Idaho Pesticide Applicator Requirements & FAQs

Phone: (208) 332-8600
Fax: (208) 334-2170
Email: info@isda.idaho.gov
Web: Idaho Department of Agriculture

Private Applicator - Private Applicators use or supervise the use of agricultural chemicals to produce agricultural commodities or forest crops on land owned or operated by the Private Applicator or his employer.

Professional Applicator - Professional Applicators apply or supervise, on site, the application of pesticides on the land or property of another for compensation OR apply pesticides or fertilizers through irrigation systems on the land or property of another for compensation OR offer or supply technical advice or recommendations regarding the use of agricultural pesticides.

For commercial applicators – minimum and maximum categories allowed.

The Idaho Plant Board recognizes the following classification of applicator licensing:

Private Applicators – an individual who applies or supervises the application of any restricted use pesticides on agricultural commodities on property owned or rented without compensation.

• RU Category: individuals who apply or supervise the application of restricted-use pesticides to produce agricultural commodities or forest crops on land owned by themselves or their employer
• CH Category: individuals who apply pesticides or fertilizers through irrigation systems they own or their employer owns
• SF Category: individuals who apply fumigation chemicals to soils by application methods including Chemigation

Professional Applicators – apply or supervise the application of pesticides on land or property of another for compensation or apply pesticides/fertilizers through irrigation systems on another individual’s land for compensation or offer/supply technical advice/recommendations regarding the use of agricultural pesticides.

• LS – Law and Safety This exam covers general knowledge of pesticides, their use and disposal, first aid, labeling and laws. Recommended study material: The Idaho Pesticide Applicator Training Manual.

