(a) Except as provided by subsection (b) of this section, it shall be unlawful for any person to use, distribute, sell, offer for sale, hold for sale, ship, deliver for shipment, or receive and having so received, deliver or offer to deliver, to any person:

(1) Any pesticide which is not registered pursuant to this part, except as provided by subsection (a) of section 22a-52;

(2) Any registered pesticide if any claims made for it as a part of its distribution or sale substantially differ from any claims made for it as a part of the statement required in connection with its registration;

(3) Any registered pesticide the composition of which differs at the time of its distribution or sale from its composition as described in the statement required in connection with its registration;

(4) Any pesticide which has not been colored or discolored pursuant to the provisions of subdivision (3) of subsection (c) of section 22a-66;

(5) Any pesticide which is adulterated or misbranded; or

(6) Any device which is misbranded.

(b) It shall be unlawful for any person:

(1) To detach, alter, deface, or destroy, in whole or in part, any labeling required under FIFRA;

(2) To refuse to keep any records required pursuant to section 22a-58, or to refuse to allow the inspection of any records or establishment pursuant to sections 22a-58 and 22a-59, or to refuse to allow an officer or employee of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to take a sample of any pesticide pursuant to section 22a-59;

(3) To give a guaranty or undertaking provided for in subsection (c) of this section which is false in any particular, except that a person who receives and relies upon a guaranty authorized under subsection (c) of this section may give a guaranty to the same effect, which guaranty shall contain, in addition to that person's own name and address, the name and address of the person residing in the United States from whom the guaranty or undertaking was received;

(4) To use for his own advantage or to reveal, other than to the commissioner or officials or employees of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection or other federal or state executive agencies, or to the courts, or to physicians, pharmacists and other qualified persons, needing such information for the performance of their duties, in accordance with such directions as the commissioner may prescribe, any information acquired by authority of this part which is confidential under this part;

(5) Who is a registrant, wholesaler, dealer, retailer or other distributor to advertise a product registered under this part for restricted use without giving the classification of the product assigned to it under section 22a-50;

(6) To make available for use, or to use, any registered pesticide classified for restricted use or permit use for some or all purposes other than in accordance with section 22a-50 and any regulations adopted thereunder;

(7) To use any registered pesticide in a manner inconsistent with restrictions prescribed under this part, subsection (a) of section 23-61a, section 23-61b or inconsistent with labeling;

(8) To use any pesticide which is under an experimental use permit contrary to the provisions of the permit;

(9) To violate any order issued under section 22a-62;

(10) To violate any suspension order issued pursuant to this part;

(11) To violate any cancellation of registration of a pesticide;

(12) To violate any provision of section 22a-56 or any regulation established pursuant to this part;

(13) To violate any provision of section 10-231b, 10-231c, 10-231d or 22a-57;

(14) To knowingly falsify all or part of any application for registration, application for experimental use permit, any records required to be maintained pursuant to section 22a-58, any report filed under this part, or any information marked as confidential and submitted to the commissioner under any provision of this part;

(15) Who is a registrant, wholesaler, dealer, retailer or other distributor to fail to file reports required by this part;

(16) To use any pesticide in tests on human beings unless such human beings (A) are fully informed of the nature and purposes of the test and of any physical and mental health consequences which are reasonably foreseeable, therefrom, and (B) freely volunteer to participate in the test.

(c) The provisions of this section shall not apply to:

(1) Any person who establishes a guaranty signed by, and containing the name and address of, the registrant or person residing in the United States from whom the pesticide was purchased or received in good faith in the same unbroken package, to the effect that the pesticide was lawfully registered at the time of sale and delivery to him, and that it complies with the other requirements of this part, and in such case the guarantor shall be subject to the penalties which would otherwise attach to the person holding the guaranty under the provisions of this part;

(2) Any common or contract carrier while lawfully shipping, transporting or delivering for shipment any pesticide or device, if such carrier upon request by any officer or employee duly designated by the commissioner shall permit such officer or employee to copy all of its records concerning such pesticide or device;

(3) Any public official while engaged in the performance of official duties, unless such public official is using restricted use pesticides;

(4) Any person using or possessing any pesticide as provided by an experimental use permit in effect with respect to such pesticide and such use or possession; or

(5) Any person who ships a substance or mixture of substances being put through tests in which the purpose is only to determine its value for pesticide purposes or to determine its toxicity or other properties and from which the user does not expect to receive any benefit in pest control from its use.

