To maintain a pesticide license, an applicator must, pay the annual renewal along with:

  • Attend an MDA approved recertification workshop within the year listed on the license card, see full list of recertification workshops at the bottom of the page, OR

  • Retest for each license category during license renewal period and pay all required fees.

To know what year an applicator is required to attend a recertification workshop, verify the attend by date on the license card or visit license lookup on the MDA web site.

Private Applicators see Private Certification

Applicators that had their license through reciprocity and move to Minnesota must complete an MDA approved workshop prior to renewing the license. Failure to attend an approved workshop must take license exams for all requested categories and pay retest fee to renew the license.

  • An example of a commercial pesticide applicator license identification card. The card is highlighted to show the License Category, the date at which the card is no longer valid, and also the date to recertify by.

Recertification workshops

An applicator must attend a workshop the following year of passing exams and obtaining a license. Then the recertification cycle (based on license category) begins. See the table below for category and recertification cycle.

Reminder: while the recertification workshop cycle maybe 2 or 3 years based on category, renewal of the license is required annually.

Currently all MDA approved recertification workshops will include credit for category A (Core).

Code Category Recertification Cycle
A Core Varies
B General Aerial 1 year
C Field Crop Pest Management 3 years
E Turf & Ornamental 2 years
F Aquatic 2 years
H Seed Treatment 3 years
I Anti-Microbial 2 years
J Natural Areas, Forestry & ROW 2 years
K Agricultural Pest Control 2 years
L Mosquito, Black Fly, Tick Pest Control 2 years
M Food Processing (noncommercial) 2 years
N Non-soil Fumigation 2 years
O Soil Fumigation 2 years
P Vertebrate Pest Control 2 years
Q Wood Preservative 2 years
R Sewer Root Control 2 years
S Structural (noncommercial) 1 year
SPCA Structural Pest Control 1 year

Retest

If an applicator is unable to attend a workshop within the required year, the applicator must retest in the categories on the license. This requirement will be indicated on the annual renewal notice with the appropriate fee. Applicators that must retest to renew their license cannot pay the renewal online, they must mail in the payment or bring it in during the testing session. The retest fees are close to the fee’s that would be charged to attend a recertification workshop.

License Type Fee Per Category Fee
Commercial and/or Noncommercial A, B, C, E, F, H, I, J, K, L, O, P, Q, R $75.00
Commercial and/or Noncommercial M, N $150.00
Noncommercial  S $250.00
Structural Pest Control Applicator Master or Journeyman $250.00
Structural Pest Control Applicator Fumigation $150.00

 


MDA Approved Workshops

Click on the link provided for the sponsors webpage to complete registration for the MDA approved workshops.

Date Categories  Location Sponsor LINK
01/08/24 A & Structural Purdue Purdue University Purdue University Extension
01/08/24 A, B, & C Lake Charles, Louisiana LAAA Louisiana Agriculture Aviation Association
01/15/24 A, B, & C Oklahoma OAAA

 

01/18-20/24 A, B, & C Biloxi, MS MSAAA Mississippi Agricultural Aviation Association
01/22/24 A, E, & P St. Paul MNLA

Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association

01/23/24 A, C, & H Marshall UMN PSEE

University of Minnesota Extension

01/24/24 A, C, & H Owatonna UMN PSEE

University of Minnesota Extension

01/25/24 A & C Lakeville UMN PSEE

University of Minnesota Extension

01/25/24 CAWT Sauke Center UMN CAWT

CAWT University of Minnesota Extension

01/30/24 A, C, & H Crookston UMN PSEE

University of Minnesota Extension

01/31/24 A, C, & H Waite Park UMN PSEE

University of Minnesota Extension

02/07/24 A, B, & C Waite Park MAAA

Minnesota Agriculture Aviation Association

02/14/24 A & C Webinar UMN PSEE

University of Minnesota Extension

02/15/24 CAWT Hutchinson UMN CAWT

CAWT University of Minnesota Extension

02/27/24 A & J Webinar MNPIE

MN Pesticide Education and Information

02/28/24 A, C, & H Dennison UMN PSEE

University of Minnesota Extension

03/04/24 A & Structural TBD UMN SPCA

Minnesota Structural Pest Management Conference

03/05/24 A & J Webinar MNPIE

MN Pesticide Education and Information

03/07/24 CAWT Slayton UMN CAWT

CAWT University of Minnesota Extension

03/08/24 A, C, & H Willmar Ridgewater College

Ridgewater College

03/14/24 A, E, L, & P St. Paul UMN PSEE

University of Minnesota Extension

03/15/24 CAWT Owatonna UMN CAWT

CAWT University of Minnesota Extension

03/18/24 - 

05/01/2024

A & Structural Webinar UMN SPCA Minnesota Structural Pest Management Conference
04/10/24 A & E Webinar UMN PSEE

