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If you apply restricted-use pesticides to agricultural commodities, you must be certified or supervised by someone who is certified. And anyone who ac-cepts compensation for applying any pesticide on someone else’s property must be licensed. Here are the facts about certification and licensing for pri-vate and commercial pesticide applicators in North Carolina.*

Pesticides are vital tools for managing pests that reduce crop yield and quality, spread disease, congest our waterways, or jeopardize our quality of life. The mis-use of pesticides, however, can threaten our health and environment. State and federal pesticide laws require applicators to be certified by passing one or more examinations about pesticides and their safe use. PesticidesareclassifiedbytheU.S.Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as either general-use or restricted-use. Restricted-use pesticides have a greater potential to harm humans, the environ-ment,orboth.Onlyacertifiedpesticideapplicator or someone who works under his or her supervision may apply restrict-ed-usepesticides.Therearetwoclassifica-tionsofcertifiedapplicators:private and commercial.TobecomecertifiedinNorthCarolina, applicators must score 70 per-cent or more on the appropriate closed-book, multiple-choice exam or exams. TheNorthCarolinaPesticideLawof1971 further requires licensing of any individual who is compensated to apply any pesticide (whether restricted-use or general-use) to someone else’s property; any public operator; and any golf course operator. Pest control consultants and

dealers who sell restricted-use pesticides also must be licensed.

Training and TestingNorthCarolinaCooperativeExtensionconducts 2-day pesticide schools to pre-pare prospective applicators for the private andcommercialapplicatorcertificationexams.Attendanceatapesticideschoolisnotrequiredforcertification.Anyonewhowantstobecertifiedasapesticideappli-cator must take the appropriate exam(s). To register for an exam only, call the NCDA&CS(seethecontactinformationon page 5). Exam dates and locations are listed on the Pesticide Safety Education ProgramandtheNCDA&CSWebsites. Thecertificationexamsaredeveloped,administered, and graded by the Struc-

*For information about certification and licensing for pesticide applications in and around homes and commercial buildings, see Structural Pest Con-trol:ACertificationManualforNorthCaro-lina, available through the Pesticide Safety Educa-tion Program at NC State University.

Certification requires knowledge of the proper clothing, equipment, and methods to use when mixing and applying pesticides.

Pesticide Applicator and

LicensingCertification

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turalPestControl&PesticidesDivisionoftheN.C.DepartmentofAgricultureandConsumerServices(NCDA&CS).Examquestionscomefromstudymanualsthat may be purchased from the Pesticide Safety Educa-tionProgramatN.C.StateUniversity.Orderthestudymaterials at least three weeks before taking an exam to allow adequate time to read and review the information. Some exams are available in Spanish. Fees apply to all exams. BringaNo.2pencil,calculator,andvalidphotoIDto the exam site. Payment can be made by check (pay-abletoNCDA&CS)ormoneyorderattheexamsite.ExamresultswillbemailedbyNCDA&CSwithinoneto two weeks. Results are also available online through theNCDA&CSWebsite,generallywithin3to7busi-nessdays.Ifnecessary,anexammaybetakenthreetimes in one calendar year.

Private Pesticide ApplicatorsPrivate pesticide applicators use or supervise the use of a restricted-use pesticide to produce an agricultural commodity on their own property, rented property, or property owned by their employers. An agricultural commodity is any plant or part of a plant, as well as any animal or animal product, produced for sale, feed, food, or other uses. Examples of private applicators include farmers, nursery operators, Christmas tree growers, and sod producers. A private applicator must be at least 16 yearsoldbeforeparticipatinginacertificationprogram.

Requirements for Initial Certification •Passthe50-questionmultiple-choicePrivateAppli-

cator Exam ($10 fee) based on the Applying Pesticides Correctly manual and chapters 4 and 5 of the Private Applicator (Farmers) Workbook.

•TheNCDA&CSwillsendanattestationform(Applica-tionforPrivatePesticideCertification)topeoplewhopassthecertificationexam.Theattestationformisalegaldocumentattestingthattheapplicantisinvolvedin the production of an agricultural commodity.

•Signtheattestationformandreturnitwitha$10checkormoneyorderpayabletoNCDA&CS.

•Uponreceiptofthesignedformandpayment,theNCDA&CSwillsendthePrivateApplicatorCertifica-tionCard.ThecardwillexpireonDecember31ofthethirdyearfollowingtheyearofinitialcertification.

