(a) Conduct of business generally; operation and supervision of main offices, branches, and suboffices. Every person who engages in structural pest control work shall conduct the work from an established location or place of business, and the person or another individual as a full-time resident employee of the person who has been certified by the commissioner as being qualified for a permit as a certified operator shall be in charge of and responsible for the person's structural pest control work. The residence of the owner or an employee from which structural pest control work is conducted may be considered an established location. Where a person has more than one separate place of business or location, the person shall obtain a permit for each separate location or place of business, and each separate location from which structural pest control work is conducted, including a branch office but not including a suboffice, shall be under the full-time supervision of an individual who has been certified by the commissioner as qualified to conduct the type of structural pest control work that the person offers to perform. No person having a permit required under this chapter or who has been certified by the commissioner as qualified for a permit shall be assigned or designated to supervise the activities of more than one main or principal office or more than one branch office.

Work performed from a suboffice shall be under supervision of the main or a branch office of the firm which is not more than 100 road miles from the suboffice, and the supervisor at the main or branch office shall be responsible for the work of the suboffice. Every permit holder shall notify the commissioner in writing of any change of address or the opening or closing of an office, branch, or suboffice or change in certified operators or branch supervisors within 10 days after the change has been made.

(b) Additional requirements for structural pest control work. Any person who has been granted a right or a franchise from another person to conduct structural pest control work as a separate company, firm, or corporation shall qualify and comply with all of the requirements of this chapter before the company, firm, or corporation is entitled to a permit under this chapter authorizing it to engage in structural pest control work. Any individual, firm, or corporation who allows others to use its permit, or certification, or both to avoid compliance with this chapter shall be guilty of a violation of this chapter and shall be punished as prescribed and shall be subject to having their permit or certification or both revoked by the commissioner after hearing as provided in the Administrative Hearing Act.

Persons engaged in structural pest control work by the treatment of buildings or structures shall use for the treatment a chemical with a toxic or other effective base or employ other effective methods to be approved by the commissioner under regulations adopted by the State Board of Agriculture and Industries for this purpose. The department through its agents or employees may enter upon any private premises at reasonable times to examine and test any chemicals or other methods used or employed for structural pest control work by any person engaged in that work. The department may, through its agents or employees, examine records of persons engaged in structural pest control work, including, but not limited to, contracts, invoices, guarantees, documents, and other records as are necessary to determine whether the requirements of this chapter are being complied with. Failure or refusal by persons engaged in structural pest control work to allow those agents or employees access to documents and records shall constitute a violation of this chapter and shall also be grounds for revoking its permit or certification or both.

In addition to the requirements of this chapter, each person who has been issued a permit to engage in structural pest control work, including, but not limited to, subterranean termite eradication or control work, shall have his or her unit or equipment marked for easy identification in accordance with rules and regulations authorized pursuant to this chapter.