Pesticide licence in Missouri: 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 Missouri Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Pesticide Control, which licenses applicators, technicians and dealers under the Missouri Pesticide Use Act. The parent page, pesticide licences by country, has the national background.

At a glance

Item	What the department says
Agency	Missouri Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Pesticide Control
Licence for work for hire	Certified Commercial Applicator, US$65 a year
Category for trees and turf	Category 3 Ornamental and Turf Pest Control: pests in the care and maintenance of ornamental trees, shrubs, flowers and turf, excluding fumigants
Exam	General Standards of Competence (Core) exam plus at least one category exam, computer based through Pearson VUE; fee and pass mark not on the page read
Recertification	Every three years, by an approved program or re-examination; since January 1, 2025 in every category on the licence plus Core
Technician	Pesticide Technician, general use products only, under direct supervision; US$35 a year; 8 hours of classroom and 16 hours of on-the-job training
Insurance or bond	At least US$50,000 for each occurrence

Licence types

The department's pesticide control page says the Missouri Pesticide Use Act sets the license requirements for applicators, dealers, technicians and operators, and that anyone using restricted use pesticides must be licensed. A Certified Commercial Applicator can use, supervise or decide the need for any pesticide, restricted or general use, while working on land belonging to others for a fee. A Noncommercial Applicator, at US$35, covers restricted use work on the applicator's or the employer's own land. A Noncertified RUP Applicator license, US$35, lets someone use restricted products under the direct supervision of a certified applicator from the same business and location, within that supervisor's categories.

Category 3 and the technician licence

The same page describes Category 3, Ornamental and Turf Pest Control, as pesticide use, excluding fumigants, in controlling pests in the care and maintenance of ornamental trees, shrubs, flowers and turf. Category 2, Forest Pest Control, covers forests, forest nurseries and forest seed producing areas. A person who uses only general use pesticides under direct supervision of a Certified Commercial Applicator in Ornamental and Turf Pest Control, General Structural or Termite control must hold a Pesticide Technician license. The technician is not certified and must work for the same business, from the same location and in the same categories as the supervisor. The license is US$35 a year and needs an approved training program.

The department's technician training guidelines say training takes at least 8 hours of classroom work and 16 hours of on-the-job practice per category, 24 hours at minimum, and the first category must be finished within 45 calendar days of employment as a trainee. The department's MDA-3 program outline sets the classroom time: 1.5 hours of pest identification, 1 hour of equipment, 1.5 hours of pesticides, 30 minutes of alternative control methods, 1 hour of labels, 1 hour of hazards and safety, 30 minutes of spills and 1 hour of pesticide laws. The on-the-job part happens in the physical presence of a Certified Commercial Applicator licensed in Category 3. Technicians retrain every three years by repeating the 8 classroom hours or attending an approved recertification program.

Exam and fees

On the pesticide control page the department says a commercial applicator must pass the Core exam and at least one category exam at Pearson VUE, which gives computer based tests. Candidates reserve online or by phone at least 24 hours ahead, and walk-ins are not available. Study manuals come from the University of Missouri Extension publications office. The license application carries a US$65 fee and proof of financial responsibility. Licenses expire every year. After expiry there is a 60 day grace period, with a late penalty of 25% on top of the fee, after which the license and certification are canceled.

Recertification

The page says commercial applicators renew their certification every three years, by attending an approved recertification program or by re-examination. It states that effective January 1, 2025, certified applicators recertify in all categories on their license and the Core. The University of Missouri Extension offers recertification training each January, and other groups sponsor programs approved by the Bureau.

Insurance

The department's commercial applicator insurance form quotes Missouri's statute, which says the department does not issue a Certified Commercial Applicator license until the applicant or the employer shows a surety bond or liability policy of not less than US$50,000 for each occurrence, protecting persons who may suffer legal damages. Damage to crops, plants or land being worked on need not be covered. A deductible of up to US$1,000 may be accepted, and the insurer must notify the department 20 days before cancellation or reduction. After the first license, proof is kept at the business location and given to the department on request.

Reciprocity

The pesticide control page lists formal agreements with Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois for all categories. Arkansas is covered for all categories except ornamental and turf and structural. Louisiana is covered except structural. Mississippi's aviation board is covered for categories 1A, 2, 5 and 6, and Tennessee for aerial only. The applicant must have passed the other state's exams, be a resident of it, and have that state's department send a reciprocal form.