Elevate Drone Services LLC
Drone services serving SD & western MN.
Operations are based in the Great Plains region.
Services offered
States served (2)
Aerial pesticide licensing in states served
Every state requires a pesticide applicator license with the aerial category endorsement on top of FAA Part 137. The agencies that issue these licenses in Elevate Drone Services LLC's service area:
- South Dakota: aerial pesticide work runs through South Dakota DANR under Category 17: Aerial Application (General + Category G + Category 17).
- Minnesota: requires Category B: General Aerial. Plus MnDOT aircraft registration and commercial operations license. for aerial pesticide application; the licensing authority is Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA).
Full agency, exam and renewal-cycle details by state are catalogued on the state pesticide licensing reference.
Verify and resources
Primary-source references for verifying credentials and looking up state-specific rules in Elevate Drone Services LLC's service area.
Frequently asked questions
Ask Elevate Drone Services LLC for four documents to confirm credentials: the Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate number, the Part 137 Agricultural Aircraft Operator Certificate, the state aerial-category pesticide applicator license and a certificate of insurance carrying chemical drift coverage. In South Dakota the state credential is issued by South Dakota DANR; you can ask the operator for the applicator license number and verify it with the agency directly. The Section 44807 exemption number is the fourth piece, applicable to any drone over 55 lbs gross weight.
Typical drone spraying rates of $12 to $22 per acre in the region breaks into three lines. You pay for the flying. That covers calibration, GPS-guided flight planning, the labor to fly the field and the mixing and loading of your product. It also covers the Part 170 record the law requires. You supply the pesticide and any adjuvants. Then come the extras: long travel, after-hours work, hard terrain and a minimum charge on a small field. Ask which of those land on your invoice before the operator schedules.