Recertification Private applicators must recertify every three years by completingoneofthefollowingrequirements:

•Earn4hoursofcontinuingeducationcredits.Two-hour pesticide safety classes (category “V” training) areofferedateachcountyCooperativeExtensioncen-ter.Inadditiontothis2-hourpesticidesafetyclass,eachprivateapplicatormustattendatleast2hours

of specialized training (category “X” training) during thethree-yearrecertificationperiod.

OR

•PayforandpassthePrivateApplicatorExamagainwithaminimumscoreof70percentonawrittenexamadministeredbytheNCDA&CS.

Recertificationthroughearningcontinuingeduca-tion credits must be completed by September 30 of the yearinwhichcertificationexpires.Privateapplicatorswho have not completed the 4 hours of training by Sep-tember30musttakethewrittenexamforrecertification.Followingcompletionofrecertificationrequirements,privatepesticideapplicatorswillreceiveaCertificationRenewalApplicationfromNCDA&CS.ThisformmustbesignedandreturnedtotheNCDA&CSwitha$10renewal fee payable by check or money order. Once the applicationandfeeareprocessed,certificationwillberenewedforthreeyears,andanewcertificationcardwill be mailed to the applicator.

Specialized Training Credits Specialized training credits (category “X” training) for privatepesticideapplicatorsmaybeearnedbyattendingeducationalmeetingsapprovedforcreditbyNCDA&CSand conducted by Cooperative Extension, commodity groups, private industry, or other associations. Call your county Extension center or visit the Pesticide Safety Edu-cationProgramortheNCDA&CSPesticideSectionWebsites for a listing of approved classes.

Single-Purchase Emergency Certification PermitAn individual who did not anticipate the need for a re-stricted-use pesticide and who has not previously been certifiedasaprivatepesticideapplicatormayobtainaone-time, emergency-use permit from his county Exten-sion center pesticide coordinator. This permit authoriz-es the purchase and use of one restricted use pesticide for one applicationtoacroporsite.Itismadeavailableat the discretion of the county pesticide coordinator. A completed copy of the single-purchase emergency-use permit must be turned over to the licensed pesticide dealer when the purchase is made. Anyone who uses a one-timeemergency-usepermitmustbecomecertifiedif he or she plans to use restricted-use pesticides again. PesticideusersinNorthCarolinacanbeissuedonlyonesingle-purchase emergency-use permit.

Commercial Pesticide ApplicatorsA commercial applicator is anyone who uses or super-vises the use of any pesticide on someone else’s prop-erty for compensation. Commercial applicators must belicensedwiththeNCDA&CS.Applicatorsmustbecertifiedinall categories in which they will operate. See Table1.1foralistofcategoriesandtheirletterdesigna-tions.Studymanualsareavailableforallthecertifica-tion exams.

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Requirements for Initial CertificationInitialcertificationinmostcommercialapplicatorcatego-riesrequirespassingtwoexams:theCoreExambasedon the material in the Applying Pesticides Correctly and North Carolina Pesticide Laws and Regulations manuals, and an exam for a category (50 questions). Exam fees, pay-abletoNCDA&CS,are$50fortheCoreand$20foreachcategory. Additional categories may be added by passing the appropriate category exam without taking the Core Exam a second time (provided that the Core Exam was passedin2004orlater).NCDA&CSwillsendaPesticideLicenseApplicationtoanypersonwhopassesbothex-ams.ThesignedformmustbereturnedtoNCDA&CSwiththe$75licensingfee(thisfeeisnotrequiredforpub-licoperators;see“LicenseTypes”).Licensingisdescribedin greater detail in the next section. CommercialapplicatorcertificationexpiresonDe-cember31ofthefifthyearfollowinginitialcertification.Therearetworecertificationoptions:

•Earntherequirednumberofcontinuingcertification

Table 1.1 Commercial Applicator certification (specialty area) categories and recertification requirements. (Dealer and Aerial are considered license types, but each has a certification exam.)

