Maine pesticide and fertilizer record rules for lawn care companies

Last reviewed October 11, 2026 · 9 min read

The short answer

In Maine, commercial applicators record every pesticide they apply, general use and restricted use alike, on the same day: the town and location, the site treated, the target organism, the customer’s name and address, the size of the treated area, the date and time, the brand name, EPA registration number and active ingredients, the restricted entry interval, the type of equipment and any dilution agent other than water, the licensed applicator’s name and certification number and any noncertified applicator, the amount applied, and for outdoor work the wind speed and direction, air temperature and sky conditions. Keep records 2 years at your primary place of business and file an annual summary report by January 31. Every turf and ornamental application must be posted with a CAUTION sign before it begins and left up at least two days after.

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

Who regulates lawn care applicators

The Board of Pesticides Control, within the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, regulates pesticide use and licenses applicators. Its rules are at 01-026 CMR: chapter 50 (records and reports), chapter 28 (neighbor notification, the registry and posting), chapter 31 (commercial licensing) and chapter 20 (customer authorization and property identification).

Maine law treats any pesticide used for hire as a “custom application,” and anyone who makes or supervises a custom application of a general use pesticide is a commercial applicator. The Board names lawn and landscape care and tree and shrub care as examples of work that needs a commercial license.

It is unlawful to use a pesticide in a manner inconsistent with its labeling or with Board rules that further restrict its use. A violation of the pesticide laws or Board rules is a civil violation with a fine of up to $10,000, up to $50,000 for an unauthorized application from which the violator benefited substantially, and up to $75,000 or $150,000 for a repeat within 4 years. Intentionally or knowingly violating them is a Class E crime, with a fine of up to $7,500, up to 30 days in jail, or both, for each violation.

Maine towns may adopt their own pesticide ordinances, but a provision on pesticide storage, distribution or use is void until the ordinance is filed with the Board, which keeps a statewide list of them. Several towns go well beyond the state rules (see the notice and fertilizer sections).

Sources: 22 M.R.S. chapter 258-A, Board of Pesticides Control (§§ 1471-A to 1471-BB), 7 M.R.S. chapter 103, Products Controlled (subch. 2-A Maine Pesticide Control Act of 1975, §§ 601-625; subch. 5 Maine Commercial Fertilizer Law, §§ 741-751), 01-026 CMR ch. 10, Definitions and Terms, 01-026 CMR ch. 20, Special Provisions (amended Jan. 30, 2024), 01-026 CMR ch. 28, Notification Provisions for Outdoor Pesticide Applications (JUL 2025 version), 01-026 CMR ch. 31, Certification and Licensing Provisions / Commercial Applicators (JUL 2025 version, amended Oct. 21, 2024), 01-026 CMR ch. 50, Record Keeping & Reporting Requirements (amended Oct. 21, 2024), BPC: Licensing and Certification, BPC: Municipal Pesticide Ordinances

