Rhode Island pesticide and fertilizer record rules for lawn care companies

Last reviewed October 11, 2026 · 8 min read

The short answer

In Rhode Island, every commercial applicator keeps true and accurate records of their applications of general use, restricted use and state limited use pesticides: the brand or trade names, the formulation and the quantity used at each site, the total amount of dilution spray when listed on the label, the EPA registration number, the purpose, target pests and exact locations on the property, the date, and the customer’s name and address. Keep records at least two years from the date of application. When the application is finished, leave a detailed invoice and, for lawn care, a written notice at the property that includes the telephone number of the Department of Environmental Management, and post “Lawn Chemicals Applied” signs at the time of each application. The rules set no deadline for a commercial applicator to complete a record.

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

Who regulates lawn care applicators

Rhode Island’s Pesticide Control Act (R.I. Gen. Laws chapter 23-25) is administered by the director of the Department of Environmental Management (DEM). DEM’s Division of Agriculture & Resource Marketing carries out the state’s pesticide rules, 250-RICR-40-15-2 “Rules and Regulations Relating to Pesticides”. The current rule text took effect January 4, 2022, as a periodic refile with no change to the text; the earlier version dated from November 13, 2006.

DEM’s Pesticides unit certifies and licenses commercial pesticide applicators for all pesticides and certifies private applicators for restricted use or state limited use pesticides.

A violation of the Act can bring a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per offense, and DEM may bar a business or commercial applicator from providing pest control services to the state for up to five years for violations in mixing or applying pesticides. A knowing violation is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $25,000, up to 60 days in prison, or both. Refusing or neglecting to keep the required records, or making false records, invoices or reports, is a violation and grounds to deny, suspend or revoke a license or certificate.

Sources: R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-25-1 Short title; § 23-25-2 Enforcing official, 250-RICR-40-15-2 Rules and Regulations Relating to Pesticides (rule text, effective 01/04/2022), DEM: Pesticide Safety & IPM Training, R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-25-28 Penalties, R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-25-18 Unlawful acts and grounds for denial, suspension or revocation

Licenses you need

Commercial applicator license: anyone applying any pesticide other than a restricted use or state limited use pesticide as a commercial applicator needs one, unless applying on land owned or rented by the applicator or their employer. DEM says anyone who applies pesticides on other people’s property needs a commercial pesticide applicator’s license to apply general use (over the counter) pesticides.
Commercial applicator certificate: using or supervising the use of restricted use or state limited use pesticides as a commercial applicator requires a certificate in the right category, unless working under the direct supervision of an appropriately certified commercial applicator.
Category 3B, Custom Grounds: using or supervising the use of pesticides in the maintenance and production of ornamental shrubs, flowers and turf. Category 3A covers shade trees.
Getting a license: pass the core exam, provide an insurance certificate as proof of financial responsibility and a letter of employment from your employer, and pay the $30 licensing fee. The license fee is charged at issue and at each annual renewal, and a license expires on February 28.
Getting certified: pass the license (core) exam first and then a category exam for each category; DEM’s page lists a $30.11 fee to take each online exam. The certification fee is $45, charged at issue and at each annual renewal, and a certificate expires on January 31.
Late renewal: a commercial applicator who does not file a renewal before expiration loses the license 60 days after it expires, and must re-examine to get it back (within a year, the core exam; after a year, the training course and the core exam).
Recertification: every five years by re-examination or continuing education, 8 credit hours for a commercial license and 8 credit hours per category for commercial certification, one credit hour being 50 consecutive minutes. DEM does not track credits: keep the attendance sheets or certificates and send copies with the renewal in the recertification year.
Financial responsibility: a license applicant shows a $20,000 per job performance bond, or general liability insurance of at least $20,000 bodily injury each occurrence, $40,000 aggregate, and $25,000 property damage; a certification applicant a $50,000 per job performance bond, or insurance of at least $50,000 bodily injury each occurrence, $100,000 aggregate, and $50,000 property damage (both including completed operations and chemical or pollution liability). DEM says a licensed or certified employee does not need their own policy; the employer’s insurance certificate is enough.
Employees and supervision: an employee who as a condition of employment applies pesticides when a licensed or certified applicator is not physically present must hold their own commercial license or certification. No general use pesticide may be applied for hire by a non-certified or unlicensed applicator without the direct supervision of a certified or licensed commercial applicator, meaning on-site supervision by an applicator who is responsible for the application and can deal with emergencies. Where the label requires it, a certified applicator must be physically present.
Age and wallet card: no one under 18 may be licensed or certified or apply under direct supervision. A certified commercial applicator carries the wallet-size certification document whenever applying a general use, restricted use or state limited use pesticide.
Inspections: licensed and certified commercial applicators must cooperate with DEM requests to observe spraying, inspect equipment, inspect pesticide records and business premises, and take samples.

