Pesticide licence in Delaware: categories, exam and renewal
What the Delaware Department of Agriculture says about commercial applicator certification, the Pesticide Business License, category 03 Ornamental and Turf, the US$30 exam fee, the 70% pass mark, yearly renewal with 8 credits and reciprocal certification.
Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 8, 2026. Rules, fees and pay change: the source has the last word.
This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. The source is the Delaware Department of Agriculture, Pesticides Section, which certifies applicators and licenses the businesses they work for. The parent page, pesticide licences by country, has the national background.
At a glance
| Item | What the department says |
|---|---|
| Agency | Delaware Department of Agriculture, Pesticides Section |
| Certificate and licence for work for hire | Commercial Applicator certification, plus a Pesticide Business License for the company |
| Category for trees and turf | Ornamental and Turf (03) |
| Exam | Core exam plus a category exam, in person at the state fairgrounds in Harrington; US$30 exam fee for commercial candidates; 70% to pass |
| Recertification | Commercial certification is good for one year; 8 credits for Ornamental and Turf banked in a three-year window, or retake the exam |
| Insurance or bond | The business license expires with the company's liability insurance policy; the amount is not on the pages read |
| Reciprocity | Commercial applicators certified under another state's plan can certify without a written exam while working for a Delaware-licensed business |
Who is covered
The department's applicators page says anyone buying or using a restricted pesticide must be certified by the department, and anyone in the business of applying restricted or general use pesticides to the land or property of another must be certified and obtain a Pesticide Business License. The department's certification FAQ describes a Commercial Applicator as anyone using or supervising the use of any pesticide on property that is not theirs or their employer's, who must also be attached to a licensed business. A Registered Service Employee works under a certified applicator.
Business license
According to the department's business license page, the company qualifies by having one or more certified commercial applicators, and for aerial and structural categories at least one of them needs two years of supervised experience. Licenses expire December 31 or when the company's liability insurance policy expires, and renewals received after January 1 carry a 20% late penalty. Businesses licensed in Ornamental and Turf (Category 3) must mark service vehicles with the business name and license number in figures between 2 and 6 inches high.
The category that covers trees and turf
The FAQ lists Ornamental and Turf (03) beside Forest (02), Right-of-Way (06) and the pest control categories 7A to 7F. The business license page places Ornamental and Turf with the categories whose vehicles must be marked. Descriptions of the content of each category are in the Delaware pesticide rules, which the department links but which were not read for this page.
Exam
The department's 2026 exam schedule and procedures list testing at the Delaware State Fairgrounds Ag Education Building in Harrington at least every 45 days, with nine dates from January 28 to November 18, 2026. Commercial applicators, whether certifying or recertifying, pay a US$30 exam fee in their online account at least one week before the date. Candidates have a maximum of three hours. A failed exam can be retaken about 45 days later, and only one re-examination of commercial categories is allowed in any 12 month period. Commercial candidates who miss an exam or cancel with less than seven days notice forfeit the fee. The FAQ says all exams need 70% or higher and the candidate passes the Core exam and the category exam or exams. A core review session runs on the morning of testing dates.
Renewal
The FAQ says Commercial and Government applicator certification is good for one year, against three years for Private. To renew, an applicator retakes the exam or has banked the required recertification credits. Credits are kept for a three-year cycle, and each new year the credits earned in the oldest year of the last cycle expire. For Ornamental and Turf (03) the FAQ lists 8 credits. Credit is given for sessions of 50 minutes or more that cover pesticide information approved under the Delaware rules, and the department lists pre-approved in-person and online courses by category.
Reciprocity
The applicators page says a commercial applicator certified under another state's plan can become a reciprocal commercial applicator in Delaware without a written exam by working for a business holding a Delaware Pesticide Business License, applying online and paying the fees. It notes that categories are not the same in every state, that reciprocal certification from a state other than the applicant's home state cannot be used, and that Registered Service Employees and Registered Technicians cannot become reciprocal applicators.
Sources
- Delaware Department of Agriculture, Pesticide management for applicators, read October 8, 2026
- Delaware Department of Agriculture, Pesticide certification FAQs, read October 8, 2026
- Delaware Department of Agriculture, 2026 pesticide exam schedule and procedures, read October 8, 2026
- Delaware Department of Agriculture, Pesticide business licenses, read October 8, 2026