The 1990 Farm Bill mandated the Secretary of Agriculture to require certified private applicators to maintain records regarding the use of federally restricted use pesticides. These records must be kept for two years.

Records must include the following information:

  • Applicator name and certification number
  • Date of application (month day year)
  • Brand name or Product name
  • EPA Registration number
  • Crop, commodity or site chemical where applied
  • Size of the treated area (including spot treatments)
  • Total amount applied
  • Field location

Note: “Spot Treatments” are applications made to less than 1/10th of an acre. Application of an herbicide along a fence row or an insecticide applied to a fire ant mound would be examples of spot treatments. (Note: Greenhouse and nursery treatments do not qualify as spot treatments.) For spot treatments, describe location of area treated (for example, poison ivy along fence row of Baker Farm), indicate “spot treatment,” and record:

  • Brand name.
  • EPA registration number.
  • Month, day, and year.
  • Total amount applied.
  • Location.

Recordkeeping Manuals are available upon request from the Pesticide Records Branch at USDA. The manual contains template forms that will help you keep the records required by Federal regulations for restricted use pesticides and for compliance with the Worker Protection Standard. These forms are intended for use by private pesticide applicators. They are not intended for use by applicators licensed as commercial pesticide applicators.

Who can I contact if I have questions?

Contact the USDA Marketing Service

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