WASHINGTON PESTICIDE LAWS AND SAFETY EXAM
SCRIPT 2025/2026 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔Define contact pesticides: - ✔✔Are neither absorbed nor translocated within treated
plants or animals. The pesticide must contact the organism being controlled.
✔✔What does FIFRA stand for? - ✔✔Federal Insecticide Fungicide and Rodenticide Act
✔✔What are legal control methods? - ✔✔Limit the development of pest populations by
restricting human activities. This is accomplished by a series of laws that establish a
series of framework and quarantines to prevent the introduction of new pests within the
country.
✔✔Which federal institutions regulate legal controls? - ✔✔At the federal level, the
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and the WSDA at the state level.
✔✔Under Washington state law, what is a pesticide? - ✔✔Any substance or mixture of
substances intended to:
1. Prevent, destroy, control, repel, or mitigate any pest organism, whither it be plant,
animal, or virus (except viruses in or on humans or other animals).
2. Be used as a plant regulator, defoliant, or dessicant.
3. Or be used as a spray adjuvant (not included in the federal definition of a pesticide).
✔✔Pesticide registrations by the EPA: - ✔✔Most pesticides are registered by the EPA
and classified at general or restricted use.
✔✔Pesticide registration by the WSDA: - ✔✔Any pesticide sold or used in Washington
must be registered by the EPA. The WSDA can refuse to register pesticides regardless
of that products EPA registration status.
✔✔What is state restricted use? - ✔✔The WSDA may restrict the use of some
pesticides even though the EPA has registered them as general use.
✔✔What is SLN or 24c? - ✔✔Special local needs registrations allow a state, under
some conditions, to register additional uses for a federally registered pesticide. This
may adding application sites, pests, or alternate control techniques to those listed on
the federally registered label.
✔✔What must an applicator have to make a SLN application? - ✔✔The applicator must
have a copy of the SLN label to present to perform this type of application.
✔✔What is section 18? - ✔✔Emergency exemption from registration: Is used when an
emergency situation arises for which no acceptable pesticide is registered or available
in the state. This provision allows for the sale and use for a nonregistered purpose in a
specified area for a specified time period. Special restrictions generally accompany the
, use of these products (record keeping, safety precautions, specified rates, limited
certification).
✔✔Pesticide use clause: - ✔✔No person shall transport, handle, store, load, apply, or
dispose of any pesticide, pesticide container, or apparatus in such a manner to cause
damage to land, humans, desirable plants and animals, or wildlife. Pesticides cannot
legally be used in any manner expect those permitted on the label or in a manner
consistent with the specific exceptions identified in FIFRA.
✔✔Access to records, equipment, and pesticides - ✔✔WSDA shall have access to
pesticide records at any reasonable time to copy or make copes. To monitor
compliance, WSDA can sample and examine pesticides or equipment at any
reasonable time.
✔✔Recertification requirements for private applicators: - ✔✔20 credit hours every five
years, not to exceed 10 in any one calendar year.
✔✔Recertification requirements for other license holders (excluding limited and rancher
private applicator): - ✔✔40 credit hours every five years, not to exceed 15 in any one
calendar year.
✔✔Repackaging pesticides in bulk containers requires: - ✔✔registration for the
repackaged product. If proper registration is not obtained, it is illegal.
✔✔Dealers are responsible for positively identifying that only WSDA certified person
purchase restricted use pesticides. - ✔✔It is the dealers responsibility to verify that the
certified applicator has the necessary licenses for the area the restricted use pesticide
will be used. A restricted use insecticide cannot be sold to a person who is certified for
weed control only.
✔✔Dealers must be able to provide Material Safety Data Sheets to applicators upon
request. - ✔✔MSDS
✔✔Dealers must keep records on the sale of general (G) and restricted use (R)
pesticides, except for home and garden products, for seven years. These records must
contain: - ✔✔-Name and address of purchaser (G, R).
-Name and address of certified applicator, if different from above (R).
-Name of authorized agent (R).
-Date of distribution (G, R).
-Amount distributed (G, R).
-Brand name of product and/or EPA registration number (G, R).
-Crop or site to which pesticide will be applied (G).
