Due to COVID-19, there are several significant changes to obtaining recertification credits and taking pesticide license exams. Washington State Dept. of Agriculture (WSDA) is the regulatory agency that administers the pesticide program.
Recertification Credits: There are no extensions for the 2020 recertification cycle. If your five-year cycle ends in 2020, the last day to obtain credits is December 31. Currently, there are no in-person courses scheduled because of social distancing and disinfection requirements. However, there are ample webinars and self-paced Internet courses. WSDA posts all approved courses to their web site. WSU’s Pesticide Education Program is offering five 3-hour webinars in 2020 and again in 2021. The topics are weed management, pest management, environmental issues, pesticide laws/compliance, and invasive species. Also, WSU has many 1-hour, self-paced Internet courses for credit. Links to resources:
To find out what your recertification cycle is and your number of current credits, visit WSDA’s License Search website. Private Applicators need 20 credits within five years, with no more than 10 credits allowed per year.
Obtaining a License: WSDA offers testing on its regular schedule, except Everett. However, fewer people can test at a time due to social distancing requirements. A few WSU County Extension offices currently accommodate private applicators, but many counties still do not allow public visitors. The WSU Pesticide Education Program offers monthly webinars to review for the Private Applicator exam (6-hour webinar) and live webinars for the Laws & Safety, Weed Management, and Insect & Plant Disease Management Exams (3-hours each). The Program also offers self-paced Internet exam-review courses that can be completed and repeatedly reviewed. The WSU Publications office is staffed for making sales of pesticide study materials.
