Pesticide License Categories

4.11. State, federal and local regulations dealing with: pesticides, application, disposal, notification, transportation, registration, uses, licensing, worker protection, endangered species, storage, residues and tolerances, emergency planning and right to know, advertising, record keeping, business practices, insurance, training standards, supervision, agricultural chemicals and groundwater, or consumer protection.

4.12. Compliance problems/actions, analysis of most frequent violations, and discussions of specific problems and actions.

4.13. Pesticide label and labeling including: label requirements, label terminology, and effect of failure to comply with label requirements.

4.14. Pesticides in general including: families and types, mode of action, and other properties.

4.15. Formulation of pesticides: types, properties, advantages, limitations, toxicity, dilution, mixing, and uses.

4.16. Semiochemicals for pest detection and control.

4.17. Adjuvants and additives.

4.18. Specific pesticide characteristics and concepts including: compatibility, synergism, persistence, environmental fate, resistance, mode of action (contact, systemic, etc.), mobility, leachability, potential for biological concentration and/or accumulation, volatility, solubility, inert ingredients and/or carriers, and phytotoxicity.

4.19. National trends on pesticide problems.

4.20. Safe use of pesticides by the applicator including: label requirements, transportation, mixing, loading, disposal, equipment cleanup, spill management, storage, application, and precautions to prevent exposure and injury.

4.21. Applicator protection including selection, care, and maintenance of protective clothing and safety equipment.

4.22. Human health effects including: acute and chronic toxicity, hazard determination, routes of exposure, symptoms of pesticide poisoning, and allergies.

4.23. First aid and emergency actions for pesticide exposure and use related injuries.

4.24. Reference sources pertinent to applicator safety including: Material Safety Data Sheet(s) (MSDS), telephone hotlines, emergency procedures, and label requirements.

4.25. Major label revisions and national trends and updates relevant to applicator safety.

4.26. Responsibilities of qualified supervisors, certified operators, technicians and other employees.

4.27. Safe use of pesticides by the applicator including: label requirements, transportation, mixing, loading, disposal, equipment cleanup, spill management, storage, application, and precautions to prevent exposure and injury.

4.28. Human health effects including: acute and chronic toxicity, hazard determination, routes of exposure, symptoms of pesticide poisoning, and allergies.

4.29. Reference sources pertinent to public safety including: Material Safety Data Sheet (s) (MSDS), telephone hotlines, emergency procedures, and label requirements.

4.30. Major label revisions and national trends and updates relevant to public safety.

4.31. Responsibilities of qualified supervisors, certified operators, technicians and other employees.

4.32. Public education about pesticides and pesticide application, public relations, communication and trouble shooting.

4.33. Pesticide sensitivities, allergies, and phobias including chemophobia and entomophobia.

4.34. Precautions to protect the environment and minimize the effects of pest management on it, including: identification of meteorological and climatic factors affecting application (drift, runoff, etc.); identification of terrain, soil, substrata influence on possible surface and ground water contamination; recognition of sensitive areas and organisms that could be affected by application, drift and runoff such as endangered species, wildlife, ornamentals, beneficial insects, humans, and domestic animals; identification of methods of spill prevention, control, and cleanup; observation of preharvest intervals; timing of applications for specific pest controls; and pesticide storage and transportation.

4.35. Major label revisions and national trends and updates relevant to environmental protection.

4.36. Responsibilities of qualified supervisors, certified operators, technicians and other employees.

4.37. Mixing and loading including: proper mixing and loading techniques, label requirements, closed systems, adjuvants for drift control and other purposes, measuring, pH of water and other factors to consider, procedures for spill prevention, control and clean up, site location and construction, prevention of contamination, and security.

4.38. Application including: proper application techniques, techniques to control off target movement, new application techniques, procedures for spill prevention, control and clean up, label requirements.

4.39. Equipment including: calibration, selection of correct equipment for the job, maintenance and care, clean up, new equipment.

4.40. Storage and disposal including: bulk storage, label requirements, site requirements such as ventilation, containment, procedures for spill prevention, control and clean up, disposal of containers, rinsate, excess material, security, fire prevention, posting, temperature, product separation to prevent cross contamination.

4.41. Responsibilities of qualified supervisors, certified operators, technicians and other employees.

4.42. Major label revisions and national trends and updates relevant to pesticide use.

4.43. Practical demonstration of use methods and techniques.

The application of pesticides to agricultural plants, including applications performed on pastures, croplands and non-crop agricultural lands, to control invertebrate pests, including insects, mites, slugs, snails, and nematodes.

The application of pesticides to agricultural plants, including applications performed on pastures, croplands and non-crop agricultural lands, to control plant diseases.

The application of pesticides to agricultural lands, including pastures, croplands and non-crop agricultural lands, to control weeds.

The application of pesticides to seeds on agricultural establishments as defined at 40 C.F.R. § 170.3 (as incorporated herein by reference) or seed treatment facilities.

The application of pesticides to livestock.

The application of pesticides in forests, forest nurseries, forest seed producing areas managed for the production of timber and other forest products or maintained as wood vegetation for such indirect benefits as protection of catchment areas or public recreation, including windbreaks and downed timber. For applications in forested areas within fifty (50) feet of a residential or commercial structure, an applicator must also hold the ornamental pest control category in accordance with Part 9 of these Rules and comply with all of the posting and notification requirements in Section 35-10-112, C.R.S., of the Pesticide Applicators' Act. This additional certification in the ornamental pest control category shall not apply to aerial applicators or ground applications made by federal, state, or local governments on property they own. This category does not apply to pesticide applications made to control vertebrate pests.

