Wisconsin Pesticide Applicator Certicication

Requirements

≈ Get Training Manual ≈

You must register to receive a current edition training manual before you can become certified in any pest control category or subcategory in Wisconsin.

► Click on the Training Manuals tab above for more information, or select a manual from the list on the
Categories page to view details about that manual.

≈ Do I Need to be Certified? ≈

You must be certified if you apply or direct the use of:

restricted-use pesticides
pesticides on a for-hire basis
pesticides in public schools or on school grounds
pesticides that contain metam sodium
pesticides in aquatic environments

A person is either a private applicator or a commercial applicator.

Private Applicator
You qualify as a private applicator if you meet both of the following criteria:

You use or direct the use of pesticides for the purpose of producing an agricultural commodity.
The applications occur on land owned or rented by you or your employer, or on someone else's land if for exchange of goods or services between agricultural producers.

A private applicator may make incidental applications on someone else's land for monetary compensation provided the applications are for the production of an agricultural commodity. Unlike applications made for exchange of goods or services, however, applications made for money are limited to a total of 500 acres spanning applications for no more than 3 different agricultural producers in any calendar year; if you exceed either limit, you are considered a commercial applicator for hire.

Commercial Applicator
Applicators who do not fit the private applicator definition are defined as commercial applicators. Most commercial applicators also will need to become licensed. There are several types of commercial applicators and the description of each is under the Definitions tab.

Training Manuals

You must register to receive a current edition training manual before you can become certified in any pest control category or subcategory in Wisconsin.

► Select a manual from the list on the Categories page to view details about that manual, then

► Click on the Registration tab above to find out how to obtain your training manual.

The certification exam is based on the information in the training manual. Though it is primarily a resource for applicators seeking certification, the manual would also be useful to anyone involved in, or wishing to learn more about, applying pesticides in Wisconsin.

≈ Private Applicator Category Manuals ≈

100 Private Applicator (General Farming) - 2008
104 Greenhouse & Nursery - 2009
112 Fruit Crops - 2009

≈ Private and Commercial Subcategory Manuals ≈

9.9 Aerial Application - 2008
25.0 Agricultural / Soil Fumigation - 2008
26.0 Chemigation - 2008

Live Sessions

Attending a live training session is optional, and not every category has live training. Live sessions are offered during the winter months (January - April). Before you attend, you must do both of the following:

Register to receive a current edition training manual (click on the Training Manuals tab), and
Register to attend a specific live session (walk-ins are not permitted).

► Commercial applicators: go to the Downloads page to get the composite schedule of training sessions,
and the directions to the training sites (available around Oct for the upcoming training season).

► Click on the Registration tab above to find out how to register for a training session.

Available Training Sessions
An optional one-day pesticide applicator training session, designed for applicators seeking initial certification or recertification, is available in only the following pest control categories.

Private Applicators
General Farming (100)
Greenhouse & Nursery (104)

Commercial Applicators
Field & Vegetable Crops (1.1)
Forestry (2.0)
Turf & Landscape (3)
Greenhouse & Nursery (3.1)
Right-of-Way (6)
Structural (7.1)

The live session is not a substitute for reading the manual itself but, rather, supplements your training manual by highlighting some of the most important aspects of pesticide use and pest management found in your manual. The manual covers pesticide use in even greater detail and, as a consequence, experience shows that you are more likely to pass the exam if you read and review the training manual before coming to the session.

Benefits of Attending
Higher Success Rate of Passing the Exam
Commercial applicator exam scores from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection show that applicators attending UW-Extension training sessions have a 13% greater chance of passing the exam the first time than those who do not attend training.

Highly Rated by Applicators
Surveys show that 99% of the nearly 1,500 commercial applicators who have attended UW-Extension training sessions have said the session was helpful. The same surveys also show that 97% have learned or increased their knowledge in at least one of the 10 subject areas covered during training. About half of the 1,500 attendees were recertifying. Of the recertifying applicators that have attended sessions in the past, 81% have indicated that the sessions have improved.

