Virginia pesticide and fertilizer record rules for lawn care companies

Last reviewed October 10, 2026 · 7 min read

The short answer

In Virginia, a pesticide business must record every pesticide it applies, general use as well as restricted use: the customer’s name, address and phone, who applied it and their certification number, the date, what was treated and for which pests, the area, the product name and EPA number, the amounts of concentrate and diluent in the mix, and the equipment. Keep those records 2 years. Fertilizing lawns for hire needs a VDACS contractor-applicator permit and a certified fertilizer applicator, a separate record of each application (including the weather at the start) kept at least 3 years, and an annual report by February 1 once you treat more than 50 acres a year.

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

Who regulates lawn care applicators

Pesticide rules are adopted by the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services and carried out by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS). Its Office of Pesticide Services certifies applicators, licenses pesticide businesses, inspects pesticide use and investigates misuse complaints. The Board’s authority over pesticides is exclusive and cannot be handed to a locality.

The old Pesticide Control Board is abolished, and its rules were renumbered into Title 2, Agency 5 (the applicator certification rules, for example, are now 2VAC5-685).

Fertilizer applied by lawn care businesses is also regulated by VDACS (Office of Plant Industry Services), under the Virginia Fertilizer Law and 2VAC5-405.

Sources: VDACS: Pesticides (Office of Pesticide Services), 2VAC5-680 Regulations Governing Licensing of Pesticide Businesses, 2VAC5-685 Regulations Governing Pesticide Applicator Certification, Code of Virginia § 3.2-3907 Exclusive authority to regulate, Code of Virginia § 3.2-3602.1 Application of regulated products to nonagricultural property, 2VAC5-405 Regulations for the Application of Fertilizer to Nonagricultural Lands

Licenses you need

Pesticide business license: needed by anyone who, for pay, applies or recommends pesticides, for each business location. Commercial application also needs a certified commercial applicator on staff who is responsible for safe application. The applicant (or a designated employee) must pass a written exam unless already a certified commercial applicator. Licenses expire at midnight on March 31 each year, with a 20% penalty for late renewal. VDACS asks for a certificate of insurance of at least $100,000 property damage, $100,000 per person for injury or death and $300,000 per occurrence.
The business license does not replace individual certification: no one may use or supervise the use of a pesticide for pay without being certified as a commercial applicator or a registered technician.
Commercial applicator: lawn care is Category 3, Ornamental and turf pest control, whose turf subcategory covers residential lawns. It takes a year as a registered technician (or a year of equivalent education, training or experience), approved training and passing the exams.
Registered technician: at least 20 hours of on-the-job training under the direct on-site supervision of a certified commercial applicator plus at least 20 hours of approved training, and the exam within 90 days of being hired or moved into pesticide work. Technicians are certified in Category 60 and may apply general use pesticides; restricted use pesticides only under the direct supervision of a certified commercial applicator.
Renewal: commercial applicators and registered technicians renew every two years after an approved recertification course (or reexamination); more than 60 days past expiration means reexamination. VDACS says certificates expire on June 30 and there is currently no renewal fee.
Fertilizer: anyone paid to apply fertilizer (other than a fertilizer distributor licensee or its agent) needs a VDACS contractor-applicator permit, $50 a year for each location that applies; employees of a permit holder do not need their own. The business must also employ or retain a certified fertilizer applicator, certified for four years after approved training, with at least two hours of continuing education every two years.
Fertilizer crews: applicators who have completed individual applicator training may work under a certified fertilizer applicator who need not be on site; untrained applicators only under the direct on-site supervision of one.

Sources: 2VAC5-680 Regulations Governing Licensing of Pesticide Businesses, Code of Virginia § 3.2-3924 Annual business license required, VDACS: Pesticide Business License, Code of Virginia § 3.2-3930 Certification of commercial applicators, 2VAC5-685 Regulations Governing Pesticide Applicator Certification, Code of Virginia § 3.2-3900 Definitions (Pesticide Control Act), VDACS: Pesticides (Office of Pesticide Services), Code of Virginia § 3.2-3608 Contractor-applicator permit, VDACS: Certified Fertilizer Applicator (CFA) Program, 2VAC5-405 Regulations for the Application of Fertilizer to Nonagricultural Lands

What to record for each application

2VAC5-680 requires a pesticide business to keep a record of each pesticide applied, general use and restricted use alike, with these items:

Name, address and telephone number of the customer, and the address or location of the application site if different
Name and certification number of the person making the application (or the certification number of the supervising certified applicator)
Day, month and year of application
Type of plants or sites treated and the principal pests to be controlled
Acreage, area or number of plants treated
Brand, trademark or product name on the label
EPA registration number
Amount of pesticide concentrate and amount of diluent used, by weight or volume, in the mixture applied
Type of application equipment used

Anyone holding these records must also follow the federal records provision of FIFRA (7 USC § 136f) and its regulations.

