Pesticide licence in Idaho: categories, exam and renewal

This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. The source is the Idaho State Department of Agriculture, which licenses applicators under the Rules Governing Pesticide and Chemigation Use and Application, IDAPA 02.03.03. The parent page, pesticide licences by country, has the national background.

At a glance

Item	What the department says
Agency	Idaho State Department of Agriculture, Pesticide Applicator Licensing
Licence for work for hire	Professional Applicator license, US$300, valid for five years and expiring December 31 of the fifth year
Category for trees and turf	Ornamental Pest (OP): pests in the maintenance and production of ornamental plants and turf
Exam	Applicator Core Competency (CO) exam plus an exam for each category; at least 70% to pass; retake after a minimum of one day; scores valid for 12 months; exam fee not on the pages read
Recertification	40 recertification credits during the five-year term, or re-examination; no yearly minimum
Apprentice	Commercial Apprentice license, US$120, general use pesticides, two years, not renewable and not reciprocated
Insurance or bond	Liability insurance, bond or equivalent: bodily injury US$50,000 per person and US$100,000 per occurrence, property damage US$50,000 per occurrence

Licence types and fees

The department's applicator licensing guide sets out four steps: show competence by exam, a letter of good standing from a reciprocal state, or approved training; submit the application; submit required documents; pay. Professional, apprentice and dealer licenses need an active general liability policy on an Acord form or the department's insurance form. Processing takes 8 to 10 business days, and the license stays inactive until the department emails an activation notice. The fees are US$300 for a Professional Applicator, US$250 for a Dealer, US$120 for a Commercial Apprentice, US$25 for a Private Applicator and US$50 for a Chemigation license. Adding categories carries no charge beyond the cost of testing.

Five-year terms from July 1, 2026

The department's rule change summary says that from July 1, 2026 professional, dealer, private and chemigation licenses run five years and expiry no longer depends on last name. Current holders move to the five-year term when their license next renews, after meeting the earlier requirement of 16 credits for professionals. New professional applicators need 40 credits during the term. The summary also adds a drone-specific aerial category and brings back wood preservative and potato cellar categories.

The category that covers trees and turf

The Idaho rule lists Ornamental Pest (OP) as the category for professional applicators who use or supervise pesticides to control pests in the maintenance and production of ornamental plants and turf, against the federal competency standard at 40 CFR 171.103(d)(3). The same rule makes the Applicator Core Competency (CO) category mandatory for every professional applicator. A professional may recommend or apply pesticides only for purposes where competence has been shown, which means being licensed in the matching category.

Exam

Under the rule, exams are proctored by department staff or an authorized agent, and the minimum score is 70% in each category. A failed exam can be retaken after a minimum one day wait, and scores stay valid for 12 months. The department's exams and study materials page links an exam registration tool, including exams through a computer-based testing partner, plus purchasable and free downloadable study material.

Recertification

Rule section 100.06 says the five-year period starts on the next January 1 after the license is first obtained and ends on December 31 of the fifth year. To renew, a professional collects 40 credits from department-accredited seminars, or passes the core exam and every category exam held. Excess credits do not carry over, and credit is given only for the pesticide subjects the rule lists, not for initial certification prep. A license that missed the credits means retaking the exams. Licenses can be renewed up to 12 months after expiry. The department says its portal lets applicators track credits.

Apprentices

The rule lets someone doing general use pesticide work hold a professional commercial apprentice license after passing the core exam at 70% or better. A supervising professional may supervise two apprentices at one time. The license expires two years after issue, is not renewable, and may not be reciprocated with other participating agencies.

Insurance

Rule section 100.05 lists accepted proof of financial responsibility: liability insurance, a bond, a cash certificate of deposit in escrow, an annuity or an irrevocable letter of credit. Minimum coverage is US$50,000 per person and US$100,000 per occurrence for bodily injury and US$50,000 per occurrence for property damage, with a deductible of at most US$5,000. The immediate property being treated need not be covered. The applicator must tell the department in writing immediately after any cancellation or reduction.

Reciprocity

The licensing guide lists a letter of good standing from a reciprocal state as one way to show competence, and the department's forms list includes a request for such a letter. The list of reciprocal states is not on the pages read.