I’m looking to get into softwashing. I am having trouble finding good information on whether or not I need a pesticide license. Some people say yes, others say no. If it helps I’m located in GA. Are y’all getting pesticide licenses for SH application? Do I need a contractor applicator license? Definitely makes it a little more difficult to get off the ground if so.
You’ll hear a deafening silence on this issue from most of the community. Many (most?) in the industry don’t understand that pesticide laws can apply to what they’re doing.
My best advice: ask the regulators in your state. The Georgia Department of Agriculture would probably be the first call. Specifically tell them that you’re looking at using SH and surfactants to CLEAN exterior surfaces (not “kill” moss, mold, etc).
Beyond that, when advertising or marketing your business services, stick to cleaning claims rather than killing claims. Offering a service which CLEANS is less likely to implicate pesticide laws.
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Thank you for the reply. I actually reached out to our Ag Department a couple days ago. I asked if I would need a pesticide license to remove algae, mildew and other organics from house siding and roofs. They said that I would need a catagory 37 (antimicrobial pest control) pesticide license. In the reply I received from the Ag Department they said the 37 is the only license that doesn’t require passing the general core exam. It appears to be the easiest to obtain and doesn’t require attending a class. Between obtaining study material and testing the total cost in less than $150, assuming I pass first try. Definitely seems like a better safe than sorry for 150 bucks and a few hours of time. Idk if using the term remove made any difference than if I had said clean but that is the answer I got.
Forgot to add that they also said I would need a contractor license also. I don’t believe that requires any additional testing but does cost $55 for initial and renewals.
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I can only speak for Ohio, but there is no state issued license or certification required specifically for our industry. Ohio is one of the less regulated states in that regard. From a regulatory standpoint, the basics of operating as a registered business come down to: obtaining the required vendor’s license for tax purposes, and complying with EPA and local regulations regarding wastewater and storm drain discharge.
In Ohio, a pesticide applicator license is only required when applying products that are classified as pesticides under state and federal regulations.
One area that can be somewhat gray is mold. Many contractors avoid using the term “mold” in their advertising or service descriptions because making claims about mold remediation can trigger additional regulatory or liability considerations. However, once again, in Ohio there is currently no state licensing requirement for performing mold remediation making it one of 38 states where no specialty or trade license is needed.
All that said, the more licenses, certifications, and demonstrated knowledge you can provide to a client in the services you offer, the more it will put their minds at ease.
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I have a pest control company in addition to my cleaning company. According to the EPA, SH is a pesticide. I reached out to our state DEP to clarify if we should have a pest license for the cleaning co, and they said no.
Its a really weird gray area when it comes to SH. A pest is defined as “any unwanted organism”. Mold, lichen etc that is being cleaned with SH is technically a pest. As long as DEP says PWers are in the clear, it is what it is, I guess.
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From my understanding, and this could be dated since it’s been 5+ years since I reached out to our local EPA, it’s largely a labeling distinction. Yes, the EPA classifies sodium hypochlorite as an antimicrobial pesticide, but only when the product label makes claims about killing or controlling living organisms. That’s why Liquid Chlorine carries an EPA registration numbers, while laundry bleach does not. It’s the same semantics as using the word “mold” for some. Are you killing the organism or are you cleaning the stains?
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This has been a really useful thread to dig into. I had no idea about the EPA classification and its funny this came up since I just asked about pesticides in another thread. I’ve done a bit of research today and my understanding is as follows:
@OhioFloMo nailed it on the labeling distinction. EPA’s own guidance on this is actually public (their “Determining If a Cleaning Product Is a Pesticide Under FIFRA” fact sheet). The wording of the claim is what triggers pesticide classification, not the chemical itself. “Kills mold,” “sanitizes,” “disinfects” are all treated as pesticidal claims. “Removes mold/algae/mildew stains” is explicitly listed as NOT pesticidal, even though it’s the exact same SH doing the exact same job. This isn’t just theoretical either. EPA has authority to issue warning notices, stop sale/use orders, and civil penalties for unregistered pesticidal claims, and separately, the FTC can go after unsubstantiated performance claims in advertising regardless of the FIFRA angle, meaning a customer or competitor complaint about “kills mold” language could trigger either agency depending on how it’s framed. Realistically the big problems and fines tend to go to manufacturers, and small guys would likely get a smack on the wrist. I found several instances of verbiage on my website I need to fix. Not worth the hassle if a disgruntled customer gets ahold of a federal official having a bad day. Realistically the big problems and fines tend to go to manufacturers, and small guys would likely get a smack on the wrist being told to fix the issue. I found several instances of verbiage on my website I need to fix. Not worth the hassle if a disgruntled customer gets ahold of a federal official on a power trip.
On the licensing side, that’s a completely separate question from the marketing language, and it’s state specific, not federal. FIFRA registration is about the product. Applicator licensing is 100 percent up to each state’s ag department, and there’s zero uniformity. Even if you are performing a job for a Federal entity, they will look to verify you indeed hold the correct licensing based on jurisdiction, meaning the state level. Georgia has an actual Category 37 Antimicrobial license built for exactly this. Missouri’s current category list (1A through 13) doesn’t have anything that clearly matches algae or mildew removal on structures. I am going to reach out to MO Department of Agriculture directly to get a written answer for my situation since there’s nothing published that spells it out.
Bottom line for anyone reading this: don’t assume your state’s answer applies to another state, and don’t assume “everybody in the industry does it this way” means it’s actually fine. Get it in writing from your own state’s ag department, and clean up “kill/sanitize/disinfect” language in your marketing regardless of what they say, since that’s a settled EPA claims issue either way, not a gray area.
@ChrisTripleC, what kind of pesticide treatments do you do? Thinking about certification over the winter for at least spider treatment type stuff. Any thoughts on good entry point into pesticides?
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