Private Applicator Certificate Exams

Pesticide Use Enforcement Inspectors can administer a Private Applicator Certificate examination which will enable growers to earn the certification required prior to obtaining a Restricted Materials Permit.
Additional information regarding the certification requirements can be found at the following Department of Pesticide Regulation website.

Please contact the nearest Department of Agriculture/Weights and Measures Office if you have questions regarding becoming a Certified Private Applicator or questions regarding the renewal process.

Private Applicator Certificate Renewal

In response to safety guidelines and to help slow the spread of COVID19, we will be decreasing in-person interactions and building occupancy. We would like to accommodate each person by renewing your Private Applicator Certificate and Operator Identification Number or Restricted Materials Permit over the phone and by email, without the need for you to come to our office. To accomplish this, we are encouraging everyone to take online continuing education classes instead of taking the renewal exam. If you do not have internet access or are not able to attend online classes and need to schedule the renewal exam, please call to schedule an appointment as soon as possible. There is currently a lack of continuing education classes in Spanish. If you have been unable to find classes in Spanish or cannot access them online, please call to schedule an appointment for the renewal exam.

If you must renew your certificate in person, you will be required to adhere to state guidelines by wearing a mask and remain at least 6 feet away from others while visiting our office. Also, if you are feeling ill the day of your appointment or you have been exposed to an ill individual, we ask that you contact us and postpone your appointment until you are feeling better and we may recommend that you be tested for the COVID-19 virus. As an additional safety precaution, we are offering the exam outdoors as weather permits. As we approach winter, the outdoor sessions may be changed to indoor and space will be limited.

Online Continuing Education Requirements

The classes must be approved by California Department of Pesticide Regulation for Continuing Education Units (CEU). If your Private Applicator Certificate (PAC) card expires at the end of this year, the deadline to accrue hours of continuing education is 12/31/2021.

If you held your PAC card for less than 12 months at the time of renewal, you will be renewed without attending classes.

If you held the PAC card for 12-24 months, you must complete a minimum of 4 hours, including a minimum of 2 hours on pesticide laws and regulations.

If you held the PAC card for 24-36 months, you must complete a minimum of 6 hours, including a minimum of 2 hours on pesticide laws and regulations.

Online Sources for Continuing Education Classes

The free classes are offered as a courtesy by the provider to growers. There are many more classes offered at a cost.

San Joaquin County New free continuing ed classes.
California Department of Pesticide Regulation lists Approved and Pending Continuing Education Classes. They are listed by month, or by “Continuous, Online and Correspondence Classes”, “Text-Based Correspondence Classes” and “Spanish Continuing Education Classes.”
Western Farmpress
UC IPM University of California Integrated Pest Management
Agrian University
UC IPM Workshops See Pesticide Safety Webinar Series (Free/ 5 hours Laws and Regs English, 1 hours Laws and Regs- English/ Spanish)

As you attend your online classes, there will be an automated email or certificate provided at the end of the class. Please print the certificate as proof of attendance to renew your Private Applicator Certificate. When you have accumulated enough CE hours, please contact the office nearest you or your district inspector to renew your Private Applicator Certificate.