University of Minnesota Extension

04/11/24 A & E Bloomington UMN PSEE

University of Minnesota Extension

04/15/24 A, E, F, J, L, & P Fergus Falls UMN PSEE

University of Minnesota Extension

04/16/24 A, E, F, J, L, & P Waite Park UMN PSEE

University of Minnesota Extension

04/17/24 A, E, F, J, L, & P St. Louis Park UMN PSEE

University of Minnesota Extension

04/18/24 A, E, F, J, L, & P Rochester UMN PSEE

University of Minnesota Extension

04/19/24 A, E, F, J, L, & P St. Paul UMN PSEE

University of Minnesota Extension

04/19/24 A & E Webinar UMN PSEE

University of Minnesota Extension

07/10/24

Field Day

A, C, & H

TBA UMN PSEE

University of Minnesota Extension

07/18/24

Field Day

A & L

Andover

UMN PSEE/

MMCD

University of Minnesota Extension
08/08/24

Field Day

A & E

UMN St Paul Campus UMN PSEE University of Minnesota Extension
08/08/24 CAWT Farmfest UMN CAWT

CAWT University of Minnesota Extension

10/01/24 A, C, & H Lakeville UMN PSEE

University of Minnesota Extension

10/08/24 A & L Webinar UMN PSEE

University of Minnesota Extension

10/10/24 A & P Webinar UMN PSEE

University of Minnesota Extension

10/15/24 A & E Webinar UMN PSEE

University of Minnesota Extension

10/22/24 A & E Marshall UMN PSEE

University of Minnesota Extension

10/23/24 A & E Mankato UMN PSEE

University of Minnesota Extension

10/23/24 & 10/24/24 A, L, P, & Structural Denver, CO NPMA PestWorld 2024
10/24/24 A & J Webinar MNPIE

MN Pesticide Education and Information

10/25/2024 A, E, L, & J Cottage Grove UMN PSEE

University of Minnesota Extension

10/29/24 A & E Bemidji UMN PSEE

University of Minnesota Extension

10/30/24 A & E Cloquet UMN PSEE

University of Minnesota Extension

11/04/24 A & E Chaska UMN PSEE

University of Minnesota Extension

11/05/24 A & E Lakeville UMN PSEE

University of Minnesota Extension

11/06/24 A & E Coon Rapids UMN PSEE

University of Minnesota Extension

11/13/24 A & J Webinar MNPIE

MN Pesticide Education and Information

11/14/24

 A & E Golf Course

Mendota Heights UMN PSEE University of Minnesota Extension
11/19/24 A, C, & H Dennison UMN PSEE University of Minnesota Extension
11/19/24 A, E, & J Brooklyn Center MNPIE

MN Pesticide Education and Information

11/21/24 A & N Zoom Poppe Enterprises 2024 Midwest Grain Seminar
11/21/24 A, C, & H Fergus Falls UMN PSEE University of Minnesota Extension

 

Annual Renewal happens each calendar year, the license period is from the day the license was issued until December 31 of that year, listed on the license card as "valid" dates. Once the annual renewal is complete MDA will generate a new license card with valid dates. If you fail to complete your annual renewal, you are no longer licensed as a pesticide applicator. 

Recertification requires that you attend a MDA approved workshop before the "attend workshop by" date listed on your license card. Recertification cycles are extended after attending MDA approved workshops that correlate to categories that the applicator holds a license.  

If you fail to recertify by attending a workshop before the "attend workshop by" date, to ensure that you have the required competencies for a license you will be required to take and receive a passing score in the category before a license card will be issued during the next annual renewal period. 

You will be required to attend a workshop in the following year after being issued a license.  At this time, you will begin the cycle based on license categories. See the recertification workshop table for license category cycle information.

If a license holder is due for a recertification for categories A & E in one year and category L in the following year, they would need to attend a workshop for A, E, and L in the same year that A & E are due for recertification.  This will sync the categories to be due for recertification on the same schedule.  Workshops can be attended a year prior to the required year for credit.

Yes, you can attend workshops early, the cycle will start from the year in which the workshop was attended.

No, workshops cannot be attended after the required year.  Applicators that fail to attend workshops during this period will be required to retest to renew their license in the following year.

You will need to retest and receive a passing score in those categories prior to renewing your license.  A retest fee comparable to the recertification fee collected by workshop sponsors will be collected by MDA at the time of renewal.