Licenses you need

Certification: no commercial applicator may use or supervise the use of any pesticide in Maine without certification from the Board, though a competent person who is not certified may apply under the direct supervision of a certified applicator.
Commercial applicator/master or operator: every commercial applicator must be licensed as one or the other, or be supervised on site by a licensed master or operator who is physically present on the client’s property the entire time an unlicensed applicator applies. The master is responsible for major pest control decisions and for the company’s policies on equipment calibration, employee training, safety, disposal and compliance; an operator applies according to the master’s instructions.
On-site supervision means continuous visual contact (except breaks of under five minutes caused by terrain; video does not count) and voice contact, which may be by real-time radio or telephone. In lawn care, when the licensed and unlicensed applicators work off the same equipment, the licensed applicator may start another application on an adjoining property on the same side of the street as long as continuous visual and voice contact is kept.
Categories: lawn work falls in Category 3B Turf, and work on outdoor ornamental trees, shrubs and flowers in Category 3A Outdoor Ornamentals. Weed control on sidewalks, patios, driveways or parking lots needs Category 6B General Vegetation Management; a 3A or 3B license alone does not allow it.
Exams: pass a closed-book core exam and a category exam with a score of 80 percent; a master must also pass a regulations exam and a master exam. Exam fees are $10 for each core, category or regulations exam and $40 for the master exam.
Fees and renewal: the commercial applicator license fee is $105 per person. Certification expires on December 31 of the third year after the exams were passed and every third year after that, and licenses expire with it. To recertify, a master needs 9 credit hours and an operator 6 credit hours of Board-approved training during the three-year certification period.
Licenses are tied to the employing company and end when the employee leaves; the licensee or company must notify the Board in writing within 10 days of the termination, and all licenses in a company are suspended if its licensed master leaves or dies.
Each branch office of a business that needs commercially licensed staff must employ at least one master applicator, licensed in every category the branch applies in, who actively supervises the applicators and can be on site to help within six hours’ driving time.
Spray contracting firm: custom applicators who are incorporated or employ more than one applicator, licensed or not, also need a firm license, which costs $300 and expires at the end of the third calendar year after issuance. The firm is responsible for the acts of its employees and must have them prepare the records and reports of chapter 50.
Insurance: commercial applicators who spray for hire must carry liability insurance whenever they apply, of at least $100,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence for public liability and $100,000 per occurrence for property damage, attested on a Board form when applying for the license.
Restricted use: commercial applicators who supervise noncertified applicators of restricted use pesticides must ensure the training, record keeping and other requirements of 40 CFR 171.201(c) are met.

Anyone applying pesticides must instruct employees and people working under their direction about the label’s hazards and how to avoid them, and provide the label-required safety equipment.

Sources: 22 M.R.S. chapter 258-A, Board of Pesticides Control (§§ 1471-A to 1471-BB), 01-026 CMR ch. 10, Definitions and Terms, 01-026 CMR ch. 20, Special Provisions (amended Jan. 30, 2024), 01-026 CMR ch. 31, Certification and Licensing Provisions / Commercial Applicators (JUL 2025 version, amended Oct. 21, 2024), 01-026 CMR ch. 35, Certification and Licensing Provisions / Spray Contracting Firms, BPC: Licensing and Certification

What to record for each application

Commercial applicators and spray contracting firms keep records of the type and amount of pesticide used, the area of use and anything else the Board requires. Under 01-026 CMR chapter 50 the rule covers every pesticide a commercial applicator applies, general use and restricted use alike; only the rate entry differs by type. Records must be kept current by recording all the required information on the same day the application is made. Each record holds:

Site information: the town and location, the crop or site treated, the target organism, and the customer’s name and address
For broadcast applications, the size of the treated area; for label volumetric applications, the volume treated; for spot or other non-broadcast treatments, a practical description of the extent (such as the number of trees treated)
For each distinct site, the date and time of the application
The brand name, EPA registration number and active ingredients of each pesticide applied
The restricted entry interval or ventilation period, where applicable
The method of application (type of equipment) and any dilution agent other than water
The licensed applicator’s name and certification number, the name of any noncertified applicator who made the application, and the spray contracting firm, where applicable
Restricted use pesticides: the total amount of pesticide applied, undiluted
General use pesticides: either the total amount applied undiluted, or the mix ratio and total mix applied, or the mix ratio and the mix applied per unit area
Outdoor applications: the weather, including wind speed and direction, air temperature and sky conditions (such as sunny, partly cloudy, overcast, foggy or rainy); bait stations, devices on animals and tree or pole injections are exempt

Pesticide spray equipment must be calibrated following Board or University guidance, and records showing proper calibration must be kept and shown to the Board on request. Chapter 22’s drift standards apply to outdoor applications with powered equipment (non-powered equipment, granular or pelleted pesticides only, and injections are exempt): no application covered by it may be made when the wind speed in the area is over 15 miles per hour, or when the weather favors drift onto sensitive areas. Its rule requiring a map or record of sensitive areas within 500 feet of the target does not apply to commercial applications in categories 3A and 3B.

