50-state retention reference
Pesticide record retention table by state
This retention table summarizes the same data that powers PestLog's state pages so operators can quickly compare pesticide record retention periods, source links, and state pages before preparing records for review.
50-state pesticide record retention table
| State | Retention | Summary | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama (AL) | 1 years | Alabama professional-services pesticide rules require complete work records for one year; pesticide use records are kept one year from treatment or contract expiration, or longer if EPA requires. | Retention source |
| Alaska (AK) | 2 years | Alaska 18 AAC 90 recordkeeping rules require commercial, custom, contract, private, and other applicator pesticide records to be kept for at least two years. | Retention source |
| Arizona (AZ) | 3 years | Arizona pest-management rules require service records, certain customer refusals, inspection reports, contracts, personnel records, and WDIIRs to be maintained for three years. | Retention source |
| Arkansas (AR) | 2 years | Arkansas pesticide law requires commercial and noncommercial applicator operational records to be kept for two years from the pesticide application date. | Retention source |
| California (CA) | 2 years | California DPR guidance says pesticide use records must be retained by the applicator for two years; structural applications can carry a three-year retention requirement. | Retention source |
| Colorado (CO) | 2 years | Colorado pesticide applicator rules require private applicator restricted-use pesticide records to be retained for two years from the application date. | Retention source |
| Connecticut (CT) | 5 years | Connecticut DEEP guidance says pesticide application businesses must maintain application records for at least five years from when the record is made or amended. | Retention source |
| Delaware (DE) | 2 years | Delaware Department of Agriculture pesticide business licensing guidance says licensees must keep minimum pesticide application records for two years. | Retention source |
| Florida (FL) | 2 years | Florida Rule 5E-14.142 requires pest control records and related contracts to be kept for at least two years; some termite records require three years. | Retention source |
| Georgia (GA) | 2 years | Georgia Rule 40-21-5 requires pesticide application records to be maintained for two years and available for inspection during normal business hours. | Retention source |
| Hawaii (HI) | 2 years | Hawaii HAR §4-66-62 requires certified pesticide applicators to keep restricted-use pesticide application records for two years at the principal place of business. | Retention source |
| Idaho (ID) | 2 years | Idaho 2024 rule-update guidance says professional applicators maintain pesticide application records for two years, ready for inspection, duplication, or submission. | Retention source |
| Illinois (IL) | 2 years | Illinois structural pest control records have a two-year baseline under 77 Ill. Adm. Code 830.820 for commercial pesticide applications and non-commercial restricted pesticide applications. | Retention source |
| Indiana (IN) | 2 years | Indiana OISC pesticide recordkeeping guidance dated 3-12-24 says restricted-use pesticide application records must be kept for two years and may be electronic or paper. | Retention source |
| Iowa (IA) | 3 years | Iowa 21—45.26(206) and Iowa Code §206.15 require commercial applicator pesticide application records to be maintained for three years from the application date. | Retention source |
| Kansas (KS) | 3 years | Kansas K.S.A. 2-2455 requires pesticide business statements or contracts to be retained for three years; certain certified commercial applicator records are kept three years from application. | Retention source |
| Kentucky (KY) | 3 years | Kentucky 302 KAR 26:030 requires pesticide application records and structural general-use application records to be retained at least three years from use or application. | Retention source |
| Louisiana (LA) | 2 years | Louisiana LAC Title 7, Part XXIII, §2101 requires covered owner-operators, private applicators, and commercial applicators to maintain pesticide application records for two years. | Retention source |
| Maine (ME) | 2 years | Maine 01-026 C.M.R. ch. 50, §1(A)(I) requires commercial agricultural producers and commercial applicators to keep pesticide application records for two years from application. | Retention source |
| Maryland (MD) | 2 years | COMAR 15.05.01.12 requires Maryland licensees and permit holders to maintain pest identification, recommendation, and application records for two years and make them immediately available to MDA on request. | Retention source |
| Massachusetts (MA) | 3 years | Massachusetts 333 CMR 10.14(2) requires pesticide application records to be maintained for at least three years from the application date and made promptly available to Department officials. | Retention source |
| Michigan (MI) | 3 years | Michigan R 285.636.15 requires commercial restricted-use pesticide application records for at least three years and commercial general-use pesticide application records for at least one year. | Retention source |
| Minnesota (MN) | 5 years | Minnesota Statutes §18B.37 requires commercial, noncommercial, and structural pest control records to be retained for five years; private restricted-use records have a separate shorter rule. | Retention source |
| Mississippi (MS) | 2 years | Mississippi Title 2, Part 1, Subpart 3, Chapter 11 §111.01 requires licensed or permitted professional-services work records for two years from completion; WDI records remain current plus two years after contract expiration. | Retention source |
| Missouri (MO) | 3 years | Missouri 2 CSR 70-25.120 requires certified commercial applicators or employers to keep all pesticide-use records for three years; certified noncommercial and public operators keep RUP-use records for three years. | Retention source |
| Montana (MT) | 2 years | Montana Department of Agriculture guidance for ARM 4.10.207 requires certified commercial, public utility, government, noncommercial applicators, and operators to keep operational application records for two years. | Retention source |
| Nebraska (NE) | 3 years | Nebraska pesticide regulations §006.02 require commercial and noncommercial applicator records to be kept for a minimum of three years after the application at the principal place of business. | Retention source |
