Pesticide licence in North Dakota: categories, exam and renewal

This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. North Dakota splits the job in two. The North Dakota Department of Agriculture enforces the pesticide laws, and the NDSU Extension Pesticide Certification and Training Program runs certification and training. The parent page, pesticide licences by country, has the national background.

At a glance

Item	What the sources say
Agency	North Dakota Department of Agriculture, Pesticide and Fertilizer Division (enforcement); NDSU Extension Pesticide Program (certification and training)
Credential for work for hire	Commercial certification as an applicator, with a core status of ground or aerial
Category for trees and turf	Ornamental and Turf, listed with the other commercial categories on the Extension order forms
Exam	Given by appointment through local NDSU County Extension offices after study materials are ordered
Fees	Reciprocity form for certification year 2026: US$75 base fee for ground or aerial, US$25 per category, one-time US$25 appointment of agent fee. The 2024 to 2025 study order form: US$75 certification cost and US$25 per study class
Renewal	Recertification trainings are scheduled for 2026 to 2027; the cycle length is not stated on the pages read
Insurance or bond	Financial responsibility of at least US$100,000 for commercial applicators
Reciprocity	Possible without an exam for nonresidents, decided case by case; not granted to North Dakota residents

Who runs what

The department's pesticide program page says it holds delegated authority from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to enforce the federal pesticide law under state law and rules, and that certification and training are administered by the NDSU Extension program. Its separate applicator and dealer certification page repeats this and gives the Extension specialist's phone number. The department takes pesticide complaints through an online form and a phone line on the same page.

Categories and exam

According to the NDSU Extension certification page, the program provides the certification the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires for selling, buying or using restricted-use pesticides. It says exams are given by appointment through local NDSU County Extension offices, and that instructions for booking come with the study materials. The Extension order form for commercial, public and dealer study materials lists these classes: Ag Pest, Fumigation, Greenhouse, Home Industrial and Institutional, Ornamental and Turf, Public Health, Right-of-Way, Seed Treatment, Vertebrate and Wood Preservatives. An applicant also marks a core status of ground or aerial. The 2024 to 2025 form shows US$25 for each study class and a US$75 one-time certification cost for the training season, with an optional US$30 introductory online core course for people new to certification.

Financial responsibility

The Extension's financial responsibility acknowledgment form says North Dakota Century Code 4.1-33-10 requires a commercial applicator applicant to show proof of financial responsibility and to keep it at no less than US$100,000. The form lists three ways to show it: a notarized letter from an officer of a financial institution or a certified public accountant stating net assets of at least US$100,000, a performance bond, or a general liability insurance policy. The form has a box for people who work for a city, state or government agency.

Reciprocity

The Extension's reciprocity page says a valid certification from another state may help but does not replace a North Dakota certificate for restricted-use pesticides. North Dakota may certify nonresidents without an exam when they hold an approved certification elsewhere, and eligibility is decided case by case. The first-time reciprocity request package for 2026 asks for the request form, a copy of the other state's license that expires no earlier than December 31, 2026, a government photo ID, the financial responsibility form, the fee and a nonresident appointment of agent form. It states that reciprocity is not granted to North Dakota residents and that the originals must be mailed, not faxed or emailed. The request form's signature line states the applicant's certification has not been suspended or revoked in the past three years in any state or province.