Pesticide licence in Saskatchewan: categories, exam and renewal
What the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture says about the pesticide applicator licence at CA$100 a year, the Landscape category, Saskatchewan Polytechnic training, five-year recertification with 15 continuing education credits and recognition of other provinces' training.
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 Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, Pesticide Licensing Program, which issues applicator licences under The Pest Control Products (Saskatchewan) Act. The parent page, pesticide licences by country, has the national background.
At a glance
| Item | What the ministry says |
|---|---|
| Agency | Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, Pesticide Licensing Program |
| Licence for work for hire | Pesticide applicator licence, CA$100 annually, issued to the named individual and not transferable |
| Category for trees and turf | Landscape: ornamental trees, shrubs, flowers and turf on outdoor residential and commercial land |
| Training and exam | Pesticide training program from Saskatchewan Polytechnic; the statement of achievement goes with the application; exam fee not published on the pages read |
| Recertification | Every five years by exam or 15 continuing education credits; credits are allowed for aerial, greenhouse, industrial vegetation, landscape, rat control and structural |
| Insurance or bond | Not stated on the pages read |
| Reciprocity | Training from other provinces is recognized if it meets the national standard and is under five years old; a licence is based on proof of training |
Who needs a licence
The ministry's pesticide applicator licence page says anyone who buys and uses federally registered restricted or commercial class pesticides for hire or reward must hold the licence. So must anyone who applies domestic class pesticides for hire, or who employs a person paid a wage to apply them. Applicants are 18 or older and work for a licensed service company or a government, agency or local authority. The page lists exemptions, among them people using pesticides on land they own or rent and people applying under the direct supervision of a licensed applicator. Direct supervision means the licensed applicator is physically on site and the supervised workers are within sight and hailing distance, not reached by phone or radio.
The category that covers trees and turf
The same page defines Landscape as pesticide work to look after ornamental trees, shrubs, flowers and turf on outdoor residential and commercial land, including golf courses, cemeteries, public land and outdoor nurseries. Forestry is a separate category for ground application in forest management, and Industrial Vegetation covers herbicides on roadsides, power lines, pipelines and rights of way. A licence holder keeps the licence on hand when applying and keeps daily application records for at least three years.
Training, fee and renewal
The page says an applicant completes a pesticide training program in the category before applying and attaches the statement of achievement. Saskatchewan Polytechnic provides the pesticide education in the province. The licence fee is CA$100 annually. The ministry mails renewal forms to current holders 45 to 60 days before the licence expires. Training must be recertified every five years by passing a recertification exam or collecting 15 continuing education credits, and Saskatchewan Polytechnic keeps the credit records.
Reciprocity
According to the ministry's out-of-province requirements page, Saskatchewan follows the National Standard for Pesticide Education, Training and Certification in Canada. It recognizes training from other provinces that meets the standard and was granted within the last five years. A licence is issued on proof of training, not on another province's licence, so the applicant sends the training certificate and copies of any certificates or licences held elsewhere. New applicants also take the Saskatchewan regulations course and exam through Saskatchewan Polytechnic. Saskatchewan will not issue a licence that runs past the expiry of the home licence or past five years from the training date. A person seeking a category Saskatchewan does not recognize can write the Saskatchewan exam or show equivalent training taken in the last five years.