Sources: 22 M.R.S. chapter 258-A, Board of Pesticides Control (§§ 1471-A to 1471-BB), 01-026 CMR ch. 22, Standards for Outdoor Application of Pesticides by Powered Equipment (JUL 2025 version), 01-026 CMR ch. 50, Record Keeping & Reporting Requirements (amended Oct. 21, 2024), BPC Policy Concerning Applicator Records (adopted June 13, 2003)

How long to keep records and who can ask for them

Keep application records for two years from the date of application, at the primary place of business, available for inspection by the Board’s representatives at reasonable times, on request.
File an annual summary report for each calendar year by January 31 of the next year, listing for each site or crop treated the quantity of each pesticide, its EPA registration number and the total area treated. The Board’s form asks for amounts converted to pounds or gallons of undiluted formulation, with the target site, brand name, EPA number and total area treated.
Starting with the 2025 reports due January 31, 2026, the annual summary report must be filed electronically through a Board-approved system (the MEPERLS portal), unless the applicator has an electronic reporting waiver.
When the annual summary report is not received by its due date, the license is temporarily suspended until the report is received or a hearing decides otherwise (chapter 50 says it “may be” suspended; chapters 31 and 35 say it “is”).
Telephone a spray incident report to the Board as soon as practicable after emergency care is obtained and spill containment begun; spills, accidents and applications to the wrong site in violation of the label or law are reportable incidents.
The Board’s staff may enter public or private premises at reasonable times to inspect application equipment, storage, complaints and applications in progress. Making false or fraudulent records or reports is a ground for suspending or revoking a license.

Sources: 22 M.R.S. chapter 258-A, Board of Pesticides Control (§§ 1471-A to 1471-BB), 01-026 CMR ch. 31, Certification and Licensing Provisions / Commercial Applicators (JUL 2025 version, amended Oct. 21, 2024), 01-026 CMR ch. 35, Certification and Licensing Provisions / Spray Contracting Firms, 01-026 CMR ch. 50, Record Keeping & Reporting Requirements (amended Oct. 21, 2024), BPC: 2026 Commercial Applicator Annual Summary Report (example)

Customer notice, posting and lawn signs

No one may apply a pesticide to another person’s property without prior authorization from the owner, manager or legal occupant (tenants included). A commercial applicator may not perform ongoing, periodic non-agricultural applications unless there is a signed written agreement with the customer that says the applications continue until a stated termination date, or another verifiable authorization system approved by the Board. The Board accepts prepayment, a customer signature (including a return postcard), an audio recording, an emailed or faxed confirmation from the customer, or a documented phone call or visit combined with a separate confirmation letter or email or an automated reminder call.

Commercial applicators treating residential properties outdoors must use a Board-approved method to positively identify the customer’s property, such as the electric meter number, GPS coordinates, a dated photo or a company tag listed on the work order or invoice and checked before treating. Since December 31, 2023, the master applicator supervising each branch must ensure that all applicators under them are trained every year on positive identification, and keep records of the method the branch has adopted. A first violation can bring suspension of the applicator’s license; a second under the same master and company within five years can also suspend the master’s, and a third within five years the firm’s as well.

Areas treated under categories 3A and 3B must be posted, granular applications included; only marked outdoor bait stations are exempt. The signs go up before application begins, placed so people entering the area will reasonably see them, and stay at least two days after the application is completed. Each sign:

Is at least 5 inches wide and 4 inches high, of rigid, weather-resistant material that lasts at least 48 hours outdoors
Is light colored (white, beige, yellow or pink) with dark, bold letters (black, blue or green)
Bears the word CAUTION in 72-point type, the words PESTICIDE APPLICATION in 30-point type or larger, and the Board designated symbol (an adult walking a dog on a leash and a child, inside a circle with a diagonal slash)
Gives any reentry precautions from the label, the company’s name and telephone number, the date and time of the application, and a date and/or time to remove the sign

The Board publishes the symbol as the “Board Designated Symbol for Notification Signs” and a ready-made “Pesticide Application Sign for Commercial or Home” with lines for the date and time of application, re-entry precautions, sign removal date and the company and phone number.