Agricultural Categories

• *AH – Agricultural Herbicide - Certification in this category allows for herbicide applications in agricultural fields, rights-of-way, forests and rangelands. Recommended study materials: The Idaho Pesticide Applicator Training Manual, Agriculture Herbicide Study Manual, Thirty Common Agricultural Weeds in Idaho, and Agricultural Weed Management Principles.
• *AI – Agricultural Insecticide/Fungicide - Certification in this category allows for insecticide/fungicide applications in agricultural fields, rights-of-way, forests and rangelands. Recommended study materials: The Idaho Pesticide Applicator Training Manual, Agricultural Insect & Plant Disease Manual, and Introduction to Insect & Disease Management.
• CH – Chemigation - For applying chemicals through an irrigation system – except for aquatic pest control applications (For aquatic pest control, the AP Category is required). Recommended study materials: The Idaho Pesticide Applicator Training Manual and Chemigation Educational Materials.
• CP – Commodity Pest Control - For controlling pests in stored commodities such as grain, seeds or wood. Recommended study materials: The Idaho Pesticide Applicator Training Manual and Stored Grain Pest Control.
• *LP – Livestock Pest Control - For treating cattle, sheep or other livestock. Recommended Study Materials: The Idaho Pesticide Applicator Training Manual, Agricultural Insect & Plant Disease Manual, and Livestock Pests Study Guide.
• PC – Potato Cellar Pest Control - For persons who apply sprout inhibitors in potato cellars. Recommended study materials: The Idaho Pesticide Applicator Training Manual.
• RC – Rodent Control - For rodent districts, and others, controlling field rodents. Certification in the General Pest Control Category shall exempt the applicant from the need to certify in this category. Suggested study materials: The Idaho Pesticide Applicator Training Manual, General Vertebrate Study Packet, Study Manual for Pest Management Professionals, and Animal Damage Control.
• *SF – Soil Fumigation - Certification in this category allows for applying fumigation chemicals to soils by all application methods including professional Chemigation. Recommended study material: The Idaho Pesticide Applicator Training Manual and Soil Fumigation Manual.
• ST – Seed Treatment - For persons doing treatments to protect seeds used for plant reproduction (does not cover fumigation treatments, must have the CP Category). Recommended study materials: The Idaho Pesticide Applicator Training Manual and Seed Treatment.
• SW – Statewide Consultant - For persons who consult or recommend the use of pesticide products in agricultural or forest situations. This is not an applicator category unless accompanied by the Demonstration and Research Category or other specific categories. Recommended study materials: The Idaho Pesticide Applicator Training Manual, Agriculture Herbicide Study Manual, Agricultural Insect & Plant Disease Manual, Agricultural Weed Management Principles, Animal Damage Control, General Vertebrate Study Packet, Introduction to Insect & Disease Management, Livestock Pests Study Guide, Soil Fumigation, Stored Grain Pests Control, and Thirty Common Agricultural Weeds of Idaho.
• DR – Demonstration and Research (A person is only eligible to license in this category by passing the SW examination) - For persons who apply or supervise the use of restricted use pesticides at no charge to demonstrate the action of the pesticide or conduct research with restricted use pesticides. Recommended study materials: See SW (Statewide Consultants Category).RESIDENTIAL/URBAN CATEGORIES:
• AP – Aquatic Pest Control - For irrigation districts, canal companies and others controlling pests on aquatic sites. Recommended study materials: The Idaho Pesticide Applicator Training Manual, Aquatic Pest Control, and Sewer Line Root Control
• *GP – General Pest Control Operator (PCO) - For controlling pests in and around residential, commercial or other buildings, excluding structural destroying pests (structural destroying pest control requires the SP Category). Recommended study materials: The Idaho Pesticide Applicator Training Manual and Study Manual for Pest Management Professionals.
• *OH – Ornamental Herbicide - For persons doing outside urban or residential herbicide applications, with the exception of soil sterilant applications (soil sterilants require the RW or AH Category). Recommended study materials: The Idaho Pesticide Applicator Training Manual, Thirty Common Ornamental Weeds in Idaho, and Turf & Ornamental Weed Management Principles.
• *OI – Ornamental Insecticide/Fungicide - For persons doing outside urban or residential insecticide and fungicide applications, including exterior applications to residential, urban or commercial buildings, excluding structural destroying pests (structural destroying pest control requires the SP Category). Recommended study materials: The Idaho Pesticide Applicator Training Manual and Introduction to Insect & Disease Mgmt.
• *PH – Public Health Pest Control - For mosquito abatement districts and others controlling public health pests. Recommended study materials: The Idaho Pesticide Applicator Training Manual and Public Health Pest Control.
• *RW – Right-of-Way Herbicide - For railroads, highway departments and others controlling roadside weeds on public lands (non-crop). An applicator’s certification in the Agricultural Herbicide (AH) category shall satisfy the requirement to certify in this category. Recommended study materials: The Idaho Pesticide Applicator Training Manual, Agriculture Herbicide Study Manual, Agricultural Weed Management Principles, Thirty Common Right-of-Way Weeds in Idaho.
• *SP – Structural Destroying Pests - For persons controlling wood destroying pests in pre-existing structures such as houses, bridges, buildings or other like structures. Does not include wood treatment with preservatives such as CCA, Penta or other chemicals (wood preservative applications require the WP Category). Recommended study materials: The Idaho Pesticide Applicator Training Manual and Study Manual for Pest Management Professionals.
• WP – Wood Preservative - For persons applying wood preservatives. Recommended study materials: The Idaho Pesticide Applicator Training Manual and Wood Preservation. GOVERNMENT
• *FE – Forest Environment - Primarily for US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management personnel, contractors, and private industry personnel who control pests on forests and rangelands. Recommended study materials: The Idaho Pesticide Applicator Training Manual and Forest Environment Pesticide Study Manual.
• GV – General Vertebrate Control - For US Wildlife Services and Plant Health Inspection Service controlling vertebrates, such as rodents, predators, and birds. Recommended study materials: The Idaho Pesticide Applicator Training Manual, General Vertebrate Study Packet, and Animal Damage Control.

No

Yes

Yes

Yes, reciprocity is shared with Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming

Private Applicators

• Step 1 – Pass the closed book exam with a score of 70% or higher. Click here for information on our Exam Prep Course.
• Step 2 – Complete an ISDA license application
• Step 3 – Pay the fee for the desired categories
  • $10 for the RU Category
  • $20 for the CH Category
  • $30 for RU and CH Categories

Professional Applicator License

• Step 1 – Pass the closed book exam with a score of 70% or higher. Click here for information on our Exam Prep Course.
• Step 2 – Complete ISDA Professional Applicator license application.
• Step 3 - Provide proof of financial responsibility.
• Step 4 - Pay the $120 licensing fee.

Dealer License

• Step 1 – Pass the closed book exam with a score of 70% or higher. Click here for information on our Exam Prep Course.
• Step 2 – Complete the ISDA license application
• Step 3 – Pay the $100 license fee for the two-year licensing period

Idaho State Department of Agriculture

Go online to the ISDA

No

Exam Fees: $10
License Fees $120
Late Fees: $0

Idaho applicators must renew their license every two years by completing the state-required continuing education, completing a renewal application, and paying appropriate fees. License renewal applications will be mailed to you by the Idaho Department of Agriculture approximately 45 days before your expiration date.

Certifications are valid for two years. When you renew depends on your last name:

ODD YEARS:

A-D: March
E-H: July
I-L: October

EVEN YEARS:

M-P: March
Q-T: July
U-Z: October

You submit your own continuing education.

Yes! All of our courses are state approved. Approval numbers are listed after the course title.