Fertilizer has its own record under 2VAC5-405-100 for each application to nonagricultural land:

Name, mailing address and telephone number of the customer, and the application site address if different
Name of the person making or supervising the application
Day, month and year of application
Weather conditions at the start of the application
Acreage, area, square footage or plants treated
Analysis of the fertilizer applied
Amount of fertilizer used, by weight or volume
Type of application equipment used

Sources: 2VAC5-680 Regulations Governing Licensing of Pesticide Businesses, 2VAC5-405 Regulations for the Application of Fertilizer to Nonagricultural Lands

How long to keep records and who can ask for them

Pesticide records: 2 years. They must be available for inspection by VDACS during normal business hours on written request; records not readily available must be sent within 72 hours if requested in writing, and may be sent electronically as VDACS specifies. Failing to submit a requested record is a ground for license revocation.
Fertilizer application records: at least 3 years, available for inspection by VDACS.
Fertilizer annual report: a business applying lawn fertilizer and lawn maintenance fertilizer to more than 50 acres of nonagricultural land in total a year must report, by February 1, the acreage or square footage treated by ZIP code in the previous calendar year.
Fertilizer training records: for each trained applicator, their name, who gave the training, the type of training and the date completed, kept while they apply fertilizer for you and for three years after they leave.
Not keeping fertilizer records or not filing the annual report brings a warning the first time, then $250, $500 and $1,000 for later offenses within five years.

Sources: 2VAC5-680 Regulations Governing Licensing of Pesticide Businesses, VDACS: Pesticide Business License, Code of Virginia § 3.2-3926 Records, 2VAC5-405 Regulations for the Application of Fertilizer to Nonagricultural Lands, Code of Virginia § 3.2-3602.1 Application of regulated products to nonagricultural property, VDACS: Certified Fertilizer Applicator (CFA) Program

Customer notice, posting and lawn signs

VDACS states there are no pesticide notification requirements in the Virginia Pesticide Control Act or the regulations adopted under it.

Other Virginia laws put a 48-hour posting duty on property owners and managers, not on the pesticide business:

Condominium unit owners’ associations and real estate cooperative associations must post conspicuous signs on the common elements where pesticide will be applied at least 48 hours before the application.
Property owners’ associations must post conspicuous signs on the common areas at least 48 hours before the application.
Residential landlords must post conspicuous signs at least 48 hours before applying pesticide in areas other than dwelling units, and give a tenant written notice at least 48 hours before applying in their unit, unless the tenant agrees to a shorter period or asked for the application.

VDACS says these association and landlord laws are not administered by the Office of Pesticide Services; questions about them go to the association or management company responsible for the common areas.

Sources: VDACS: Virginia Pesticide Laws & Regulations, Code of Virginia § 55.1-1223 (with §§ 55.1-1957, 55.1-2139 and 55.1-1818) Pesticide notice by landlords and associations

Fertilizer rules

Fertilizer must be applied at rates, times and methods consistent with the state’s nutrient management standards. Those are DCR’s Virginia Nutrient Management Standards and Criteria (revised July 2014), adopted through the Soil and Water Conservation Board’s rule. Applying lawn fertilizer or lawn maintenance fertilizer in a way inconsistent with them draws the same warning, then $250, $500 and $1,000 penalties. The turf section says:

Recommended nitrogen season for cool-season grass: from six weeks before the average last spring killing frost to six weeks after the average first fall killing frost. Outside it (late fall and winter), avoid nitrogen and, where necessary, apply no more than 0.5 lb water-soluble nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft within 30 days.
Non-overseeded warm-season grass: the nitrogen season begins no earlier than the average last spring killing frost and ends no later than one month before the average first fall killing frost.
Do not apply nitrogen or phosphorus fertilizers when the ground is frozen.
Per application: no more than 0.7 lb water-soluble nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft within 30 days, and no more than 0.9 lb total nitrogen (cool-season) or 1.0 lb (warm-season) per 1,000 sq ft within 30 days.
Per year on home lawns and commercial turf: up to 3.5 lb nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft for cool-season grass and up to 4 lb for warm-season grass, using 100% water-soluble sources.
A slow-release product whose label guarantees no more than 0.7 lb N per 1,000 sq ft released in 30 days may go down at up to 2.5 lb N per 1,000 sq ft in one application, but the year’s total must then stay within 80% of the annual rate.
Phosphate and potash on established turf are applied as a soil test shows is needed (none at a “very high” soil test level).
Do not apply fertilizers containing nitrogen or phosphorus to sidewalks, streets or other impervious surfaces; sweep up or blow back any granules that land there.