DVDs

► The DVD training aid is designed to supplement the training manual, not a replacement for reading the manual.

► Click on the Registration tab above to find out how to order a DVD.

≈ DVDs ≈

DVDs contain the presentations given at live training sessions, and they serve as a supplementary training aid for applicators who could not attend a live training session. The contents of a DVD will differ slightly from the live presentations because the latter may be updated annually, whereas a DVD is updated at the same time as the respective category manual (every 5 years). The DVD requires a DVD player for it to run, either a player in your computer or a separate player attached to your TV.

Note to PC Computer Users: Windows Media Player does not come installed with a DVD decoder (often referred to as MPEG-2 DVD decoder) and, therefore, will not play DVD video. You’ll need to either purchase a decoder separately, or install another media player that has a built-in decoder (e.g., WinDVD, PowerDVD). After installing a different media player, Windows Media Player often will then play DVDs because it is using their decoder.

DVDs are available for the following categories

Private Pesticide Applicator Live Training

General Farming (2008) [borrow from your County Extension office]

Commercial Pesticide Applicator Live Training
Structural Pest Control (2007)
Field & Vegetable Crops (2008)
Right-of-Way (2009)

≈ CD tutorials ≈

CD tutorials do not contain presentations given at live training. Instead, these interactive tutorials present users information about specific learning objectives, and then asks them to choose their response to a given pesticide handling scenario. It then will indicate whether your response is correct and the reason why or why not. CD tutorials only work in PC computers (there is no MAC version).

CD tutorials are available for the following categories
Commercial Pesticide Applicator Training

Turf & Landscape (3.0)

Structural Pest Control (7.1)

Registration

≈ Payment Options ≈

Register online
Commercial applicators may obtain their training manual, register for a live session, or order a supplementary training aid online using one's major credit card. Private applicators seeking certification in the Fruit Crops or Greenhouse & Nursery categories or any of the subcategories may also obtain their training manual online. Payment by credit card is only available online.

Register by mail or in person
Anyone may pay by mail or in person. Complete a registration card and pay by check or money order (payable to University of Wisconsin-Extension); we will accept purchase orders but only from educational institutions and government agencies.

≈ Registration Fees and Procedures ≈

Commercial Applicators
You may either pay online or mail a check with a completed white Commercial Pesticide Applicator Training registration card (see payment options above). In either case, the training fee per category is $45 and $5 per subcategory (online orders have a minimal handling charge). To request a registration card, contact the PAT Program office at (608) 262-7588 or PAT-Program@wisc.edu, or your county Extension office, or download from the Downloads page.

For Categories in Which Live Training Sessions are Available
To attend a live session, fill out the appropriate information on the back of the white registration card, or register online. There is a $25 fee to attend a live training session. Registration is required to attend a training session; walk-ins will NOT be allowed, and the certification exam will NOT be administered to individuals who have not registered.

For Categories in Which DVDs or CD Tutorials are Available (see DVD tab)
DVDs
DVDs may be purchased for $10 each either online or by check.

CD Tutorials
CD tutorials also may be purchased for $10 each either online or by check. Although neither CD tutorial has been revised with the introduction of the newer version of their respective training manual, they are still relevant for the new manual editions.

Private Applicators
Contact your county Extension office.

If you are seeking certification in the General Farming category, pay a $30 training fee to the county Extension office to obtain the training manual. You can also arrange to attend a training session or view a DVD containing the content of a live session.

If you are seeking certification in another private category or subcategory, request a green Private Pesticide Applicator Training registration card from the county office, or download from the Downloads page. Fill out the card and return it with the appropriate training fee of $30 per category and $5 per subcategory to the address listed on the back of the card. Alternatively, you may register online for manuals other than the General Farming manual.

