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Certification of Lawn Care Professionals
Please be advised that as of January 5, 2012, all lawn care professionals must be certified in order to apply fertilizer in New Jersey. Rutgers University is administering the online training and certification program. Online training information is available and lawn care professionals can register to take the test, which will be available starting February 3, 2012.
The fees to become certified or trained are as follows:
Certified Fertilizer Applicator:
$75 fee for the first year (training and testing)
$25 annual fee for the subsequent three years
Trained Fertilizer Applicator:
$25 annual fee
Access to the training modules and test are available HERE.
 NJ Residents: According to the state's new fertilizer law, as of March 1, 2012, residents and commercial fertilizer applicators can apply fertilizers to turf. Residents are reminded that if you hire a company to manager your lawns, the lawn care professional must be certified.
According to New Jersey's fertilizer law, as of March 1, 2012 , residents and commercial applicators can apply fertilizers to turf. Resdients are reminded that if you are hiring a company to manage your lawns, the lawn care professional must have a license.
NJ Mayors: Phase Two of the state's new fertilizer law is now in effect. Phase Two requires by law that all lawn care professionals who apply fertilizer are to be certified. This certification is provided through Rutgers University at www.profactRutgers.edu. Enforcement of the new fertilizer law is the responsibility of municipalities, counties, local soil conservation districts and the local health departments. As a result, you may receive reports of fertilizer applicators that are operating without proper certification. You are encouraged to investigate how to enforce this very important new law.
Below are excerpts from the law which directs enforcement authority to the local governments:
Source: New Jersey Act, P.L. 2010, c. 112 (C.58:10A-64)
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2010/Bills/PL10/112_.PDF
Specific aspects of penalties and enforcement in this law include:
- This law may be enforced by any municipality, county, local soil conservation district or local health agency. A local soil conservation district may institute a civil action for injunctive relief in Superior Court to enforce this law and to prohibit and prevent a violation of this law and the court may proceed in the action in a summary manner.
- Any professional fertilizer applicator who violates the New Jersey Fertilizer Law is subject to a civil penalty of $500 for the first offense and up to $1,000 for the second and each subsequent offense, to be collected in a civil action by a summary proceeding under the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999," P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.).
- If the violation is of a continuing nature, each day during which it continues shall constitute an additional, separate and distinct offense. The Superior Court and the municipal court shall have jurisdiction to enforce the provisions of the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999".
- Please note that the law preempts local governments from making additional rules and regulations about fertilizer for turf (except for penalties for non-professionals/homeowners).
- The provisions of the law preempt any ordinance or resolution of a municipality, county or local health agency concerning the application of fertilizer to turf, except that municipalities are allowed to establish penalties for persons other than a professional fertilizer applicator or person who sells retail fertilizer.
- Any person, other than a professional fertilizer applicator or person who sells fertilizer at retail, who violates this act, or any rule or regulation adopted pursuant thereto, may be subject to a penalty, as established by municipal ordinance, to be collected in a civil action by a summary proceeding under the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999," P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.). The municipal court shall have jurisdiction to enforce the provisions of the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999".
Background Information
On January 5, 2011, Governor Chris Christie signed into law the most restrictive fertilizer content standards in the nation for nitrogen and phosphorus. The law also requires specific fertilizer application practices. These standards and practices will help reduce pollution from nutrients in all of New Jersey’s waters.
Specifically, the law decreases the total amount of nitrogen in fertilizer and increases the amount of slow release nitrogen to 20 percent. In addition, it requires no phosphorus in fertilizer unless a soil test indicates it is needed.
Nitrogen and Phosphorus are nutrients required for plant growth. A limited amount of these nutrients is important for healthy plant life. An overabundance, however, not only can harm lawns, but when washed into our waterways, stimulates excessive algae and weed growth. This in turn depletes oxygen from the water and reduces the sunlight needed for healthy aquatic life.
Other key components of the new law include: the creation of a fertilizer application certification program for professional fertilizer applicators and public education on correct fertilizer use.
The timeframe for implementation of the law is:
Phase I: Effective immediately, fertilizer may not be applied from November 15 through March 1 by residential consumers and from December 1 through March 1 by professionals. Application of fertilizer is restricted during winter months when the ground is frozen and not able to be absorbed allowing it to be washed away when it rains. Fertilizer application is prohibited during – or just before – heavy rainfall, and on impervious ground. Fertilizer containing phosphorus or nitrogen can not be applied within 25 feet of any water body except when applied with a drop spreader or targeted spray – then the buffer may be reduced to 10 feet.
Phase II: Effective January 5, 2012, all professional applicators will be required to undergo training and become certified through the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station at Rutgers University. Rutgers University is in the process of developing the training program in consultation with the department’s Healthy Lawns Healthy Water workgroup.
Phase III: Effective January 5, 2013, all fertilizer product for turf must contain at least 20 percent slow-release nitrogen, and zero phosphorus unless a soil test demonstrates a need for more.
 View the April 21,20011 DEP News Release on the Fertilizer Law
The Healthy Lawns Healthy Water workgroup was originally formed to address strategies to reduce phosphorus loads from fertilizer runoff to our waterways. In 2009, the Healthy Lawns Healthy Water workgroup received the Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award for working collaboratively with the state and voluntarily reducing the content of phosphorus in fertilizer by 50%. This reduction resulted in a total annual phosphorus reduction of 171,770 pounds between the base year of 2006 and 2008. The Healthy Lawns Healthy Water workgroup will continue to work with the department to implement the various components of the new fertilizer law.
Workgroup members include:
- John Buechner, Lawn Doctor
- Willie DeCamp, Save Barnegat Bay
- Dave Ertle, Ocean County Utility Authority
- Brian R. Feldman, TruGreen
- Stan Hales, Barnegat Bay Partnership
- Helen Henderson, American Littoral Society
- Bill Kelso, Lebanon Seaboard
- Ken Klipstein, NJ Water Supply Authority
- Todd Pretz, Jonathan Green
- Dr. James Murphy, Rutgers University
- Dr. Stephanie Murphy, Rutgers University
- Nancy Sadlon, Green Industry Council
- Dr. Heather Saffert, Clean Ocean Action
- Amy Weaver, Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association
- Chris Wible, Scott's Miracle Gro Company
Contact:
Kerry Kirk Pflugh
Office of Communications
P: 609-633-7242
F: 609-984-3962
kerry.pflugh@dep.state.nj.us
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