Pesticide licence in Virginia: 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 Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, whose Office of Pesticide Services certifies applicators and licenses pesticide businesses. The parent page, pesticide licences by country, has the national background.

At a glance

Item	What the department says
Agency	Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Office of Pesticide Services
Certificates	Commercial Applicator (for hire or not for hire); Registered Technician; plus a Pesticide Business License for the company
Categories for trees and turf	3A Ornamental Pest Control and 3B Turf; 6 Right-of-Way and 2 Forest Pest Control are separate
Application fee	US$25, non-refundable; remote testing adds a fee paid to the testing company
Recertification	An approved category course every two years; no renewal fee since March 17, 2022
Business license	Expires March 31 each year; insurance minimums of US$100,000, US$100,000 and US$300,000

Who needs certification

The department's page on becoming a certified pesticide applicator says a commercial applicator for hire is anyone using any pesticide on other people's property in exchange for compensation, and that person must work for a company with a Pesticide Business License. A commercial applicator not for hire uses pesticides as part of job duties on property owned or leased by the employer, as a government employee, or in places open to the public such as schools, health care and day-care facilities, where open food is stored or sold, and on recreational land over five acres. A registered technician works under the supervision of a commercial applicator for restricted use pesticides and can apply general use pesticides without supervision.

Exam, fees and testing options

The page on commercial applicators says an applicant may be permitted to sit the exam by having been a Virginia Registered Technician for at least one year, or by giving proof of enough education, training or experience. After an authorization letter, the exam can be taken on a touch-screen computer at a Department of Motor Vehicles customer service center, as a written exam by appointment at a department testing center, or remotely through an online portal hosted by Everblue, which charges a separate fee. The department's commercial applicator application packet gives the application fee as US$25, non-refundable, and says government employees are exempt. Study uses the Virginia Pesticide Applicator Certification Training core manual and category manuals from Virginia Tech. Authorization letters expire on the date printed and are not extended.

Recertification

The page on maintaining certification says commercial applicators and registered technicians attend an approved category specific recertification course every two years before the certificate expires on June 30. The renewal fee was eliminated on March 17, 2022. Certificates run through a 60 day grace period after June 30, and an applicator who has not taken a course by August 29 must apply, pay the fee and be examined again. The department's recertification requirements document says Virginia has no credit hour system for commercial applicators and expects a session of four to eight hours.

Business license and insurance

The department's pesticide business license page says a license is required for any business that, for compensation, sells, stores, distributes, mixes, applies or recommends pesticides, with a separate license for each location. The application needs a certificate of insurance showing at least US$100,000 for property damage, US$100,000 for injury to or death of one person and US$300,000 per occurrence. The business or one of its employees must pass a written examination, waived for a certified commercial applicator. Licenses expire on March 31 each year. Licensed businesses keep records for two years of pesticides applied commercially and restricted use pesticides sold.

Reciprocity

The department offers an application for reciprocal pesticide applicator certification. The pages read do not list the states with agreements. They say reciprocal recertification can be granted to out-of-state applicators who keep certification in their home state, give proof before the Virginia expiry date, and come from a state that grants the same to Virginia applicators.