(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.