-Certified applicator number (R).
SCRIPT 2025/2026 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔Define contact pesticides: - ✔✔Are neither absorbed nor translocated within treated
plants or animals. The pesticide must contact the organism being controlled.
✔✔What does FIFRA stand for? - ✔✔Federal Insecticide Fungicide and Rodenticide Act
✔✔What are legal control methods? - ✔✔Limit the development of pest populations by
restricting human activities. This is accomplished by a series of laws that establish a
series of framework and quarantines to prevent the introduction of new pests within the
country.
✔✔Which federal institutions regulate legal controls? - ✔✔At the federal level, the
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and the WSDA at the state level.
✔✔Under Washington state law, what is a pesticide? - ✔✔Any substance or mixture of
substances intended to:
1. Prevent, destroy, control, repel, or mitigate any pest organism, whither it be plant,
animal, or virus (except viruses in or on humans or other animals).
2. Be used as a plant regulator, defoliant, or dessicant.
3. Or be used as a spray adjuvant (not included in the federal definition of a pesticide).
✔✔Pesticide registrations by the EPA: - ✔✔Most pesticides are registered by the EPA
and classified at general or restricted use.
✔✔Pesticide registration by the WSDA: - ✔✔Any pesticide sold or used in Washington
must be registered by the EPA. The WSDA can refuse to register pesticides regardless
of that products EPA registration status.
✔✔What is state restricted use? - ✔✔The WSDA may restrict the use of some
pesticides even though the EPA has registered them as general use.
✔✔What is SLN or 24c? - ✔✔Special local needs registrations allow a state, under
some conditions, to register additional uses for a federally registered pesticide. This
may adding application sites, pests, or alternate control techniques to those listed on
the federally registered label.
✔✔What must an applicator have to make a SLN application? - ✔✔The applicator must
have a copy of the SLN label to present to perform this type of application.
✔✔What is section 18? - ✔✔Emergency exemption from registration: Is used when an
emergency situation arises for which no acceptable pesticide is registered or available
in the state. This provision allows for the sale and use for a nonregistered purpose in a
specified area for a specified time period. Special restrictions generally accompany the
, use of these products (record keeping, safety precautions, specified rates, limited
certification).
✔✔Pesticide use clause: - ✔✔No person shall transport, handle, store, load, apply, or
dispose of any pesticide, pesticide container, or apparatus in such a manner to cause
damage to land, humans, desirable plants and animals, or wildlife. Pesticides cannot
legally be used in any manner expect those permitted on the label or in a manner
consistent with the specific exceptions identified in FIFRA.
✔✔Access to records, equipment, and pesticides - ✔✔WSDA shall have access to
pesticide records at any reasonable time to copy or make copes. To monitor
compliance, WSDA can sample and examine pesticides or equipment at any
reasonable time.
✔✔Recertification requirements for private applicators: - ✔✔20 credit hours every five
years, not to exceed 10 in any one calendar year.
✔✔Recertification requirements for other license holders (excluding limited and rancher
private applicator): - ✔✔40 credit hours every five years, not to exceed 15 in any one
calendar year.
✔✔Repackaging pesticides in bulk containers requires: - ✔✔registration for the
repackaged product. If proper registration is not obtained, it is illegal.
✔✔Dealers are responsible for positively identifying that only WSDA certified person
purchase restricted use pesticides. - ✔✔It is the dealers responsibility to verify that the
certified applicator has the necessary licenses for the area the restricted use pesticide
will be used. A restricted use insecticide cannot be sold to a person who is certified for
weed control only.
✔✔Dealers must be able to provide Material Safety Data Sheets to applicators upon
request. - ✔✔MSDS
✔✔Dealers must keep records on the sale of general (G) and restricted use (R)
pesticides, except for home and garden products, for seven years. These records must
contain: - ✔✔-Name and address of purchaser (G, R).
-Name and address of certified applicator, if different from above (R).
-Name of authorized agent (R).
-Date of distribution (G, R).
-Amount distributed (G, R).
-Brand name of product and/or EPA registration number (G, R).
-Crop or site to which pesticide will be applied (G).
-Certified applicator number (R).
