1. (1) All commercial, public utility, and government applicators shall demonstrate by written examination and, as appropriate, performance testing, practical knowledge of the principles and practices of pest control and safe use of pesticides. The examination shall be based on knowledge and examples of problems and situations appropriate to the applicator's classification or subclassifications and the following areas of competency for which a license or certification-license is desired:

   1. (a) Label and labeling comprehension:

      1. (i) the general format and terminology of pesticide labels and labeling;
      2. (ii) the understanding of instructions, warnings, terms, symbols, and other information commonly appearing on pesticide labels;
      3. (iii) classification of the product, general or restricted;
      4. (iv) understanding that it is a violation of federal law to use any registered pesticide in a manner inconsistent with its labeling;
      5. (v) understanding labeling requirements that a certified applicator must be physically present at the site of the application;
      6. (vi) understanding labeling requirements for supervising operators working under the direct supervision of a certified applicator;
      7. (vii) understanding that applicators must comply with all use restrictions and directions for use contained in pesticide labels and labeling, including being certified in the certification category appropriate to the type and site of the application;
      8. (viii) understanding and complying with product-specific notification requirements;
      9. (ix) recognizing and understanding the difference between mandatory and advisory labeling language.

   2. (b) Safety factors including:

      1. (i) pesticide toxicity and hazard to individuals and common exposure routes;
      2. (ii) common types and causes of pesticide accidents;
      3. (iii) precautions necessary to guard against injury to applicators and other individuals in or near treated areas;
      4. (iv) need for and use of protective clothing and equipment;
      5. (v) symptoms of pesticide poisonings;
      6. (vi) first aid and other procedures to be followed in case of a pesticide accident;
      7. (vii) proper identification, storage, transport, handling, mixing procedures, and disposal methods for pesticides and pesticide containers, including precautions to be taken to prevent children from having access to pesticides and pesticide containers;
      8. (viii) understanding the different natures of the risks of acute toxicity and chronic toxicity, as well as the long-term effects of pesticides;
      9. (ix) understanding that a pesticide's risk is a function of exposure and the pesticide's toxicity.

   3. (c) Environmental consequences of the use and misuse of pesticides may be influenced by such factors as:

      1. (i) weather and other climatic conditions;
      2. (ii) types of terrain, soil, or other substrate;
      3. (iii) presence of fish, wildlife, and other non-target organisms;
      4. (iv) drainage patterns.

   4. (d) Pest factors such as:

      1. (i) common features of pest organisms and characteristics of damage needed for pest recognition;
      2. (ii) recognition of relevant pests;
      3. (iii) pest development and biology as it may be relevant to problem identification and control;
      4. (iv) verifying that the labeling does not prohibit the use of the product to control the target pest(s).

   5. (e) Pesticide factors such as:

      1. (i) types of pesticides;
      2. (ii) types of formulations;
      3. (iii) compatibility, synergism, persistence, and animal and plant toxicity of the formulations;
      4. (iv) hazards and residues associated with use;
      5. (v) factors which influenced effectiveness or lead to such problems as resistance to pesticides;
      6. (vi) dilution procedures.

   6. (f) Equipment factors (relevant to applicator's operation) including:

      1. (i) types of equipment and advantages and limitations of each type;
      2. (ii) uses, maintenance, and calibration.

   7. (g) Application technique factors including:

      1. (i) methods and procedures used to apply various formulations of pesticides, solutions, and gases together with a knowledge of which technique of application to use in a given situation;
      2. (ii) relationship of discharge and placement of pesticides to proper use, unnecessary use, and misuse;
      3. (iii) prevention of drift and pesticide loss into the environment.
   8. (h) State and federal laws, regulations, and rules.

   9. (i) Responsibilities of supervisors of operators including:

      1. (i) understanding and complying with requirements in 40 CFR 171.201 for certified commercial applicators who supervise operators using restricted use pesticides;
      2. (ii) the recordkeeping requirements of pesticide safety training for operators who use restricted use pesticides under the direct supervision of a certified applicator;
      3. (iii) providing use-specific instructions to operators using restricted use pesticides under the direct supervision of a certified applicator;
      4. (iv) explaining pertinent state, tribal, and federal laws and regulations to operators who use restricted use pesticides under the direct supervision of a certified applicator.

   10. (j) Professionalism factors including:

       1. (i) maintaining chemical security for restricted use pesticides;
       2. (ii) how to communicate information about pesticide exposures and risks with customers and the public;
       3. (iii) appropriate product stewardship for certified applicators.

Authorizing statute(s): 80-8-105, MCA

Implementing statute(s): 80-8-105, 80-8-206, MCA

History: NEW, Eff. 7/5/76; AMD, 1986 MAR p. 1007, Eff. 6/13/86; AMD, 2025 MAR, Notice No. 4-24-284, Eff. 1/25/25.