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Pesticide Applicator Certification and Licensing Program

The Certification & Licensing program promotes the safe and effective use of pesticides and certain devices to control pests such as insects, rodents, and weeds which may harm crops, livestock, beneficial organisms, structures and individuals through the certification of commercial and private pesticide applicators. The program protects the public and environment from the potentially adverse effects of pesticides that may result from unsafe and incorrect pesticide use.

The Department issues licenses to business and individual pesticide applicators.  Additional information can be found in CDA's Pesticide Licensing and Examination Guide. 

Business Licenses

Commercial Applicator: Any person, other than a private applicator, who engages in the business of applying pesticides for hire or operating a device for hire that is designated by the commissioner as requiring licensure for use under this article.  
All commercial applicators must be licensed with the Department.  The license fee is $350.

Limited Commercial Applicator: Any person engaged in applying pesticides in the course of conducting a business other than the production of any agricultural commodity; except that such application shall be only in or on property owned or leased by the person or the person's employer.
Examples of Limited Commercial Applicators include, but are not limited to: Golf courses, HOA communities, etc. 

Public Applicator: Any agency of the state, any county, city, and county, or municipality, or any other local governmental entity or political subdivision which applies pesticides. 

Limited commercial and public applicators that apply restricted use pesticides (RUP) are required to register with the Department and meet all of the same standards as a commercial pesticide applicator.  The registration fees for limited commercial and public applicators is $50.

Individual Applicator Licenses

Qualified Supervisor (QS): An individual employed by or acting on behalf of a commercial, limited commercial, or public applicator who without supervision evaluates pest problems, recommends pest controls using pesticides or devices, mixes, loads, or applies any pesticide, sells any application services, operates devices, or supervises others in any of these functions must be licensed as a qualified supervisor.  A Qualified Supervisor must meet specific on-the-job experience requirements in each category of licensure to obtain this license.

An applicant for a qualified supervisor license must:

  • Successfully complete the general exam plus exams in all categories applicable to the pesticide applications which they will be performing
  • Have the required experience and qualifications specified in rule
  • Submit a properly completed application and the $100 license fee.

Certified Operator (CO): An individual employed by or acting on behalf of a commercial, limited commercial, or public applicator, who uses restricted-use pesticides without the on-site supervision of a qualified supervisor must be licensed as a certified operator. There are no experience requirements to obtain this license.

An applicant for a certified operator license must:

  • Successfully complete the general exam plus exams in all categories applicable to the pesticide applications which they will be performing
  • Submit a properly completed application and the $100 fee, or apply for a reciprocal license.

Private Applicator (PA): A person who uses or supervises the use of a restricted-use pesticide for the purpose of producing an agricultural commodity on property owned or leased by the applicator or the applicator's employer or, if the pesticide is applied without compensation other than trading of personal services between producers of agricultural commodities, on the property of another person must be a licensed private applicator.

An applicant for a private applicator license must:

  • Successfully complete the private applicator exam
  • Submit a properly completed application and the $75 license fee with the application and acceptable ID, such as a driver's license copy.

Reciprocity
An individual certified or licensed by another jurisdiction as a commercial pesticide applicator may obtain a Certified Operator reciprocal license without passing any examination, but only for the unexpired term of the certification or licensure issued by such other jurisdiction.  The Department does not reciprocate at the Qualified Supervisor level.  The license fee for a reciprocal certified operator license is $150. 

An individual certified or licensed by another jurisdiction as a private pesticide applicator may obtain a Colorado Private Applicator reciprocal license without passing any examination, but only for the unexpired term of the certification or licensure issued by such other jurisdiction.  The license fee for a reciprocal private applicator license is $95.

Any person wishing to obtain a Colorado Reciprocal License must:

  • Submit a properly completed application with the license fee and an acceptable ID, such as a driver's license copy,
  • Provide a copy of the front and back of the current out-of-state license, and;
  • Provide a “Letter of Good Standing” from the primary agency that issued your license. 

All continuing education credits for reciprocal licenses must be accrued in the original state of issuance.  Workshops approved by the Department may only be applied to Colorado issued licenses. 

The Department does not offer reciprocity for business licenses.