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.
Program goals are met through administration of private and commercial individual pesticide applicator licensure examinations; review and issuance of licenses to individual private applicators, certified operators and qualified supervisors; licensure of commercial pesticide applicator businesses; registration of limited commercial pesticide applicator businesses and public pesticide applicators; administration of the continuing education credit system for individual pesticide applicator license renewal; support for commercial pesticide applicator record-keeping and technician training; inspection of pesticide applicator businesses to ensure pesticide use, storage and disposal of pesticides and certain devices are used in accordance with state and federal laws; enforcement of the federal Worker Protection Standard to protect agriculture workers and handlers from pesticide exposure; and administration of training programs in the core elements of pesticide use for non-registered limited commercial and public pesticide applicators.