Nevada pesticide and fertilizer record rules for lawn care companies

Last reviewed October 11, 2026 · 8 min read

The short answer

In Nevada, every person applying pesticides for hire keeps accurate and legible records of each property treated, general use as well as restricted use, for 2 years: the date, the address, the full name of the applicator or applicator trainee, the site treated (or “spot treatment” with a description of the area and spots), the brand or generic name and EPA registration number, and the total amount of diluted pesticide and the concentration applied. Treatments in the Limited landscape and Weeds categories add the temperature and the wind velocity and direction at the start and finish, the area of turf or ground treated and the purpose. Restricted-use pesticides add the customer’s name and address, the time and the applicator’s license or certificate number. Nevada’s pesticide rules have no lawn sign or customer notice requirement for turf.

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

Who regulates lawn care applicators

The Nevada Department of Agriculture’s pest control section licenses pest control businesses and individual applicators and monitors them for compliance with the state’s pest control laws and regulations. Pesticide application for hire is governed by NRS 555.2605 to 555.460 and the Department’s rules in chapter 555 of NAC (NAC 555.250 to 555.530 for custom application, NAC 555.600 to 555.710 for restricted-use pesticides).

“Pest control” includes publicly holding oneself out as being in the business of controlling pests, or advertising or soliciting the use of pesticides to control pests. Pesticides include fungicides, herbicides, insecticides and other products meant to control any pest, plus plant regulators, defoliants and desiccants.

Inspectors may enter public or private premises at reasonable times to inspect, audit, sample or monitor equipment, records, storage, pesticides and other operations covered by the pest control law. A violation of the law or its regulations is a misdemeanor and carries an administrative fine of up to $5,000 per violation. The Department’s fine schedule sets $100 to $500 for a first failure to keep an accurate and legible record of each property treated for 2 years ($501 to $1,000 for a subsequent offense), and $25 to $100 for a first failure to record a required item ($50 to $301 after that).

Sources: NDA: Pest Control (section home), Chapter 555 of NRS, Control of Insects, Pests and Noxious Weeds (full chapter; NRS 555.2605–555.470 custom application of pesticides), Chapter 555 of NAC, Control of Insects, Pests and Noxious Weeds (full chapter; NAC 555.250–555.530 custom application, 555.600–555.710 restricted-use pesticides; revised 8-24)

Licenses you need

A person may not engage in pest control for hire or for profit without a license as an applicator (except a registered applicator trainee), and a person or business may not operate a pest control business for hire without a business license from the Department. The Department says anyone who applies pesticides (insecticides, herbicides, rodenticides, fungicides and plant growth regulators) for hire must have a pest control license.
Gardener exemption: a person who owns, operates or works for a business that gives a homeowner routine lawn or garden care, and uses hand-powered equipment to apply pesticides of EPA toxicity class III or IV to a lawn or garden as an incidental part of that paid work, is exempt from the pest control law, unless they advertise or solicit pest control or hold themselves out as being in the business of pest control or applying pesticides. “Incidental” means the pesticide work makes up no more than 20 percent of the services under the landscape contract. The exemption does not cover restricted-use pesticides.
Lawn work falls under the urban, rural and structural field: the Limited landscape category covers insect pests, vertebrate pests, plant diseases and plant regulators on ornamentals and turf, and the Weeds category covers weed control in landscapes, turf and rights-of-way.
Every pest control business must have a primary principal licensed in the appropriate categories, and each additional business location a primary principal or location principal licensed in them. A primary principal needs at least 2 years of practical experience in pest control, or at least 16 credit hours in biological sciences (8 directly related to the categories sought) plus 6 or more months of practical experience.
Exams: principals pass a core exam, a Nevada laws and regulations exam and an exam for each category; operators pass a core exam and each category exam. The passing score is 70 percent on each principal exam and 65 percent on each operator exam. Nevada grants no license by reciprocity.
Fees and renewal: a business license costs $250 a year ($375 to renew one that has expired), each principal or operator license $50, and each initial exam $50 ($35 to retake). All pest control licenses expire on December 31 and must be renewed every year, after at least six units of accredited continuing education in the preceding 12 months (for a principal, at least one unit on pesticide laws and regulations).
Insurance: public liability and property damage insurance covering chemicals, chemical drift and equipment, of at least $50,000 per occurrence and $100,000 aggregate for bodily injury and the same for property damage when using ground equipment. The insurer must give the Director written notice at least 10 days before changing or cancelling it, and the licenses are suspended automatically while it is cancelled.
Carry the license on your person or in the service vehicle and show it on request. The primary principal or location principal notifies the Director within 15 days of a change in the status or authority of a licensed person or in the business license application.
Service vehicles show the business name and license number on both sides in letters at least 2 inches high in a contrasting color, and carry protective clothing, absorbent material for a spill of more than 1 gallon, storage for contaminated materials, potable water for washing skin, and a complete label (or immediate electronic access to it) for each pesticide in the vehicle.
Restricted use: no one may use a restricted-use pesticide without a certificate unless working under the supervision of a certified or authorized applicator; a licensed commercial applicator may use or supervise restricted-use pesticides as an authorized commercial applicator after passing the Director’s written examination.
Neonicotinoids: a person may not buy or use neonicotinoid pesticides (such as imidacloprid, clothianidin, dinotefuran or thiamethoxam) on plants in Nevada except for commercial agricultural purposes.

