Washington pesticide and fertilizer record rules for lawn care companies

Last reviewed October 11, 2026 · 8 min read

The short answer

In Washington, certified applicators keep a record of every pesticide application, general use and restricted use alike: the customer’s name and address, where it was applied, the date with start and stop times, the product name and EPA number, wind direction and speed and the temperature taken close to the site, the total amount, the rate and concentration, the site treated, the apparatus license plate number, the licensed applicator and everyone who applied it, the area treated and the firm’s name and address. Complete the record the same day and keep it 7 years. Residential landscape applications need a 4 by 5 inch marker at the usual point of entry for at least 24 hours. Washington bans phosphorus turf fertilizer except to establish or repair turf or when a soil test shows a deficiency.

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

Who regulates lawn care applicators

The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) regulates pesticide application under the Washington Pesticide Application Act, chapter 17.21 RCW. WSDA’s general pesticide rules, including recordkeeping, landscape markers and licensing, are chapter 16-228 WAC; the recordkeeping, licensing, supervision and apparatus sign sections were last amended effective January 1, 2026.

A “commercial pesticide applicator” is anyone who engages in the business of applying pesticides to the land of another. A “landscape application” is an application of any EPA-registered pesticide to exterior landscape areas around residential property, commercial properties such as apartments or shopping centers, parks, golf courses, schools including nursery schools and licensed day cares, and cemeteries.

A violation of the Act or its rules is a misdemeanor (a second offense within five years a gross misdemeanor), and WSDA may impose a civil penalty of up to $7,500 for each violation.

Sources: Chapter 17.21 RCW, Washington Pesticide Application Act, Chapter 16-228 WAC, General Pesticide Rules

Licenses you need

Commercial applicator license: it is unlawful to engage in the business of applying pesticides to the land of another without one. WSDA describes it as a joint company–individual license held by the person who makes the pesticide application decisions for the company. WSDA lists it at $250 a year plus $27 for each power application apparatus after the first.
Commercial operator license: every employee who applies pesticides manually or operates an apparatus needs one, unless they are themselves the licensed commercial applicator. WSDA lists it at $85 a year. The license fees include $7 per license for Washington State University’s pesticide safety education program.
Before someone applies under your license, submit their name to WSDA on the Department’s form; violations by employees may be treated as violations by the commercial applicator. Report changes to your license application, including the people applying under it and your apparatus, within 30 days.
Exams: a laws and safety exam plus an exam in every classification in which you operate, and the commercial applicator must be licensed in every classification the business operates. Lawn work falls mainly in “Insect and disease control” (ornamental, turf and right-of-way situations such as lawns, yards and gardens, including mosquito adulticides) and “Weed control” (ornamental and turf situations such as lawns, yards, gardens and parks). Insects, spiders, birds, rodents and animal pests around residences and commercial grounds are the separate “Pest control operator (PCO) – General” classification.
Applicants must be at least 18; the passing score is 70%, valid for licensing in the year of the exam and the following year. Exam fees are $25 per paper-based session and up to $65 per computer-based exam under the rule; WSDA’s pages currently list $58.
Insurance or bond: before the license is issued, file liability insurance of at least $50,000 public liability and $50,000 property damage (or $100,000 combined in one limit) with a deductible of no more than $5,000, or a surety bond of at least $50,000 for property damage and $50,000 for public liability, each separately. The license is automatically suspended when coverage falls below the minimum or lapses.
WSDA’s page says a commercial applicator also needs a business license from the Washington Department of Revenue.
Renewal: licenses expire on December 31 and renewals are due on or before January 1. A late renewal adds a $25 penalty for a commercial applicator and, per WSDA’s table, $78 for a commercial operator.
Recertification every five years, by retesting or by earning WSDA-approved credits: 40 credits per cycle with no more than 15 a year. WSDA says credits must be completed by 11:59 p.m. Pacific time on December 31 to count for that year, are reported by the course sponsor and cannot be carried over. New Certification & Training (C&T) requirements began January 1, 2026: each licensee takes the C&T course or quiz before the end of their cycle (by December 31, 2026 for a 2022–2026 cycle), some must take new exams, and all are expected to meet them by December 31, 2030.
Apparatus: every licensed apparatus must carry a WSDA license plate, and on landscape work any power application apparatus must show the name and telephone number of the applicator or its employer in letters at least 2 inches high in a contrasting color.
Restricted use pesticides: “direct supervision” means the certified applicator is physically present at the site, in voice and visual contact with the person applying. Before supervising a noncertified applicator, make sure they are qualified (usually trained in the last 12 months) and were instructed on their equipment in the last 12 months, give site- and pesticide-specific instructions, create or verify a record of their qualification (for training: printed name and signature, date, trainer, title and description) and have access to it at your principal place of business for two years.
Pesticides containing clopyralid labeled for lawns and turf are state restricted use pesticides sold only to certified applicators or their authorized agents; on golf courses, first notify grounds keeping staff in writing that clippings may not go to public composting.

