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Spray certificate, tractor licence, and the proofs the trade requires
A greenkeeper handles machines chemistry and large green areas used by many people. Therefore the trade is bound to a series of rules and certificates you must master. Here you get an overview of the most important ones.
If you buy and use pesticides approved for professional use, you need both a spraying certificate and an authorisation. You get the spraying certificate through a course covering legislation, spraying technique, pests, labels and integrated pest management, among other things. The authorisation — S1 with the spraying certificate (74 hours) or S2 with the hand and knapsack sprayer certificate (14.8 hours) — is valid for 4 years and is renewed with a follow-up course: at least 7.4 hours for S1 and 3.7 hours for S2 (BEK 951/2025 §§ 5-6 and 23).
On top of the certificate you must be registered in the authorities' authorization system for the use of plant protection products. It is the Environmental Protection Agency that stands behind the system and the requirement applies both to buying and using the products. The rules are there to protect you the users of the pitch groundwater and nature around the pitch.
Greenkeepers often drive tractors and special machines like mowers and implement carriers. Many of these machines require you to have the right tractor driving licence, which is typically something you get as part of the apprenticeship. The licence ensures that you can operate the machines safely in and around the course, where there are often players and spectators.
Beyond the subject-specific certificates, you encounter a number of basic safety courses in your education. They enable you to handle the situations that arise in a workplace with machinery, people and outdoor work.
| Certificate | When | Validity | Base |
|---|---|---|---|
| S1 authorisation | All spraying methods | 4 år | Executive Order 951/2025 § 5(4) + Annex 2 (74 hours) |
| S2 authorisation | Hand and knapsack sprayer, granules, wiping | 4 år | Executive Order 951/2025 § 6(4) + Annex 3 (14.8 hours) |
| Tractor driving license | Before the main programme | — | Training regulations, certificate 1 |
| First aid incl. traffic-related first aid | Before the main programme | — | Training regulations, certificate 2 |
| Basic fire fighting | Before the main programme | — | Training regulations, certificate 3 |
| The road as a workplace | Before the main programme | — | Training regulations, certificate 4 |
| Behaviour and well-being at the workplace | Before the main programme, from 1 August 2026 | — | Training regulations, certificate 5 |
The spraying course has a special trade track for «Landscape gardener and greenkeeper» (Executive Order 951/2025 § 17(6)).
On recreational grass areas with public access, as a rule only low-risk products may be used. Golf courses are exempt: here you may use products approved for use on golf courses (Executive Order 1516/2025 § 38(2)). Golf courses have their own executive order, the golf order, which sets caps on how large a pesticide load the course may have (Executive Order no. 1573 of 05/12/2025).
Machinery placed on the market from 20 January 2027 must comply with the EU's new Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 instead of the Machinery Directive. The date was changed by a corrigendum (OJ L 169/35 of 04-07-2023); the original text said 14 January 2027. You may continue to use your current machines.
Several of the evidence — for example the injection certificate and first aid — must be renewed or followed up at regular intervals. As a skilled worker it is your own responsibility to keep track of that your evidence is valid. It's not just a legal requirement; it's also a way to make you attractive in the job market because an employer can see that you have your papers in order.
“The papers in place are not bureaucracy — it is what allows you to operate the machine, handle the chemicals and maintain the track legally.”