Pesticide licence in Nebraska: 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 Nebraska Department of Agriculture, which certifies and licenses pesticide applicators under the Nebraska Pesticide Act. The parent page, pesticide licences by country, has the national background.

At a glance

Item	What the department says
Agency	Nebraska Department of Agriculture, pesticide program
Licence for work for hire	Commercial applicator license, US$90, valid for three years
Category for trees and turf	Category 04, Ornamental and Turf
Exam	General Standards (core) exam of 60 multiple choice questions plus at least one category exam; 70% to pass; Pearson VUE sites charge US$55 an exam
Recertification	Every three years, by retesting or by attending an approved University of Nebraska training for the category; licenses expire April 15
Insurance or bond	Not stated for resident applicators on the pages read; the reciprocal page says Nebraska law does not require proof of insurance from reciprocal applicants
Reciprocity	Agreements with several states, some limited to certain categories; case-by-case review for other states

Who needs a licence

The department's applicator certification and licensing page says that in most cases there is no certification or licensing requirement for general-use pesticides, with two exceptions: people who apply general-use structural or lawn care pesticides for hire must be certified and licensed as commercial applicators, and so must anyone who applies a registered pesticide for mosquito control on behalf of a political subdivision. The Nebraska Pesticide Act requires a license for anyone who uses a restricted-use pesticide. The page says the department certifies and licenses about 22,250 private and 9,250 commercial applicators. Commercial certification is split into 14 categories and four subcategories.

The category that covers trees and turf

Category 04 is named Ornamental and Turf in the department's list of commercial and noncommercial categories, alongside categories such as Forest Pest Control (3), Right-of-Way (7) and Structural (8). The list is the same on the department's reciprocal license page and on its testing page. Category 04 is one of the exams offered at Pearson VUE sites. The department's brief category descriptions and statutory requirements for each category sit in the Nebraska Pesticide Act and its category examples page, which was not read for this page.

Exam and fees

The department's testing page lists the steps for a new resident commercial license: pass the General Standards core exam of 60 multiple choice questions at 70%, pass at least one category exam, complete a license request form and pay US$90. An applicator is not considered licensed until every exam is passed and the fee is collected. Study manuals come from University of Nebraska Extension. Exams taken at an Extension initial training session or at a department walk-in session are mailed in for grading, and the page says results can take up to three weeks in February to April. Walk-in sessions run at county Extension offices and research centers across the state on the dates posted.

On its Pearson VUE page the department says it offers the core exam and selected category exams, including Ornamental and Turf (04), by computer. The department does not charge for this option, but Pearson VUE charges US$55 per exam. Sites listed include Lincoln, Omaha, North Platte, Hastings, Norfolk, Grand Island and McCook.

Renewal

The testing page says licenses expire April 15 of the third year after they are obtained or renewed. A renewal needs an approved continuing education course that covers both core updates and category-specific information, a license request form and the fee. The certification page adds that commercial certification is renewed every three years either by retesting or by attending a University of Nebraska commercial applicator training program for the category. Licensed applicators of restricted-use pesticides must keep application records for three years.

Supervised workers

The reciprocal page says the Pesticide Act lets a person use pesticides under the direct supervision of a fully licensed individual for 60 days, once in a lifetime. The unlicensed person asks the department for this status, naming the supervisor, who must provide training and keep records of it. The department does not issue apprentice licenses.

Reciprocity

The same page says a non-resident can get a Nebraska license without taking Nebraska exams if they live in a state with which Nebraska has a reciprocal agreement and hold valid credentials there. Some agreements cover commercial, noncommercial and private applicators, others leave out private applicators, and some cover only one or a few commercial categories. Other states are decided case by case. The applicant provides a request form, proof of residency, a copy of the license showing all categories, a government photo ID and an appointed resident agent for lawsuits, and pays the license fee. A license cancelled or suspended by the issuing state within the past three years blocks a reciprocal license. A reciprocal license is renewed by first renewing at home and then repeating the Nebraska process, and someone who moves to Nebraska must pass the Nebraska exams to convert it. The page states that Nebraska law does not require proof of insurance or financial responsibility from people requesting a reciprocal license.