Iowa Pesticide Applicator questions and answers A+ Grade
2026\2027
Intro: Types of pesticide applicators in Iowa
- correct answer Commercial Applicators (another person for compensation); Public Applicators (as
employee govt agencies); Noncommercial Applicators (property owned, rented, or leased by the
applicator or the applicator's employer); Private Applicators (agricultural); Certified Handlers (preparing,
mixing, or loading pesticides)
Intro: Describe certification & recertification requirements
- correct answer Certification: Employed by a certified, licensed company; fee paid to IDALS; 21-day
grace period (direct supervision); closed-book exam. Recertification: 3-year qualification cycle;
renewable by either testing every third year or attending approved continuing instruction courses (CIC);
core & categories; fee & you get a form.
C1: What agency regulates pesticide use in US
- correct answer U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
C1: Summarize pesticide registration & re-registration
- correct answer FIFRA requires the EPA to regulate the sale & use & they do this through registration &
labeling of pesticide products; human health & the environment. Re-registration FIFRA requires EPA to
conduct comprehensive reviews of older pesticides human health & environmental effects
C1: Understand the penalties for violations of FIFRA
- correct answer Violations of the legal provisions established in FIFRA civil penalties as much as $6,500
for each offense; violation of the law also may subject you to criminal penalties up to $25,000 or one
year in prison, or both.
C1: FIFRA
- correct answer Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (1947) regulates the production,
transportation, sale, use, & disposal of all pesticides
,C1: FFDCA
- correct answer Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act sets allowable residue levels to ensure the safety
of the food supply
C1: FQPA
- correct answer Food Quality Protection Act amended both FIFRA & FFDCA & set a tougher standard for
pesticides on food.
C1: Residues & Tolerances
- correct answer Residues: Small amounts of pesticides on fruits, vegetables, grains, other foods, &
animal feeds. Tolerances: the EPA sets allowable residue levels under FFDCA regs, safe tolerances "a
reasonable certainty of no harm".
C1: How does the ESA relate to pesticides
- correct answer The Endangered Species Act (ESA): Pesticides use may directly or indirectly, through
drift and runoff, affect endangered or threatened species & their habitat.
C1: Summarize RCRA
- correct answer Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) gives EPA the authority to control
hazardous waste from the "cradle-to-grave", rinsates & hazardous waste; become solid wastes when
you want to discard.
C1: Who is protected by the WPS
- correct answer Worker Protection Standard (WPS) helps protect employees on farms, forests,
nurseries, & greenhouses from occupational exposure.
C2: List the requirements of pesticide applicator records
- correct answer 1) Name & certification number of licensee; 2) Name & address of landowner or
customer; 3) Address of the place of application of pesticide; 4) Date of application; 5) Trade name of
pesticide;
6) Quantity of pesticide used & the concentration or rate of application; 7) Temperature and direction &
velocity of wind; 8) the use of "restricted use" pesticides; 9) Time pesticide application begins & ends.
, C2: Describe the Sensitive Crops Directory
- correct answer It is an online registry to identify locations of pesticide-sensitive crops & apiaries (bee
yards): vineyards, orchards, certified organic crops, and fruit & vegetable crops. Susceptible to drift &
meet minimum acreage requirements.
C2: Iowa Bee Rule
- correct answer Owners of apiaries shall register location (expires Dec 31); shall not apply a pesticide
labeled as toxic to bees within 1 mile of apiaries between 8 am & 6 pm (registered on 1st day of month)
C2: List the notification requirements for urban pesticide applications
- correct answer Notification: must post signs at the start of application; display signs for at least 24 hrs
after the application (longer if label requires); does not apply to pesticides applied within a structure or
within 6 ft of the outside perimeter of a structure, nor to the homeowner or tenant. Also,
prenotification, durable signs, remove, provide label
C2: Summarize the Iowa atrazine management rules
- correct answer Atrazine is a restricted use pesticide due to ground & surface water concerns. Atrazine
application rates are limited to 2.5 lbs per acre per calendar year; restricts rates to 1.5 lbs in 23 counties
(7 county -wide 16 in some townships); may not be mixed, loaded, or repackaged within 50 feet of a
sinkhole, well, cistern, lake, water impoundment, this includes, but is not limited to, abandoned wells,
agricultural drainage wells & drainage well surface inlets, & drinking water wells; atrazine mixing,
loading, & equipment cleanout must meet the secondary containment requirements in the Iowa
administrative code.
C2: Recognize the requirements of on-site containment of pesticides
- correct answer All non-mobile bulk pesticide storage containers must be located within a watertight
secondary containment facility, a structure used to prevent runoff or leaching of pesticide materials. If
you store for more than 30 days & mix more than 300 gal and/or 300 lbs, your facility is considered a
permanent storage & mixing site. Paved & sloped & elevated, curbed; engineer's design, plans IDALS;
rainwater, cracks; washing, rinsates.
C2: Penalties for violations of the Pesticide Act of Iowa
- correct answer If you violate any provisions of Pesticide Act of Iowa (PAI), max civil penalty must not
exceed $500 per violation;
C3: What constitutes a pest
- correct answer A pest is any living species whose activities cause economic losses to your possessions,
directly threaten your health, or are annoying.