| Nevada (NV) | 2 years | Nevada NAC 555.410 requires accurate and legible records for two years for each property treated by persons subject to NAC 555.400. | Retention source |
| New Hampshire (NH) | 2 years | New Hampshire Pes 901.02 requires registrants and permittees to maintain pesticide daily-use records for at least two years, whether or not certification is renewed. | Retention source |
| New Jersey (NJ) | 3 years | N.J.A.C. 7:30-6.8(c) requires commercial pesticide applicator records to be written within 24 hours and kept at least three years; termiticide application records are kept at least five years. | Retention source |
| New Mexico (NM) | 2 years | 21.17.50.10(C) NMAC requires pesticide application records to be kept for two years from the date of application of any pesticide. | Retention source |
| New York (NY) | 3 years | New York ECL §33-1205 requires commercial applicator pesticide application records to be retained for at least three years and available for DEC inspection. | Retention source |
| North Carolina (NC) | 3 years | 02 NCAC 09L .1402 requires ground-equipment applicators to keep restricted-use pesticide application records for three years; structural pest-control rules separately use two-year retention for several structural records. | Retention source |
| North Dakota (ND) | Verify with state source | Current N.D. Admin. Code 60-03-01-07 and the NDDA compliance guide state record contents and timing duties, but no explicit applicator record-retention period was found in official sources checked. | Retention source |
| Ohio (OH) | 3 years | Ohio OAC 901:5-11-10(B)-(C) requires employers and pesticide businesses receiving commercial application or WDI diagnostic records to retain them for three years from the application or inspection date. | Retention source |
| Oklahoma (OK) | 2 years | Oklahoma 2 O.S. § 3-83 requires commercial and noncommercial applicator pesticide activity records to be kept intact at the principal business location for at least two years and furnished to the Board on request. | Retention source |
| Oregon (OR) | 3 years | Oregon ODA recordkeeping guidance for ORS 634.146 and OAR 603-057-0130 says pesticide application records must be maintained for at least three years from the application date. | Retention source |
| Pennsylvania (PA) | 3 years | Pennsylvania 7 Pa. Code § 128.35(e) requires pesticide application business records kept under § 128.35 to be maintained for at least three years. | Retention source |
| Rhode Island (RI) | 2 years | Rhode Island 250-RICR-40-15-2.6(B) requires every commercial applicator to keep true and accurate records for a minimum of two years from the application date. | Retention source |
| South Carolina (SC) | 2 years | South Carolina Regulation 27-1083.C(3)(c) requires pesticide application records other than termiticides to be maintained for two years; termiticide records require five years or the continuing warranty/contract period, whichever is longer. | Retention source |
| South Dakota (SD) | 3 years | South Dakota ARSD 12:56:07:03 requires records required by ARSD 12:56:07:01 to be kept by the applicator for three years from the pesticide application date and furnished to the Department upon request. | Retention source |
| Tennessee (TN) | 2 years | Tennessee Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-09-04-.06(5) requires applicators to maintain required application records for two years from the application date. | Retention source |
| Texas (TX) | 2 years | Texas Administrative Code Rule 7.144 requires correct and accurate pest control use records to be maintained for two years. | Retention source |
| Utah (UT) | 2 years | Utah Admin. Code R68-7-11(11)(c), R68-7-12(8)(c), and R68-7-13(8)(c) require pesticide application records to be kept for at least two years from each covered pesticide application date. | Retention source |
| Vermont (VT) | 3 years | Vermont Rule for Control of Pesticides §§ 8.01(c), 8.02(c), and 8.04(b) require covered applicator and company operational records to be kept for three years. | Retention source |
| Virginia (VA) | 2 years | Virginia 2VAC5-680-50(C) requires pesticide businesses to maintain required records for two years; 2VAC5-685-200(A) applies the same two-year period to not-for-hire commercial applicators and registered technicians. | Retention source |
| Washington (WA) | 7 years | Washington WAC 16-228-1320 requires pesticide application records to be completed the same day and kept for seven years. | Retention source |
| West Virginia (WV) | 2 years | West Virginia C.S.R. §§ 61-12A-9.1.a and 61-12A-9.3 require commercial or certified public applicator records and private restricted-use pesticide records to be kept for two years. | Retention source |
| Wisconsin (WI) | 2 years | Wisconsin DATCP guidance citing ATCP 29.21, 29.33, and ATCP 30.30(5) says application records are kept for two years, with atrazine records kept for three years. | Retention source |
| Wyoming (WY) | 2 years | Wyoming Chapter 28, Section 14(f) requires commercial applicators to maintain accurate and legible commercial application records for two years; Section 15(c) separately retains customer-information records for two years. | Retention source |
How to read the table
Each row is generated from the same sourced data used by PestLog state pages, keeping the retention summary, source URL, and state page link aligned.
- State name and abbreviation
- Retention years or unknown status
- Plain-language summary
- Official or regulator source link
- PestLog state page link
When to verify directly
Retention can depend on use category, license type, restricted-use status, contract terms, and incident reporting, so direct regulator guidance should control final decisions.
- Before inspections
- Before license renewal
- After rule updates
- When handling restricted-use pesticide records
FAQ
Why do some states show unknown retention?
Unknown means PestLog has not reduced the state source into a single universal year value. Operators should open the state page and regulator source before setting policy.
Does this table replace legal or regulator advice?
No. It is a research aid for organizing recordkeeping work. Official state regulators, current rules, labels, contracts, and qualified counsel should control compliance decisions.