Academy · CEU requirements · OH
Ohio pest control CEU requirements
How many CEUs does Ohio require for pest control licence renewal?
It depends which licence you hold — Ohio sets a different obligation for each tier, and they are not even measured the same way. Commercial Applicator owe 5 hours of approved training every three years — or re-examination; Trained Serviceperson owe initial oda manual or equivalent employer training before first exposure; Private Applicator owe 3 hours every three years (1 core + 1/2 per category). There is no single pooled number, which is the most common reason somebody arrives at renewal short.
Key factIssuing agency: Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) — Division of Plant Health, Pesticide & Fertilizer Regulation
Reviewed by LTK editorial team
- Requirement
- Set per licence tier — see the table below
- Cycle length
- 12 months
- Deadline
- The licence runs 1 October to 30 September and renews every year for $35; a renewal not postmarked before expiry carries a 50% penalty. Recertification hours run on a separate three-year interval — check the date with ODA recert search.
- Accepted formats
- ODA-approved recertification training (in-person), OSU Pesticide Safety Education Program self-paced online recertification course, Re-examination in place of training
- Agency
- Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) — Division of Plant Health, Pesticide & Fertilizer Regulation
- Application fee
- $35
- Exam structure
- A general core examination plus an examination for each pesticide-use category sought (ORC 921.06, OAC 901:5-11-08). Category 10 is "Domestic, institutional, structural, and health-related pest control". Trained servicepersons work under a licensed commercial applicator without their own licence after reading the ODA "Safety Training Guide for Trained Servicepersons" or equivalent employer training, verified in writing before first exposure.
What each licence tier owes
| Licence tier | Requirement | Detail that catches people out |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial Applicator | 5 hours of approved training every three years — or re-examination | At least 1 hour core and at least half an hour specific to EACH licensed category, with the rest in any category up to 5. Completing the training before the scheduled three-year re-examination date avoids re-testing. |
| Trained Serviceperson | Initial ODA manual or equivalent employer training before first exposure | No annual training figure in OAC 901:5-11-02. Must be directly supervised by a commercial applicator within 25 miles or two hours of the site. Employer keeps the training record for the whole employment plus three years. |
| Private Applicator | 3 hours every three years (1 core + 1/2 per category) | — |
The licence runs 1 October to 30 September and renews every year for $35; a renewal not postmarked before expiry carries a 50% penalty. Recertification hours run on a separate three-year interval — check the date with ODA recert search.
Sources
- https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-administrative-code/rule-901:5-11-01
- https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-administrative-code/rule-901:5-11-02
- https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-administrative-code/rule-901:5-11-04
- https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-administrative-code/rule-901:5-11-08
- https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-921.06
- https://pested.osu.edu/commercialrecert
Common questions
- How many CEUs does Ohio require for pest control licence renewal?
- Commercial Applicator: 5 hours of approved training every three years — or re-examination. Trained Serviceperson: Initial ODA manual or equivalent employer training before first exposure. Private Applicator: 3 hours every three years (1 core + 1/2 per category).
- Who issues pest control licences in Ohio?
- Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) — Division of Plant Health, Pesticide & Fertilizer Regulation
- Do online courses count toward Ohio CEU requirements?
- Accepted formats: ODA-approved recertification training (in-person), OSU Pesticide Safety Education Program self-paced online recertification course, Re-examination in place of training.
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