District of Columbia pest control service report requirements

What District of Columbia requires

• No one may act as or advertise as a pesticide operator without the Department's certification and license, held separately for each place of business and posted conspicuously there, and a licensed operator may let only a licensed certified applicator in that category, or its own registered technician under the direct supervision of one, use any pesticide20 DCMR 2400.1, 2400.4, 2400.5, 2400.10 (amended 73 DCR 1173, eff. 2026-02-06)
• An applicator's license is valid only with a current certification; each certification and license names both the applicator and the employing pesticide operator and lists the categories, and an applicator works for one operator unless certified separately for each20 DCMR 2305.2-2305.4
• Anyone else who applies pesticides for a fee is a registered technician under the direct supervision of a licensed certified applicator: registered within 30 days of starting work, at least 18, passing the core exam within 180 days, carrying the Department's identification card at work, and renewing every three years with refresher training20 DCMR 2311.1-2311.10
• Direct supervision means the supervising applicator's physical presence when the label says so; otherwise clear written or electronic instructions at the site on handling and applying the pesticide, the precautions, and how to reach the supervisor by voice; the supervisor keeps ultimate responsibility and creates or verifies records of each technician's qualifications (printed name, signature, certification number and expiration date)20 DCMR 2312.4-2312.12
• Anyone applying pesticides keeps records for at least two years with the applicator's name or identification and certification number, the supervising certified applicator and number, the address and the person or entity for whom it was applied, the date and time, the plant, animal or structure treated and target pest, the acreage, count or square or cubic footage treated, the wind direction, estimated velocity and weather, the brand name and type of formulation, the classification (restricted-use, District restricted-use or non-essential), the dilution rate as applied (percent active ingredient), the amount of diluted material, the type of equipment, and the EPA registration number20 DCMR 2516.1 (amended 73 DCR 1173, eff. 2026-02-06)
• The record gives the date of application (month, day and year) and the time of application20 DCMR 2516.1 (d)-(e)
• The record gives the wind direction, estimated velocity and weather conditions20 DCMR 2516.1 (h)
• Copies of any requested records go to the Department within 24 hours of a written request; sales invoices given to customers are filed separately and kept at least three years; and an applicator or operator who goes out of business transfers all application records to the Department20 DCMR 2516.2, 2516.5, 2516.6
• The applicator or operator notifies the Department in writing of any significant pesticide accident or incident within 24 hours20 DCMR 2516.7
• A customer who contracts for pesticide services gets, before treatment, written information with the operator's name, the applicator's name if different, the District operator license number, the operator's telephone, the National Capital Poison Control Center hotline, the label's re-entry period, the common names of the pest and the pesticide or active ingredient, the label or Safety Data Sheet on request, and the prescribed Notice of Pesticide Application with the HAS or HAS NOT reduced-risk box; a customer who asks at least 48 hours ahead gets that notice at least 24 hours before each application20 DCMR 2211.1, 2211.3
• On a multi-unit property the operator gives the customer that information at least 48 hours before the application, and the property owner gives it to each resident and tenant of the area treated 24 hours to seven days before, at their door or mailbox or by email or fax, and posts it in common spaces near the treatment20 DCMR 2211.4-2211.6
• Before a restricted-use pesticide is applied outside an enclosed structure, every abutting property is told the date and approximate time20 DCMR 2211.7
• Applications to lawns or exterior landscape plants are posted with the prescribed sign: at least 4 by 5 inches, rigid and weather resistant, yellow with bold black lettering, 12 to 16 inches above the soil, visible from the main access points and at the treated area, with the date, the applicator's name and telephone on the back, left 48 hours20 DCMR 2212.1-2212.2
• District restricted-use and non-essential pesticides may not be applied to schools, child-occupied facilities, waterbody-contingent property or District property without a Department exemption, and no licensed applicator may apply any pesticide at a child-occupied facility or on District property that has no Department-approved integrated pest management program20 DCMR 2208.1-2208.2, 2209 · 20 DCMR 2215.2, 2215.5
• For the customer notice, reduced-risk pesticides are FIFRA 25(b) minimum risk products, biopesticides, boric acid, disodium octaborate tetrahydrate, silica gels, diatomaceous earth and non-volatile pesticides in tamper resistant containers, and reduced-risk methods are rodenticides placed in burrows or out of reach of children and pets and non-liquid insect gels out of their reach20 DCMR 2210.1-2210.2
• No one applies pesticides without a copy of the label at the time and place of application; inspections for pests are done only by licensed applicators certified in industrial, institutional, structural and health related pest control, and wood infestation certificates only by those certified in wood destroying organisms20 DCMR 2201.11-2201.13
• Pesticide operators keep liability insurance of at least 100,000 dollars per person and 300,000 dollars per occurrence for bodily injury and 15,000 dollars per occurrence (30,000 dollars a year) for property damage, and the insurer tells the Department 10 days before any cancellation20 DCMR 2402.2, 2402.5