Neighbors: the owner, lessee or other legal occupant of a sensitive area (such as a home, school or workplace with its lawns and yards) within 500 feet of an outdoor application may ask the person managing that land to be notified. They are then told the approximate dates, the pesticides, the general manner of application and a contact name, address and phone number, where feasible within a week of the request and at least one day before the application.

The Maine Pesticide Notification Registry lists people who must be notified of outdoor, non-agricultural applications near them; it runs from March 1 to February 28, people apply by December 31 for $20 a year, and it is distributed to licensed commercial master applicators by March 1 and can be downloaded from the Board’s site. Before an application within 250 feet of the property boundary of a listed residence, the registrant must receive, between 6 hours and 14 days before, by telephone, in person or by mail, the location, the date and approximate start time (within 24 hours) with an alternative date for bad weather, the brand name and EPA registration number of each product, and the name and phone number of the applicator or company. A message on the answering device at their primary contact number, or given to a member of the household or workplace reached there, counts; if at least two phone attempts fail and personal contact is not feasible, the notice may be securely fixed in writing to the principal entry of the listed residence. The applicator bears the burden of proving the notice was given. A registrant and an applicator may agree in writing, signed by both, on different terms, and either may end the agreement with 14 days’ written notice.

Schools: before treating school grounds, get written authorization from the school’s IPM coordinator for that application, given no more than 10 days before it, and within one business day give the coordinator a written record with the date, time, location, trade name, EPA registration number and the licensed applicator’s name. Signs go at each access point and in a common area at least two working days before and for at least 48 hours after; outdoor signs are at least 5 by 4 inches, last 96 hours outdoors and bear the Board symbol and a removal date or time. The school sends notice to staff and parents at least five days ahead.

Water: no outdoor terrestrial broadcast application may be made within 25 feet of the mean high water mark of lakes and ponds, rivers, streams shown on USGS topographic maps, estuarine and marine waters and certain wetlands without a Board permit (except to control arthropod vectors of human disease or stinging insects), and no one may mix or load pesticides or fill a sprayer within 50 feet of the high water mark of surface waters, except commercial applicators mixing no more than five gallons from small packaged concentrates for non-powered equipment.

Towns: Portland prohibits synthetic pesticides outdoors on public and private land (with exemptions such as ticks and mosquitoes, poison ivy and structural pests) and all pesticides within 75 feet of a water body or wetland; licensed applicators file an annual summary report of their city applications by February 1, and a permitted use of a prohibited pesticide is posted with a sign that adds the chemical and trade name and how long to stay off, left up 48 hours or until the label’s reentry interval ends, whichever is longer, with its bottom at least 12 inches and its top no more than 48 inches above the ground. South Portland restricts pesticides for turf, landscape and outdoor pest management, bans them within 75 feet of water, and requires the same kind of sign. Camden requires written notice to direct abutters and the town before applying, signs with the date and time and the trade name and EPA number at least 30 minutes before applying and up at least seven days, and an annual summary report to the town by February 1.

Sources: 01-026 CMR ch. 20, Special Provisions (amended Jan. 30, 2024), 01-026 CMR ch. 27, Standards for Pesticide Applications and Public Notification in Schools (incl. Appendix A symbol), 01-026 CMR ch. 28, Notification Provisions for Outdoor Pesticide Applications (JUL 2025 version), 01-026 CMR ch. 29, Standards for Water Quality Protection, BPC: Pesticide Notification—Your Rights & Responsibilities, BPC: Publications & Forms (Signs: “Board Designated Symbol for Notification Signs” JPG; “Pesticide Application Sign for Commercial or Home” PDF), BPC Policy Relating to Verifiable Authorization of Commercial Pesticide Application Services (adopted Nov. 16, 2007), City of Portland, Code ch. 34 Pesticide Use (effective 2/2/2018), copy filed with the BPC, City of South Portland, Code ch. 32 Landcare Management Ordinance (updated 2023), copy filed with the BPC, Town of Camden, ch. 194 Pesticides and Herbicides (revised 6/10/2025, marked-up copy), copy filed with the BPC

Fertilizer rules

Under the Maine Commercial Fertilizer Law, each brand and grade of commercial fertilizer must be registered before it is sold or distributed in Maine, for an annual fee of $125 per product. The law deals with registration, labeling, tonnage reports, inspection and deficiencies, and sets no applicator license, application record, nitrogen limit, blackout dates or setbacks for lawn care.

