California pesticide application records: what the rule requires (16 CCR §1970)

Not legal advice. This summarizes our research of the official rule, checked September 30, 2026. Rules change and may require more than what is listed here: confirm with the official text or with the agency (Structural Pest Control Board (SPCB)).

What the record must include

Date and time of application
Name of the owner or their agent
Address of the property
Description of the area(s) treated
Target pest(s)
Pesticide product name with EPA or California registration number, and amount used
If applicable, name and license number of the noncertified applicator who applied the pesticide

Also for restricted use pesticides (RUP)

Name and license number of the certified applicator who applied or supervised restricted materials applied by a noncertified applicator

How long to keep it

3 years. At least 3 years for the application report and the fumigation log.

What the customer gets

Before treatment, the owner (or agent) and the tenant, if any, must get a written notice with the pest, the pesticides and active ingredients, the state-mandated caution statement with contact phone numbers, and the treatment frequency if there is a periodic contract (BPC §8538).
Timing: General pest (Branch 2) and wood-destroying organisms (Branch 3) no later than before the application; fumigation (Branch 1) at least 48 hours before, unless fumigation follows inspection by less than 48 hours.
Delivery: first-class mail or email (if the customer gave an email address), posting in a conspicuous place on the property, or personal delivery. Commercial or industrial buildings: also post the notice unless the owner objects.
Periodic service contracts: the notice is only required at the initial treatment, and again whenever the pesticide changes.
Wood-destroying organisms: the inspection report is due within 10 business days from the start of the inspection, and the notice of work completed within 10 business days after completing the work (BPC §8516, §8518).

Termites, fumigation and other cases

Monthly report of all pesticides used in each county (name, registration number, amount) to the county agricultural commissioner by the 10th of the following month; keep a copy 3 years (BPC §8505.17(c)).
Fumigation: Standard Structural Fumigation Log (Form 43M-47, Rev. 6/2023) for each job, plus the signed Occupant Fumigation Notice and Pesticide Disclosure (Form 43M-48) attached to the log (§1970.4).

Recent changes

16 CCR §1970 became operative October 1, 2024: it added the time of application, product name with EPA or California registration number, and applicator license numbers. 16 CCR §1970.4 (occupant fumigation notice) became operative January 1, 2025.

How PestSheet covers it in California

Before you complete a visit for a client in California, PestSheet checks that these fields are filled in:

Applicator license or certification number
EPA registration number
Amount applied
Target pest
Areas or sites treated

Also:

Pre-treatment notice with the statutory wording of Bus. & Prof. Code §8538 (Pro).
Monthly pesticide use report by county for the agricultural commissioner (§8505.17) (Pro).
Reminders for termite (WDO) visits: inspection report and notice of work completed within 10 business days (§8516, §8518). Those go on the Structural Pest Control Board forms; you mark them delivered.
Reminds you to keep records at least 3 years.
Export the records of any period as PDF or CSV for an inspection (Pro).

The client's name and address, the service date and start time, and the applicator's name are always recorded. The app uses the 16 CCR §1970 template. It doesn't check items the app doesn't record (for example active ingredients or equipment); those remain your responsibility.

What we could not confirm

We could not confirm the content of the new fumigation sections 16 CCR §§1970.1, 1970.42 and 1970.43.
We could not confirm whether the SPCB counts Saturdays as business days; the Board's law does not define the term, and California Civil Code §9 treats Saturday as a business day.

Sources

Checked September 30, 2026.

Pesticide application records in California