Category and Letter Designation Purpose Recertification Hours

Aquatic (A) Subclass: Antifouling paints

Pest control in and around water;Antifouling paints protect hulls of boats 6

Public Health (B)Control of pests affecting human health (excludes bedbugs and other structural pests)

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Dealer (D) Sales of restricted-use pesticides 5

Forest (G) Pest control in large forest areas 6

Right of Way (H) Pest control along highways, railroads, and utilities 4

Regulatory (I) Control of regulated pests (e.g., witchweed, gypsy moth) 6

Ag. Pest-Animal (K) Subclass: Livestock Subclass: Poultry Subclass: Pets

Control of pests affecting animals (live-stock, poultry, or pets) 6

Ornamental & Turf (L) Control of pests affecting ornamentals, shade trees, and turf 10

Seed Treatment (M) Control of pests affecting seeds 3

Demonstration & Research (N)* Pesticides used in field demonstration or research programs 10

Ag. Pest-Plant (O) Commercial application of pesticides in farming 10

Aerial (P)* Pesticide application using aircraft 1**

Wood Treatment (T) Use of restricted-use pesticides in/on wood 4

*Demonstration & Research and Aerial must be combined with another category or subclass that is appropriate for the site(s) where pesticide(s) will be applied.

**Aerial applicators must earn 1 credit hour in aerial methods, an additional 3 credits for the first subclass, and 1 credit for each additional subclass on their Aerial License (during a two-year certification cycle).

credits by June 30oftheyearinwhichcertificationexpires.

OR•PayforandpasstheCoreExamandspecializedcat-

egory area exam(s) again.

RecertificationThenumberofrecertificationcredithoursneededforeach category is listed in Table 1.1. Credits must be earned in at least two yearsduringthefive-yearcerti-ficationperiod.Pesticide-recertificationcreditsmaybeearnedbyattendingeducationalprogramsthathavebeenpre-approvedforcreditsbyNCDA&CS.Tolo-catemeetingsapprovedforrecertificationcredits,callyour county Cooperative Extension center or visit the NCDA&CSWebsite.Makecertainthattherecertifica-tion program is approved for the required specializa-tion category. TheNCDA&CSsendsperiodicreportsofcreditsreceivedandcreditsneeded.Pesticide-recertification

Commercial applicators must be certified in (a) at least one specialty catego-ry and (b) in all categories in which they will operate.

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credit status (number of credits earned per category) canalsobecheckedthroughtheNCDA&CSWebsiteby clicking on the link to “Credit Status Search.” Allow twotothreeweeksforattendancerecordstobepostedonthisWebsite.Creditsarenotcarriedoverfromonerecertificationperiodtothenext.Takingandpassingtheappropriatecertificationexamistheonlyalternativetorecertificationviacontinuingeducationcredits. Individualscertifiedintwoormorecategoriesmustcomplete the total number of credits in the category carrying the highest requirement and then three credits in each additional category. For example, Ornamentals andTurf(L)requires10credits,andAquatics(A)re-quires6credits.Apersoncertifiedinbothcategoriesisrequiredtoobtain10creditsfor(L)and3creditsfor(A).NotethatDemonstrationandResearchalways requires 10 credits for renewal. Credits for all categories added duringarecertificationperiodmustbeearnedpriortotheexpirationdateoftheinitialrecertificationperiod.

LicensingA licenseisanofficialorlegaldocumentthatgivespermission to apply or supervise the application of any pesticide within the context of an applicator’s business oremployment.Onlyacertifiedapplicatoringoodstandingcanapplyforapesticidelicense.TheNorthCarolinaPesticideLawof1971requireseachbusinesslocationtohavealicensedpesticideapplicatoronstaff. AlllicensesexpireeachyearonDecember31andare renewed annually. Only an individual with valid certificationmayrenewapesticidelicensebysubmit-tingasignedapplicationwithalicensingfeeof$75.A commercial applicator must be licensed in any year in which the applicator will be applying pesticides or supervising their use. The license also is required to purchase a restricted-use pesticide. An applicator must be 18 years old by January 1 of the year in which the li-censeapplicationissubmitted. Eachcategoryofcertificationisprintedonthepesti-cidelicense(byletterdesignation).Thefivelicensecat-egories are described below.

License Types1. Commercial Applicator: Anyone who, for compensa-tion, uses or supervises the use of any pesticide on the property of another. This category may be referred to as commercial ground applicator to distinguish it from pesticidesappliedbyaircraft(aerialapplicator).

