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 The card is highlighted to show the License Category, the date at which the card is no longer valid, and also the date to recertify by.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).

CodeCategoryRecertification Cycle
ACoreVaries
BGeneral Aerial1 year
CField Crop Pest Management3 years
ETurf & Ornamental2 years
FAquatic2 years
HSeed Treatment3 years
IAnti-Microbial2 years
JNatural Areas, Forestry & ROW2 years
KAgricultural Pest Control2 years
LMosquito, Black Fly, Tick Pest Control2 years
MFood Processing (noncommercial)2 years
NNon-soil Fumigation2 years
OSoil Fumigation2 years
PVertebrate Pest Control2 years
QWood Preservative2 years
RSewer Root Control2 years
SStructural (noncommercial)1 year
SPCAStructural Pest Control1 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 TypeFee Per CategoryFee
Commercial and/or NoncommercialA, B, C, E, F, H, I, J, K, L, O, P, Q, R$75.00
Commercial and/or NoncommercialM, N$150.00
Noncommercial S$250.00
Structural Pest Control ApplicatorMaster or Journeyman$250.00
Structural Pest Control ApplicatorFumigation$150.00

 


MDA Approved Workshops

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

Workshop information will be added once the events are approved, check back for future dates.

DateCategories LocationSponsorLINK
01/20/2025A, E, PST PAULMNLANorthern Green
01/28/2025Liquid, Solid, & ApplicatorSAUK CENTREUMNCAWT UMN Extension
02/04/2025A & JVIRTUAL EVENTMNPIEMNPIE Workshops
02/06/2025A, C, HROCHESTERPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
2/12/2025Liquid, Solid, & ApplicatorMANKATOUMNCAWT UMN Extension
2/12/2025A, C, HMARSHALLPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
02/11/2025 & 02/12/2025A, B, C, JGRAND FORKS NDPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
02/13/2025A, C, HFAIRMONTPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
02/14/2025A, C, HWILLMARPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
02/19/2025A, C, Specialty CropVIRTUAL EVENTPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
02/20/2025Liquid, Solid, & ApplicatorHUTCHINSONUMNCAWT UMN Extension
03/03/2025 & 03/04/2025SPCABROOKLYN CENTERUMNSPCA UMN Extension
03/04/2025A, E, JGRAND RAPIDSMNPIEMNPIE Workshops
03/05/2025Liquid, Solid, & ApplicatorSLAYTONUMNCAWT UMN Extension
03/12/2025A, C, HCROOKSTONPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
03/14/2025A CWILLMARRIDGEWATER COLLEGERIDGEWATER COLLEGE
03/17/2025A, E, JVIRTUAL EVENTMNPIEMNPIE Workshops
03/18/2025A, C, HFERGUS FALLSPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
03/19/2025A & EVIRTUAL EVENTPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
03/24/2025A, C, HSYGENTA SEEDPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
03/31/2025A, E, J, L, PBEMIDJIPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
04/01/2025A, E, F, J, L, PWAITE PARKPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
04/02/2025A, E, F, J, L, PBROOKLYN CENTERPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
04/02/2025A, B, C, J, & LVIRTUAL EVENTMAAAMinnesota Agriculture Aviation Association
04/03/2025A, E, F, J, L, PMANKATOPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
04/04/2025A, E, F, J, L, PSHOREVIEWPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
07/15/2025A, C, HLAMBERTON FIELD DAYPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
07/17/2025A & L FIELD DAYANDOVERPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
08/07/2025Liquid, Solid, & ApplicatorMORGAN FARMFESTUMNCAWT UMN Extension
08/12/2025A & E FIELD DAYST PAULPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
08/12/2025A, C, HWASECA FIELD DAYPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
08/14/2025A & JSHOREVIEWPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
09/09/2025A, JBRAINERDPSEE

University of MN Extension

10/07/2025A & FVIRTUAL EVENTPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
10/08/2025A & LVIRTUAL EVENTPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
10/09/2025A & PVIRTUAL EVENTPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
10/21/2025A & ERODGERSPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
10/22/2025A & ECOON RAPIDSPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
10/22/2025A, JVIRTUAL EVENTMNPIEMNPIE Workshops
10/23/2025A & ECLOQUETPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
10/27/2025A, E, L, PLAKEVILLEPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
10/28/2025A & EROCHESTERPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
10/29/2025A & JOWATONNAPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
10/30/2025A, E, J, LROSEMOUNTPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
11/04/2025A & EWILMARPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
11/05/2025A & EALEXANDRIAPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
11/05/2025A, E, JANOKAMNPIEMNPIE Workshops
11/06/2025A & CWAITE PARKPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
11/13/2025A & ECHASKAPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
11/14/2025A & EEAGANPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
11/17/2025A, E, PVIRTUAL EVENTPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
11/18/2025A, C, HSYGENTA SEEDPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
11/19/2025A & E (Golf Course)MENDOTA HEIGHTSPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
11/20/2025A, C, HFERGUS FALLSPSEEUniversity of MN Extension
11/25/2025A & JVIRTUAL EVENTMNPIEMNPIE Workshops
12/01/2025 & 12/02/2025A, C, HMINNEAPOLISMCPRMinnesota Crop Production Retailers

 

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.