Lawn maintenance fertilizer containing any phosphorus may not be sold or used in Virginia. That does not cover “lawn fertilizer”: new turf in its first growing season, turf being repaired or renovated, or turf where a soil test within three years shows a deficiency.

A contractor-applicator must guarantee to the customer that it and its employees follow the Fertilizer Law and the Board’s rules, including delivering the fertilizer grade shown on the customer’s invoice. Contractor-applicators who follow the Board’s rules are not subject to local ordinances on lawn fertilizer use.

Sources: 2VAC5-405 Regulations for the Application of Fertilizer to Nonagricultural Lands, DCR: Virginia Nutrient Management Standards and Criteria, revised July 2014 (PDF), 4VAC50-85-140 Required nutrient management plan procedures, Code of Virginia § 3.2-3607 Product registration and label requirements, Code of Virginia § 3.2-3600 Definitions (Fertilizer), Code of Virginia § 3.2-3608 Contractor-applicator permit, Code of Virginia § 3.2-3602.1 Application of regulated products to nonagricultural property, Code of Virginia § 3.2-3602 Local government regulation of fertilizer

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

Virginia record items and GroundsQuote’s chemical application record
Virginia asks for	In GroundsQuote	Status
Customer name, address and phone; site address if different	Customer, phone, mailing address (when it is not the property) and the property’s address, city, state, ZIP and county	Recorded
Name and certification number of the person applying	Applied by: everyone riding with the crew that day starts checked, and the crew unchecks anyone who did not apply it, with their license number when license-keeping is switched on in settings	Recorded
Date of application	Date applied	Recorded
Plants or sites treated and the principal pests	Where on the property (front lawn, beds, fence line… or a description), set on the job, the service and the target pest	Recorded
Area treated	Area treated (sq ft)	Recorded
Brand or product name	Product name, from the chemical’s setup	Recorded
EPA registration number	EPA Reg. No., from the chemical’s setup	Recorded
Amount of concentrate and amount of diluent in the mix	Total product used, the mix ratio and the water or carrier in gallons, set on the job; both required on Virginia jobs for a product mixed with water	Recorded
Type of application equipment	Equipment used, set on the job (it starts from the chemical’s setup)	Recorded
Fertilizer: customer name, mailing address and phone; site address	Customer, phone, mailing address and the property’s address	Recorded
Fertilizer: person making or supervising the application	Applied by and Supervised by, set on the job	Recorded
Fertilizer: date of application	Date applied	Recorded
Fertilizer: weather conditions at the start	Weather at start from the nearest weather station (temperature, humidity, wind, gusts, rain in the last hour, conditions), and the conditions on site when the crew confirms or measures them	Recorded
Fertilizer: area treated	Area treated (sq ft)	Recorded
Fertilizer: analysis	Analysis (N-P-K), from the chemical’s setup	Recorded
Fertilizer: amount used	Total used	Recorded
Fertilizer: type of application equipment	Equipment used, set on the job (it starts from the chemical’s setup)	Recorded

Keep fertilizer training records for each trained applicator with their training and ID records, and file the fertilizer annual report yourself.

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), 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, 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, with each one’s standing (certified, registered technician, trained, not certified or registered), license 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, N-P-K and slow-release %, formulation, restricted-use flag, signal word, re-entry interval, and a copy of the label on file
Amounts:: Rate applied (per area), area treated in sq ft, total product used, mix ratio, water or carrier, gallons of mix applied, lb of N and P per 1,000 sq ft
Job:: Target pest and the equipment used (both set on the job), service and crew
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
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
Changes:: Corrections are saved as history; the earlier record is kept

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 Virginia sources, checked on October 10, 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.

Start your 30-day free trial

Chemical records are on the Pro and Business plans.

Questions

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

Both. 2VAC5-680 requires a pesticide business to keep a record of each pesticide applied, general use and restricted use alike.

Do I have to put up lawn signs or notify customers in Virginia?

VDACS states there are no pesticide notification requirements in the Pesticide Control Act or its regulations. Separate laws require condominium, cooperative and property owners’ associations and residential landlords to post signs 48 hours before pesticide is applied in common areas.

How long do I keep fertilizer application records?

At least three years, available for inspection by VDACS. Pesticide application records are kept two years.

Other states

Pesticide and fertilizer record rules by state →