New Mexico pesticide and fertilizer record rules for lawn care companies

Last reviewed October 11, 2026 · 8 min read

The short answer

In New Mexico, every commercial applicator keeps a record of the pesticides applied by them or by people under their direct supervision, general use as well as restricted use: the name of the person it was applied for, the target pest and the crop or site, the year, month, day and time, the brand or common name and EPA registration number, the wind direction, estimated wind velocity and temperature at the site, the concentration, the volume of use-dilution preparation applied (for ornamental and turf work), the location or city address, and the business’s name and address with the name of the individual who applied it. Complete the record and have it available to NMDA within 24 hours, and keep it two years. On written request, give the customer a record of each application to their land. We found no lawn sign or customer notice requirement for turf in New Mexico’s pesticide rules.

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

Who regulates lawn care applicators

The New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA), under New Mexico State University’s Board of Regents, regulates pesticide use through 21.17.50 NMAC, issued under the Pesticide Control Act, NMSA 1978 Sections 76-4-1 through 76-4-39. NMDA’s Pesticide Compliance staff certify and license people who apply pesticides and investigate suspected misuse.

The current rule, 21.17.50 NMAC, replaced the 1997 rule effective October 7, 2025, after the Regents adopted it on September 15, 2025. It applies to everyone regulated under the Pesticide Control Act, including commercial applicators, and to all activities relating to the distribution and use of pesticides.

Tip: NMDA has proposed further amendments to 21.17.50 NMAC (applicator examination requirements, enhanced dealer records, a minimum age of 18 for applicator licensees, new applicator categories and higher minimum insurance coverage), heard on August 4 and 6, 2026, with a proposed effective date of April 1, 2027. They would also add the license or certification number of the people making or supervising the application, the size of the area treated and the total volume of restricted-use pesticides to the records. These are proposals only and are not in effect.

Sources: 21.17.50 NMAC, Pesticides (current text, Rp effective 10/07/2025; SRCA compiled copy linked from NMDA’s statutes page), New Mexico Register, Volume XXXVI, Issue 19, October 7, 2025 (adoption of 21.17.50 NMAC, p. 1010 ff.), NMDA: 21.17.50 NMAC as published (PDF “New Rule”, Register Vol. XXXVI Issue 19), NMDA: Pesticide Compliance, NMDA: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (pesticide rules, hearings Aug. 4 and 6, 2026), NMDA: 21.17.50 NMAC proposed integrated amendments (2026), NMDA news release “NMDA to hold public hearings on proposed rule amendments” (July 20, 2026)

Licenses you need

A New Mexico pesticide license is needed to apply any pesticide, including general-use pesticides, for hire. A commercial applicator is anyone who applies pesticides for hire; a commercial operator/technician is an employee of a commercial applicator who applies pesticides.
Categories: lawn and landscape work falls in category 3A, ornamental and turf pest control with insecticides and fungicides, and category 3B, ornamental and turf pest control with herbicides. Commercial applicators must be certified in the categories they work in, and may apply only pesticides registered for use in New Mexico under their license categories, following the label’s directions, rates and precautions.
Restricted use: restricted-use pesticides may be applied only by licensed certified applicators or persons under their direct supervision. Anything the U.S. EPA classifies as restricted use is restricted use in New Mexico, and 2,4-D and 2,4-DB formulations labeled primarily for agronomic crops, range or pasture, rights-of-way, forest or non-croplands are state restricted-use; products labeled primarily for ornamental, turf or home garden plantings remain unrestricted.
Fees and expiration: commercial applicator and operator/technician licenses expire on January 31 following issuance. The annual commercial applicator license fee is $100 and the operator license fee $75.
Exams: most are given by a third-party testing vendor that charges $55 per exam; NMDA staff can give exams by arrangement for $20 per examination. A grade of 70 passes, and an applicant who has not completed all license requirements within 60 days starts over as a new applicant.
Training permit: a new employee of a licensed commercial applicator may work up to 60 calendar days under an operator/technician training permit, only while another commercial applicator or technician licensed in New Mexico for at least 6 months is present on the application site. The permit is issued at the commercial applicator’s request, cannot be extended, and the permittee must take the required examinations before it expires.
Recertification: commercial applicators are recertified every year, with at least four continuing education units (CEUs). No more than one CEU per certification period counts for product sales meetings, and at most one for approved in-house training. One CEU is one hour of approved instruction (at least 45 minutes of contact time), and the applicator returns all CEU cards to NMDA.
Changes: notify the director in writing within 10 days of any change in employment, ownership of the firm, the firm’s name, address or other application data, or licensed employees. Licenses cannot be transferred.
Vehicles: every service vehicle a commercial applicator uses must show the firm’s name and the commercial applicator’s license number on both sides, in bold letters and numerals at least 1-1/2 inches high on a contrasting background.
Equipment and storage: keep application equipment in good mechanical condition and calibrated; do not leave pesticide containers or portable equipment unattended on a service vehicle unless locked in or secured; label service containers with the active ingredient’s common name or the brand name; make decontaminated protective equipment available; and store pesticides and pesticide waste in enclosed, secured areas posted with warning signs in English and Spanish.

“Direct supervision” means verifiable instruction to a competent person: detailed guidance for applying the pesticide properly and provisions for contacting the certified applicator if needed, or the certified applicator’s physical presence when the label requires it.

Insurance: a commercial applicator license is not issued without proof of financial responsibility: a certificate of liability insurance signed by an authorized insurance representative, a certified copy of a liability policy, or a surety bond. For ground or manual application the minimum is $10,000 bodily injury each occurrence and $25,000 aggregate plus $25,000 property damage each occurrence, or a $50,000 single limit; a surety bond must be $100,000, and the deductible may be at most $1,000. The insurer must be authorized in New Mexico and notify the director in writing 10 days before any reduction or cancellation, and you may not apply pesticides the policy excludes.

Sources: NMDA: New Mexico Pesticide Licensing, NMDA: Pesticide Licensing Types, 21.17.50 NMAC, Pesticides (current text, Rp effective 10/07/2025; SRCA compiled copy linked from NMDA’s statutes page), NMDA: Certification Categories for Pesticide Applicators, 21.17.56 NMAC, Restricted-Use Pesticides, NMDA: Applying for a License, 21.17.53 NMAC, Continuing Education Units for Pesticide Applicators

What to record for each application

Under 21.17.50.10 NMAC, every commercial applicator keeps records of the pesticides applied by them or by people under their direct supervision. The rule covers all pesticides, not only restricted use. Each record gives:

The name of the person for whom the pesticide was applied
The target pest or pests and the crop or site
The year, month, day and time the pesticide was applied
The brand name or common name of the pesticide and its EPA registration number
The wind direction, the estimated wind velocity and the temperature at the application site at the time of application (except for baits in bait stations and applications in or immediately adjacent to structures)
The concentration of the pesticide applied, for example pounds, ounces or pints of formulation per gallon
For categories 1A, 1B, 2, 3A, 3B, 5, 6, 7D and 8, which include ornamental and turf work, the volume of use-dilution preparation applied
The location of the land or the city address where the pesticide was applied
All aircraft identification numbers, if applicable
The name and address of the business and the name of the individual who made the application

Source: 21.17.50 NMAC, Pesticides (current text, Rp effective 10/07/2025; SRCA compiled copy linked from NMDA’s statutes page)

How long to keep records and who can ask for them

Complete application records and have them available to NMDA within 24 hours after the pesticide is applied.
Keep them for two years from the date of application, and give NMDA a copy on written request.
On written request, give the customer a record of each pesticide application made to their land, with every item the rule requires.
Licensed certified applicators keep the restricted-use pesticide records for two years, plus any records the federal worker protection standard requires.

Sources: 21.17.50 NMAC, Pesticides (current text, Rp effective 10/07/2025; SRCA compiled copy linked from NMDA’s statutes page), 21.17.56 NMAC, Restricted-Use Pesticides

Customer notice, posting and lawn signs

We found no lawn sign, posting, customer notice or neighbor notice requirement for turf applications in 21.17.50, 21.17.53 or 21.17.56 NMAC. The posting rules we found are the English and Spanish warning signs on storage areas and the markings on bait boxes and watering stations (the business name, the pesticide’s name or active ingredients, the EPA registration number and the current phone number of the New Mexico poison control center in Albuquerque). Label-required posting still applies. We did not check city ordinances.

Public schools: on public school property, pesticides may be applied only by people certified in the applicable category and licensed by NMDA, or employees under their direct supervision. Liquids, aerosols or gases, including injections into the ground or plants, may not be applied when students, staff or visitors are present or may reasonably be expected within 6 hours. Pesticides are applied in or on the outside of buildings only when a pest is present, not on a regular or calendar basis unless treating an infestation as part of a pest management system (this does not cover pre-construction termite treatments or outdoor herbicides). Each school keeps a list of parents and guardians who want written notice, gives general notice of planned applications, posts signs after an emergency application and keeps written records for three years.

NMDA’s DriftWatch registry is a voluntary map of specialty crop fields, organic fields and apiaries that applicators can check; it is not for homeowner gardens.

Sources: 21.17.50 NMAC, Pesticides (current text, Rp effective 10/07/2025; SRCA compiled copy linked from NMDA’s statutes page), 6.29.1 NMAC, Standards for Excellence: General Provisions (Public Education Department; SRCA compiled HTML, 6.29.1.9 amended through 01/28/2025), NMDA: DriftWatch Specialty Crop Site Registry

Fertilizer rules

New Mexico’s fertilizer rule, 21.18.2 NMAC, issued under the New Mexico Fertilizer Act (NMSA 1978 Chapter 76, Article 11), applies to anyone distributing fertilizer or soil conditioner products and sets standards for their labeling and sale. A fertilizer label must give directions for use with an amount per unit area and a frequency per year, or refer the user to a trained soil specialist or the manufacturer for suitable rates. Products are registered by label at $5.00 per product, with an inspection fee of $0.35 per ton for products sold in packages over 5 pounds, or $10.00 a year per product sold in packages of 5 pounds or less. NMDA’s Feed, Seed and Fertilizer division checks labels and samples products.