A retail store may sell fertilizer containing phosphorus (more than 0.67% phosphate by weight) only if it posts, 4 to 7 feet above the floor where it is displayed, a department-approved sign that the product is not appropriate for nonagricultural lawns or turf because of possible harm to water quality. It is a retail sign rule and does not bar a lawn care company from applying phosphorus.

Towns go further. South Portland bans synthetic fertilizer on turf without a waiver, phosphorus without a soil test from the last three years (except new or re-established turf), application within 75 feet of water, on frozen or saturated ground or before heavy rain, and limits organic fertilizer on lawns to two applications a year of no more than 1 lb of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet each, with a soil test every two years. Falmouth (from April 1, 2026) bans outdoor fertilizer applications from December 1 to March 31 and within 75 feet of a water body or 20 feet of a storm drain, allows only non-water-soluble fertilizer, compost or composted manure between 75 and 250 feet of a water body, limits lawns and turf to 2 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet a year (phosphorus up to 1 pound only for new lawns or with a soil test that calls for it) in at most two applications a year, and requires anyone applying pesticides or fertilizer for pay to register with the town every year.

Sources: 7 M.R.S. chapter 103, Products Controlled (subch. 2-A Maine Pesticide Control Act of 1975, §§ 601-625; subch. 5 Maine Commercial Fertilizer Law, §§ 741-751), 38 M.R.S. § 419, Cleaning agents and lawn and turf fertilizer containing phosphate banned, City of South Portland, Code ch. 32 Landcare Management Ordinance (updated 2023), copy filed with the BPC, Town of Falmouth, Ordinance No. 104-2025, Code ch. II-21 Pesticide and Fertilizer Regulation (effective April 1, 2026), copy filed with the BPC

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

Maine record items and GroundsQuote’s chemical application record
Maine asks for	In GroundsQuote	Status
Town and location	Address, city, state, ZIP and county	Recorded
Crop or site treated	Where on the property (front lawn, beds, fence line… or a description), required on Maine jobs	Recorded
Target organism	Target pest, set for each chemical on the job	Recorded
Customer’s name and address	Customer name and mailing address	Recorded
Size of the treated area (broadcast)	Area treated in sq ft	Recorded
Volume treated (volumetric labels) or extent of a non-broadcast treatment	Where on the property (free text) and devices placed, offered on Maine jobs; there is no dedicated field for the volume treated or a count of trees or spots	Partly
Date and time of the application	Date applied, the job’s start and finish times, and each chemical’s own start and finish time when entered	Recorded
Brand name, EPA registration number and active ingredients	Product name, EPA Reg. No. and active ingredients, from the chemical’s setup	Recorded
Restricted entry interval or ventilation period	The chemical’s re-entry interval and when people may go back onto the lawn	Recorded
Method of application (type of equipment)	Equipment used, set on the job; required on Maine jobs	Recorded
Dilution agent other than water	Water or carrier, and the carrier when it is not water, offered on Maine jobs	Recorded
Licensed applicator’s name and certification number	Applied by and Supervised by (offered on Maine jobs), with license and certification numbers when license-keeping is switched on	Recorded
Name of any noncertified applicator	Applied by, with each person’s standing (not certified or registered), and trainees on the job’s record	Recorded
Spray contracting firm	Your business name, address and phone, columns of the records export	Recorded
Restricted use: total amount applied, undiluted	Total used	Recorded
General use: total amount, or mix ratio and total mix, or mix ratio and mix per area	Total used and rate applied, with the mix ratio and gallons of mix applied offered on Maine jobs	Recorded
Outdoor weather: wind speed and direction, air temperature and sky conditions	Conditions on site, required on Maine jobs: the crew confirms the nearest weather station’s reading at the start, whose conditions text gives the sky conditions, or enters what they measured, with a sky choice (sunny, partly cloudy, overcast, foggy or rainy) that starts from the station’s reading	Recorded
Record kept current the same day	Finish job saves the record when the job is finished; the Schedule lists Maine chemical jobs finished without a record	Recorded
Calibration records for powered spray equipment	Not kept by GroundsQuote	Not recorded
Annual summary report: quantity, EPA number and area per site or crop, by January 31	The yearly totals export by product and county helps; GroundsQuote does not convert to undiluted pounds or gallons by target site or file in MEPERLS	Partly
CAUTION sign on every 3A and 3B application, up at least two days after	GroundsQuote prints a 6 by 5 inch Maine sign with CAUTION in 72-point type, PESTICIDE APPLICATION in 30-point type, a no-entry symbol drawn like the Board’s (an adult, a child and a dog in a circle with a slash), your company name and phone, the date and time of application, and lines for reentry precautions and the removal date. Check the symbol against the Board’s image; posting the sign is yours	Partly
Registry and neighbor-request notices, 6 hours to 14 days before	Not handled by GroundsQuote: you can log neighbor requests, registry listings and notices on the customer’s page, and pesticide jobs at that customer are flagged, but it does not check the Board’s registry or send the notices	Not recorded
Signed agreement or verifiable authorization for ongoing service	A contract notice can be kept with the accepted quote and a copy of the paper; GroundsQuote does not check that ongoing chemical jobs have one or that it names a termination date	Partly
Positive identification of the customer’s property and yearly training records	Not handled by GroundsQuote: the job shows the address and map, and training records can be kept per person, but no identification is printed on a work order	Not recorded