You must re-apply and retake your required examinations.

No

Pesticide certification is the demonstration (through testing) that an individual has the knowledge to apply pesticides without undue risk to themselves, the public, or the environment.

Pesticide licensing is the legal standing with the state to offer your application services to the public for monetary compensation.

• $159 will train your whole staff for a year (up to 25 employees)
• Training can be completed as often as needed for up to 25 employees.
• Employees can watch the video course individually or all at once
• Certificates will be available for each worker at the end of the course

An agricultural worker is anyone who works in a field that has been sprayed with pesticides within the last 30 days or does high-contact agricultural tasks such as weeding, moving irrigation equipment, pruning, and harvesting. Workers DO NOT handle pesticides.

A handler is anyone who assists with applications, mixes, loads, or transfers pesticides into application equipment, cleans repairs, or maintains application equipment, works on equipment that has been used to mix, load, or apply, disposes of pesticides or materials with pesticides on them, acts as a flagger, performs tasks as a crop adviser, or applies pesticides.

The Worker Protection Standard (WPS) applies to all establishments involved in growing, producing, or maintaining for sale agricultural plants (including ornamental plants). This may include, but is not limited to:

• Nurseries, garden centers, or other similar operations where plants are maintained for sale (retail or wholesale).
• All Crop producing farms.
• Dairy farms that produce hay for cattle.
• Forestry Operations
• Golf courses that produce their own sod
• Public park operations that produce their own plants
• Prisons that have "Prison Farms" where agricultural plants are produced and the prisoners are employed as workers or handlers.
• The WPS also applies to any establishment operating as a commercial pesticide handling establishment that applies WPS-labeled pesticide products on agricultural establishments or provides crop advising services for an agricultural establishment.

Most establishments covered by the WPS are crop producing such as farms, forest operations or nurseries. WPS also covers family owned agricultural operations even if only family members handle and work around pesticides. Essentially, WPS applies to any entity that grows, maintains or produces agricultural plants.

The following facilities or operations that are not generally recognized as traditional agricultural production establishments are covered by the rule if they use WPS-labeled pesticide products:

• Nurseries, garden centers or other similar operations
• Dairy farms if they produce hay for cattle feed.
• Golf courses that produce sod or ornamentals for their course
• Public parks or privately-held ornamental garden operations that produce ornamental plants
• Theme parks, hotels, or other entertainment operations that produce ornamentals for their locations
• Prisons that have "prison farms" where plants are produced by employed prisoners
• University extension agricultural research facilities that conduct research on agricultural plants
• Educational classes or vocational agriculture programs where plant production is completed by students and students receive compensation or reduced tuition
• Pine straw harvesting/production operations.
• Government-owned or managed agricultural operations.

The WPS also applies to any entity operating as a commercial pesticide handling establishment applying or advising the application of WPS-labeled pesticide products on agricultural commodities

Inform

All employers must provide EPA approved pesticide training for workers and handlers. Employers must also provide access to specific information including: applications on the establishment, safety data sheets for pesticides applied on establishment, and display a poster with pesticide safety and emergency information.

Protect

Employers must keep workers and others out of areas where pesticides are being applied and away from equipment during applications. Handlers must stop application if workers or others are near equipment during applications. Workers must stay out of areas that are under a restricted-entry interval (REI). All early-entry workers on the job in in pesticide-treated areas during REI must be trained in the correct usage of personal protective equipment. Any handlers using highly toxic pesticides must be monitored. Personal protective equipment must be provided and monitored by employers.

Mitigate

The Worker Protection Standard course will train handlers and workers on supply decontamination and emergency assistance including transportation in the case of a pesticide-related accident.

More information on the requirements and how to comply can be found here. https://goo.gl/bjfk8K 

As of January 2nd, 2017 employers are required to train workers and handlers annually before pesticide application.

• Full Training for Workers and Handlers is now required annually (Every year).
• No grace period for training. Workers must be trained before they work in an area where pesticide has been used or an REI has been in effect in the past 30 days.
• Handlers are no longer able to be the qualified person available during the training.
• Expanded training content requirements.
• Establishments must keep records of training for 2 years and provide records to Workers and Handlers if requested.
• Handlers and early entry workers must be at least 18 years old.

A pesticide product is covered by the WPS if the following statement is in the Directions for Use section on the product labeling:

AGRICULTURAL USE REQUIREMENTS

Use this product only in accordance with its labeling and with the Worker Protection Standard, 40 CFR 170.

More information may be found at the EPA Agricultural Worker Protection Standard website, or you may reach the EPA at one of the regional offices listed below.

