Private Pesticide Training

The 2025 local private pesticide applicator training dates, times, and locations have been set, with sessions beginning in early January and continuing through March at sites throughout the Nebraska Panhandle and Sandhills.

Notification letters will be sent out by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture to applicators whose license will expire in 2025. The cost of the training is $60, payable the day of the training.

Private pesticide licenses also can be obtained by completing an online course. Pesticide applicators can purchase access to the online course via https://pested.unl.edu/private-applicator-training-and-certification/. Cost of the course is $60.  Call 402-472-1632 with any questions about this training. 

There is now available online, self-paced Spanish Private Pesticide Training. 
The cost is $50 and the link for training is https://advance.nebraska.edu/browse/unl/courses/private-pesticide-safety-training-espanol.

The state pesticide license fee is $25.00 for private applicators. Upon completion of your private pesticide applicator training, the Nebraska Department of Ag (NDA) will receive your application form and then send you a billing invoice for the $25.00 state license fee.

Your new license will indicate that you received private pesticide safety training with the words “General Agriculture” and a code (00) printed on it. If you chose to certify in either Soil or Non-Soil / Structural Fumigation, you will need to take the commercial exams for those categories, and your license will eventually show these as 01A and 11, respectively. Your new license will be tan in color.
Individuals who desire to add these fumigation categories are strongly encouraged to obtain the training manuals several weeks prior to taking the exam so you have time to review the literature. You can take either fumigation category exam at any regular NDA walk-in testing session, which are posted at  https://nda.nebraska.gov/pesticide/applicator_testing.html. Private applicators do not need either of these categories if they are applying rodent baits.           

Training manuals are available for purchase on the https://marketplace.unl.edu/pested/ website or call 402-472-1632 for more information. Applicators who want to add these categories to their license are encouraged to purchase the study manuals as soon as possible and review the literature prior to taking the exam(s).

For any questions about the scheduled training sessions, please contact local Nebraska Extension County offices.

Local Trainings Available in 2025