(a)
(1) No person may provide agricultural consulting for a fee that is directly tied to and identifiable with agricultural consulting without a license issued by the State Plant Board under this chapter.
(2) A person who provides agricultural consulting without charging a fee may be licensed under this chapter if the person meets the requirements of this chapter.
(b) Within the first year after August 12, 2005, a person may be licensed as an agricultural consultant if the person:
(1) Is currently licensed as an agricultural consultant by the board;
(2) Is certified under the Certified Crop Advisors Program of the American Society of Agronomy;
(3) Is certified by the National Alliance of Independent Crop Consultants; or
(4) Has at least five (5) years of agricultural consultant-related experience.
(c) From two (2) to five (5) years after August 12, 2005, a person may be licensed as an agricultural consultant if the person:
(1) Has completed two (2) full years of training at a college or university acceptable to the board, with at least nine (9) semester hours of credit or their equivalent in appropriate agricultural disciplines;
(2) Has three (3) years of experience in the field of crop management; and
(3) Passes a written examination administered by the board or by certified crop advisors.
(d) Beyond the fifth year after August 12, 2005, a person may be licensed as an agricultural consultant if:
(1) The person has:
(A) A minimum of a bachelor's degree in a board-approved crop related field and two (2) years of experience working in the field of crop management; or
(B) Seven (7) years of continuous experience working for a licensed agricultural consultant after August 12, 2005; and
(2) The person passes a written examination administered by the board or by certified crop advisors.