Tip: Since January 1, 2024, outdoor pesticides containing neonicotinoids are state limited use pesticides: sold only to certified applicators, applied only by or under the direct supervision of a certified applicator, and not applied to linden or basswood trees or to any plant in bloom. Products containing acetochlor, alachlor, cyanazine, metolachlor, simazine or DCPA (Dacthal) have been state limited use since September 1, 2006, and every applicator must report applications of them to DEM each year.

Sources: 250-RICR-40-15-2 Rules and Regulations Relating to Pesticides (rule text, effective 01/04/2022), R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-25-12 Licenses for commercial applicators, DEM: Agriculture – Frequently Asked Questions (Pesticides section), R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-25-13 Certification of commercial applicators, DEM: Pesticide Safety & IPM Training, R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-25-4 Definitions, R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-25-40 Neonicotinoids restricted

What to record for each application

Every commercial applicator must keep true and accurate records of their applications of general use, restricted use and state limited use pesticides (250-RICR-40-15-2 § 2.6(B)). Each record holds:

The brand names or trade names of the pesticides
The formulation used and the quantity of that formulation used at each site or property, and the total amount of the dilution spray applied of each pesticide product, when listed on the label
The EPA registration number of each pesticide product
The purposes for which the pesticides were applied, the target pests, and the exact locations on the property where they were applied; for spot treatments, the site (for example, lawn) and “spot treatment”
The month, day and year of the application
The consignee’s (customer’s) name and address

When an application is finished, the applicator must leave a detailed invoice at the property with the product name, EPA registration number and amount of each pesticide applied; the names of the certified or licensed people, and of anyone applying under their direct supervision, who took part in planning and making the application; the applicator’s certification or license number; and any post-application safety, environment or health instructions on the label for the end use product (which may also be given to the customer before the application).

The rules set no deadline for a commercial applicator to complete a record; the 14-day deadline for recording restricted use applications applies to certified private (farm) applicators. No application may be made with mechanically powered equipment when the wind will cause a hazardous chemical to drift beyond the target area, but the rules do not ask for weather to be recorded.

For the six ground-water chemicals (acetochlor, alachlor, cyanazine, metolachlor, simazine, DCPA), the yearly report to DEM gives the brand name, EPA registration number, total amount, purpose, target pests and exact location on the property, the name and address of the place, the specific area, any food crop, and the date.

Sources: 250-RICR-40-15-2 Rules and Regulations Relating to Pesticides (rule text, effective 01/04/2022), R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-25-23 Records

How long to keep records and who can ask for them

Keep application records for at least two years from the date of application.
Make records promptly available to the Director or a designee upon a reasonable demand; the statute requires a copy to be furnished immediately on a written request.
Make the written material required by the lawn care rule (pesticide lists, notices) readily available to DEM upon request.

Sources: 250-RICR-40-15-2 Rules and Regulations Relating to Pesticides (rule text, effective 01/04/2022), R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-25-23 Records

Customer notice, posting and lawn signs

The lawn care rule (§ 2.23) uses “homeowner” for the owner or occupant of a private single family residence or the manager of a multi-unit dwelling, and “applicator” for the individual or company providing the lawn care.