Tip: Occasional grounds maintenance that is not a regular occupation is exempt from licensing only for home and garden products on residential grounds, and exempt persons may not use restricted use pesticides or advertise as pesticide applicators.

Sources: Chapter 17.21 RCW, Washington Pesticide Application Act, Chapter 16-228 WAC, General Pesticide Rules, WSDA: Commercial Applicators, WSDA: Commercial Operator, WSDA: Commercial Applicator License, WSDA: Pesticide and SPI License Renewal, WSDA: Recertification by Credit, WSDA: How to comply with the C&T Changes, WSDA Pesticide Applicator Bond form (PDF)

What to record for each application

Certified applicators, and anyone making landscape applications to commercial properties, golf courses, schools and day cares, or parks and cemeteries, keep a record of each application, general use and restricted use alike (WAC 16-228-1320). Each record holds:

The full name and full address of the person for whom the pesticide was applied
The address or exact location of the land where it was applied
The year, month and day, and the start and stop time of the application
The product name on the registered label and the EPA registration number, if any
The direction the wind is blowing from, its estimated speed in miles per hour, and the temperature in °F at the time of application, taken close to the application site (not needed for bait stations, applications inside structures, and drip or subsurface irrigation)
The total amount of pesticide applied (pounds, gallons, ounces, etc.)
The amount applied per acre, per 1,000 square feet or other measure; for residential ornamental applications, to the nearest ounce of product or nearest gallon of liquid spray per site
The concentration applied, for example product per 100 gallons of spray, gallons per acre of output, ppm or percent product in the tank mix
The specific crop or site the pesticide was applied to
The apparatus license plate number
The licensed applicator’s full name, certified applicator license number, complete address and telephone number, and the full name of each individual who made the application
The number of acres or other measure treated
For commercial applications, the full name and complete address of the commercial firm
PCO classification only: the pests to be controlled

WSDA’s Version 4 landscape record form also asks for each tank-mix adjuvant (marked “adjuvant”, with its state registration number), a state registration number for state-registered (for example 25(b)) products, the license numbers of the people applying, the gallons of mix applied per customer, the application method (air, ground, chemigation) and any WSDA permit number.

Records must be completed and available to WSDA the same day the pesticide is applied. WSDA assesses a $250 penalty for each failure to record the required information properly.

Sources: Chapter 17.21 RCW, Washington Pesticide Application Act, Chapter 16-228 WAC, General Pesticide Rules, WSDA: Pesticide Recordkeeping Requirements, WSDA Pesticide Application Record, Version 4: Commercial Landscape Applications (PDF)

How long to keep records and who can ask for them

Keep application records for 7 years from the date of application.
Records may be kept in any format that holds the required information. When WSDA asks for them they must be given on an appropriate Pesticide Application Record; WSDA may accept any paper or electronic form that holds every required item in a form and format it accepts, and its page says to use an official WSDA form or an approved version.
On written request, give the customer a record of each application to their land for the current season, with every required item.
Give copies on request to WSDA, the Department of Labor and Industries, the Department of Health, treating health care personnel, and an employee with an industrial insurance claim: immediately for treating health care personnel (by telephone if asked, with a copy within 24 hours) and within 72 hours for everyone else.
Where WSDA controls a restricted use pesticide’s use, it may require those records to be submitted routinely within 30 days of application.
On a written request for information on a landscape application, give the requester the name of each pesticide applied and a copy of its safety data sheet or a WSDA-approved fact sheet. Carry the safety data sheet for each pesticide being applied.