A person applying pesticides for hire may apply only in the categories they are licensed or registered in; anyone else must be under the immediate supervision (present and responsible) of a licensed person qualified in that category. An unlicensed or unregistered person working under immediate supervision may not prepare, distribute, appear on or sign invoices, estimates or bids, the required records and reports, or pest control contracts.

Applicator trainees: the trainee regulation, LCB File No. R127-23, has been in force since December 18, 2025, although the online NAC chapters do not yet show its text. A person may register as an applicator trainee only once, in one of the Limited landscape, Industrial and institutional or Weeds categories, and the certificate expires 90 days after it is issued. The Department says the business must register each trainee, give pesticide safety training and keep a record of it, provide equipment, protective equipment, labels and site-specific instructions, and assign a supervising applicator reachable by phone or other means; there is no registration fee. The supervising applicator keeps records of the training given to each trainee before the trainee does any pest control. A trainee applies restricted-use pesticides only with a supervisor physically present.

Sources: Chapter 555 of NRS, Control of Insects, Pests and Noxious Weeds (full chapter; NRS 555.2605–555.470 custom application of pesticides), Chapter 555 of NAC, Control of Insects, Pests and Noxious Weeds (full chapter; NAC 555.250–555.530 custom application, 555.600–555.710 restricted-use pesticides; revised 8-24), NDA: Who must have a pest control license?, NDA: Getting Licensed (Obtaining a Pest Control Business License), NDA: Pest Control Applicator Fields and Categories, NDA: Applicator Trainee Registration, NDA: Applicator Trainee – Frequently Asked Questions, NDA: Applicator Trainee – Training Record, NDA: Frequently Asked Questions, Division of Plant Health and Compliance – Pest Control, NDA: General Pesticide Continuing Education Information, LCB File No. R127-23, Approved Regulation of the Director of the State Department of Agriculture ("Filed December 18, 2025"), Nevada Register, 2023 numerical index (R127-23A adopted 12/08/25; R127-23AP "Approved by Legislative Commission 12/18/25"), Chapter 233B of NRS, Nevada Administrative Procedure Act (NRS 233B.070, effective date of permanent regulations), Chapter 586 of NRS, Nevada Pesticides Act (full chapter), Chapter 586 of NAC, Pesticides (full chapter; revised 8-26)

What to record for each application

Under NAC 555.410, every person applying pesticides for hire keeps accurate and legible records of each property treated; the rule covers general-use as well as restricted-use pesticides. In the urban, rural and structural field each record holds:

The date of the treatment, recommendation or identification of pests
The address where the treatment was done
The full name of the applicator or applicator trainee
The site treated (for example the yard or area around the structure); for a spot treatment, the words “spot treatment” followed by a description of the area and the spots treated
The brand name or generic name of the pesticide and its EPA registration number
The total amount of diluted pesticide and the concentration applied
For Limited landscape and Weeds treatments: the temperature at the start and finish, the wind velocity and direction at the start and finish, the area of turf or ground treated, and the purpose of the application

A spot treatment is a general-use pesticide put on spots covering no more than one-tenth of the treatable area, with no outdoor spot larger than 4 square feet.

