Texas Pesticide Record-Keeping Requirements (2026)

Attila, founder of PestShiftLast updated: 8 min read
A white farmhouse under a large oak tree at the LBJ Ranch in Texas

modest LBJ Ranch, now called by Carol M Highsmith · CC CC0

In Texas, the responsible certified applicator must make sure accurate records of every use of a pesticide or pest control device are kept for two years at the business location. Each record includes the customer's billing name and address, the service address, the pesticide names and EPA registration numbers, the amounts and mixing rates applied, devices used, the target pest, the date, and the name and license number of everyone who applied, supervised or was being trained, plus the company's TPCL number (4 Tex. Admin. Code 7.144). Records must be made available to the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) on written or verbal request.

This is a plain-English summary, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the Texas Department of Agriculture, Structural Pest Control Service, before you rely on it.

A note on sources: the Texas Secretary of State moved the Texas Administrative Code to a new portal that we could not open by direct link. The rule text below was checked against the current text of 7.144 to 7.147 (amended effective January 16, 2023) as reproduced by Cornell's Legal Information Institute, against TDA's published 2021 revision text for Subchapter H, and against TDA's 2023 rule adoption notice.

What must a Texas pest control use record include?

Under 7.144(a), records must include, but are not limited to:

  1. The billing name and address of the customer (or, for a noncommercial applicator, the employer).
  2. The service address where pesticides or devices were used.
  3. Names of pesticides and their EPA registration numbers, if registered, or the pest control devices used.
  4. Total amount of each ready-to-use pesticide applied (where the percent active ingredient was not changed).
  5. Pest control devices used and the total number of each.
  6. For products mixed with water or another material: the mixing rate and total amount applied, or the percent active ingredient and total amount applied.
  7. The target pest or purpose.
  8. The date the pesticides or devices were used.
  9. The name and license number of each person receiving training, supervising, and applying, and the TPCL number (and letter, if applicable) of the business they work for.

The rule covers all pesticides and devices registered with EPA and TDA, and also minimum-risk products exempt from federal registration under FIFRA section 25(b). So a 25(b) product still needs a record.

TDA's 2023 adoption notice describes the latest change: EPA registration numbers are now required on use records for products that have one, and the area-treated measurement for termite work no longer applies to bait applications.

What extra records do Texas termite treatments need?

Under 7.144(b), termite treatment records must also include:

  • The unit of measurement of the area treated per application site, such as square feet (not required for bait applications).
  • For a physical barrier, the square or linear footage of the barrier, plus a diagram describing the installation.
  • For commercial preconstruction treatments (other than baits, baiting systems, wood-applied termiticides or physical barriers): the number of application tanks in use, the capacity in gallons of each tank, and the start and stop time of the treatment.

How long do Texas pest control records have to be kept, and where?

Two years, on the premises of the business facility location (or the employer's premises for a certified noncommercial applicator), under 7.144(a). The records must be made available to the department on written or verbal request (7.144(c)). The rule does not set a number of hours or days to produce them; confirm expectations with TDA. Our pest control record audit guide covers how inspections usually go.

The duty sits with the responsible certified applicator, who "shall ensure" the records are kept. In practice that means the person whose license the business operates under should check the records, not just the technicians who create them.

What do Texas customers have to be given?

Texas focuses on notice before indoor treatments rather than a copy of the use record.

Consumer information sheet (7.147): for an indoor treatment at a private residence that is not a rental, the applicator or technician makes TDA's consumer information sheet available to the owner. Rentals with fewer than five units: available to each resident on request at each treatment. Rentals with five or more units, workplaces, and buildings such as hospitals, hotels, schools and day care centers have their own rules, described next.

Pest control sign (7.146): the licensee provides a sign at least 48 hours before a planned indoor treatment to the owner or manager of a rental property with five or more units, to the employer or building manager of a workplace, and to the administrator or building manager of the listed facility types. The sign is at least 8.5 by 11 inches in a TDA-approved format.

