Commercial Animal Waste Technician (CAWT) Licensing
Minnesota law requires companies, site managers, and applicators that manage or apply manure for-hire to obtain a Commercial Animal Waste Technician (CAWT) license from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA). “For-hire” means customers are billed or invoiced for services.
Determine License Type
The MDA issues three types of CAWT licenses. Each license type is described in the table below.
| License Type | Description |
|---|---|
| CAWT Company | A license is required for a company that commercially manages for-hire applications of animal waste. The company must also employ a CAWT Site Manager. The company license number must be displayed on application equipment. |
| CAWT Site Manager | A person employed by a CAWT Company to manage site operations, supervise CAWT Applicators and manage livestock manure. A Site Manager must be licensed in a specific category (liquid, solid or both). Licensed Site Managers do not need a CAWT Applicator license to apply manure to the ground. |
| CAWT Applicator | A CAWT Applicator must be licensed by MDA and operate under the supervision of a licensed CAWT Site Manager. |
CAWT License Requirements
A license is required for:
- A commercial or a for-hire application when money or other compensation is exchanged to manage or apply manure to the ground;
- A private producer applying their own manure when they have a capacity of 300 animal units or more, and do NOT have an updated manure management plan; or
- A commercial (for-hire) operation that stockpiles or manages manure.
A licensed person must:
- Carry a valid CAWT license card (either the electronic facsimile or the plastic wallets-sized card).
- Recertify through training or testing
- Renew license and pay fee every year
Other key requirements:
- CAWT Site Managers must certify for a license by passing an open book exam in the appropriate category (liquid, solid or both)
- CAWT Applicators must work under the supervision of a licensed CAWT Site Manager
- CAWT Applicators and Site Managers must work under a licensed CAWT Company
- CAWT Company must employ at least one Site Manager
- CAWT Company must display license number on all equipment at least 3 inches tall with high contrast colors
- All CAWT Applicators, Site Managers, and Companies are responsible for proper manure management or application
Timing Applications
The MDA has teamed up with the National Weather Service to design a tool that helps farmers and commercial applicators determine the best time to apply manure. The Runoff Risk Advisory Forecast tool is available to use now.