Sources: Chapter 17.21 RCW, Washington Pesticide Application Act, Chapter 16-228 WAC, General Pesticide Rules, WSDA: Pesticide Recordkeeping Requirements

Customer notice, posting and lawn signs

A certified applicator making a landscape application places a marker at the time of application:

Residential property: at the usual point of entry; for an isolated spot treatment, only at the spot; none in a fenced or otherwise isolated backyard.
Commercial properties such as apartments or shopping centers: in a conspicuous place at or near each site treated.
Golf courses: at the first and tenth tees or a central message board. Schools, nursery schools, day cares, parks and cemeteries: at each primary point of entry.
The marker is at least 4 by 5 inches, printed in colors contrasting with the background, with the headline “THIS LANDSCAPE HAS BEEN TREATED BY”, your company name and service mark, and the footer “FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL” with your telephone number.
It stays up at least 24 hours, or for the label’s restricted entry interval when that is longer, in which case you give the property owner or tenant the restricted entry times. The owner or tenant removes it.

WSDA keeps a Pesticide Sensitivity List of people whose sensitivity is certified by a Washington physician. Each listing names the person’s residence and the abutting properties, which form their notification area, and the list expires each December 31. WSDA sends it by January 1 and June 15 to certified applicators likely to make landscape applications, and you may ask for the people added since.

Before a landscape application in a listed person’s notification area, notify them in writing, in person or by telephone at least two hours ahead with the date and approximate time (at the time of application for an emergency service call). If you cannot reach them, leave a written notice at the residence; in an apartment or condominium you may ask the manager to notify them.

Public schools (kindergarten through high school) and licensed day care centers notify interested parents and staff at least 48 hours before applications and post signs; where a certified applicator treats school grounds, the applicator’s marker at each primary entry is the posting.

Sources: Chapter 17.21 RCW, Washington Pesticide Application Act, Chapter 16-228 WAC, General Pesticide Rules, WSDA: Pesticide Sensitivity List

Fertilizer rules

Since January 1, 2013 no one may apply turf fertilizer labeled as containing phosphorus to turf, except to establish or repair grass with seed or sod during the growing season it is established, or where a soil test no more than 36 months old shows the soil is deficient in plant-available phosphorus. Even then, it may never be applied when the ground is frozen or intentionally applied to an impervious surface.

“Turf” means closely mowed, managed grass on residential, commercial and public land, not pasture, sod farms, agricultural land or vegetable and flower gardens. Cities and counties may not adopt turf phosphorus ordinances less restrictive than the state law.

Chapter 15.54 RCW sets no fertilizer applicator license, no application record, no nitrogen rate limit and no posting rule for turf; its licenses cover distributing fertilizer (for example $50 a year per location for bulk distribution). WSDA’s fertilizer rules, chapter 16-200 WAC, likewise set no turf application, record or setback rule.

Sources: Chapter 15.54 RCW, Fertilizers, Minerals, and Limes, Chapter 16-200 WAC, Fertilizers, Minerals and Limes