Emergency treatments (7.147(g)): pre-notification is waived if the customer and certified applicator sign a statement that an emergency exists. That statement is kept on file with the use records. If the customer is not available to sign, record that in the use records along with the customer's name and phone number.

Invoices and contracts (7.145): every invoice shows the business name, license number, phone number and address. Contracts, warranties, service agreements and termite disclosure documents also carry TDA's jurisdiction statement, in at least 8-point type.

For restricted-use pesticides, the old federal rule that required a copy to the customer within 30 days (7 CFR Part 110) was rescinded and removed effective July 11, 2025. Federal rules now set the baseline through the state: 40 CFR 171.303(b)(7)(vi) requires states to make certified commercial applicators keep restricted use records for at least 2 years. Confirm any customer-copy requirement with the Texas Department of Agriculture.

Does Texas require monthly pesticide use reports?

We did not find a routine use reporting requirement for structural pest control businesses in 7.144 to 7.147. Records are kept on file and produced on request. Confirm with TDA before assuming nothing needs to be filed.

Checklist: Texas use record fields and where they live in PestShift

Field (4 TAC 7.144) Where it lives in PestShift
Customer billing name and address Customer on the job
Service address Property on the job
Pesticide name Product field
EPA registration number EPA registration number field
Mixing rate Rate field
Total amount applied No dedicated field: add to notes
Devices used and number of each No dedicated field: add to notes
Target pest or purpose Target pest field
Date of use From the job
Applicator name Technician on the job
License numbers (applicator, supervisor, trainee) No dedicated field on the record: add to notes
Company TPCL number No dedicated field on the record: add to notes or your record template
Termite: area treated, barrier footage, tanks, start and stop time Application site field plus notes
Emergency statement (7.147(g)) Not produced by PestShift: keep with your records

How does PestShift help with Texas records?

PestShift can require a chemical application record before a job can be closed, on the services you choose. Each record has product, EPA registration number, target pest, rate and application site, with the date, customer, property and technician taken from the job. Technicians fill it in on the installable app, offline if needed, and it syncs when they are back in signal. PestShift tracks applicator licenses and alerts you before one expires, and lets you export chemical records to CSV when TDA asks.

What it does not do: there are no dedicated fields for total amount, device counts, license numbers or the TPCL number, so put those in notes. PestShift does not produce TDA's consumer information sheet, pest control sign or termite diagrams. A paper version of the record is in our chemical application record template, the federal basics are in pesticide application record keeping, and the short state profile is at /compliance/texas. Coming from another system? See /switch.

Licensed in more states? Compare Florida and Arizona.

Try PestShift free for 14 days if you want required chemical records in place before your next inspection.

Frequently asked questions

How long must Texas pest control use records be kept?

Two years, at the business facility location, under 4 Tex. Admin. Code 7.144(a). Records must be available to TDA on written or verbal request.

Who is responsible for Texas pest control use records?

The responsible certified applicator (or certified noncommercial applicator) must ensure correct and accurate records are maintained. Technicians create them, but the responsibility sits with the certified applicator.

Do I need records for 25(b) minimum-risk products in Texas?

Yes. 7.144(a) covers pesticides exempted from federal registration under FIFRA section 25(b) as well as registered products.

What extra details does a Texas termite record need?

The area treated per application site (not for baits), physical barrier footage with a diagram, and for commercial preconstruction liquid treatments the number and capacity of tanks and the start and stop time.

Do Texas customers get a copy of the use record?

7.144 does not require one. Texas requires the consumer information sheet and, in some buildings, a pest control sign 48 hours before indoor treatments. The old federal 30-day customer copy rule for restricted-use pesticides was rescinded in 2025, so confirm any customer-copy requirement with TDA.

Does PestShift record the TPCL number and license numbers?

Not as dedicated fields on the chemical record. Add them in notes, or confirm with TDA how they want them shown.

Sources

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