Before the first application: after entering into or renewing an agreement to treat lawn or turf pests, give the homeowner a written list of the pesticides that may be used, with each one’s common and most likely trade name and any post-application safety, environment or health instructions on the label, and tell them in writing that they may ask for a copy of the label, the material safety data sheet, or the EPA fact sheet (if available).
Neighbors: any contiguous neighbor of a property under a lawn care agreement may ask for notice 48 hours before each application. If notice by telephone, mail or in person cannot be given 48 hours ahead, leave written notice at the neighbor’s house after the application. Advance notice is not required for immediate service calls (customer complaints and lawn-threatening pests, not regularly scheduled treatments), but written notice must then be left at the requesting neighbor’s house afterwards.
After each application: leave written notice at the property with the product names and EPA registration numbers, a telephone number for the applicator or company, the telephone number of DEM, the names of the certified or licensed people and of those applying under their supervision who took part in planning and making the application, and the applicator’s certification or license number. The rule names no particular DEM line; DEM’s own pages give “General Information: 401-222-4700”.
Signs: at the time of each application, post signs at conspicuous points of access to the property, including the unobstructed abutting yard, walkways and paths, and tell the customer how to remove them.
Sign layout: at least 20 square inches (4 by 5 inches), on waterproof stock in dark letters on a white field, reading “Lawn Chemicals Applied” in letters at least 1/2 inch high, with the applicator or company name and phone number, the date of the application, and “Keep Posted for 48 Hours, or as specified by the label, if more than 48 hours” in letters no smaller than 1/4 inch.
Public recreation facilities (golf courses, playgrounds, athletic facilities, school grounds and parks): before each application the facility’s manager posts a notice stating that pesticides were applied, the date, a contact person and phone number, and the areas treated, and keeps it up for 48 hours after the application.

Schools and child care: only a licensed or certified commercial applicator may apply pesticide in or on the grounds of a school, and no application may be made there during regular school hours or planned activities. Restricted use and state limited use pesticides may not be applied in or around school property for preschool through grade 12 at any time without prior written approval from the school administration and DEM, except in emergencies such as stinging insects or poisonous plants. Schools give prior notice to registered parents and staff at least 24 hours before an application and keep a copy of each application record for five years. At pre-schools, child day care centers and day care homes, no application may be made in a building or on the grounds by anyone other than a certified or licensed commercial applicator during regular business hours, and parents or guardians must be given notice no later than 24 hours before any application.

Other rules on the job: no application within 400 feet of gravel packed wells used for public water supply or within 250 feet of other public supply wells unless DEM has approved the materials and methods; equipment that draws water from surface waters or potable water supplies needs an effective anti-siphon device approved by DEM; and a service container carries a label with the brand name, EPA registration number, active ingredients and percentage, the signal word, and the company’s name, address and phone number.

Sources: 250-RICR-40-15-2 Rules and Regulations Relating to Pesticides (rule text, effective 01/04/2022), 250-RICR-40-15-2, official final regulation PDF, DEM: Pesticide Safety & IPM Training, DEM: Agriculture – Frequently Asked Questions (Pesticides section), R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-25-37 Pesticide applications and notification at schools, R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-25-38 Pesticide applications and notification at pre-schools and child care centers

Fertilizer rules

Rhode Island’s Commercial Fertilizer Law (R.I. Gen. Laws chapter 2-7) is administered by the DEM director. Each brand and grade of commercial fertilizer must be registered by its manufacturer or labeler before it is distributed in the state, at $100 per brand or grade, and registrations expire December 31. Distributors pay a tonnage fee of 15 cents a ton and file an annual tonnage report for the year ending June 30, due by July 15.

Chapter 2-7 deals with registration, labels, tonnage, sampling, deficiencies and misbranding, and sets no fertilizer applicator license, application record, phosphorus or nitrogen limit, blackout dates or setbacks for lawns.

Source: R.I. Gen. Laws chapter 2-7, Commercial Fertilizer (§§ 2-7-1 to 2-7-20; index)

