Academy · CEU requirements · PA
Pennsylvania pest control CEU requirements
How many CEUs does Pennsylvania require for pest control licence renewal?
It depends which licence you hold — Pennsylvania sets a different obligation for each tier, and they are not even measured the same way. Certified Commercial or Public Applicator owe 6 core credits plus the category credit figure for each category held, every three years; Registered Technician owe re-registered and update-trained annually; $30 commercial (due 28 february); Pesticide Application Business owe annual licence, $35, due 31 december. There is no single pooled number, which is the most common reason somebody arrives at renewal short.
Key factIssuing agency: Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) — Bureau of Plant Industry, Pesticide Programs
Reviewed by LTK editorial team
- Requirement
- Set per licence tier — see the table below
- Cycle length
- 12 months
- Deadline
- Commercial applicator renewal is annual, $40, due 30 SEPTEMBER. Public applicators renew every three years ($10, 30 September). Credits accumulate over a three-year interval; your interval end date is on the annual PDA statement of credits.
- Accepted formats
- PDA-approved in-person update training, PDA-approved online training (on demand and webinar)
- Agency
- Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) — Bureau of Plant Industry, Pesticide Programs
- Application fee
- $40
- Exam structure
- Commercial/public applicator: pass a Core exam and one or more category exams, and be employed by a business holding a pesticide application business licence; apply for certification within 12 months of passing. Core and category exams are 50 multiple-choice questions, 35/50 (70%) to pass. PDA-proctored sessions at regional offices or County Extension: Core $50, category $10 each. Computer-based testing at Metro test centres: Core $110, category $70. Register via PaPlants.
What each licence tier owes
| Licence tier | Requirement | Detail that catches people out |
|---|---|---|
| Certified Commercial or Public Applicator | 6 Core credits plus the category credit figure for EACH category held, every three years | These are CREDITS, not hours: 7 Pa. Code 128.45 sets 1 credit per 30 minutes of instruction. So 10 category credits for 11 (Household and Health Related) is 5 hours. PDA mails an annual statement of credits showing your renewal date. Miss it and the licence expires — you may not apply pesticides; you have up to one year to reinstate with credits and fees, after that you re-examine. |
| Registered Technician | Re-registered and update-trained annually; $30 commercial (due 28 February) | Trained within a 30-day period under an applicator certified at least one year in the category, and supervised by a certified applicator able to be on site within five hours. Training hours not stated on the pages read — 7 Pa. Code 128.51 governs. |
| Pesticide Application Business | Annual licence, $35, due 31 December | Must employ a certified applicator for every category it applies in, and carry at least $200,000 general liability ($100,000 bodily injury + $100,000 property damage per occurrence). |
Commercial applicator renewal is annual, $40, due 30 SEPTEMBER. Public applicators renew every three years ($10, 30 September). Credits accumulate over a three-year interval; your interval end date is on the annual PDA statement of credits.
Sources
- https://www.pa.gov/agencies/pda/plants-land-water/plant-industry/pesticide-programs/pesticide-applicators-registered-technicians-and-certification-exams
- https://www.pa.gov/agencies/pda/plants-land-water/plant-industry/pesticide-programs/pesticide-application-businesses
- https://extension.psu.edu/pennsylvania-pesticide-applicator-certification
- https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/pennsylvania/7-Pa-Code-SS-128-45
Common questions
- How many CEUs does Pennsylvania require for pest control licence renewal?
- Certified Commercial or Public Applicator: 6 Core credits plus the category credit figure for EACH category held, every three years. Registered Technician: Re-registered and update-trained annually; $30 commercial (due 28 February). Pesticide Application Business: Annual licence, $35, due 31 December.
- Who issues pest control licences in Pennsylvania?
- Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) — Bureau of Plant Industry, Pesticide Programs
- Do online courses count toward Pennsylvania CEU requirements?
- Accepted formats: PDA-approved in-person update training, PDA-approved online training (on demand and webinar).
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