(d) It shall be unlawful for any person not certified as a commercial applicator to advertise or to solicit to perform commercial application of pesticides.

(e) It shall be unlawful for any person possessing an operational certificate for commercial application to perform or to advertise or solicit to perform any activity requiring a supervisory certificate for commercial application.

(f) (1) The commissioner may refuse to grant applicator certification or renewal of certification and may revoke or suspend certification following a hearing in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54. Any violation of a section of this part or section 22a-66z or a regulation adopted thereunder, applicable to certified applicators, shall be grounds for denial, suspension or revocation of certification. Grounds for denial, revocation or suspension shall include, but shall not be limited to the following: (A) Use of a pesticide in a manner inconsistent with the registered labeling or with state or federal restrictions on the use of such pesticide; (B) falsification of records required to be maintained pursuant to subsection (c) or (d) of section 22a-58, or refusal to keep and maintain such records; (C) applying pesticides generally known in the trade to be ineffective or improper for the intended use; (D) operating faulty or unsafe equipment; (E) applying a pesticide in a faulty, careless or negligent manner; (F) neglecting or refusing to comply with the provisions of this part, the rules or regulations adopted hereunder, or any lawful order of the commissioner; (G) using fraud or misrepresentation in making an application for or in renewing a permit or certification; (H) refusing or neglecting to comply with any limitations or restriction in a duly issued permit or certification; (I) aiding or abetting a certified or an uncertified person to evade the provisions of this part, or conspiring with such a certified or an uncertified person to evade the provisions of this part; (J) allowing one's permit or certification to be used by another person; (K) making a false or misleading statement during an inspection or investigation concerning an infestation of pests, accident in applying a pesticide, misuse of a pesticide, or violation of a statute or regulation; (L) performing work, whether for compensation or not, in a category for which the applicator does not have certification; or (M) failure to submit records required to be maintained pursuant to subsection (c) of section 22a-58.

(2) The commissioner shall review an applicator's certification in the event that: (A) The applicator is convicted of a criminal violation of FIFRA; (B) a final order is issued by the Environmental Protection Agency assessing a civil penalty against the applicator under FIFRA, or (C) the applicator's certification has been revoked in another state, and may institute a suspension or revocation hearing.

(3) Any certified applicator whose certification is suspended or revoked under the provisions of this part shall not be eligible to apply for a new certificate until such time has elapsed from the date of the order suspending or revoking said certificate as has been established by the commissioner.

(P.A. 73-540, S. 16, 28; 73-616, S. 28; P.A. 74-338, S. 73, 94; P.A. 77-529, S. 18–20; P.A. 82-158, S. 4, 6; P.A. 87-101, S. 2; P.A. 07-168, S. 3; P.A. 08-124, S. 12; P.A. 11-80, S. 1; P.A. 14-187, S. 33.)

History: P.A. 73-616 made technical change in Subsec. (b)(2); P.A. 74-338 substituted “The provisions of this section shall not apply to” for “It shall not be a violation for” in Subsec. (c); P.A. 77-529 substituted “FIFRA” for full title of federal act in Subsec. (b)(1), prohibited use of pesticide “inconsistent with labeling” in Subsec. (b)(7), clarified exclusion of public officials from provisions in Subsec. (c)(3) by adding “unless such public official is using restricted use pesticides” and added Subsec. (f) re suspension or revocation and review of certifications; P.A. 82-158 amended Subsec. (a) to prohibit the “use” of improperly registered or misbranded pesticides substituted references to certification for references to licensure and made other technical revisions; P.A. 87-101 added Subsec. (f)(1)(M) making failure to submit records ground for denial, revocation or suspension of certificate; P.A. 07-168 amended Subsec. (b)(13) to add Secs. 10-231b, 10-231c and 10-231d to list of violations; P.A. 08-124 made technical changes in Subsec. (b)(16), effective June 2, 2008; pursuant to P.A. 11-80, “Department of Environmental Protection” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Department of Energy and Environmental Protection” in Subsec. (b)(2) and (4), effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 14-187 amended Subsec. (f)(1) to delete reference to Sec. 22a-66y, effective June 11, 2014.