Limited certification for governmental pesticide applicators or private applicators.

(1)(a) The department shall establish limited certification categories for:

1. Persons who apply pesticides only as governmental employees.

2. Persons who apply pesticides only to their own private property, and employees who apply pesticides to private property owned by their employers. This includes properties such as public buildings, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, grocery stores, restaurants, apartments, and common areas of condominiums and any other private properties where the public may be exposed to pesticide applications.

(b) A person seeking limited certification under this subsection must pass an examination that the department shall provide in person and remotely through a third-party vendor. The third-party vendor may collect and retain a convenience fee. Each application for examination must be accompanied by an examination fee set by the department, in an amount of not more than $150 or less than $50; and a recertification fee of $25 every 4 years. Until rules setting these fees are adopted by the department, the examination fee is $50. Application for recertification must be accompanied by proof of having completed 4 classroom hours of acceptable continuing education. The limited certificate expires 4 years after the date of issuance. If the certificateholder fails to renew his or her certificate and provide proof of completion of the required continuing education units within 60 days after the expiration date, the certificateholder may be recertified only after reexamination. The department shall make available the appropriate reference material.

(c) Certification obtained under this subsection does not authorize operation of a pest control business.

(2) In lieu of obtaining limited certification under subsection (1), a governmental employee or private property applicator may apply pesticides if she or he is trained and supervised by a certified operator who is certified by the department in the categories of pest control that are performed by the employee or applicator and who is employed full time by the governmental agency or private property owner for which the pest control is performed.

(3) A person who applies pesticides under this section shall maintain, for a period of at least 2 years, routine operational records containing information pertaining to each application of a restricted-use pesticide including the name of the applicator and the type, amount, use, date, and place of application.

(4) This section does not apply to the application of disinfectants, sanitizers, or ready-to-use pesticides sold over the counter at retail.

(5) A limited certification granted under this section does not authorize the performance of fumigation of a structure.