDA “Pesticide Law Regulations” (K.A.R. 4-13, KDA compilation dated September 2010, “not the official regulations”), K.S.A. 2-2457a Statement of claim of damage

Customer notice, posting and lawn signs

No lawn sign, posting, prior notification, neighbor notice or registry rule for turf applications appears in the Kansas pesticide law or in K.A.R. 4-13 as reproduced by KDA, and the law bars local governments from adding pesticide-use rules. Label-required posting still applies. The statement of services is what the customer receives.

A licensed, registered or certified person must keep copies of pesticide labels and material safety data sheets and give them to customers who ask. KDA advises applicators planning outdoor applications to check DriftWatch for commercially grown sensitive crops nearby; it is advice, not a notice requirement.

Sources: K.S.A. 2-2468 Citation; 2-2470 Allowable applications; 2-2480 Uniformity; 2-2481 Format of documentation, KDA “Pesticide Law Regulations” (K.A.R. 4-13, KDA compilation dated September 2010, “not the official regulations”), KDA “Pesticide Law Statutes” (KDA compilation dated July 2024), K.S.A. 2-2453 and 2-2454 Unlawful acts, KDA “Pesticide Business License Requirements” (July 2026)

Fertilizer rules

Kansas’s fertilizer law counts “specialty fertilizer”, distributed mainly for nonfarm use such as lawns, home gardens, golf courses and parks, as commercial fertilizer. Each commercial fertilizer product must be registered with KDA, with registrations running July 1 to June 30; the statute sets a $5 fee per product, while KDA’s fertilizer page says the fee is $45 per product. Registrants pay an inspection fee of $1.67 a ton and file semiannual tonnage affidavits, due January 31 and July 31. A custom blender, who blends registered fertilizers to a customer’s specifications, needs a $25 license for each place of business, expiring December 31.

The fertilizer law is uniform statewide, and no local authority may add rules, including on the application of fertilizers. The statutes and regulations set no fertilizer applicator license, application record, turf nitrogen or phosphorus limit, blackout dates or setbacks.

Sources: K.S.A. 2-1201, 2-1201a, 2-1202, 2-1205, 2-1210, 2-1235 (Kansas fertilizer law), KDA Fertilizer program page, KDA “Fertilizer Law Regulations” (K.A.R. 4-4, KDA compilation dated March 2010)

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

Kansas record items and GroundsQuote’s chemical application record
Kansas asks for	In GroundsQuote	Status
Business name, office street address and business license number	Your business name, address and phone, and the business license number when license-keeping is switched on; the address is your primary location’s, which may not be the office that serves that customer	Partly
Customer name and street address	Customer name and mailing address, with the property’s street address, city, state and ZIP	Recorded
Each pest by common or scientific name	Target pest, set for each chemical on the job	Recorded
Complete product name from the label and EPA registration number (Kansas number if none)	Product name, EPA Reg. No. and state registration number, from the chemical’s setup	Recorded
Quantity applied	Total used	Recorded
Total area treated	Area treated (sq ft)	Recorded
Concentration: percent active ingredient in the mixture applied	Use dilution (%) and mix ratio, offered on Kansas jobs	Recorded
Rate of application	Rate applied (per area)	Recorded
Quantity of mixture actually applied	Gallons of mix applied, offered on Kansas jobs; total used for undiluted products such as granules	Recorded
Date and location	Date applied and the property’s street address	Recorded
Start and end time	Start and finish time for each chemical, offered on Kansas jobs; left blank, a chemical carries the job’s start and finish times, recorded when the crew starts and finishes it (the office can correct them)	Recorded
Expiration date of any guarantee	Not kept: add it to the statement yourself	Not recorded
Signature and certification number of the applicator	Applied by: everyone who applied it, with license and certification numbers when license-keeping is switched on (printed names, which Kansas accepts as signatures)	Recorded
Signature and certification number of the supervisor, when applicable	Supervised by, offered on Kansas jobs, with the license number (printed name, accepted as a signature)	Recorded
Wind direction and velocity	Conditions on site, required on Kansas jobs: the crew enters the wind and direction they measured, or confirms the nearest weather station’s reading, which is also kept at start and finish	Recorded
“PESTICIDE APPLIED AT LESS THAN LABEL RATE”, when applicable	Not printed: Finish job on Kansas jobs reminds you of the wording, but GroundsQuote has no flag for a below-label rate, so add the line to the statement yourself or get the customer’s written acceptance beforehand	Not recorded
Supplemental statement after each periodic application	An application statement for each job, to print, leave or email	Recorded
Statement given within 30 days and before payment, on paper unless the customer agrees to electronic delivery	The application statement can be printed or attached to the visit-done email, and the customer’s page keeps whether they agreed to get application records by email (Finish job warns on Kansas jobs without it); Finish job reminds you of the 30-day rule, but GroundsQuote does not track that every statement went out or when	Partly

Kansas’s record is the customer’s statement, so use GroundsQuote’s application statement as its basis and add what it does not print: the expiration date of any guarantee, the “PESTICIDE APPLIED AT LESS THAN LABEL RATE.” line when a product went down below the label rate, and the address of the office serving that customer if it is not your primary location. Getting the statement to every customer within 30 days and before payment, keeping copies three years, labels and safety data sheets on request, vehicle marking, technician registration and training, reports to KDA, license renewals and the bond or insurance are yours.

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 Kansas 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

Is the Kansas application record the same as the customer’s statement?

Yes. Under K.S.A. 2-2455 every pesticide business gives each customer a statement of services or contract with the required items, and keeps a copy for three years from the expiration date of the statement or contract. The statement may be part of an invoice or contract.

When does the customer have to get the statement?

Within 30 days of the service and before payment is due (unless prepaid), and by close of business the next business day when the customer asks. It goes on paper unless the customer agrees to receive it electronically.

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

Both. Pesticide businesses keep records of all pesticide applications, general use and restricted use alike. Only a certified commercial applicator not working for a pesticide business makes statements for restricted use applications alone.

What if I apply below the label rate?

Kansas allows it unless the label prohibits it or the Secretary has limited it, but the statement must then say “PESTICIDE APPLIED AT LESS THAN LABEL RATE” conspicuously, unless you explained this and got the customer’s written acceptance before the first application.

Do I need lawn signs or neighbor notices in Kansas?

No lawn sign, posting, prior notification, neighbor notice or registry rule for turf applications appears in the Kansas pesticide law or K.A.R. 4-13 as reproduced by KDA, and local governments may not add pesticide-use rules. Label-required posting still applies.

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

We found none. The fertilizer law covers product registration, inspection fees, tonnage reports and custom blenders, and sets no fertilizer applicator license, application record, turf nitrogen or phosphorus limit, blackout dates or setbacks.