Commercial Applicator (For Hire)
What “for hire” means
A commercial applicator (for hire) applies pesticides to property of another for compensation. This covers lawn-care and landscape companies, pest control firms, agricultural custom applicators, right-of-way contractors, and similar businesses. Delaware requires both individual certification in each category and a pesticide business license for the company.
Core rules
- Pass the DDA commercial core and category exam or exams. Categories match the work: agricultural plant, ornamental and turf, right-of-way, aquatic, industrial/institutional, public health, and others. Certification is individual and category-specific.
- The business must hold a current Delaware pesticide business license before soliciting or performing for-hire work. The license lists the categories and the certified applicator or applicators responsible.
- Noncertified technicians may apply pesticides only under the supervision required by Delaware and federal rules. For RUPs, a certified applicator must supervise; the certified person is accountable for label compliance.
- Keep a record for each application: customer and site, date and time, product and EPA registration number, rate or amount, target pest, applicator, and any REI or notification information. Federal RUP records are kept two years; Delaware rules may add requirements.
- Follow label directions, worker protection, notification, drift, and container-disposal rules. Do not apply a product to a site not listed on the label.
Worked example
A landscape company owner is certified in Ornamental and Turf and holds a business license. The company signs a contract to treat a customer's pond for algae with an aquatic herbicide. The owner cannot do it under the turf category. The company must add an applicator certified in the aquatic category and have that category on its business license before treating the pond; otherwise the job is unlicensed and uncertified.
Traps
Thinking one certified owner covers every category; treating a business license as a substitute for individual certification; letting a technician apply RUPs with no certified supervisor; doing for-hire work while the license is expired; failing to record application details; assuming general-use products need no certification when the business is still for hire.