Pesticide licence in New South Wales: categories, exam and renewal
What the NSW Environment Protection Authority says about the ground applicator licence, why arboriculture sits in its list of exceptions, the AHCCHM training units, five-year licences and competency refresh, record keeping and mutual recognition.
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 NSW Environment Protection Authority, which administers the Pesticides Act 1999 and the Pesticides Regulation 2017 in New South Wales. New South Wales has no state exam. It sets training units that a registered training organisation delivers. The parent page, pesticide licences by country, has the national background.
At a glance
| Item | What the authority says |
|---|---|
| Agency | NSW Environment Protection Authority |
| Licence | Ground applicator licence, for services using pesticides other than fumigants on weeds or pests affecting plants or soil |
| Arboriculture | Listed under amenity horticulture among the activities that are not prescribed work, so no ground applicator licence, though training may still be needed |
| Training units | AHCCHM307 and AHCCHM304 for a licence; AHCCHM201 minimum for work under supervision |
| Minimum age | 18 |
| Fee | AU$425 for a 5-year licence on applications made on or after July 1, 2022; adjusted for consumer prices each July |
| Licence holder | An individual, not a business |
| Training refresh | Every 5 years for unlicensed users, by refresher course or an approved quality assurance program |
What the licence covers and who is outside it
The authority's ground applicators page says that anyone providing services that use pesticides, other than fumigants, to control weeds or pests affecting plants or soil must hold a ground applicator licence. The licence does not allow work as a pest management technician, a fumigator or an aerial applicator. The page lists exceptions for individuals doing work that is not defined as prescribed work. They include employees of a local or State public authority on public land, farmers on their own or a family member's land, bush care, work under the domestic like use exemption, and amenity horticulture. The page spells out amenity horticulture as ground and garden maintenance, golf course maintenance, landscaping, floriculture, arboriculture and the operation of a nursery. It adds that these activities may still require training and points to clause 6 of the Pesticides Regulation 2017 for what counts as prescribed work.
Training for users who need no licence
The authority's page on compulsory pesticides training says anyone whose work involves using herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, bactericides, baits, lures or rodenticides must complete initial training and maintain competency. Its list of occupations includes landscape gardeners, nursery operators, parkland or green keepers and people using pesticides for a council. Anyone who mixes pesticides or calibrates equipment is also covered even if another person applies the product. The minimum level is Australian Qualifications Framework Level 2, which needs unit AHCCHM201, Apply chemicals under supervision. Unsupervised operators and independent business people need Level 3, with units AHCCHM307 and AHCCHM304. The authority does not approve any provider or course, fees are set by the provider, and a short assessment of prior learning may be available to experienced users.
Two exemptions are described. The domestic like use exemption covers household products applied by hand or hand-held equipment in no more than 5 litres or kilograms of concentrate outdoors per job. The occasional use exemption covers agricultural or forestry work on no more than 12 days in the previous 12 months under direct supervision.
Licence application, term and renewal
Applications go through the authority's online portal. The ground applicator page lists proof of identity and age (18 or over), copies of the statement of attainment for the two units, and a passport-style photograph taken within 6 months. The fee for an application made on or after July 1, 2022 is AU$425 for a 5-year licence, with a reduced fee for a 1-year licence, and the page says fees rise with the consumer price index each July. Licences go to an individual, never to a business or business name. A renewal application is due within 60 days of the expiry date, also at AU$425 on the page, and a replacement card is AU$26. The page says the training does not need to be refreshed while the licence remains current. For users who do not hold a licence, the compulsory training page says competence is maintained by a refresher course every 5 years or by joining an approved quality assurance or stewardship program.
Records, insurance and penalties
The authority's page on compulsory record keeping says everyone who uses pesticides for commercial or occupational purposes must record the use within 48 hours and keep the record for 3 years. Its list of recorded uses includes spraying plants, places such as golf courses and road verges, and pest control around buildings. The ground applicator page lists penalties for misuse of up to AU$120,000 for an individual and AU$250,000 for a corporation, and penalty notices of up to AU$500 and AU$1,000. The pages read state no insurance or bond rule.
Reciprocity
The ground applicator page says a current ground applicator licence from another state or territory, except Queensland, may allow work in New South Wales under automatic mutual recognition from December 1, 2022, with notice to the authority. Anyone not eligible can apply under the mutual recognition scheme with a copy of the interstate licence and no proof of training. Overseas qualifications are not automatically recognised.