Pesticide licence in Pennsylvania: 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 Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, whose Bureau of Plant Industry, Division of Health and Safety, manages pesticide regulation, applicator certification and the federal worker protection rules in the state. The parent page, pesticide licences by country, has the national background.

At a glance

Item	What the department says
Agency	Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Plant Industry
License	Commercial/Public Pesticide Applicator license
Categories for trees and turf	6, Ornamental and shade trees; 7, Lawn and turf
Exam format	Core and category exams of 50 multiple choice questions; 35 of 50 (70 percent) to pass
Exam fee	US$50 for core and US$10 for each category at department sessions
Commercial license fee	US$40 a year, expiring September 30
Public license fee	US$10 every three years

Who needs the license

The department's page on pesticide applicators, registered technicians and certification exams says a commercial or public applicator license is needed to use pesticides on the property of another, and to use restricted use pesticides on an employer's property for a non-agricultural purpose. It also lists places where the license applies even for general use products on a person's own or employer's property: golf courses, parks, campgrounds, schools, research institutions, playgrounds, athletic fields, day cares, swimming pools and multifamily housing with four or more units.

The page separates a public applicator, who works for a government agency or school district, from a commercial applicator, who does not. To get either license, an applicant passes a core exam and one or more category exams, and a commercial applicant is employed by a company that holds a pesticide business license.

Exam and fees

The page describes two ways to test, both in person. Department-proctored paper sessions are usually held at a regional department office or a county Extension office, last three hours, and need pre-registration. The fees there are US$50 for core and US$10 for each category. Computer-based exams at Metro test centers cost more: US$110 for core and US$70 for each category. The page says only closed-book category exams are offered through Metro, and exams may be retaken as often as wanted. Costs for the license itself are US$40 per year for commercial and US$10 every three years for public.

Registered technicians

As an alternative to certifying every employee, the page says a business that employs a certified applicator who has held certification for at least a year can register employees as application technicians after 30 days of training. Registered technicians can make the same applications as a certified applicator unless the label limits use to certified applicators. The page lists US$30 a year for a commercial technician and US$20 a year for a public technician. Businesses can design their own training, and Penn State Extension sells a training package.

Recertification

The page says a continuing education requirement follows the license, with update training on core and category topics, offered in person and online as on-demand and webinar sessions. The department runs a recertification course locator. The page read does not give the credit hours.

Reciprocity

The department's reciprocity page says a non-resident with a valid license from a state that has an agreement with Pennsylvania can get a Pennsylvania applicator license without taking the exams. It lists 26 states and the District of Columbia, with limits for some: Indiana except wood destroying organisms, Mississippi aerial only, and Montana only for certain categories. The applicant sends an application, a copy of a government photo ID and proof of the license. The page says the original certification renewal does not count toward Pennsylvania credits, and that courses from out of state not approved for Pennsylvania credit can be sent to the department for review.