For each restricted-use pesticide, the authorized commercial applicator also keeps the name and address of the person for whom it was applied, the address or location, the size of the area, the brand or product name and EPA registration number, the site (or “spot treatment” with a description), the total amount of concentrated and diluted pesticide, the time and date, and the full name and license or certificate number of the applicator who made or supervised the application plus the full name of any uncertified person who applied it.

Spills of more than 1 gallon of liquid or 4 pounds dry weight of unmixed pesticide that is harmful to people, wildlife, domestic animals or crops (for restricted-use applicators, of any pesticide) are reported to the Department by telephone within 24 hours, and apparent pesticide poisonings needing medical treatment within 48 hours. Each business license renewal includes a report of every pesticide applied in the preceding 12 months, with its brand name, EPA registration number and whether it is restricted use. Monthly reports go to the Department only from businesses licensed in the aerial or agricultural ground fields, not the urban field that covers lawn work.

Applicators must use only measuring devices calibrated to the smallest unit measured, keep a uniform mixture, and apply only when weather, pest and crop conditions are right for the pest being treated.

Sources: Chapter 555 of NAC, Control of Insects, Pests and Noxious Weeds (full chapter; NAC 555.250–555.530 custom application, 555.600–555.710 restricted-use pesticides; revised 8-24), LCB File No. R127-23, Approved Regulation of the Director of the State Department of Agriculture ("Filed December 18, 2025")

How long to keep records and who can ask for them

Keep application records, general use and restricted use, for 2 years.
Submit to the Director any reports or records the Director requests.
A business location is an area from which pest control is conducted and where the books and other records of the pest control operations are kept.
The Director may investigate loss or damage from a pesticide application; a verified complaint must be filed within 60 days after the loss or damage becomes known, and the complainant gets the investigation report.

Sources: Chapter 555 of NAC, Control of Insects, Pests and Noxious Weeds (full chapter; NAC 555.250–555.530 custom application, 555.600–555.710 restricted-use pesticides; revised 8-24), Chapter 555 of NRS, Control of Insects, Pests and Noxious Weeds (full chapter; NRS 555.2605–555.470 custom application of pesticides)

Customer notice, posting and lawn signs

Chapters 555 and 586 of NRS and NAC contain no lawn sign, posting, customer notice, prior notification registry or neighbor notice requirement for turf or ornamental applications; the posting rules found are for fumigation and termite pretreatment. Label-required posting still applies.

Before applying a pesticide known to be harmful to people or animals (other than bees), give notice a reasonable time ahead to the owner of any animals known to be on the property, or on property where the pesticide is likely to drift in harmful amounts, so the owner can protect them. Rodenticides go out of reach of children and pets or in a tamper-resistant bait station marked with the business’s name, address and phone, the product name, EPA number, active ingredient and signal word. Notice to beekeepers 24 to 72 hours ahead applies only to commercially grown agricultural or horticultural crops, not to lawns.

Fertilizer rules

Each brand and grade of commercial fertilizer must be registered with the Department before it is sold or distributed in Nevada, at $80 per brand and grade, and registrations expire December 31. Fertilizers not used for agricultural purposes are exempt from the tonnage fee and reporting, and the Department reads “agricultural” to include horticultural uses such as the maintenance of lawns or turf. Ammonium nitrate of 23 percent nitrogen or more and anhydrous ammonia, sold as single nutrients, are restricted-use fertilizers whose sellers register and keep sales records for 2 years.

The fertilizer law sets no applicator license, application record, nitrogen or phosphorus limit, blackout dates or setbacks for lawn fertilizer.

