Chapter ATCP 29

ATCP 29.25 ATCP 29.25 Individual commercial applicator; license.

ATCP 29.25(1) (1) License required. Except as provided under sub. (2), no individual may do any of the following without an annual license from the department:

ATCP 29.25(1)(a) (a) Use or direct the use of any pesticide as an independent contractor for hire, or as an employee of an independent contractor for hire.

ATCP 29.25(1)(b) (b) Use or direct the use of a restricted-use pesticide.

ATCP 29.25 Note Note: See s. 94.704, Stats. A license under this section entitles the license holder to engage only in those activities for which the license holder is also certified for competency under s. ATCP 29.26. An individual who is the sole proprietor of a pesticide application business must be licensed under s. ATCP 29.20 and this section.

ATCP 29.25(2) (2) Exemptions. No license is required under sub. (1) for any of the following:

ATCP 29.25(2)(a) (a) A health practitioner who uses or directs the use of a pesticide as part of a medical treatment which that practitioner is licensed to provide in this state.

ATCP 29.25(2)(b) (b) A veterinarian who uses or directs the use of a pesticide as part of a veterinary treatment which that veterinarian is licensed to provide in this state.

ATCP 29.25(2)(c) (c) A veterinary technician who uses a pesticide as part of a veterinary treatment which that technician is certified to provide under ch. 89, Stats.

ATCP 29.25(2)(d) (d) A laboratory researcher who uses or directs the use of pesticides only in the laboratory as part of a bona fide laboratory research project.

ATCP 29.25(2)(e) (e) An individual who only uses or directs the use of germicides, sanitizers, or disinfectants.

ATCP 29.25(2)(f) (f) An employee of a pesticide application business licensed under s. ATCP 29.20 who applies pesticides only to property owned or controlled by that pesticide application business, and who applies no restricted-use pesticides.

ATCP 29.25(2)(g) (g) An individual who is currently registered as a trainee under s. ATCP 29.32.

ATCP 29.25 Note Note: A trainee registration under s. ATCP 29.32 expires 30 days after the trainee’s employer files the registration with the department.

ATCP 29.25(2)(h) (h) An agricultural producer, except that an agricultural producer who does any of the following is not exempt:

ATCP 29.25(2)(h)1. 1. Uses or directs the use of pesticides for a person who is not an agricultural producer.

ATCP 29.25(2)(h)2. 2. Uses or directs the use of pesticides for another agricultural producer for a purpose other than the production of agricultural commodities, or for the purpose of producing pesticide-treated commercial seed or pesticide-treated commercial wood products.

ATCP 29.25(2)(h)3. 3. For compensation other than the exchange of goods or services, uses or directs the use of pesticides for more than 3 other agricultural producers in any calendar year.

ATCP 29.25(2)(h)4. 4. For compensation other than the exchange of goods or services, uses or directs the use of pesticides applied in any calendar year to a total of more than 500 acres of land which the agricultural producer does not own or control.

ATCP 29.25(3) (3) License conditions.

ATCP 29.25(3)(a) (a) A license under sub. (1) expires on December 31 annually and is not transferable between persons.

ATCP 29.25(3)(b) (b) An individual licensed under sub. (1) shall carry the license when engaged in any activity for which the license is required.

ATCP 29.25(3)(c) (c) The department may not issue a license under sub. (1) to an individual who is less than 16 years old.

ATCP 29.25(4) (4) License application. An applicant for a license under sub. (1) shall apply on a form provided by the department. An application shall include all of the following information, together with the fees required under sub. (5):

ATCP 29.25(4)(a) (a) The applicant’s complete name, mailing address, and street address.

ATCP 29.25(4)(b) (b) The applicant’s business name and address if the individual is engaged in business as a sole proprietor.

ATCP 29.25(4)(c) (c) The name and address of the person, if any, who employs the applicant to use or direct the use of pesticides.

ATCP 29.25(4)(d) (d) Any other information which the department reasonably requires to administer this section.

ATCP 29.25(5) (5) Fees.

ATCP 29.25(5)(a) (a) Except as provided under par. (b), an applicant for an annual license under sub. (1) shall pay an agricultural chemical cleanup surcharge of $10, except as provided in s. 94.73 (15), Stats.

ATCP 29.25(5)(b) (b) No fee or surcharge is required under par. (a) for an applicant who uses or directs the use of pesticides under sub. (1) only as a government employee or as an employee of a public or private educational institution.

ATCP 29.25(6) (6) Action on license application. The department shall grant or deny an application under sub. (4) within 30 business days after the department receives a complete application.