The records export lays out Maine’s items in the rule’s order, and Finish job asks for the site, the equipment and the conditions on site. Outside GroundsQuote, keep the calibration records, file the annual summary report in MEPERLS by January 31 (and Portland’s and Camden’s by February 1), give the registry and neighbor notices, handle school authorizations and incident reports, licensing, the firm license, insurance and recertification credits, and follow any town ordinance; GroundsQuote does not check them.

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 Maine 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. Maine’s chapter 50 covers every pesticide a commercial applicator applies, general use and restricted use alike; only the rate entry differs. Records are kept current by recording everything on the same day the application is made, and kept two years.

What weather do I have to record?

For outdoor applications, the wind speed and direction, air temperature and sky conditions (such as sunny, partly cloudy, overcast, foggy or rainy). Bait stations, devices on animals and tree or pole injections are exempt.

Do I have to put up lawn signs in Maine?

Yes, on every turf (3B) and outdoor ornamental (3A) application, granular included; only marked outdoor bait stations are exempt. Post before application begins and leave the sign at least two days after. It is at least 5 inches wide and 4 inches high, with CAUTION in 72-point type, PESTICIDE APPLICATION in 30-point type or larger, the Board designated symbol, reentry precautions, your company name and phone, the date and time of the application and a removal date and/or time.

What is the Maine Pesticide Notification Registry?

A Board list of people who must be notified of outdoor, non-agricultural applications near them. Before an application within 250 feet of the property boundary of a listed residence, the registrant must receive notice between 6 hours and 14 days before, by telephone, in person or by mail, and you bear the burden of proving it was given.

Do I need a signed agreement for ongoing lawn treatments?

Yes. A commercial applicator may not perform ongoing, periodic non-agricultural applications without a signed written agreement that says they continue until a stated termination date, or another verifiable authorization system approved by the Board, such as prepayment or an emailed confirmation from the customer.

Does Maine limit phosphorus or nitrogen on lawns?

Not statewide for lawn care companies: the state phosphorus rule is a retail store sign, and the fertilizer law sets no applicator license, records or nitrogen limit. Some towns do, such as South Portland and Falmouth (2 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet a year and no fertilizer from December 1 to March 31).