Legislation / pesticide applicator · Landscaping & lawn care · Updated 2026-09-18
Pest Control & Pesticide Applicator Law Changes Landscapers Must Track (2023–2026)
Quick answer: Four states dominate this curated landscaper tracker. Arkansas SB250 is now Act 292 (notified 2025-03-12), amending the Pest Control Law and reassigning State Plant Board duties. Kansas HB2607 (approved 2024) expands pesticide-law penalties and updates training, supervision, and financial-responsibility rules. Washington SB5330 (Ch. 186, 2023; effective 2023-07-23) remains the WA Pesticide Application Act baseline in this multi-year set. Illinois raised pesticide / lawn-care fees via HB3086 (P.A. 103-0441, fees from 2024) and a later fee package SB0783 (P.A. 104-0363, effective 2026-01-01) — whose shell title is “SAFETY-TECH” but whose enrolled description amends Pesticide Act fee schedules (verified; not a keyword false positive after getBill). Fee bills ≠ new license categories.
Not legal advice. Always prefer enrolled Acts and state department of agriculture bulletins over bill titles.
Featured changes for lawn & landscape firms
| State | Bucket | What changed | Cost / compliance note | Bills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | enacted applicator reform | SB250 became Act 292 (notified 2025-03-12): amends Pest Control Law and reassigns certain State Plant Board duties. Landscapers/lawn firms should confirm which board unit now owns licensing, exams, and enforcement contacts. | Process/authority change may alter where firms file, renew, or appeal — budget staff time, not necessarily new category fees | SB250 bill_id 1973382 — Passed; Notification that SB250 is now Act 292 (2025-03-12) |
| Kansas | enacted applicator reform | HB2607 (Passed / Approved 2024-04-18, status date 2024-04-25) amends Kansas pesticide law: expands civil/criminal penalty applicability; updates training and supervision requirements; proof of financial responsibility; pesticide applications in the sodium cyanide / related contexts per bill description. | Financial responsibility / training / supervision updates can raise insurance and training costs for lawn/landscape applicators | HB2607 bill_id 1828440 — Passed; Approved by Governor 2024-04-18 |
| Washington | enacted applicator reform | SB5330 — Washington Pesticide Application Act package. Governor signed; Chapter 186, 2023 Laws; effective 2023-07-23. Still in the recent enacted planning set for multi-year landscaper trackers. | Application Act changes — confirm WSDA pesticide licensing categories and recordkeeping still match post-2023 baseline | SB5330 bill_id 1655559 — Passed; Ch. 186, 2023 Laws; effective 2023-07-23 |
| Illinois | enacted fee registration | HB3086 (Public Act 103-0441) increases various Illinois Pesticide Act fees beginning 2024; also adjusts Lawn Care Products Application and Notice Act lawn care containment permit fee to $250. Companion later package SB0783 (Public Act 104-0363) — shell title “SAFETY-TECH” but enrolled description amends Pesticide Act registration/business/applicator license fee provisions; Governor approved 2025-08-15; effective 2026-01-01. Fee bills ≠ new license categories. | Direct registration / applicator / lawn-care containment fee increases — update 2026 renewal budgets | HB3086 bill_id 1711498 — Passed; P.A. 103-0441; eff. 2024-01-01. SB0783 bill_id 1940560 — Passed; P.A. 104-0363; eff. 2026-01-01 (title SAFETY-TECH — verified pesticide fee amendments, not culled false positive after getBill) |
Operator checklist
- Arkansas: Update internal contacts — Act 292 reassigns certain Plant Board pest-control duties; confirm where renewals and complaints now route.
- Kansas: Re-read supervision, training, and financial-responsibility rules post-HB2607; penalty expansion raises the cost of “good enough” unsupervised applications.
- Washington: Keep post-SB5330 (eff. 2023-07-23) Application Act procedures as the current baseline.
- Illinois: Refresh 2026 renewal budgets for registration / commercial applicator / lawn-care containment fees (HB3086 + SB0783).
