Academy · CEU requirements · TN
Tennessee pest control CEU requirements
How many CEUs does Tennessee require for pest control licence renewal?
It depends which licence you hold — Tennessee sets a different obligation for each tier, and they are not even measured the same way. Commercially certified applicator / technician (C07) owe 21 points per three-year cycle (full cycle); 14 if certified in year two; 7 if certified in year three; Other commercial certification categories owe 6, 12 or 18 points per cycle by category, pro-rated by thirds for late certification; Licensed applicator (GRC, WDO, FUM etc.) owe must hold current commercial certification in the matching category; Registered solicitor / technician owe registered under the chartered firm; pro-rated quarterly fee. There is no single pooled number, which is the most common reason somebody arrives at renewal short.
Key factIssuing agency: Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) — Consumer and Industry Services, Pesticides
Reviewed by LTK editorial team
- Requirement
- Set per licence tier — see the table below
- Cycle length
- 36 months
- Deadline
- Every certification shares one statewide three-year cycle ending 30 June; the current cycle runs 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2029. Missing points by the cycle end means mandatory retesting for any category you want to keep. Anyone who passed after 23 Feb 2026 was moved straight into the 2026–2029 cycle.
- Accepted formats
- TDA-approved in-house meetings, trade association events and Extension meetings, Online programs count as internal points (UT PSEP: C07 may earn no more than 7 points internally per cycle), UT PSEP K@TE online CEU courses, Re-examination
- Agency
- Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) — Consumer and Industry Services, Pesticides
- Application fee
- Not verified yet — we only publish it once it is
- Exam structure
- Commercial certification exam (core material now folded into it): $25 per attempt, online through Everblue or in person on selected UT PSEP dates; 70 percent to pass. Licence exam (e.g. GRC, WDO): $150 paid at the exam, online testing vendor only, questions plus specimen identification, 70 percent to pass, results provisional pending review of the recorded session. To sit a licence exam you must already be commercially certified AND have two years verifiable experience under a licensee in that category, a four-year related degree, or a similar licence in another state.
What each licence tier owes
| Licence tier | Requirement | Detail that catches people out |
|---|---|---|
| Commercially certified applicator / technician (C07) | 21 points per three-year cycle (full cycle); 14 if certified in year two; 7 if certified in year three | At least 14 of the 21 must be external points, and no more than 75% of CEUs may come from one class or event (UT PSEP 2026–2029 point table). Points earned before you were certified do not count, and nothing carries into the next cycle. Fall short and you re-test. |
| Other commercial certification categories | 6, 12 or 18 points per cycle by category, pro-rated by thirds for late certification | At least half of classes or events must be external points; same 75% single-event cap. |
| Licensed applicator (GRC, WDO, FUM etc.) | Must hold current commercial certification in the matching category | Licence categories carry a pro-rated $20 per category per year. Licensees must work full-time at the chartered firm; at least one commercially certified person must be on site at each application. |
| Registered solicitor / technician | Registered under the chartered firm; pro-rated quarterly fee | Technicians working under a licensee must be commercially certified in the corresponding category. |
Every certification shares one statewide three-year cycle ending 30 June; the current cycle runs 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2029. Missing points by the cycle end means mandatory retesting for any category you want to keep. Anyone who passed after 23 Feb 2026 was moved straight into the 2026–2029 cycle.
Sources
- https://www.tn.gov/agriculture/businesses/pesticides/certification.html
- https://www.tn.gov/agriculture/businesses/pesticides/pesticide-applicators---commercial--including-ceus-.html
- https://www.tn.gov/agriculture/businesses/pesticides/pesticides-reciprocity.html
- https://psep.tennessee.edu/commercial-applicator/
- https://psep.tennessee.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/91/2026/06/Point-break-down-2026-2029.docx
Common questions
- How many CEUs does Tennessee require for pest control licence renewal?
- Commercially certified applicator / technician (C07): 21 points per three-year cycle (full cycle); 14 if certified in year two; 7 if certified in year three. Other commercial certification categories: 6, 12 or 18 points per cycle by category, pro-rated by thirds for late certification. Licensed applicator (GRC, WDO, FUM etc.): Must hold current commercial certification in the matching category. Registered solicitor / technician: Registered under the chartered firm; pro-rated quarterly fee.
- Who issues pest control licences in Tennessee?
- Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) — Consumer and Industry Services, Pesticides
- Do online courses count toward Tennessee CEU requirements?
- Accepted formats: TDA-approved in-house meetings, trade association events and Extension meetings, Online programs count as internal points (UT PSEP: C07 may earn no more than 7 points internally per cycle), UT PSEP K@TE online CEU courses, Re-examination.
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