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Lanier County
UGA Extension Office

Pesticide Licensing

Georgia Private & Commercial Pesticide License


Tractor spraying chemicals
Crop duster spraying chemicals

Interested in getting a pesticide license? You may now take the Georgia Private Pesticide Applicator Exam online by by following  the step-by-step instruction.

Visit the Georgia Commercial Pesticide Applicator's Testing information website for commercial exam information and registration.

 

Private Applicators

You are required to obtain Private Pesticide Applicator license if either of the following statements is true (note that you must meet the REQUIREMENT that you will be producing an agricultural, horticultural, or forestry commodity!):

  • I want to purchase and use a Restricted-Use Pesticide (RUP) on my property or the property of my employer to produce an agricultural, horticultural, or forestry commodity.
  • I want to supervise the use of a Restricted-Use Pesticide (RUP) on my property or the property of my employer to produce an agricultural, horticultural, or forestry commodity.

If you are interested in a Commercial Pesiticide Applicator License, visit our Commerical Applicators web page for more information on commerical licening. 

If you are interested in a Structural Pest Control license, visit Georgia Department of Agriculture's Structural Pest Control web page

If you do not meet the requirements for obtaining either a Private Applicator license or a Commerical Applicator license but wish to know more about properly, safely, and effectively applying pesticides, you may wish to obtain a Georgia Competent Applicators of Pesticides Program (GCAPP) certificate by completing GCAPP training. Instructions on how to sign up for GCAPP training are outlined on the PSEP homepage in response to the final question regarding getting pesticide safety education if you're not interested in becoming a certified applicator.

What is a Private Pesticide Applicator License and when is it required?

  • A Private Pesticide Applicator license authorizes or certifies you to purchase and use or supervise the use of Restricted-Use Pesticides (RUP) to produce an agricultural, horticultural, or forestry commodity.
  • Currently, there is no fee charged for the Private Applicator license.
  • All applications on property not owned, leased, or rented by you or your employer must be done as a personal favor or as an exchange of personal services.
  • No fee can be charged with a Private Applicator license!
  • To state it another way, a Private Pesticide Applicator license does not cover commerical pesticide applications.

How do I obtain a Private Pesticide Applicator License?

  • Step 1: Purchase course access (cost is $25.00) for the interactive Private Applicator training program though the Georgia Professional Certifications storefront on the UGA Marketplace. Dr. Mickey Taylor (email: mickeyt@uga.edu or cell phone: 706-540-4108) will enroll students twice per day, midmorning and late afternoon, and send you an enrollment notice by email with your username and a temporary password (you will be required to reset your password when you log in to gaprocerts.com for the first time).
  • Step 2: Complete the new Private Applicator Training course on the Georgia Professional Certifications website, using the username and temporary password sent to you by Dr. Taylor. Follow the instructions carefully! You must pass the final test (a grade of 70 or higher) for each module in sequence (Module 1, then Module 2, followed by Module 3, and so on) before you will be allowed to proceed to the next module. If you complete a module and there is no check mark in the box for that Module, click on the Module again to open the enter screen. Click the box beside “Start a new attempt” and then click the “Enter” button. Quickly click through the slides and quizzes to get to the final exam. Passing the exam again will put the check mark in the box and allow you to proceed to the next module. The time to complete the course will be approximately 4-5 hours for novice farmers.
  • Step 3: When you have completed the training course, print the Certificate of Completion and take it with you to your county Extension agent. (Find your County Office). You can request Dr. Taylor email you the forms you will need to complete the application process if you want to have the forms filled out before going to your county Extension office. The form needed for Step 6 below will be included in the package Dr. Taylor sends to you.
  • Step 4: Certify to your county Extension agent that you are engaged in the production of an agricultural, horticultural, or forestry commodity by completing the Private Pesticide Applicator License Application and complete the Verification of Lawful Presence if needed for forwarding by your county agent to the Georgia Department of Agriculture Pesticide's office.
  • Step 5: The GDA Pesticides office will review your application and, when approved, send it to the Licensing Division, who will print and issue your license (usually in 3-4 weeks).
    OPTIONAL Step 6 (if you need to purchase an RUP immediately): complete the form requesting a temporary license number and ask your county Agent to call the Georgia Department of Agriculture Pesticide office (404-656-4958) to obtain a temporary license number to allow you to purchase and use RUPs.