- When bidding commercial or municipal landscape work that includes pesticide applications, line up applicator credentials early — see how to get commercial landscaping contracts and municipal landscaping bids.
Related outdoor-equipment regulation (different topic): gas leaf blower bans. Heat-illness standards (not applicator licenses) are mapped separately in state heat-illness prevention standards.
All 51 statuses (curated)
| Abbr | State | Bucket | Bills |
|---|---|---|---|
| AL | Alabama | no curated change | — |
| AK | Alaska | no curated change | — |
| AZ | Arizona | no curated change | — |
| AR | Arkansas | enacted applicator reform | SB250 bill_id 1973382 — Passed; Notification that SB250 is now Act 292 (2025-03-12) |
| CA | California | no curated change | — |
| CO | Colorado | no curated change | — |
| CT | Connecticut | no curated change | — |
| DE | Delaware | no curated change | — |
| DC | District of Columbia | no curated change | — |
| FL | Florida | no curated change | — |
| GA | Georgia | no curated change | — |
| HI | Hawaii | no curated change | — |
| ID | Idaho | no curated change | — |
| IL | Illinois | enacted fee registration | HB3086 bill_id 1711498 — Passed; P.A. 103-0441; eff. 2024-01-01. SB0783 bill_id 1940560 — Passed; P.A. 104-0363; eff. 2026-01-01 (title SAFETY-TECH — verified pesticide fee amendments, not culled false positive after getBill) |
| IN | Indiana | no curated change | — |
| IA | Iowa | no curated change | — |
| KS | Kansas | enacted applicator reform | HB2607 bill_id 1828440 — Passed; Approved by Governor 2024-04-18 |
| KY | Kentucky | no curated change | — |
| LA | Louisiana | no curated change | — |
| ME | Maine | no curated change | — |
| MD | Maryland | no curated change | — |
| MA | Massachusetts | no curated change | — |
| MI | Michigan | no curated change | — |
| MN | Minnesota | no curated change | — |
| MS | Mississippi | no curated change | — |
| MO | Missouri | no curated change | — |
| MT | Montana | no curated change | — |
| NE | Nebraska | no curated change | — |
| NV | Nevada | no curated change | — |
| NH | New Hampshire | no curated change | — |
| NJ | New Jersey | no curated change | — |
| NM | New Mexico | no curated change | — |
| NY | New York | no curated change | — |
| NC | North Carolina | no curated change | — |
| ND | North Dakota | no curated change | — |
| OH | Ohio | no curated change | — |
| OK | Oklahoma | no curated change | — |
| OR | Oregon | no curated change | — |
| PA | Pennsylvania | no curated change | — |
| RI | Rhode Island | no curated change | — |
| SC | South Carolina | no curated change | — |
| SD | South Dakota | no curated change | — |
| TN | Tennessee | no curated change | — |
| TX | Texas | no curated change | — |
| UT | Utah | no curated change | — |
| VT | Vermont | no curated change | — |
| VA | Virginia | no curated change | — |
| WA | Washington | enacted applicator reform | SB5330 bill_id 1655559 — Passed; Ch. 186, 2023 Laws; effective 2023-07-23 |
| WV | West Virginia | no curated change | — |
| WI | Wisconsin | no curated change | — |
| WY | Wyoming | no curated change | — |
Download: pest-control-applicator-law-changes-by-state.csv (LegiScan data CC BY 4.0; cite LegiScan + state legislature / dept of ag).
Methods & fences
- LegiScan
getBill: AR SB250 (1973382) Act 292; KS HB2607 (1828440); WA SB5330 (1655559) Ch.186 L.2023; IL HB3086 (1711498) P.A.103-0441; IL SB0783 (1940560) P.A.104-0363. - SAFETY-TECH cull rule: titles alone are not enough — SB0783 verified via description to amend Pesticide Act fees and is included as a fee row, not a new category.
- Fences: fee bills ≠ new license categories; proposed ≠ law; not legal advice; distinct from WC-threshold and sales-tax-on-services magnets.