Pesticide Applicator Certification
Types of Applicator Certification in Vermont, Pesticide Category Descriptions
- Private Applicators - Farmers of all kinds: dairy, vegetables, berries, apples, grapes, nursery stock, Christmas trees, and more. To be certified to use Class A pesticides in Vermont, private applicators need to study the CORE manual and the Worker Protection Standard How to Comply Manual and must pass the CORE exam. A private certificate is valid for 5 years and costs $25. Private Applicator online renewal instructions.
- Commercial Applicators - Employees of companies that perform (but not limited to) the following services: pest control, mosquito control, landscape, lawn care, tree care, agricultural custom application, forest pest control including invasive plant control, vegetation control (right-of-way), aquatic weed control, wood preservation, aerial application. To use any pesticides on the property of others you must be a commercial applicator and be affiliated with a licensed pesticide applicator company. Commercial applicator and Pesticide Company online renewal instructions.
- Non-commercial Applicators - Golf course superintendents, groundskeepers, those that perform in-house cooling tower maintenance, and others that may use certain classes of pesticides only on their employer's property as part of their work. It may also include those that sell pesticides from a location outside of Vermont as a travelling salesperson. Non-Commercial applicator online renewal instructions.
- Government Applicators - Employees of federal, state, or municipal departments or agencies that use (including the recommendation of) pesticides as part of their job.
Forms for applicator and company licenses
Setting up an Account to Renew Online
Renewal by Mail for All Licenses
To be certified as a commercial, non-commercial or government applicator, you must take the CORE exam and at least one other category exam. Pesticide applicator exam schedule information.
Categories are $30.00 per year, renewed annually, with a maximum of $120 per applicator. Federal government applicators are exempt from fees. Questions about reciprocity?
Purchasing Applicator Certification Manuals
Although you are taking exams and getting certified in Vermont, the manuals from Cornell University in New York are the study materials for almost all Vermont certification categories. Please take care to order the correct manual as the state of New York sometimes uses different category names and numbers than Vermont. It is a good idea to email the Certification & Training Program if you have any questions. You are ultimately responsible for purchasing the correct manual and knowing which exam or exams you need to take to get certified in Vermont.
Email agr.pest@vermont.gov with questions.
| Vermont Category and EXAM | Manual to Order | Required Inserts for Study |
|---|---|---|
|
VT CORE This is required for all Vermont certified applicators.
|
Core Certification and Training Manual for Pesticide Applicators and Technicians (November 2012) |
MUST READ: Notice to applicators (2023 update) Insert the following in Chapter 16: (for all exams taken on or after April 1, 2023.)
Private applicators also need to study the WPS How-to-Comply Manual: Worker Protection Standard - How-to-Comply (HTC) manual (pdf) |
| Additional Categories for Commercial, Non-Commercial and Government Applicators--at least one below is required | ||
| 1A Agricultural Plant |
NY 1A – Agricultural Plant (September 2006) |
Worker Protection Standard - How-to-Comply (HTC) manual (pdf) |
| 1B Agricultural Animal |
NY 1B – Agricultural Animal (March 1999) |
No additional inserts |
|
1C Apiculture |
||
| 2 Forest Pest Control |
NY 2 – Forest (September 2006) |
No additional inserts |
| 3A Ornamental & Shade Tree Pest Control |
NY 3 – Ornamental and Turf (December 2004) (note, both the Vermont 3A and 3B study materials are in this one manual – print inserts at right for more info) |
|
| 3B Turf Pest Control | see 3A above, and inserts | |
| 4 Seed Treatment |
Seed Treatment--A National Pesticide Applicator Study Manual (PERC) |
no additional inserts |
| 5 Aquatic Pest Control |
NY 5 – Aquatic Pest Control (September 2004) |
Aquatic Nuisance Control Permits |
| 6 Right of Way Pest Control |
NY 6 – Right of Way Vegetation Management |
No additional inserts |
| 7A General (Structural) Pest Control |
NY 7A – Structural & Rodent (April 2006) |
No additional inserts |
| 7B Vector Pest (Non Public Health) |
Exams scheduled on or after April 1, 2025, study Minnesota Category L Mosquito, Black Fly And Tick Pest Control, 2nd Pesticide Certification Study Manual |
For exams taken on or after April 1, 2025, study all three inserts. Aquatic Nuisance Control Permits |
| 7C Food Processing Pest Control |
NY Category 7F – Food Processing Manual (March 2005) |
No additional inserts |
| 7D Wood and Fiber Product |
NY 7D – Lumber & Wood Products (1987) |
No additional inserts |
| 7E Cooling Towers and Biocides |
NY 7G Manual Cooling Tower (1998) |
No additional inserts |
|
7F Disinfection & Antimicrobial Pest Control * |
VT 7F - Disinfection & Antimicrobial Pest Control Manual 2020 (.PDF - free download) | No additional inserts |
|
8 Public Health Pest Control |
Order the Manual | |
|
9 Regulatory Pest Control |
||
| 10 Demonstration and Research Pest Control |
NY 10 – Demonstration & Research (June 1978) |
No additional inserts |
| 11 Aerial Pest Control | Additional VT inserts | |
|
12 Soil Fumigation |
National Soil Fumigation Manual (2012) pdf |
|
|
13 Non-soil Fumigation |
Order the Manual | |
|
14 Terrestrial Invasives |
*Special Notice to Service Providers: Should you perform disinfecting or sanitizing services to the property of others, using an EPA registered pesticide, you are required to become Certified in Category 7F.