We found no turf rules (phosphorus or nitrogen limits, blackout dates or setbacks) in 21.18.2 NMAC, but we could not read the Fertilizer Act itself, so we could not confirm whether a lawn care company that only applies fertilizer it bought needs a license.

Sources: 21.18.2 NMAC, Fertilizer Products, NMDA: Fertilizer/Soil Conditioner Registration, NMDA: Fertilizer and Soil Conditioners

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

New Mexico record items and GroundsQuote’s chemical application record
New Mexico asks for	In GroundsQuote	Status
Name of the person for whom the pesticide was applied	Customer name	Recorded
Target pest or pests	Target pest, set for each chemical on the job	Recorded
Crop or site	Where on the property (front lawn, beds, fence line… or a description), set on the job; required on New Mexico jobs	Recorded
Year, month, day and time applied	Date and time applied, from the job’s start and finish recorded when the crew starts and finishes it (the office can correct them)	Recorded
Brand name or common name of the pesticide	Product name, as entered in the chemical’s setup	Recorded
EPA registration number	EPA Reg. No., from the chemical’s setup	Recorded
Wind direction, estimated velocity and temperature at the site at the time	The nearest weather station’s reading at start and finish, and conditions on site, required on New Mexico jobs: the crew confirms the station’s reading or enters what they measured	Recorded
Concentration (pounds, ounces or pints of formulation per gallon)	Mix ratio, set on the job; required on New Mexico jobs	Recorded
Volume of use-dilution preparation applied (3A, 3B and the other listed categories)	Gallons of mix applied, set on the job; required on New Mexico jobs	Recorded
Location of the land or city address	Street address, unit, city, state, ZIP and county	Recorded
Aircraft identification numbers, if applicable	Not kept: GroundsQuote records no aerial work	Not recorded
Name and address of the business	Your business name, address and phone on every record	Recorded
Name of the individual who made the application	Applied by: everyone riding with the crew that day starts checked, and the crew unchecks anyone who did not apply it; Supervised by and trainees are offered on New Mexico jobs	Recorded
Record completed and available within 24 hours	Finish job saves the record when the job is finished and shows the deadline; the Schedule lists New Mexico chemical jobs finished without a record	Recorded
Kept two years from the date of application	Records are kept, with corrections saved as history	Recorded
Customer’s record of each application to their land, on written request	The application statement for each job (print, leave or email it); there is no report of a customer’s whole season, so export and filter the records yourself	Partly
Copy to NMDA on written request	Not handled by GroundsQuote: export the records file and send it yourself	Not recorded
60-day training permit with an applicator or technician licensed at least 6 months on the site	Finish job reminds you of the rule on New Mexico jobs; GroundsQuote does not check who is on the site or count the 60 days	Not recorded
License renewals, exams and four CEUs a year	Not handled by GroundsQuote: license numbers, categories and expiry can be kept, but CEUs are not tracked	Not recorded

Send NMDA copies on written request and give customers their records when they ask in writing yourself: GroundsQuote prints a statement per job but no season report. Outside GroundsQuote, keep the 10-day change notices, license renewals, CEU cards, proof of insurance or bond, vehicle markings, storage signs and any school scheduling (the 6-hour rule).

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 New Mexico 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. Every commercial applicator keeps records of the pesticides applied by them or by people under their direct supervision, and the rule covers all pesticides, not only restricted use.

How quickly must the record be done, and how long do I keep it?

Complete it and have it available to NMDA within 24 hours after the pesticide is applied, and keep it for two years from the date of application. NMDA must be given a copy on written request.

Can my customer ask for the records?

Yes. On written request, the customer must be given a record of each pesticide application made to their land, with every item the rule requires.

Can a new employee apply pesticides before getting licensed?

For up to 60 calendar days under an operator/technician training permit issued at the commercial applicator’s request, and only while another commercial applicator or technician licensed in New Mexico for at least 6 months is present on the application site. The permit cannot be extended.

Do I need lawn signs or to notify customers in New Mexico?

We found no lawn sign, posting or customer notice requirement for turf applications in New Mexico’s pesticide rules. Label-required posting still applies, and public schools have their own notice and posting rules.

Is the 2026 rule change in effect?

No. NMDA held hearings on August 4 and 6, 2026 on further amendments to 21.17.50 NMAC with a proposed effective date of April 1, 2027. They are proposals only.