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

Rhode Island record items and GroundsQuote’s chemical application record
Rhode Island asks for	In GroundsQuote	Status
Brand or trade names of the pesticides	Product name, as entered in the chemical’s setup	Recorded
Formulation used	Formulation, from the chemical’s setup	Recorded
Quantity of the formulation used at each site or property	Total used, per chemical line (a line per site when needed)	Recorded
Total amount of dilution spray applied, when listed on the label	Water or carrier and gallons of mix applied, required on Rhode Island jobs at Finish job	Recorded
EPA registration number	EPA Reg. No., from the chemical’s setup	Recorded
Purpose and target pests	Target pest (editable on the job)	Recorded
Exact locations on the property; “spot treatment” for spot treatments	Where on the property (chips or a description such as “lawn – spot treatment”), required on Rhode Island jobs at Finish job	Recorded
Month, day and year of the application	Date and time applied	Recorded
Consignee’s name and address	Customer name and mailing address, with the property’s address	Recorded
Invoice left at the property: product, EPA number and amount applied	The application statement lists each product with its EPA number and amount; leaving it at the property is yours	Recorded
Invoice and notice: certified or licensed people and those under their supervision who planned and made the application	Applied by, Supervised by and the people who planned it, offered on Rhode Island jobs and printed on the statement	Recorded
Invoice and notice: the applicator’s certification or license number	License and certification numbers, when license-keeping is switched on	Recorded
Invoice: the label’s post-application safety, environment or health instructions	The label’s precautions and re-entry interval from the chemical’s setup, printed on the statement; only what you enter from the label	Partly
Notice: telephone number of the applicator or company	Business name, address and phone on the application statement	Recorded
Before the first application: a written list of the pesticides that may be used, with common and trade names and the label’s post-application instructions, and that the homeowner may ask for the label, safety data sheet or EPA fact sheet	Chemical notice emailed from the customer’s page, or to every Rhode Island customer at once from Chemicals & fertilizers, and logged with their chemical notices; print it for paper	Recorded
Notice: telephone number of DEM	A Rhode Island line on the application statement with DEM’s general number, 401-222-4700	Recorded
Lawn sign: “Lawn Chemicals Applied”, name, phone, date and the keep-posted line	GroundsQuote prints Rhode Island’s 4 by 5 inch sign, dark letters on white; posting it and telling the customer how to remove it are yours	Partly
Annual report of the six ground-water chemicals (metolachlor, DCPA, simazine…)	The yearly totals export by product; GroundsQuote has no state limited use flag and files nothing with DEM	Partly

The records export lays out Rhode Island’s items, the application statement carries DEM’s phone and GroundsQuote prints the state’s sign, but leaving the invoice and notice at the property, posting the signs and telling the customer how to remove them are yours. The pre-season list goes to the homeowner as a chemical notice by email (or printed): the chemicals with their common and trade names and the label’s instructions, and the sentence about asking for the label, safety data sheet or EPA fact sheet. GroundsQuote does not send the 48-hour neighbor notices (it logs requests and flags those jobs), mark state limited use products, file the yearly report, check well setbacks or school rules, or track licenses, insurance and recertification credits.

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 Rhode Island 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 their applications of general use, restricted use and state limited use pesticides, including the formulation, quantity at each site, EPA number, purpose, target pests, exact locations, date and the customer’s name and address.

How long do I keep records, and is there a deadline to write them?

Keep them at least two years from the date of application, and make them promptly available to DEM on a reasonable demand. The rules set no deadline for a commercial applicator to complete a record; the 14-day deadline applies to certified private (farm) applicators.

What do I leave at the property after a lawn application?

A detailed invoice (product name, EPA number and amount of each pesticide, the people who planned and made the application, the license or certification number and the label’s post-application instructions) and the lawn care written notice, which also gives your company’s phone number and the telephone number of DEM. DEM’s own pages give 401-222-4700 as its general number.

What does the Rhode Island lawn sign look like?

At least 20 square inches (4 by 5 inches), waterproof, dark letters on a white field, reading “Lawn Chemicals Applied” in letters at least 1/2 inch high, with the applicator or company name and phone number, the date of the application, and “Keep Posted for 48 Hours, or as specified by the label, if more than 48 hours” in letters no smaller than 1/4 inch. Post it at the time of each application at conspicuous points of access and tell the customer how to remove it.

Which license covers lawn work?

A commercial applicator license for general use pesticides ($30, expiring February 28), and a commercial certificate in Category 3B, Custom Grounds, to use or supervise restricted use or state limited use pesticides ($45, expiring January 31). Neonicotinoid products have been state limited use since January 1, 2024.

Does Rhode Island limit lawn fertilizer?

The Commercial Fertilizer Law (chapter 2-7) covers registration, labels, tonnage, sampling, deficiencies and misbranding, and sets no fertilizer applicator license, application record, phosphorus or nitrogen limit, blackout dates or setbacks for lawns.