EPA Region 1 (New England) - 888-372-7341 in the New England States, or 617-918-1111
EPA Region 2 - 887-251-4575
EPA Region 3 (Mid-Atlantic) - 800-428-2474 in Region 3, or 215-814-5122
EPA Region 4 (Southeast) - 800-241-1754 in Region 4, or 404-562-9900
EPA Region 5 - 800-621-8431 in Region 5, or 312-353-2000
EPA Region 6 (South Central) - 800-887-6063
EPA Region 7 (Midwest) - 800-223-0425 in Region 7, or 913-551-7003
EPA Region 8 (Mountains and Plains) - 800-227-8917 in Region 8, or 303-312-6312
EPA Region 9 (Pacific Southwest) - 866-372-9378 in Region 9, or 415-947-8000
EPA Region 10 (Pacific Northwest) - 800-424-4372 in Region 10, or 206-553-1200

Not sure what region you're in? Click here.

Employers at agricultural establishments and commercial pesticide handling establishments such as farms, forests, nurseries, and greenhouses.

Yes! Worker Protection Standards apply to pesticides if the following statement is in the Directions for Use section on the product labeling:

AGRICULTURAL USE REQUIREMENTS

Use this product only in accordance with its labeling and with the Worker Protection Standard, 40 CFR 170.

Pesticide certification is the demonstration (through testing) that an individual has the knowledge to apply pesticides without undue risk to themselves, the public, or the environment.

Pesticide licensing is the legal standing with the state to offer your application services to the public for monetary compensation.

• Up-to-date pest management information and your responsibilities as an applicator
• Six general pest management methods and their application
• "Integrated Pest Management (IPM)" solutions defined
• Simplified federal pesticide laws and regulations that you will understand
• "Restricted use" vs. "general use" pesticides
• Learn to build an organized record keeping system
• Pesticide label explanations for proper identification and use
• Understand pesticide formulation and its effects
• Common abbreviations for pesticide formulations (e.g. WP or RUP)
• Typical symptoms of pesticide exposure in humans and harmful effects
• Hazard level classification including corresponding signal words
• Complete guide to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Clear understanding of environmental effects of pesticides
• Proper transportation, storage and security of pesticides
• Emergency response and how to react
• Choosing the proper pesticide and correct application procedures
• Practice exam to test your knowledge

Anyone who is preparing to become a commercial or private pesticide applicator and plans on taking the National Pesticide Applicator Certification Core Exam. This course will give you everything you need to know to pass the exam on your first try. It is also an awesome tool for pesticide applicators who would like to refresh their knowledge or need to complete CEUs*.

*Please check with your state for current continuing education requirements.

Pesticide certification is the demonstration (through testing) that an individual has the knowledge to apply pesticides without undue risk to themselves, the public, or the environment.

Pesticide licensing is the legal standing with the state to offer your application services to the public for monetary compensation.

The CCA certification was established by the American Society of Agronomy in 1992 to provide a benchmark for practicing agronomy professionals in the United States and Canada.

Any adviser/consultant that spends the majority of their time advising growers or farm managers/operators on agronomic practices and can meet the standards of the program. Being certified adds credibility and shows that you are serious about what you do.

1. Pass two exams (International and Local Board)
2. Meet the experience requirements
3. Apply for the CCA Credential

• Have at least two years of experience with at least a Bachelor of Science Degree in an agronomy related field
  (Please keep in mind that University degrees and transcripts must be in English and based on the United States educational standard. If you need assistance in the translation process, you may use Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. or World Education Services)
  *The number of CCAs with at least a Bachelor of Science Degree is greater than 70%
• Have at least three years of experience with an Associates Degree in an agronomy related field
• Have at least four years of experience with no degree

1. Document education and crop advising experience (Including transcripts and supporting references)
2. Sign and agree to uphold the CCA Code of Ethics (Included in application)

1. Earn 40 hours of continuing education units every 2 years
2. Pay an annual renewal fee

2 years: your certification will expire December 31st two years after your initial certification date.

For example: if you became a CCA on any day between January 1st, 2018-December 31st, 2018--your expiration date would be December 31st, 2020.

Yes, many of our courses are approved by the American Society of Agronomy Board. On the state pages, the course description will say "Approved for Certified Crop Adviser Credit".

Yes, the continuing education units you complete must fall within certain topic guidelines. The topic breakdown is as follows:

In each two year cycle, a CCA must complete a minimum of 5 CEUs in each of the 4 categories.

The categories are Nutrient Management, Soil and Water Management, Integrated Pest Management, and Crop Management.

At least 20 of the 40 total CEUs must be board approved.

Yes, absolutely! Any course that is approved for Certified Crop Adviser Credit can also be used for state pesticide applicator continuing education credits.