ATCP 29.25 History History: Cr. Register, May, 1998, No. 509, eff. 6-1-98; am. (5) (a) 1. and 2., Register, May, 2000, No. 533, eff. 6-1-00; CR 01-021: am. (5) (a) 2., Register October 2001 No. 550, eff. 11-1-01; CR 08-075: am. (5) (a) 2. Register April 2009 No. 640, eff. 5-1-09; CR 12-003: am. (2) (b), (c) Register May 2013 No. 689, eff. 6-1-13; CR 14-047: am. (5) (a) 1., 2. Register May 2015 No. 713, ef. 6-1-15; correction in (2) (c) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register October 2015 No. 718; CR 22-080: cons. (5) (a) (intro.) and (a) 2. and renum. to (5) (a) and am., r. (5) (a) 1. Register February 2024 No. 818, eff. 3-1-24.

ATCP 29.26 ATCP 29.26 Individual commercial applicator; certification.

ATCP 29.26(1) (1) Certification required. No individual may engage in any activity for which a license is required under s. ATCP 29.25 unless one of the following applies:

ATCP 29.26(1)(a) (a) The individual is certified under this section to engage in that activity as a commercial applicator.

ATCP 29.26(1)(b) (b) The individual is certified as a pesticide mixer and loader under s. ATCP 29.28, and is solely engaged in mixing and loading pesticides for application by others.

ATCP 29.26 Note Note: According to s. 94.715 (2) (dm), Stats., school boards must ensure that persons making pesticide applications to public school grounds are certified under s. 94.705, Stats.

ATCP 29.26(2) (2) Scope of certification. The department may certify an individual commercial applicator in one or more categories under s. ATCP 29.31. An individual certified in any category may do any of the following:

ATCP 29.26(2)(a) (a) Use or direct the use of pesticides in that category.

ATCP 29.26(2)(b) (b) Mix or load pesticides, for application by others, in all of the categories under s. ATCP 29.31.

ATCP 29.26(3) (3) Length of certification.

ATCP 29.26(3)(a) (a) An individual commercial applicator certification is valid for 5 years unless the department suspends or revokes the certification.

ATCP 29.26(3)(b) (b) The department may certify an individual commercial applicator in additional categories under s. ATCP 29.31 during that individual’s 5-year certification period. The additional certifications are valid for the remainder of the 5-year period, and expire simultaneously at the end of that period.

ATCP 29.26(3)(c) (c) The department may renew an individual commercial applicator certification for another 5 years if the individual again satisfies the requirements for certification.

ATCP 29.26(4) (4) Special application methods; supplementary certification. No individual commercial applicator may use aircraft, chemigation, or soil fumigation to apply pesticides in any category under s. ATCP 29.31 for which that individual is certified unless that individual is also certified under s. ATCP 29.29 to apply pesticides by that method.

ATCP 29.26 Note Note: See certification requirements under s. ATCP 30.22 (2) for applicators using metam sodium.

ATCP 29.26(5) (5) Certification card.

ATCP 29.26(5)(a) (a) Within 30 business days after an individual commercial applicator satisfies the requirements for certification under this section, the department shall issue a commercial applicator certification card to that individual. The card shall include all of the following:

ATCP 29.26(5)(a)1. 1. The individual’s name and certification number.

ATCP 29.26(5)(a)2. 2. A statement indicating the categories under s. ATCP 29.31 in which the individual is certified as a commercial applicator.

ATCP 29.26(5)(a)3. 3. A statement indicating that the individual is certified under s. ATCP 29.29 to apply pesticides by means of aerial application, chemigation, or soil fumigation, if that is the case.

ATCP 29.26(5)(a)4. 4. The expiration date of the certification.

ATCP 29.26(5)(b) (b) An individual commercial applicator shall carry a current certification card when engaged in any activity for which certification is required under this section.

ATCP 29.26(5)(c) (c) The department may, upon request, replace a certification card that is lost, stolen, damaged, or destroyed. The card holder shall pay the replacement cost.

ATCP 29.26(6) (6) Certification standards. To be certified in any category under s. ATCP 29.31, an individual shall demonstrate practical knowledge and competency related to all of the following:

ATCP 29.26(6)(a) (a) The general areas identified under s. ATCP 29.30.

ATCP 29.26(6)(b) (b) Each category under s. ATCP 29.31 in which the individual seeks certification.

ATCP 29.26(7) (7) Certification test. Except as provided under sub. (10), an individual shall demonstrate practical knowledge and competency in each category under sub. (6) by scoring at least 70 percent on a written, closed-book examination which the department administers for that category. The department may arrange with an equivalent agency in another state to administer the department’s examination to individuals in that state, for purposes of certification in this state.