2026\2027
Intro: Types of pesticide applicators in Iowa
- correct answer Commercial Applicators (another person for compensation); Public Applicators (as
employee govt agencies); Noncommercial Applicators (property owned, rented, or leased by the
applicator or the applicator's employer); Private Applicators (agricultural); Certified Handlers (preparing,
mixing, or loading pesticides)
Intro: Describe certification & recertification requirements
- correct answer Certification: Employed by a certified, licensed company; fee paid to IDALS; 21-day
grace period (direct supervision); closed-book exam. Recertification: 3-year qualification cycle;
renewable by either testing every third year or attending approved continuing instruction courses (CIC);
core & categories; fee & you get a form.
C1: What agency regulates pesticide use in US
- correct answer U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
C1: Summarize pesticide registration & re-registration
- correct answer FIFRA requires the EPA to regulate the sale & use & they do this through registration &
labeling of pesticide products; human health & the environment. Re-registration FIFRA requires EPA to
conduct comprehensive reviews of older pesticides human health & environmental effects
C1: Understand the penalties for violations of FIFRA
- correct answer Violations of the legal provisions established in FIFRA civil penalties as much as $6,500
for each offense; violation of the law also may subject you to criminal penalties up to $25,000 or one
year in prison, or both.
C1: FIFRA
- correct answer Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (1947) regulates the production,
transportation, sale, use, & disposal of all pesticides
,C1: FFDCA
- correct answer Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act sets allowable residue levels to ensure the safety
of the food supply
C1: FQPA
- correct answer Food Quality Protection Act amended both FIFRA & FFDCA & set a tougher standard for
pesticides on food.
C1: Residues & Tolerances
- correct answer Residues: Small amounts of pesticides on fruits, vegetables, grains, other foods, &
animal feeds. Tolerances: the EPA sets allowable residue levels under FFDCA regs, safe tolerances "a
reasonable certainty of no harm".
C1: How does the ESA relate to pesticides
- correct answer The Endangered Species Act (ESA): Pesticides use may directly or indirectly, through
drift and runoff, affect endangered or threatened species & their habitat.
C1: Summarize RCRA
- correct answer Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) gives EPA the authority to control
hazardous waste from the "cradle-to-grave", rinsates & hazardous waste; become solid wastes when
you want to discard.
C1: Who is protected by the WPS
- correct answer Worker Protection Standard (WPS) helps protect employees on farms, forests,
nurseries, & greenhouses from occupational exposure.
C2: List the requirements of pesticide applicator records
- correct answer 1) Name & certification number of licensee; 2) Name & address of landowner or
customer; 3) Address of the place of application of pesticide; 4) Date of application; 5) Trade name of
pesticide;
6) Quantity of pesticide used & the concentration or rate of application; 7) Temperature and direction &
velocity of wind; 8) the use of "restricted use" pesticides; 9) Time pesticide application begins & ends.
, C2: Describe the Sensitive Crops Directory
- correct answer It is an online registry to identify locations of pesticide-sensitive crops & apiaries (bee
yards): vineyards, orchards, certified organic crops, and fruit & vegetable crops. Susceptible to drift &
meet minimum acreage requirements.
C2: Iowa Bee Rule
- correct answer Owners of apiaries shall register location (expires Dec 31); shall not apply a pesticide
labeled as toxic to bees within 1 mile of apiaries between 8 am & 6 pm (registered on 1st day of month)
C2: List the notification requirements for urban pesticide applications
- correct answer Notification: must post signs at the start of application; display signs for at least 24 hrs
after the application (longer if label requires); does not apply to pesticides applied within a structure or
within 6 ft of the outside perimeter of a structure, nor to the homeowner or tenant. Also,
prenotification, durable signs, remove, provide label
C2: Summarize the Iowa atrazine management rules
- correct answer Atrazine is a restricted use pesticide due to ground & surface water concerns. Atrazine
application rates are limited to 2.5 lbs per acre per calendar year; restricts rates to 1.5 lbs in 23 counties
(7 county -wide 16 in some townships); may not be mixed, loaded, or repackaged within 50 feet of a
sinkhole, well, cistern, lake, water impoundment, this includes, but is not limited to, abandoned wells,
agricultural drainage wells & drainage well surface inlets, & drinking water wells; atrazine mixing,
loading, & equipment cleanout must meet the secondary containment requirements in the Iowa
administrative code.
C2: Recognize the requirements of on-site containment of pesticides
- correct answer All non-mobile bulk pesticide storage containers must be located within a watertight
secondary containment facility, a structure used to prevent runoff or leaching of pesticide materials. If
you store for more than 30 days & mix more than 300 gal and/or 300 lbs, your facility is considered a
permanent storage & mixing site. Paved & sloped & elevated, curbed; engineer's design, plans IDALS;
rainwater, cracks; washing, rinsates.
C2: Penalties for violations of the Pesticide Act of Iowa
- correct answer If you violate any provisions of Pesticide Act of Iowa (PAI), max civil penalty must not
exceed $500 per violation;
C3: What constitutes a pest
- correct answer A pest is any living species whose activities cause economic losses to your possessions,
directly threaten your health, or are annoying.
