Pennsylvania · Continuing education
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture CEU requirements
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) regulates pesticides and pesticide applications in Pennsylvania through the Bureau of Plant Industry's Division of Health and Safety. It licenses pesticide application businesses, certifies commercial, public and private applicators, registers pesticide application technicians, approves the recertification courses that count toward credits, and investigates complaints of pesticide misuse.
Licenses the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture issues
These are the Pennsylvania credentials this agency licenses and recertifies.
Category 11 — Household and Health Related
Pesticide use in and around food handling establishments, dwellings, institutions such as schools and hospitals, industrial buildings and warehouses, including outdoor perimeter treatments.
Category 12 — Wood Destroying Pests
Controlling or preventing termites, powder post beetles and other wood destroying pests in structures and structural components.
Category 13 — Structural Fumigation
Using a fumigant in or on a structure to control pests affecting the structure, its fixtures or its inhabitants.
Category 15 — Public Health Vertebrate Pest Control
Managing vertebrate pests such as rodents or birds that affect public health.
Category 16 — Public Health Invertebrate Pest Control
Managing invertebrate pests that affect public health.
Category 20 — Commodity and Space Fumigation
Using a fumigant in a structure, trailer, railcar, ship or fumigation chamber.
Category 23 — Park or School Pest Control
Pesticide use in a campground or recreational area of a public or private park, or on school property.
Registered pesticide application technician
An employee trained and registered by a business in place of sitting the certification exams, working under a certified applicator who can be on site within five hours.
Pesticide application business license
Required of any business applying pesticides in Pennsylvania, and a prerequisite for employing certified commercial applicators.
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture continuing education hours
Hours required to renew a Pennsylvania license issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. Courses have to be approved by this agency.
| License type | Required CEUs | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Core — every certified commercial or public applicator | 6 core credits | Required of every Pennsylvania applicator in every category, once per 3-year certification cycle, on top of the category credits below. |
| Category 11 — Household and Health Related | 10 category credits | Per 3-year cycle, in addition to the 6 core credits. Category credits are additive across every category you hold. |
| Category 12 — Wood Destroying Pests | 10 category credits | Per 3-year cycle, in addition to the 6 core credits. |
| Category 13 — Structural Fumigation | 6 category credits | Per 3-year cycle, in addition to the 6 core credits. |
| Category 15 — Public Health Vertebrate Pest Control | 8 category credits | Per 3-year cycle, in addition to the 6 core credits. |
| Category 16 — Public Health Invertebrate Pest Control | 8 category credits | Per 3-year cycle, in addition to the 6 core credits. |
| Category 19 — Wood Preservation | 4 category credits | Per 3-year cycle, in addition to the 6 core credits. |
| Category 20 — Commodity and Space Fumigation | 6 category credits | Per 3-year cycle, in addition to the 6 core credits. |
| Category 23 — Park or School Pest Control | 10 category credits | Per 3-year cycle, in addition to the 6 core credits. |
| Category 26 — Sewer Root Control | 4 category credits | Per 3-year cycle, in addition to the 6 core credits. |
| Private applicator | 6 core + 6 category credits | Private applicator permits run on their own 3-year cycle; category credits may come from categories 1–9 and 22. |
Source: www.pa.gov/agencies/pda/plants-land-water/plant-industry/pesticide-programs/recertification, www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/Display/pacode?file=/secure/pacode/data/007/chapter128/chap128toc.html
Renewing with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
Pennsylvania renewal deadline · Commercial applicator certificates expire September 30 each year; recertification credits are counted over a 3-year cycle
Earn every credit your categories require before your three-year cycle ends: 6 core credits, plus the category credits for each category you hold.
Find approved courses through the Department of Agriculture's Recertification Course Locator on PaPlants — a course number counts toward your credits only once in your career.
Log in to your applicator account at paplants.pa.gov and open the Online Shopping Cart.