ATCP 29.26(8) (8) Retesting applicants who fail to pass. An individual who fails an initial examination under sub. (7) may retake the examination not sooner than 24 hours later, on a regularly scheduled examination date. An individual who fails a second or subsequent examination may retake the examination not sooner than 30 days later, on a regularly scheduled examination date. An individual who fails 4 examinations in any category in any 6-month period may not retake the examination for at least 6 months following the date of the last failed examination.

ATCP 29.26(9) (9) Applying for certification. To apply for certification as a commercial applicator, an individual shall do all of the following:

ATCP 29.26(9)(a) (a) Obtain certification training from the University of Wisconsin-Extension.

ATCP 29.26 Note Note: Training consists of a self-study manual and, for some certification categories, supplementary training sessions. Training may be obtained by contacting the University of Wisconsin-Extension at the following address: University of Wisconsin-Extension; Pesticide Applicator Training, Department of Agronomy; 1575 Linden Drive; Madison, WI 53706-1597, phone: [phone]. Online information on pesticide certification, training, and examination registration is available at http://pestexam.datcp.wi.gov.

ATCP 29.26(9)(b) (b) Schedule a certification examination date with the department.

ATCP 29.26 Note Note: Examination dates may be scheduled by contacting the department at the following address: Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection; Division of Agricultural Resource Management, Pesticide Certification and Licensing; P. O. Box 8911; Madison, WI 53708-8911; Phone [phone]. Online examination registration is available at http://pestexam.datcp.wi.gov.

ATCP 29.26(9)(c) (c) Bring both of the following to the certification examination:

ATCP 29.26(9)(c)1. 1. The certification training materials received under par. (a).

ATCP 29.26(9)(c)2. 2. A driver’s license or other valid photo identification.

ATCP 29.26(10) (10) Applicators certified in other states.

ATCP 29.26(10)(a) (a) The department may certify an individual commercial applicator without examination if the individual is currently certified as a commercial applicator in another state and if all of the following apply:

ATCP 29.26(10)(a)1. 1. The department determines that the other state has equivalent certification standards.

ATCP 29.26(10)(a)2. 2. The other state has certified the individual, in the same or equivalent pesticide use categories, based on a written closed-book examination passed within the last 5 years.

ATCP 29.26(10)(a)3. 3. The other state has never suspended or revoked its certification of that individual.

ATCP 29.26(10)(a)4. 4. The individual provides proof of certification by the other state and pays a certification fee of $75.

ATCP 29.26(10)(b) (b) Certification under par. (a) expires on December 31 of the year in which it is issued.

ATCP 29.26 History History: Cr. Register, May, 1998, No. 509, eff. 6-1-98.

ATCP 29.27 ATCP 29.27 Private applicator certification.

ATCP 29.27(1) (1) Certification required. No individual may use or direct the use of a restricted-use pesticide as an agricultural producer unless one of the following applies:

ATCP 29.27(1)(a) (a) The individual is certified as a private applicator under this section.

ATCP 29.27(1)(b) (b) The individual is certified as a commercial applicator under s. ATCP 29.26 in the appropriate certification category or categories, and is not engaged in any activity for which a commercial applicator license is required under s. ATCP 29.25.

ATCP 29.27(1)(c) (c) The individual is licensed as a commercial applicator under s. ATCP 29.25 and certified under s. ATCP 29.26 in the appropriate certification category or categories.

ATCP 29.27(1)(d) (d) The individual is all of the following:

ATCP 29.27(1)(d)1. 1. Certified as a pesticide mixer and loader under s. ATCP 29.28.

ATCP 29.27(1)(d)2. 2. Engaged only in mixing and loading pesticides for application by others.

ATCP 29.27(1)(d)3. 3. Licensed under s. ATCP 29.25 if engaged in any activity for which a license is required.

ATCP 29.27(2) (2) Scope of private applicator certification. The department may certify an individual agricultural producer to use or direct the use of restricted-use pesticides as a private applicator. Private applicator certification does not authorize an agricultural producer to engage in activities for which a commercial applicator license is required under s. ATCP 29.25.

ATCP 29.27(3) (3) Length of certification. A private applicator certification is valid for 5 years unless the department suspends or revokes the certification. The department may renew a private applicator certification for another 5 years if the private applicator again satisfies the requirements for certification.

ATCP 29.27(4) (4) Special application methods; supplementary certification. No private applicator may use aircraft, chemigation, or fumigation to apply restricted-use pesticides unless that private applicator is also certified under s. ATCP 29.29 to apply pesticides by that method.

ATCP 29.27 Note Note: See certification requirements under s. ATCP 30.22 (2) for applicators using metam sodium.