Residential pesticide applicator certificate
Last updated on September 26, 2022Get certified as a resident to apply domestic class pesticides to landscaped areas on your private residential property including:
- Lawns
- Flower beds
- Ornamental trees and plants (shrubs, flowers)
- Driveways, pathways, sidewalks and patios that are part of landscaped areas
A person with a Residential Applicator Certificate (RAC) must provide treatment notification to anyone living on the property before applying pesticides.
For more information, read The Rules Have Changed – A Guide for Residents (PDF, 491KB)
Municipal bylaw restrictions
If a municipality has restrictions (bylaws) on the use of pesticides on landscapes, they must be followed. Review the municipal bylaw table for more information.
The municipal bylaw table is only current to March 2016. If your municipality is not listed, visit CivicInfo BC for contact information and check with the municipality to find out if they have enacted a bylaw since March 2016.
When is a RAC not required?
- If you already have a landscape pesticide applicator certificate
- For the treatment of:
- Vegetable gardens
- Fruit-bearing trees/shrubs (for human consumption)
- Structures (houses or outbuildings)
- If you are using domestic class glyphosate to treat:
- Plants that are poisonous to human touch (e.g. poison oak, poison ivy or poison sumac)
- Invasive plants or noxious weeds
- Weeds growing through cracks in hard surfaces such as asphalt or concrete (e.g. parking lots, driveways, patios and sidewalks)
- If you use a pesticide on Schedule 2 or Schedule 5
- If you hire a licenced company to provide the service
How do I get a RAC?
- To get a residential applicator certificate, you must complete the online course and pass an exam provided by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. The course and exam are free of charge and take approximately two hours to complete
- The course and exam can be accessed on your computer and on mobile devices
- You must get a passing grade of at least 75% in the final exam to receive a residential applicator certificate
- Upon passing the exam your residential applicator certificate will be valid for 10 years
How do I recertify?
Once your residential applicator certificate has expired, you must complete the free online course and exam to recertify.
Treatment notification requirements
Before applying domestic class pesticides to a landscaped area on their private residential property, a person with a valid residential applicator certificate must provide written notice to anyone living on the property. If the owner or manager of the property does not live on-site, they must also be given written notice.
The notice must provide the following information:
- Where pesticides will be applied
- What pest you are targeting
- What pesticide will be used (PCP number and active ingredient)
- When you will be applying the pesticide
- Your name and certificate number
- Your phone number, and
- When it will be safe to re-enter the treated area and any other safety precautions that should be followed
You can create your own notice, or use this template:
See an example of a filled-out treatment notice: