§ 22-3404 — PESTICIDE AND CHEMIGATION APPLICATORS — CLASSIFICATION LICENSING REQUIREMENTS

(1) The director may classify pesticide applicator licenses issued under this act. Such classifications may include but are not limited to professional applicators, private applicators, and chemigation applicators. Separate licensing requirements and testing procedures may be utilized for each classification.
(2) Chemigation Applicators. Any user of a chemigation system must be at least eighteen (18) years of age and shall be certified for competency by the department.
(a) On the application to perform chemigation, the applicant must certify that the equipment and system he plans to use for chemigation meet department standards and provide other relevant information.
(b) Financial requirements and fees for chemigation certification shall be commensurate with state requirements for professional and private applicators.
(3) Professional Applicators. No person shall act as a professional applicator without first obtaining a professional applicator’s license issued by the department.
(a) Application for a license shall be on a form prescribed by the department and shall be accompanied by a fee as prescribed by rule;
(b) An applicant must be at least eighteen (18) years of age and must pass the department’s examination in order to demonstrate his knowledge of how to apply, use and handle pesticides or chemicals in areas relevant to the operations he intends to undertake, or proper equipment and methods for injecting chemicals through irrigation systems;
(c) Show proof of financial responsibility as prescribed by rule;
(d) An examination fee will be charged as prescribed by rule and an additional examination fee of five dollars ($5.00) shall be charged when an exam is requested at other than a regularly scheduled examination date; and
(e) If at any time a licensed professional applicator fails to maintain the financial responsibility required by paragraph (c) of this subsection, his license shall be automatically suspended until the department receives verification that he is in compliance with paragraph (c) of this subsection.
(4) Private Applicator. No person shall act as a private applicator without first obtaining a private applicator license issued by the department.
(a) Application for a license shall be on a form prescribed by the department;
(b) An applicant must be at least eighteen (18) years of age and must pass the department’s examination in order to demonstrate his knowledge of how to apply, use and handle pesticides or chemicals in areas relevant to the operations he intends to undertake or proper equipment and methods for injecting chemicals through irrigation systems; and
(c) An applicant must pay a license fee as prescribed by rule.
(5) If the director finds an applicant qualified for a professional, private, or chemigation applicator’s license, and if an applicant applying for a license to engage in the application of pesticides or chemicals has met all of the requirements of any applicable federal or state laws, regulations and rules, the director shall issue the license. The license or permit may restrict the applicant to the use of a certain type or types of equipment, pesticides or chemicals. If a license or permit is not issued as applied for, the department shall inform the applicant in writing of the reasons therefor.
(6) The director may by rule require professional applicators to maintain and furnish records forthwith pertaining to the application of pesticides and other relevant information as he may deem necessary.
(7) Licenses issued to dealers and professional, private, and chemigation applicators shall expire as designated by the director unless suspended or revoked as provided for in section 22-3409, Idaho Code.
(8) Exemptions:
(a) The following persons are exempt from subsections (3), (4), and (5) of this section:
(i) Any person applying pesticides other than restricted-use pesticides for himself or on an exchange of service basis, and who does not publicly hold himself out as a professional applicator;
(ii) Any person using hand-powered equipment to apply pesticides other than restricted-use pesticides to lawns, or to ornamental trees and shrubs and who employs two (2) or fewer persons in his business who apply pesticides and is not holding himself out as a professional applicator;
(iii) Any industry, governmental, university of Idaho research personnel and extension research personnel who apply pesticides other than restricted-use pesticides to experimental plots or to demonstrate the use of pesticides; and
(iv) Any veterinarian who applies pesticides as an integral part of his business and does not publicly hold himself out as a professional applicator.
(b) Federal, state, and other governmental agencies are exempt from the licensing fees provision of subsections (3) and (4) of this section.
(c) Professional applicators who do not apply pesticides may receive an exemption from the proof of financial responsibility required in subsection (3)(c) of this section, upon submitting a completed form prescribed by the department.

Legislative History

[22-3404, added 1976, ch. 190, sec. 2, p. 695; am. 1984, ch. 148, sec. 1, p. 347; am. 1987, ch. 104, sec. 1, p. 214; am. 1987, ch. 299, sec. 1, p. 635; am. 1993, ch. 54, sec. 2, p. 144; am. 1996, ch. 22, sec. 4, p. 49; am. 1997, ch. 15, sec. 1, p. 19; am. 1999, ch. 69, sec. 4, p. 184; am. 2000, ch. 159, sec. 1, p. 402; am. 2010, ch. 48, sec. 1, p. 87; am. 2024, ch. 52, sec. 2, p. 264; am. 2025, ch. 211, sec. 14, p. 980.]