Certification and Training

Commercial Applicator — A licensed applicator who purchases or uses any restricted use pesticide (RUP) on a contractual or “for hire” basis. Commercial applicator shall also include any person using restricted or general use pesticides “for hire” or compensation for lawn care, structural pest control, or community-wide outdoor vector control.

Noncommercial Applicator — A licensed applicator who applies RUPs only on lands owned or controlled by his/her employer or for a governmental agency or subdivision of the state. Also, a licensed applicator who applies either general or restricted use pesticides to control mosquitoes on behalf of a political subdivision of the state.

**Every commercial/noncommercial applicator must certify and recertify in the General Standards (00) category.**

Initial Certification

If you are seeking a commercial/noncommercial license for the first time, or if your license has expired, you must pass the NDA-administered General Standards exam, plus the exam for each applicator category you need.

If you wish to add an applicator category to your existing license, you must pass that category's exam.

(Jump to Recertification)

Commercial/Noncommercial Applicator Categories

Preparing for exams

Before attempting your certification exam(s), we strongly recommend that you prepare with our study manuals. These manuals are available for every applicator category (including General Standards) in two formats:

• Print Manuals: These hardcopy manuals can be ordered online with a credit card and are mailed to you.
• Digital FlipBooks: Our FlipBooks are enhanced digital versions of our traditional print manuals. Most have video training embedded within the manual for multiple learning styles. This is the same video training presented at our in-person training sessions (see below). Purchase of a FlipBook gives you a 1-year subscription to the manual. Internet access is required to use FlipBooks.
  
  FlipBooks offer significant cost–savings over traditional pesticide training. For example: A new applicator who needs to get certified in the Aquatic Pest Control (05) category could either:
  • Purchase the General Standards FlipBook ($60) and the Aquatic Pest Control FlipBook ($50). Total FlipBook training cost: $110; or
  • Purchase the General Standards print manual ($30), the Aquatic Pest Control print manual ($20), and attend an in-person training session ($95). Total traditional training cost: $145
  Try these FlipBooks for free!
  • General Standards Core Folder FlipBook
  • IPM in Sensitive Environments FlipBook

In-person training sessions: The in-person 2024 initial trainings have ended. These training sessions consist of video reviews of the study manual material, followed by exam opportunities.

Taking exams

If you plan to attend an initial training session, you will have the opportunity to take your exams at the session. Otherwise, you can attend a testing-only session or take your exams through Pearson VUE computerized testing service.

Exam processing

Exams are mailed to the NDA's offices for grading. During the months of February through April, please allow up to 3 weeks for results as NDA processes exams from across the state.

To check on the status of a pesticide applicator exam, please email agr.pesticide@nebraska.gov and include:

• Your full name
• Your date of birth
• Date exam was taken
• Location exam was taken

Once all exams are successfully completed, a billing statement for the license will be issued. An applicator is not considered licensed until all necessary exams are completed and the license fee has been collected and processed.

Recertification

If your license expires on April 15, you must attend recertification training on or before April 15 to renew your license for another three years. The 2024 recertification period has ended.

The following options are offered for recertification training:

1. Recertification training sessions: These in-person sessions are offered from January to April, and are available for most applicator categories*.
2. Online recertification training: Categories offered online are 00, 01, 04, 05, 07, 08, 08W, 09, 10, 11, and 14. The last day to complete this course was April 15.
3. Extension- or industry-sponsored meetings with recertification opportunities:
   • Nebraska Extension Crop Production Clinics
   • Nebraska Turf Conference
   • Nebraska Mosquito & Vector Control Association Conference
   • Nebraska Aviation Trades Association Convention
   • Nebraska State Pest Control Association Conference

*If you need to recertify in a category for which no recertification sessions are available, you will need to retake the General Standards exam and category exam in order to recertify. Exams are not offered at recertification training sessions.

Check current pesticide license status — Are you listed in the applicator database operated by the Nebraska Dept. of Agriculture (NDA)? Check online or contact NDA at 402-471-2351.

Search for registered pesticides in Nebraska — NDA database of pesticides registered for use in Nebraska.

The Worker Protection Standard (WPS) is a set of federal regulations with the purpose of protecting agricultural workers and pesticide handlers from pesticide exposure. Agricultural employers must train their workers and handlers on WPS protections annually, using EPA-approved training materials. (Certified/licensed pesticide applicators are exempt from this training requirement.) Please note that worker training and handler training are different.

WPS trainers must be qualified. You can qualify to deliver WPS training by:

• Being a certified/licensed pesticide applicator; or
• Completing an EPA-approved train-the-trainer course.

The WPS is complex. We strongly recommend reading the How to Comply Manual for full guidance on the WPS. For an overview of some of the major requirements, see the Nebraska publication, Worker Protection Standard for Agricultural Establishments, EC3006.

WPS recordkeeping forms are also available.

Applicators need to be aware that an active ingredient-specific training requirement now appears on all paraquat product labels. Licensed applicators must pass a paraquat-specific training program in order to purchase or use (mix, load, apply, etc.) the product. An EPA-approved paraquat training program is available in both English and Spanish.

Access the paraquat training

En español