To: Private Pesticide Applicators
From: Tyler Williams, Extension Educator
Date: December 2017
Re: Private Applicator Recertification
Federal and state law states a private pesticide applicator must be certified and licensed to buy, use, or supervise the use of a Restricted Use Pesticide (RUP) to produce an agricultural commodity on property they own or rent, or on an employer’s property if the applicator is an employee of the farmer. No pesticide license is needed if the applicator will only be applying General Use Pesticides (GUPs) or if you hire a commercial applicator to apply RUPs to your property.
You may have already received a letter from the Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) notifying you your private pesticide license is about to expire, provided the NDA has your present mailing address. Bring the NDA letter to the training session you choose or when you pick up home study materials. The NDA letter has a yellow duplicate and contains a bar-code form identifying you and will make the application process much simpler and faster than filling in the “bubble” form.
Private pesticide applicators have four alternative methods to obtain either recertification or initial certification.
1. Traditional training sessions
Six private pesticide applicator training sessions have been scheduled in the area for 2018:
The dates and times for local trainings are:
Tuesday, February 13 at 9:30 am – Lancaster Extension Office (444 Cherrycreek Rd.), Lincoln
Tuesday, February 20 at 9:00 am – Kimmel Education & Research Center, Nebraska City
Monday, March 12 at 6 pm – Lancaster Extension Office (444 Cherrycreek Rd.), Lincoln
Tuesday, March 13 at 9:30 am – Lancaster Extension Office (444 Cherrycreek Rd.), Lincoln
Wednesday, March 14 at 9:30 am – Syracuse Public Library (480 5th St.), Syracuse
Thursday, March 15 at 9:30 am - Cass County Extension Office, Weeping Water
- Alternative dates are found at pested.unl.edu
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A $40 Extension program fee will be collected at the training session (make checks out to Lancaster County Extension). When NDA receives your application from the Extension office, they will mail you an invoice for the $25 NDA license fee. Note: We cannot collect the $25 license fee at the training session. However, the NDA does allow you to pay by credit card on their Web site after you receive your invoice for the license fee. You can pay the license fee online at: www.nda.nebraska.gov/online/applicator.html
You should receive your new license within three weeks following the training session, depending on how quickly you pay the license fee. The license is good for three years, expiring on April 15, 2021 for those who certify this spring.
2. Self-study option
There are two options for self-study. The first is to pick up a self-study book and associated materials at the Extension office. You are expected to read the chapters in the book, then you must answer the written test questions in the back. When you bring the test back to the office, it will be graded by our staff while you wait. You will have an opportunity to see the results and the correct answer to any questions you have missed.
The $60 fee for this method of obtaining certification will be collected when the self-study book is picked up. If you do not bring your NDA form, you will need to fill out the application form when you pick up the book. The application form will be held until you return the test to be graded. At that point, we will forward the application form to the NDA. As with those attending a live training session, the NDA will mail the applicant an invoice for the $25 license fee. Note: We cannot collect the $25 license fee at the Extension office.
The second option is online certification. Purchase a self-study disc (CD-ROM) for a new private license or to recertify an existing license. Successful completion of the modules, quizzes and final test are required. You will still need to pay the $25 NDA license fee. Order a disc online at http://marketplace.unl.edu/pested/private-pesticide-certification. Cost is $60 per disc.
You should receive your new license within two weeks after returning your license fee to the NDA office. The license is good for three years, expiring on April 15, 2021 for those who certify this spring.
3. Testing-Only Option
The third option is to take a written examination given by the NDA. There is no training fee if you choose this option but you still need to pay the $25 NDA license fee. Please contact the Nebraska Department of Agriculture at 402-472-2351 for testing dates.
4. Certify at a Crop Production Clinic
The fourth option is to attend and participate in a Crop Production Clinic conducted by Nebraska Extension. Clinic fee is $80 per applicator. As with all certification options, you will be billed a $25 NDA license fee.
The nearest Crop Production Clinic is January 18th in Lincoln at the Embassy Suites. More information and registration: https://agronomy.unl.edu/cpc
More pesticide safety and education information can be found at http://pested.unl.e