The application of pesticides to land which is not managed for turf, pasture or forest on which the vegetation is predominantly native plant species or introduced species managed as native species such as grasses, grass-like plants, forbs or shrubs. Rangelands include but are not limited to natural grasslands, shrublands, deserts, tundras, and meadows. For applications performed in rangeland areas within fifty (50) feet of a residential or commercial structure, an applicator must also hold the turf pest control category in accordance with Part 9 of these Rules and comply with all of the posting and notification requirements in Section 35-10-112, C.R.S., of the Pesticide Applicators' Act. This additional certification in the turf pest control category shall not apply to aerial applicators or ground applications made by federal, state, or local governments on property they own. This category does not apply to pesticide applications made to control vertebrate pests.

The application of pesticides to standing or running water when made to control weeds, amphibians, fish and other pests in water, except for pesticide applications which are included in the “Public Health” category, at Rule 8.01(j).

The application of metam sodium in sewers to control roots. For purposes of this sub-category, “sewer” shall mean any artificial conduit for the transmission of wastewater to a wastewater treatment plant.

The application of pesticides to maintain roads, sidewalks, trails, paths, utility lines, railways, parking lots, drilling rigs, substations, open irrigation and drainage structures or similar areas and adjacent land within right of ways associated with such areas for the purpose of establishing or maintaining definable cover or bare ground.

The application of pesticides for control of disease vectors, except vertebrates.

The application of restricted use pesticides in government-sponsored public health programs for the control of pests having medical or public health importance. 

The application of pesticides in the course of conducting field research or demonstration. No license or certification will be issued in this category unless the applicant also obtains licensing or certification, in the specific category listed in these Rules, which is appropriate to the research activity.

The application of pesticides by unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), fixed or rotary wing aircraft.

For the use of a fumigant to control pests in soil or non-soil sites not otherwise addressed in Category 303, Structural Fumigation Pest Control.

The application of pesticides to: (1) managed turf to control invertebrate pests, including insects, mites, slugs, snails, and nematodes, or to control plant diseases or weeds; (2) ornamental beds to control weeds; (3) xeriscaped or similar areas covered in mulch or other media to control weeds; or (4) sidewalks, driveways, paved areas other than parking lots or bare ground located on private or public property and that are not located in the zoned right-of-way to control weeds.

• (1) Managed turf or ornamental beds located in a zoned right-of-way may be treated under this Category 206 or Category 109, as defined under Part 8.01(i).

• (2) When making applications to managed turf or ornamental beds in right-of-way areas, all notification requirements applicable to Category 206 apply.

• (3) Managed turf for this Part 9 is defined as ground cover that is watered, mowed, seeded, or regularly maintained for defined ground cover.

The application of pesticides to ornamental trees, shrubs, beds, flowers and other ornamental plants, except turf or indoor ornamental plants, to control invertebrate pests, including insects, mites, slugs, snails and nematodes, or to control plant diseases.

The application of pesticides to control termites, carpenter ants, powder post beetles, fungi, and/or other wood destroying organisms in structures and/or adjacent outside areas.

The application of pesticides intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any reptile, bird, feral dogs and cats, moles, voles, bats, wild carnivores, rabbits, skunks, amphibian pests not in water and any other vertebrate pest, except rats and mice.

The application of a fumigant to one or more rooms in a structure or to the entire structure at a desired concentration and for a length of time
necessary for the control of rodents and/or insect pests, including the application of a fumigant to a localized space or harborage within a structure, including but not
limited to railcars, storage containers, grain storage silos or other enclosures, including tarpaulin fumigations, for insect and/or rodent control. This category is required
for the use of a fumigant in any licensure category authorized by Title 35, Article 10, when the application
of the fumigant is made to or in a structure as defined in Part 1.02(m).

The application of pesticides or bait stations intended for use for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating structural pests, including without limitation insects and rodents. However, this category does not include the application of fumigants or actions taken to control wood destroying organisms, outdoor vertebrates, or grain storage pests.

The application of pesticides for the treatment of pests in raw grain stored in facilities which are not used for animal or human habitation; the application of plant growth regulators to agricultural commodities stored in facilities which are not used for animal or human habitation; and the application of pesticides to commodity processing equipment or commodity storage facilities (not including offices or other structures). This category does not cover applications made to control pests in potato storage facilities covered by category 308.

The application of pesticides to prevent, destroy, repel or mitigate pests in wood or wood products which are, or are capable of being, incorporated into a structure, not including downed timber prior to bark removal or sawing.

The application of pesticides to house plants and other indoor ornamental plants kept or located within structures occupied by humans, including, but not limited to houses, apartments, offices, shopping malls, other places of business and other dwelling places, to control invertebrate pests that adversely affect such plants, including insects, mites, slugs, snails and nematodes; and to control plant diseases.

The application of pesticides for the treatment of pests in raw potatoes stored in facilities which are not used for animal or human habitation; the application of plant growth regulators to potatoes stored in facilities which are not used for animal or human habitation; and the application of pesticides to potato processing equipment or potato storage facilities (not including offices or other structures).

1. Applicators holding a valid Category 305, Stored Commodities Treatment, as of January 1, 2016, will be awarded the category 308 license with no further examination. The category 308 licensure category will be valid until the expiration date of the applicator’s current license. If the applicator’s license expires prior to January 1, 2017, license category 308 will also be awarded when such license is renewed, so long as all category 305 continuing education credit requirements have been met prior to the expiration of the license.
2. On or after January 1, 2016, any applicator wishing to obtain the Category 308 category must take and pass the Stored Potato Treatment category examination and pay any necessary fees.
3. Applicators wishing to renew the category 308 license after December 31, 2016, will need to obtain one (1) continuing education category credit in the Post-Harvest Potato Pest Control category prior to the expiration of their current license.

For the use of a fumigant to control pests in soil or non-soil sites not otherwise addressed in Category 303, Structural Fumigation Pest Control.