A note about supervision: TheNorthCarolinaPes-ticideLawof1971permitsanunlicensedpesticideuser to apply pesticides under the direct supervi-sionofalicensedapplicator.Unlessstatedother-wise on the pesticide label, the supervisor does not have to be physically present at the treatment site, but must maintain reasonable communication (such as phone or radio contact) with the supervised ap-plicator and must be able to respond to emergen-

cies. The applicator being supervised should be trained in following the label instructions and be fa-miliar with safe handling techniques and pertinent laws and regulations. A licensed applicator will be held responsible for any misuse of a pesticide by anyone working under his/her supervision.

2. Public Operator: Anyone who applies or supervises the application of pesticides for town, city, county, state, or federal government agencies must be licensed as a public operator. Public utility employees are also con-sidered public operators. Public operators study the same manuals and take the same exams as commercial applicators.Nolicensefeeisrequiredforgovernmentemployees, but an annual licensing application must be submittedtoNCDA&CSeachyear.Publicutilityem-ployeesmustpayanannuallicensingfee($75).Publicoperator licenses can be mailed only to the address of a government agency or the utility. To apply pesticides outside of regular government or utility employment requiresaCommercialApplicatorLicenseorPrivateApplicatorCertificate.ContacttheNCDA&CSfortheproper procedures.

3. Pesticide Dealer: Any individual who sells restricted-usepesticidestocertifiedorlicensedendusersmusthave a pesticide dealer’s license. Each sales outlet must havealicenseddealer.DealercertificationrequirespassingtheDealerExam($50fee).Nospecialtyareaisneeded. A pesticide dealer license must be renewed an-nually($75fee).Adealercannotlegallyapplypesticidesto the property of another person without an applicator license.

4. Aerial Applicator: AnAerialApplicatorLicenseisre-quired for any individual who applies pesticides by air-craft.Applicantsforaeriallicenses(pilot,contractor,orapprentice)mustfirstmeetallrequirementsoftheFed-eral Aviation Agency (FAA) to operate the equipment described in an application. A contractor must have an operatingcertificateissuedbytheFAA,andallpilotsmust have a commercial-type license issued by the FAA. Pilots must have completed at least 125 hours and haveoneyear’sflyingexperienceinaerialpesticideap-plication. A pilot with less than 125 hours and one year’s experience will be licensed as an apprentice and must operate under the direct supervision of a licensed pilot. The aerial applicator is required to pass the Core Exam($50fee),anexaminaerialmethods($50fee),andan exam in the specialty area(s). Specialty area exam feesare$20each.Anaerialapplicatorcanbecertifiedinany specialty area listed in Table 1.1 except Seed Treat-ment,WoodTreatment,orAgPest-Animal. AerialapplicatorcertificationexpiresonDecember31ofthesecondyearfollowinginitialcertification.Re-certificationbytrainingrequires4hoursofapprovedcredits:3hoursforthefirstspecialtycategory,and1hour in “aerial methods.” Credits must be obtained by June30ofthesecondyearfollowingcertification.Aerial

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applicatorscertifiedinmorethanonecategorymustcomplete 1 extra hour of training for each additional specialtyarea.TheAerialApplicatorLicensemustberenewedannually($75).AnnualinspectionsofaircraftbyNCDA&CScost$25.

5. Pest Control Consultant: Anyone who, for a fee, of-fers or supplies technical advice, supervision, or aid, orrecommendstheuseofspecificpesticidesforthepurpose of controlling insects, plant disease, weeds, or other pests must obtain a Pest Control Consultant License($75annualfee).IndividualsapplyingforthislicensemustsubmittoNCDA&CSatranscriptshow-ing completion of a four-year degree in an agricultural or biological science from an accredited college or uni-versity.Aminimumof30semesterhoursor45quarterhours of credit must be documented in subject areas pertinent to the specialty area(s) in which the individual wishestoconsult.Iftheaboveeducationalrequirementsaremet,aconsultantmusttakeawrittenconsultant’sexam($50fee)andpurchasethelicense($75fee)tobe-come licensed as a pest control consultant. Passing a cat-egory-specificexamintheareaofconsultation(suchasagriculture, forestry, or ornamental and turf) is required as well. A pest control consultant cannot legally apply pesticides to the property of another unless licensed as an applicator.

