Private applicator
A certified applicator who uses restricted use pesticides to produce an agricultural commodity on their own or their employer's land.
A private applicator is a person certified to use or supervise the use of restricted use pesticides for the purpose of producing an agricultural commodity on property they own, rent, or lease, or on their employer's property as part of that production. This is the certification path built for farmers and ranchers: it exists so that agricultural producers can lawfully use restricted tools within their own operations rather than depending entirely on hired custom applicators.
The private certification is defined by purpose and place, not by crop or method. What matters is that the application serves production of an agricultural commodity on qualifying land. Applying pesticides for hire on other people's property falls outside the private scope and requires commercial certification instead, so a producer who also sprays for neighbors as a paid service needs the commercial credential for that work. Under the federal standard, a private applicator must be at least eighteen years old.
State lead agencies administer private certification through EPA-approved plans and have some flexibility in how they verify private applicator competency, so the process differs by state. Like all certifications, the private credential expires and must be renewed through the state's recertification system, and it carries the same supervisory responsibilities when noncertified workers apply restricted use products under the private applicator's direction.
Related terms
| Commercial applicator | A certified applicator who uses or supervises restricted use pesticides for purposes outside the private applicator definition, typically for hire. |
| Certified applicator | A person who has demonstrated the competency required to use or supervise the use of restricted use pesticides. |
| Restricted use pesticide | A pesticide that may only be applied by certified applicators or persons working under their direct supervision. |
| Direct supervision | The arrangement under which noncertified applicators may lawfully apply restricted use pesticides under a certified applicator's responsibility. |
The certification map
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