CHAPTER 16-228 WAC
General Pesticide Rules
Overview of Rule Making
The Department has adopted amendments to chapter 16-228 WAC, General Pesticide Rules, by filing a CR-103 with the Office of the Code Reviser on October 31, 2025.
The amendments to this chapter include:
- Updating requirements for pesticide dealers/distributors (WAC 16-228-1231; 16-228-1300) Updates include clarifying language allowing pesticide dealers to distribute to other pesticide dealers and increasing recordkeeping requirements for distribution of restricted use pesticides.
- Updating pilot and aircraft requirements for pesticide applicators (WAC 16-228-1330), including updating language so requirements apply to all aerial applicators, not just commercial.
- Include federally required language regarding Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, Rodenticide Act violations. (WAC 16-228-1500)
- Updating and clarifying pesticide license examination standards to articulate a waiting period between failures in rule rather than in policy and to specify that exam proctors may not take pesticide licensing examinations during an examination session they are proctoring (WAC 16-228-1540).
- Updating licensing requirements to remove the allowance for substitutions to meet the core laws and safety requirements, adding, merging, and removing categories (classifications), and adding enhanced competency standards for nearly all licensees (WAC 16-228-1545, 16-228-15451 (new), 16-228-1546, 16-228-15461 (new), and 16-228-1547).
- Adding a new section establishing requirements for the direct supervision of non-certified applicators, including specifying the responsibilities of both the supervising certified (licensed) applicator and the non-certified applicator, and establishing a minimum age requirement for non-certified applicators. (WAC 16-228-1548)
- Updating language in these sections for cleanup and consistency. (WAC 16-228-1010, 16-228-12352, 16-228-1320, 16-228-1530, and 16-228-1550)
Adoption Date: October 31, 2025
Effective Date: January 1, 2026
Notices Published in State Register and Related Documents
| Document | Filed | Published | WSR Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concise Explanatory Statement | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| CR-103 with adopted rule language | 10/31/2025 | 11/19/2025 | 25-22-065 |
| CR-102 with proposed rule language | 08/19/2025 | 09/03/2025 | 25-17-078 |
| CR-101 | 10/16/2023 | 11/01/2023 | 23-21-079 |
Public Hearing Information
The department held public hearings to receive information and comments regarding the proposed amendments on:
| Date: | September 23, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Time: | 9:00 AM |
| Location: | Microsoft Teams Join the meeting now Meeting ID: 259 754 654 252 6 Passcode: jf3VH6JR +1 564-999-2000,,641924598# United States, Olympia Find a local number Phone conference ID: 641 924 598# |
| Date: | September 23, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Time | 6:00 PM |
| Location | Microsoft Teams Join the meeting now Meeting ID: 283 353 918 781 2 Passcode: Bi7Rv6tS +1 564-999-2000,,719918184# United States, Olympia Find a local number Phone conference ID: 719 918 184# |
Submitting Written Comments
Written comments were to be submitted using one of the following:
By mail:Gloriann Robinson, Agency Rules Coordinator
Washington State Dept. of Agriculture
PO Box 42560
Olympia, WA 98504-2560
By fax: (360) 902-2092
By email: wsdarulescomments@agr.wa.gov
Written comments were due no later than 5:00 PM September 23, 2025.
Agency Personnel Responsible for Rule Amendments
Please contact Tina Zimmerman to discuss implementation and enforcement of the amended rule.
By mail:
Christina (Tina) Zimmerman, Licensing and Recertification Program Manager
Agricultural Environmental Services Division
Washington State Dept. of Agriculture
PO Box 42560
Olympia, WA 98504-2560
By email: czimmerman@agr.wa.gov