Pesticide licence in West 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 Pesticide Regulatory Programs unit of the West Virginia Department of Agriculture, which works under the West Virginia Pesticide Control Act of 1990. The parent page, pesticide licences by country, has the national background.

At a glance

Item	What the department says
Agency	West Virginia Department of Agriculture, Pesticide Regulatory Programs
Credentials for work for hire	Commercial Applicator license for the person; Licensed Pesticide Application Business (LPAB) license for a business that applies to the lands of others for hire; Registered Technician for a person working under an applicator
Category for trees and turf	Not published in readable text on the pages read; the department links a category descriptions page
Exam	General Standards plus at least one category exam; US$20; no fee for city, state or government employees
License fees	US$20 for a Commercial Applicator, US$20 for a Registered Technician, US$60 for an LPAB; all yearly
Renewal	Yearly, with a renewal period of November 1 to April 1 on the WVPlants portal
Continuing education	Applicator: 20 certification units in every category every 3 years. Technician: 4 units in every category every year
Insurance or bond	LPAB: US$300,000 bodily injury, US$100,000 property damage and workers compensation; no bond
Reciprocity	Applicators licensed in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio or Virginia

The licenses

The department's pesticides program page says the unit licenses companies and individuals to apply pesticides, runs inspections and gives educational training. Its Certification and Licensing section gives exams and approves continuing education programs. The department's commercial applicator page describes the license as for an applicator applying pesticides for a licensed or regulated pesticide application business, a restricted-use pesticide dealer or on consultant recommendations. It costs US$20 and runs for a year. The application is mailed with the exam results, and a current photo ID is required. The department lists no bonding or insurance requirement for the individual license.

Business license

A Licensed Pesticide Application Business is described as a business applying pesticides to the lands of others for hire. According to the business license page, the license costs US$60 a year. The application needs a current certificate of liability insurance and a copy of the business registration from the state tax department. The insurance line reads US$300,000 bodily injury, US$100,000 property damage and workers compensation, and bonding is listed as not applicable. A separate Regulated Pesticide Application Business registration covers businesses that treat their own grounds and not for hire. It is a one-time registration with no fee listed.

Exam

On its applicator examination page the department lists a US$20 fee, with no fee for city, state or government employees. The exam is General Standards and at least one category exam, and proctored exams need documentation before testing. The application comes in a notary version and a simple version. The page links a West Virginia commercial pesticide applicator categories document and an exam locations page, and neither shows readable category names for ornamental trees or turf on October 8, 2026.

Renewal and continuing education

The commercial applicator page lists yearly renewal through the WVPlants portal between November 1 and April 1, and 20 continuing certification units in every category every 3 years. A separate continuing education page is for approval of recertification programs and asks for a detailed agenda with date and location. The registered technician page lists a US$20 yearly license, no fee for government agency technicians, and 4 units in every category every year. It says the technician application is available only to a licensed or regulated business with an approved training program.

Reciprocity

On its commercial applicator reciprocal page the department describes reciprocity for an applicator licensed in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio or Virginia who needs to apply in West Virginia. The same US$20 yearly fee applies. The documents are a completed department reciprocal application, a current copy of the home state's applicator license and a current photo ID, with the same 20 units in every category every 3 years.