Reciprocal Licenses Reciprocal pesticide-applicator licenses for commercial ground applicators are available to nonresidents who holdvalidcertification/licensecardsfromVirginia,South Carolina, Georgia, or Florida and who expect to makepesticideapplicationsinNorthCarolina.Eligibil-ityforareciprocallicenserequirespassingawrittenpesticide-certificationexaminVirginia,SouthCarolina,Georgia, or Florida. The annual cost of a reciprocal li-censeis$75.Pesticiderecertificationcanbemaintainedthrough the applicator’s home state or by earning the appropriatenumberofcreditsinNorthCarolina.Recip-

rocal licenses are not available for pesti-cide dealers or pest control consultants. Aerial applicator reciprocal licenses are issued in the subclass of public health only and are granted only upon the dec-laration of a public health emergency byanauthorizedgovernmentofficial.Aerial applicator reciprocity is limited to Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia and Mississippi.Thisreciprocallicensecosts$75peryear. Applicators who are licensed in NorthCarolinamayqualifyforasimilarlicense in another state. Contact the ap-

propriate state agency for details. A list of state regula-toryagenciescanbefoundathttp://ace.orst.edu/info/npic/state1.htm.

Recertification Course ApprovalAlleducationalprogramsforpesticiderecertificationcredit (private and commercial) must be pre-approved bytheNCDA&CS.Coursesponsorsmayapplyforpes-ticidecontinuingeducation(recertification)creditson-lineathttp://www.ncagr.com/SPCAP/pesticides/forms/creditapr.asp. Credit will be given only for pesticide-related topics. The number of credit hours equates to the number of hours of pesticide training scheduled. Approval is sent tothetrainingsponsorviaE-mail.Recertificationclassesfor the Private Applicator “V” category (safety training) may be conducted only by Cooperative Extension.

ResourcesFor information on pesticide training manuals and schools:

Pesticide Safety Education ProgramDepartmentofHorticulturalScienceNorthCarolinaStateUniversityCampusBox7609,Raleigh,NC27695-7609 919.515.3113http://ipm.ncsu.edu/pesticidesafety

For information on pesticide laws, certification exams, and licensing:NorthCarolinaDepartmentofAgriculture&Con-sumerServices(NCDA&CS)StructuralPestControlandPesticidesDivisionPesticide Section 1090MailServiceCenter Raleigh,NC27699-1090 919.733.3556 www.ncagr.com/pesticide

The Aerial Applicator License must be renewed annually.

USDA-ARS

Prepared byWayne Buhler, Department of Horticultural Science

in collaboration with the Structural Pest Control and Pesticides Division of the NCDA&CS

NC STATE UNIVERSITY

Distributed in furtherance of the acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status or disability. In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating.

Published by NORTH CAROLINA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION

11-CALS-2114 AG-714W10/10—BS/KEL

Table 1.2. Summary of Certification and Licensing Requirements

Certification Type Initial Certification Process Expiration Recertification Process Fee

Private applicator (minimum age 16)

1. Pass the 50-question multiple-choice Private Applicator Exam ($10).

2. Sign the attestation form and return it to NCDA&CS. This form is a legal document attesting to the applicant’s involvement in the production of an agricultural commodity.

December 31 of the 3rd year.

Option 1. By Sept. 30 of the 3rd year, earn 4 credit hours (2 hours of pesticide safety and 2 hours of specialized training)

Option 2. Pass the Private Applicator Exam again.

$10 per 3 years

Commercial applicator(minimum age 18 by Jan. 1 of licens-ing year)

1. Pass two exams: the Core Exam on the “core” material and pesti-cide laws (100 questions) and the exam for the specialized category. Additional categories may be add-ed by passing the category exam without taking the Core Exam a second time if the Core Exam was passed after August 2004.

2. NCDA&CS will send a Pesticide License Application to people who pass both exams.

December 31 of the 5th year.

Option 1. By June 30 of the 5th year, earn the required number of continu-ing certification credits.*

Option 2. Pass the Core Exam and the category exam(s) again.

$50 for Core

Exam; $20 for

each category

exam

License Commercial applicators must have a current license to apply pesticides.

December 31 annually. Only individuals with valid certification may renew a pesticide license.

$75 per yearReciprocal Licenses

For holders of valid certification/license cards from Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, or Florida who expect to make pesti-cide applications in North Carolina. Eligibility for a reciprocal license requires passing a written pesticide-certification exam in one of those states.

*The number of recertification credit hours needed for each category is listed in Table 1.1. Credits must be earned in at least two calendar years during the five-year certification period.

Acknowledgement: Table 1.2 prepared by Lynn Padgett Publications, Rutherfordton, NC