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

Washington record items and GroundsQuote’s chemical application record
Washington asks for	In GroundsQuote	Status
Full name and full address of the person for whom applied	Customer name and mailing address	Recorded
Address or exact location of the land	Address, unit number (on the property), city, state, ZIP and county	Recorded
Year, month and day	Date applied	Recorded
Start and stop time	Each chemical’s own start and finish time, else the job’s start and finish times, recorded when the crew starts and finishes it (the office can correct them)	Recorded
Product name on the registered label	Product name, as entered in the chemical’s setup	Recorded
EPA registration number (and the state registration number for 25(b) products, form item)	EPA Reg. No. and state registration number, from the chemical’s setup	Recorded
Wind direction (from) and speed in mph, taken close to the site	The nearest weather station’s reading at the start and finish, which the crew confirms or replaces with what they measured on site; required on Washington jobs. A single direction and speed is kept, not a range	Recorded
Temperature in °F, taken close to the site	On-site temperature, confirmed or measured with the wind on Washington jobs	Recorded
Total amount of pesticide applied	Total used	Recorded
Amount per acre or 1,000 sq ft (residential ornamental: nearest ounce or gallon of spray per site)	Rate applied (per area), with water or carrier and gallons of mix applied, offered on Washington jobs	Recorded
Concentration (product per 100 gallons, percent in the tank mix…)	Mix ratio, required on Washington jobs, and use dilution (%)	Recorded
Pests to be controlled (PCO classification only)	Target pest (editable on the job)	Recorded
Specific crop or site	Where on the property (front lawn, beds, fence line… or a description), required on Washington jobs	Recorded
Apparatus license plate number	“Vehicle or sprayer license plate”, offered on Washington jobs, in the export’s “Apparatus license plate no.” column	Recorded
Licensed applicator’s full name, license number, address and phone	Your business name, address and phone in the export’s licensed applicator columns, the business license, and Supervised by with the supervisor’s license number when license-keeping is switched on; there is no field for the license holder’s own name, address and phone when they differ from the business’s	Partly
Full name of each individual who applied it (form: their license numbers)	Applied by: everyone riding with the crew that day starts checked, and the crew unchecks anyone who did not apply it, with each one’s license number when license-keeping is switched on	Recorded
Acres or other measure treated	Area treated (sq ft)	Recorded
Full name and complete address of the commercial firm	Your business name and address, columns of the records export and on the application statement	Recorded
Each adjuvant in the tank mix (form item)	One record per chemical: an adjuvant must be set up as its own chemical to appear on the record	Partly
Application method: air, ground, chemigation (form item)	Equipment used, set on the job; there is no separate method choice	Partly
WSDA permit number (form item)	Permit number, offered on Washington jobs	Recorded
Record completed the same day	Finish job saves the record when the job is finished	Recorded
Restricted use: noncertified applicator’s qualification record (name and signature, date, trainer, title and description)	Training and ID records for each person, with a copy of the signed paper; GroundsQuote does not check the 12-month window or collect a signature itself	Partly
Marker at the point of entry, 24 hours or the restricted entry interval	GroundsQuote prints Washington’s 4 by 5 inch marker with the headline and footer wording, your company name and phone, and the application statement shows the re-entry time; posting the marker and giving the owner or tenant the restricted entry times are yours	Partly
Notice at least two hours ahead to people on the Pesticide Sensitivity List	Not handled by GroundsQuote: check WSDA’s list and give the notice yourself; you can log a listing and the notices you gave on the customer’s page	Not recorded
Routine submission of restricted use records to WSDA within 30 days, where WSDA requires it	Not handled by GroundsQuote: export the records and send them yourself	Not recorded
License renewal and recertification credits	Not handled by GroundsQuote: GroundsQuote keeps license numbers, categories and expiry dates; renewals and credits are yours	Not recorded

The records export lays out Washington’s items in the state’s order, but WSDA must accept the form and format, and nothing has been submitted to WSDA for approval. Keep the WSDA apparatus plates themselves and the display signs, licensing, insurance or bond, employee names filed with WSDA and recertification credits outside GroundsQuote; it does not import the Pesticide Sensitivity List, check which properties abut a listed residence or send the two-hour notices, and it files nothing with the state. GroundsQuote also does not warn when phosphorus turf fertilizer is applied without a seeding or repair reason or a soil test under 36 months old.

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 Washington 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. Washington’s rule has certified applicators keep a record of each application, general use and restricted use alike, completed the same day and kept 7 years.

Can a weather station reading cover the wind and temperature?

The rule asks for wind direction (where it blows from), estimated speed and temperature taken close to the application site. On Washington jobs, GroundsQuote asks the crew to confirm the nearest station’s reading on site or enter the wind, direction and temperature they measured before the job can be finished.

Do I have to put up lawn signs in Washington?

Yes, for landscape applications by a certified applicator. On a residential property, place a marker of at least 4 by 5 inches at the usual point of entry at the time of application (only at the spot for an isolated spot treatment, none in a fenced backyard). It stays at least 24 hours, or the label’s restricted entry interval when longer.

What is the Pesticide Sensitivity List?

A WSDA list of people whose pesticide sensitivity is certified by a Washington physician. Before a landscape application to a listed person’s residence or an abutting property, notify them at least two hours ahead with the date and approximate time, or leave a written notice if you cannot reach them.

Does Washington limit phosphorus on lawns?

Yes. Turf fertilizer labeled as containing phosphorus may not go on turf except to establish or repair grass with seed or sod, or where a soil test no more than 36 months old shows a deficiency, and never on frozen ground or intentionally on hard surfaces. The fertilizer law sets no applicator license, records or nitrogen limit for turf.