Sources: Chapter 588 of NRS, Commercial Fertilizers and Agricultural Minerals (full chapter), Chapter 588 of NAC, Commercial Fertilizers and Agricultural Minerals (full chapter)

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

Nevada record items and GroundsQuote’s chemical application record
Nevada asks for	In GroundsQuote	Status
Date of treatment	Date and time applied	Recorded
Address where the treatment was done	Address, city, state, ZIP and county	Recorded
Full name of the applicator or applicator trainee	Applied by: everyone who applied it, with each person’s standing (certified, trained, not certified or registered)	Recorded
Site treated; “spot treatment” with a description of the area and spots	Where on the property, required on Nevada jobs; there is no spot treatment option, so the crew types “spot treatment” and the description	Partly
Brand or generic name of the pesticide	Product name, from the chemical’s setup	Recorded
EPA registration number	EPA Reg. No., from the chemical’s setup	Recorded
Total amount of diluted pesticide	Water or carrier and gallons of mix applied, set on the job; required on Nevada jobs	Recorded
Concentration applied	Mix ratio, required on Nevada jobs, and the use dilution (%), offered	Recorded
Temperature at the start and finish (Limited landscape, Weeds)	The nearest weather station’s reading at the job’s start and finish; an on-site temperature can be entered	Recorded
Wind velocity and direction at the start and finish (Limited landscape, Weeds)	The nearest weather station’s wind speed and direction at the job’s start and finish; the crew can enter the wind they measured on site	Recorded
Area of turf or ground treated	Area treated in sq ft	Recorded
Purpose of the application	Target pest, set for each chemical on the job	Recorded
Restricted use: name and address of the person for whom it was applied	Customer name and mailing address	Recorded
Restricted use: size of the treated area	Area treated in sq ft	Recorded
Restricted use: total amount of concentrated and diluted pesticide	Total product used and gallons of mix applied	Recorded
Restricted use: time and date of the application	Date, the job’s start and finish, and each chemical’s own start and finish (offered on Nevada jobs)	Recorded
Restricted use: name and license or certificate number of the applicator who made or supervised it, and the name of any uncertified person who applied it	Applied by and Supervised by (offered on Nevada jobs), with license numbers when license-keeping is switched on, and others on the job	Recorded
Records kept 2 years	Records are kept, and corrections are saved as history	Recorded

The records export lays out Nevada’s items for the state, and Finish job asks for the site, mix ratio and gallons of mix on Nevada jobs; for a spot treatment, type “spot treatment” and describe the spots in the site. GroundsQuote does not flag neonicotinoids on Nevada properties, report spills or poisonings, file the yearly pesticide report with the license renewal, track trainee registration or the 90 days, prompt for notice to animal owners, or check who signs invoices and records; licensing, continuing education, insurance notices, vehicle markings and labels in the vehicle stay with the business.

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 Nevada 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. NAC 555.410 requires every person applying pesticides for hire to keep accurate and legible records of each property treated for 2 years, general use as well as restricted use. Restricted-use pesticides add the customer’s name and address, the time, and the license or certificate number of whoever made or supervised the application.

When do I record the temperature and wind?

For treatments in the Limited landscape and Weeds categories, the record holds the temperature and the wind velocity and direction at both the start and the finish of the treatment, along with the area of turf or ground treated and the purpose.

Which licenses does a lawn care company need?

A business license from the Department, a primary principal licensed in the appropriate categories, and applicator licenses for those applying for hire. Lawn work falls under the Limited landscape category (insects, diseases and plant regulators on turf and ornamentals) and the Weeds category (weed control in landscapes and turf). Nevada grants no license by reciprocity.

Can a new employee apply pesticides before getting licensed?

Yes, as a registered applicator trainee under LCB File No. R127-23, in force since December 18, 2025. A person may register only once, in the Limited landscape, Industrial and institutional or Weeds category, and the certificate expires 90 days after it is issued. The business trains the trainee and keeps a record of the training, and restricted-use pesticides need a supervisor physically present.

Do I need lawn signs or to notify customers in Nevada?

Nevada’s pesticide laws and rules have no lawn sign, posting, customer notice or neighbor notice requirement for turf or ornamental applications. Before applying a pesticide known to be harmful to people or animals, give notice a reasonable time ahead to the owner of animals known to be on the property or where it is likely to drift. Label-required posting still applies.

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

No. The fertilizer law covers registration of each brand and grade, labeling, tonnage fees and restricted-use fertilizer sales, and sets no applicator license, application record, nitrogen or phosphorus limit, blackout dates or setbacks for lawn fertilizer.