# Downsides/upsides of getting licensed for commercial chemical control



## kur1j (Jul 2, 2017)

Do any of you have experience with getting licensed for herbicide/chemical control?

Is there any benefit to it besides being able to get paid for your work on other peoples property? What are the downsides? How hard is the test(s)?

More just curious than anything.


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## chrismar (May 25, 2017)

I've contemplated this more than once. The only reason I'd do it is to be a "little" more law abiding when it comes to the fertilizer laws in NJ. Other than that there isn't a huge benefit for me.


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

If you do not have to, don't. Being State Certified means *ALL* pesticide applications are subject to audit by your state regulatory agency. This can mean even products not named as a State or Federal Restricted Use pesticide. I do not know of anything normally applied to a lawn that is Federally restricted other than high concentration Atrazine. Simazine works just as well and is safer in many ways.


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## kur1j (Jul 2, 2017)

@Greendoc Very interesting you say that. I guess that is typical government for you. I was just looking into into it to become more versed in it, to be more knowledgeable (study up to take a test) to have the paper to go along with it to say "hey this person has some knowledge of what is going on".

But based on that, it would be dumb and more hassle and more threat for me to do it.


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## Movingshrub (Jun 12, 2017)

I think the ability to get restricted use chemicals is the benefit and ability to get paid.


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## SGrabs33 (Feb 13, 2017)

I've got the study materials for N.C. as I was thinking about taking the test. The material is interesting and the practice questions are fairly simple. Here you just need a 70% to pass. Based on the study materials I think I could probably do that after just reading through the study materials once.


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## viva_oldtrafford (Apr 4, 2018)

Movingshrub said:


> I think the ability to get restricted use chemicals is the benefit and ability to get paid.


Having access to RUP is the #1 benefit no doubt. Audits happen, and as long as you're doing it by the label, it's an easy process - I've been audited twice and on both occassions it turned into laid back experience after 5 minutes of records inspection.

Testing is just a lot of reading labels & answering questions, doing some calibration, weed species identification, and common sense stuff.


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## Rackhouse Mayor (Sep 4, 2017)

Just befriend someone that has restricted use chemicals. 

Then you can end up like this guy from my area that sprayed methyl parathion in homes 20 years ago... https://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/17/us/exterminators-held-in-use-of-a-poison-inside-homes.html


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## Colonel K0rn (Jul 4, 2017)

Rackhouse Mayor said:


> Just befriend someone that has restricted use chemicals.
> 
> Then you can end up like this guy from my area that sprayed methyl parathion in homes 20 years ago... https://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/17/us/exterminators-held-in-use-of-a-poison-inside-homes.html


Wow, those poor people affected by some morons who failed to RTFM.


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## Green (Dec 24, 2017)

I had been thinking about doing this 10-15 years down the road if I have the time...just because I like lawncare so much...and probably would study for the arborist license, as well. I almost went into the green industry as a sideline hustle thing, actually...long story. It'd be cool to do especially if I'm fortunate enough to have a son someday...we could start a neighborhood mowing business for him at the appropriate age, if he's interested. And dad could be certified to back it all up, lol.

I believe in being overqualified, if you couldn't tell! :mrgreen:


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