Limited Commercial Landscape Maintenance Certification (Chapter 482) General Information

Certification authorizes landscape maintenance personnel to:

  • Apply herbicides in plant beds, only (no lawns or turfgrass)
  • perform integrated pest management (IPM) on ornamental plants using insecticides with "caution" signal word and insecticidal soaps, horticultural
    oils, and BT / Bacillus Thuringiensis formulations
  • limited to portable 3 gal hand held and 5 gal backpack sprayers; no power 
    equipment.

Qualifying for the Exam

To qualify to take the exam for this license, the applicant must fill out an application form and must have:

  •   8 hours of approved ornamental pest control training.
  • Proof of 3 years of employment in the landscape industry (by occupational license, income tax records or business documents)
  • Certificate of insurance for bodily injury and property damage consisting of:
    Bodily Injury of $100,000, each person and $300,000 each occurrence; and Property Damage of $50,000, each occurrence and $100,000 aggregate; or Combined Single Limited Coverage of $400,000 in aggregate.
  • The applicant submits the application packet, pays a $150.00 fee to  FDACS, then receives authorization to take the exam.

Recertification

How to keep the license WITHOUT taking the test every year): 

  • $75 annual recertification fee
  • Proof of completion of 4 hours continuing education per year
  • 2 CEU’s in Core pesticide training topics
  • 2 CEU’s in O&T (Ornamental & Turf) or L&O (Lawn Ornamental) 
  • Proof of having certificate of insurance

The following Limitations apply to someone with this license:

  • not authorized to apply pesticides to turf
  • not authorized to operate a pest control business
  • not allowed to let uncertified persons apply pesticides under the supervision of a certified person (only the person with the license may apply pesticides)

Record Keeping

Record keeping - the license-holder must maintain records documenting:

  • pests and areas treated
  • methods and materials applied for control of pests
  • must maintain CEUs records for renewal

How to get CEU’s (Continuing Education Units):