How long does a Private Pesticide Applicator License last and how do I renew it?

  • The initial Private Applicator license is good for five years.
  • Currently three hours of recertification credits must be earned no later than 90 days before your license expires.
  • If you fail to earn sufficient recertification credits before your license expires, you must repeat the Private Applicator Training Program.
  • To renew a Private Applicator license, you must earn three (3) hours of recertification credits every five years. No more than 1 hour may be from webinar attendance.
  • Recertification credits can be earned by attending certain growers' meetings given by county Extension offices or by attending short courses and other meetings or viewing video recordings of those meetings that have been approved by the Georgia Department of Agriculture's Pesticides office.

A searchable database available through the Georgia Department of Agriculture where you can search by applicator last name, license number, or commercial license category. Approved online classes are listed on this web page as well. In addition, there is a searchable database for recertification courses by course title, course date, or commercial category.

 

Commercial Applicators

What is a Commercial Pesticide Applicator License and when is it required?

  • The Commercial Pesticide Applicator license is required if you want to buy, apply, or supervise the application of a general use or restricted-use pesticide (RUP) without a fee and you do not qualify as a private applicator. (Private applicators buy, apply, or supervise the application of RUPs to their own land or to land they rent or lease or to the land, owned or leased, of their employer to produce an agricultural, horticultural, or forestry commodity.) Commercial applicators who wish to charge a fee for the application of any pesticide to the land of another person or business also must obtain a Pesticide Contractor license for each business location.
  • The Commercial Pesticide Applicator license does not permit you to charge a fee unless you also have a Pesticide Contractor license.
  • If you are a licensed Pesticide Contractor and apply any pesticide to the lands of another person or business, you must have at least one full-time Commercial Pesticide Applicator licensed at your business location. The Commercial Pesticide Applicator will supervise all applications made under the license.
  • Pesticide purchases must be confined to only those categories for which you are authorized by your license.

What are the specific requirements for obtaining a Commerical Pesticide Applicator License?

  • You must pass an examination on the “National Pesticide Applicator Certification Core Manual Second Edition 2014” and an exam on the appropriate category manual(s) with a minimum score of 70%.
  • Georgia Technical Colleges administer the computerized core and category exams at several locations around Georgia numerous times during the course of a given year. You can select a location and date convenient to you.
  • Visit the Georgia Commercial Pesticide Applicator's Testing Information website for exam information and registration.
    Order paper copies of the core and category manuals from the UGA Extension Publication Store under the Commercial Pesticide Applicator’s Safety Guides page.
  • There are three online study guide courses that cover the core manual exam and are available if you prefer an online course to reading and studying from a paper manual. Each course covers approximately one-third of the “National Pesticide Applicator Certification Core Manual Second Edition 2014” and includes quizzes for each chapter that allow you to assess whether or not you are prepared to pass the Core Manual Exam at your nearby Georgia Technical College. You may order one or more of the online study guide courses or category manual courses through the Georgia Professional Certifications storefront on the UGA Marketplace website by following these instructions for how to order them.
  • Currently, there are two study guide category courses available for commercial applicators. They include the Ornamental and Turf (Category 24) and the Mosquito Biology, Surveillance and Control (Category 41) study guides. Use the instructions in the how to order PDF by clicking on the “View items in these sub-categories:” tab. Additional category study guides will be prepared once newly revised manuals are published. New study guides will become available as they are completed.

How long does Commerical Pesticide Applicator License lat and how do I renew it?

  • The Commercial Pesticide Applicator license is valid for five years. The cost of the license is $90 for each five-year renewal.
    Commercial Pesticide Applicators must earn a required number of recertification credits every five years no later than 90 days before their license expires or be reexamined.
  • The number of recertification credits required depends on the category in which the Applicator is certified. See the Georgia Department of Agriculture's Pesticide office website for a table of the requirements for each category.
  • Recertification credits may be earned by attending education meetings and training courses that have been approved by the Georgia Department of Agriculture's Pesticide office.

A Pesticide Applicator Re-Certification Courses searchable database is available through the Georgia Department of Agriculture where you can search by type of license (Commercial or Private), license category, or course date.

Additional information from the Georgia Department of Agriculture for Licensed Pesticide Applicators about applying for a new license, renewing and/or updating an existing license, and much more can be found at the Kelly Solutions website.

For a printable information sheet, download and save Commercial Pesticide License Information (PDF).