ATCP 29 Rule Change: Minimum Age Requirements

In July 2026, the regulation overseeing pesticide use in Wisconsin, ATCP 29, was updated by the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP) to meet the federal pesticide regulations established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). One of the major changes that applicators need to be aware of is the new minimum age requirements. Prior to the rule change, there were no minimum age requirements for private or commercial certification outlined in ATCP 29. However, there were minimum age requirements for commercial licenses to meet the Worker Protection Standard (WPS) for agricultural employees.

In recent years, the EPA updated federal rules about who can use restricted use pesticides (RUPs), stating a minimum age of 18 years old. To be compliant with federal standards, Wisconsin updated state regulations in ATCP 29. As of July 1^st, 2026, anyone seeking certification and/or licensing must meet the minimum age requirement of 18 years old (Table 1).

*Table 1: Pesticide certification and licensing requirements in Wisconsin.*
Type of Certification/License	Minimum Age Prior to July 1^st 2026	Minimum Age After July 1^st 2026
Private certification	No minimum	18 years of age
Commercial certification	No minimum
Individual commercial applicator license	16 years of age
Worker Protection Standard Compliance (Agriculture)	18 years of age

Anyone certified and/or licensed prior to these changes who is still under the age of 18 years old will be grandfathered in and will not lose their certification or license.

For questions regarding these changes, contact State of Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) or the University of Wisconsin Pesticide Applicator Training Program.