Select the licenses to renew, add them to the cart, then use Verification Needed to check your details before accepting and continuing.
Proceed to checkout, submit the order and pay the $40 annual commercial applicator fee — or mail a check payable to “Commonwealth of PA” to the Bureau of Plant Industry, Division of Health and Safety, 2301 North Cameron Street, Harrisburg, PA 17110-9408.
If a certification lapses you have one year to reinstate it by earning the missing credits and paying the fee; after a year you have to sit the examinations again.
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture fees
Paid directly to the agency, not to LearnPest. We never mark up a state fee.
PDA certification and license fees
- Commercial applicator certificate$40 per year
- Public applicator certificate$10 every 3 years
- Commercial pesticide application technician registration$30 per year
- Public pesticide application technician registration$20 per year
- Pesticide application business license$35 per year
- Private applicator permit$10 every 3 years
PDA examination fees
- Core examination, proctored by PDA$50
- Each category examination, proctored by PDA$10
- Core examination at a Metro computer testing center$110
- Each category examination at a Metro testing center$70
- Private applicator examinationNo charge
Sources: www.pa.gov/agencies/pda/plants-land-water/plant-industry/pesticide-programs/recertification, www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/Display/pacode?file=/secure/pacode/data/007/chapter128/chap128toc.html
Earn your Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture hours with LearnPest
LearnPest sells state-approved Pennsylvania continuing education courses and bundles, stores every certificate, and reports your completions to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. Prices, bundles and plans are on the Pennsylvania pages.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many continuing education hours does the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture require?
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture sets continuing education hours by license type for Pennsylvania: Core — every certified commercial or public applicator — 6 core credits; Category 11 — Household and Health Related — 10 category credits; Category 12 — Wood Destroying Pests — 10 category credits; Category 13 — Structural Fumigation — 6 category credits; Category 15 — Public Health Vertebrate Pest Control — 8 category credits; and Category 16 — Public Health Invertebrate Pest Control — 8 category credits. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture publishes 11 license types in total; the full table is on this page. Hours must come from courses the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has approved. LearnPest sells state-approved Pennsylvania CEU courses and bundles for these license types, stores every certificate, and reports your completions to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture for you.
When do I have to renew my Pennsylvania pest control license with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture?
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture renewal deadline for Pennsylvania is: Commercial applicator certificates expire September 30 each year; recertification credits are counted over a 3-year cycle. Earn every credit your categories require before your three-year cycle ends: 6 core credits, plus the category credits for each category you hold. LearnPest tracks that Pennsylvania deadline for you, reminds you before it, and keeps every Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture CEU certificate you earn in one place.
How much does it cost to renew a Pennsylvania license with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture?
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture charges these Pennsylvania fees: Commercial applicator certificate — $40 per year; Public applicator certificate — $10 every 3 years; Commercial pesticide application technician registration — $30 per year; Public pesticide application technician registration — $20 per year; and Pesticide application business license — $35 per year. Those fees go to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, not to LearnPest — we never mark up a state fee. LearnPest charges separately for the Pennsylvania continuing education courses that renewal requires.
Who regulates pest control licensing in Pennsylvania?
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) regulates pesticides and pesticide applications in Pennsylvania through the Bureau of Plant Industry's Division of Health and Safety. It licenses pesticide application businesses, certifies commercial, public and private applicators, registers pesticide application technicians, approves the recertification courses that count toward credits, and investigates complaints of pesticide misuse. LearnPest is a continuing education provider for Pennsylvania and reports completions to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture on your behalf.
Where can I look up a Pennsylvania pest control license?
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture publishes a public Pennsylvania license lookup at https://www.pa.gov/agencies/pda/plants-land-water/plant-industry/pesticide-programs/pesticide-application-businesses. Use it to confirm your own license status, a coworker's, or a contractor's before hiring. LearnPest keeps your Pennsylvania CEU certificates and completion records alongside your license details so you can answer an audit without digging.