Academy · CEU requirements · AR
Arkansas pest control CEU requirements
How many CEUs does Arkansas require for pest control licence renewal?
It depends which licence you hold — Arkansas sets a different obligation for each tier, and they are not even measured the same way. Registered agent (technician) owe 6 hours of continuing education each year; Commercial operator / non-commercial applicator owe attend a university of arkansas cooperative extension service-approved pest control program each three-year certification period, or re-examine; Licence holder (business) owe annual licence: $100 (0–30 agents), $250 (31–60), $500 (61+). There is no single pooled number, which is the most common reason somebody arrives at renewal short.
Key factIssuing agency: Arkansas Department of Agriculture — Pest Control Program (Arkansas State Plant Board rules)
Reviewed by LTK editorial team
- Requirement
- Set per licence tier — see the table below
- Cycle length
- 12 months
- Deadline
- Licences and certificates run one state fiscal year (July–June) and must be renewed before 1 July. The three-year recertification clock for operators runs separately from the annual licence.
- Accepted formats
- Department-approved seminars (associations, manufacturers, suppliers, Cooperative Extension), Licence holder's in-house training — agents only, University of Arkansas CES-approved programs — operators and non-commercial applicators
- Agency
- Arkansas Department of Agriculture — Pest Control Program (Arkansas State Plant Board rules)
- Agency site
- https://agriculture.arkansas.gov/crops-industry/regulatory-services/pest-control-program/
- Application fee
- $150
- Exam structure
- Commercial operators and non-commercial applicators pass the Basic Core exam (no charge) plus a classification exam, $100 per classification. In-house testing for Classifications 1–3 is the second Monday of odd months; 4–10 the second Monday of even months. Online exams are available year-round through Everblue for an extra proctoring fee of about $30 per exam. Applications must be in five working days before the exam; a failed classification exam means a 14-day wait. Classifications 1 and 2 need at least one year of experience and/or two years of college credit including a basic entomology course. Agents take a separate department exam ($30, includes registration).
What each licence tier owes
| Licence tier | Requirement | Detail that catches people out |
|---|---|---|
| Registered agent (technician) | 6 hours of continuing education each year | Must cover applicator safety (2 h), IPM (1 h), equipment and application methods (1 h), environmental concerns (1 h) and laws and rules (1 h). In-house training by the licence holder counts. Entry requires 40 hours of documented on-the-job training before the agent exam; records kept for as long as the agent is employed. |
| Commercial operator / non-commercial applicator | Attend a University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service-approved pest control program each three-year certification period, or re-examine | Certification expires three years after issuance unless recertified (2 CAR § 54-210). The program must cover safety, IPM, application equipment, environmental concerns and laws and rules. No hour figure is set in the rule. |
| Licence holder (business) | Annual licence: $100 (0–30 agents), $250 (31–60), $500 (61+) | Classifications 1 and 2 need bond and insurance; Classification 3 needs insurance. One operator may supervise no more than 30 agents. |
Licences and certificates run one state fiscal year (July–June) and must be renewed before 1 July. The three-year recertification clock for operators runs separately from the annual licence.
Sources
- https://agriculture.arkansas.gov/crops-industry/regulatory-services/pest-control-program/
- https://media.ark.org/agri/Pest-Control-What-We-Do-1-16-2026.2.pdf
- https://media.ark.org/agri/02AG-SPB_54PestControl_Final.pdf
Common questions
- How many CEUs does Arkansas require for pest control licence renewal?
- Registered agent (technician): 6 hours of continuing education each year. Commercial operator / non-commercial applicator: Attend a University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service-approved pest control program each three-year certification period, or re-examine. Licence holder (business): Annual licence: $100 (0–30 agents), $250 (31–60), $500 (61+).
- Who issues pest control licences in Arkansas?
- Arkansas Department of Agriculture — Pest Control Program (Arkansas State Plant Board rules)
- Do online courses count toward Arkansas CEU requirements?
- Accepted formats: Department-approved seminars (associations, manufacturers, suppliers, Cooperative Extension), Licence holder's in-house training — agents only, University of Arkansas CES-approved programs — operators and non-commercial applicators.
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