≈ Refund Policy ≈

Manual Fee
The training fee is refundable provided the manual is returned to our office within 6 months of purchase and the following conditions are met: 1) the entire Training Registration Form is intact and still attached inside the manual and, 2) the manual is in resalable condition (no writing and not damaged).

Live Training Fee
The live training session fee is nonrefundable; however, if you cannot attend the session you registered for, but you contact our office at least one day before the session is held, the fee is either transferrable to another person you name and/or held in credit to attend a future session.

DVDs and CD Tutorials
The purchase price of either of these media items is nonrefundable; however, a defective item returned to our office within 30 days from the purchase date will be exchanged for a replacement.

Exam Process

≈ Prepare for the Exam ≈

The first two steps in becoming certified are to find out whether you need to be certified and, if so, how to obtain the necessary training. If you have not already done so, you can get this information from the Requirements tab.

Each certification exam is based on the appropriate category-specific training manual. In fact, all exam questions address the learning objectives that are listed at the beginning of each chapter in the manual. Obviously, then, reading and studying your manual will best prepare you for the exam.

Exams consist of approximately 70 multiple-choice questions. Private applicators are given 120 minutes to complete the exam; 90 minutes for commercial applicators. Exams are open book for private applicators and closed book for commercial applicators.

≈ Schedule the Exam ≈

Attending a Training Session
If you register for a training session, you will be automatically scheduled to take the exam at the end of the session. (You are NOT required to take the exam at that time; it's OK to attend a training session but take the exam at a later date if you feel you need more time to learn the material.)

Self-Study
Commercial applicators who do not attend a training session can contact the WDATCP at (608) 224-4548 to book an appointment for taking the exam. Exams are offered year-round in Madison and seasonally in Eau Claire, Green Bay, Waukesha, Spooner, and Wausau. The PAT program office will provide detailed information on exam procedures and directions to testing sites in the green sheet accompanying your training manual (green sheet available on the Download page).

Private applicators who do not attend a training session can contact their county Extension office to book an appointment for taking the exam.

≈ Things to Bring to the Exam ≈

Photo ID. The exam proctor will not issue you an exam without positive ID (such as a driver's license).
Social Security number. Federal and State law require this number from anyone who is seeking a state certification or license.
Your training manual. Complete the Training Registration Form that immediately follows the front cover of the manual and turn it in to the exam proctor. The WDATCP cannot grade your exam, nor grant you certification, until the form is collected.
Calculator. You may use a calculator to answer questions (such as on calibration or on a provided pesticide label).

Exam Scores

≈ Getting Your Exam Score ≈

You should receive your exam score by mail within 2 weeks. You can find out your score sooner (within 5 days of taking the exam) by calling the WDATCP's 24-hour automated telephone service, Pesticide Applicator Certification System (PACS), at (608) 224-4560. You also can check your score online:

http://www.datcp.state.wi.us (type the word 'exam' in the search box to get to the PACS page).

When you call or use the online service, just enter your certification number (if you are recertifying) or your exam answer sheet number to get your score.

≈ Private Applicator ≈

After you take the exam at your county Extension office, the exam proctor will mail your answer sheet to the WDATCP. If you wish to find out your exam score before the WDATCP mailing, be sure to record the exam answer sheet number and see the "Getting Your Exam Score" above.

If you passed the exam, your new certification card will be included in the mailing with your exam score. Be sure to sign the card and carry it with you whenever you perform any activity for which certification is required. NOTE: Even if you found out through PACS that you passed the exam, you must have your certification card in hand before you can perform any activity for which certification is required.

If you failed the exam, contact your county Extension office to retake the exam.

≈ Commercial Applicator ≈

If you take the exam at WDATCP headquarters in Madison, your exam will be graded while you wait. If you take the exam at any other testing location, the WDATCP representative will give you your exam answer sheet number and send your answer sheet to WDATCP headquarters for grading.

If you passed the exam, the procedure is the same as described above for private applicators with two exceptions:

If you take and pass the exam at WDATCP headquarters, you will be given a certification card on the spot.
An individual applicator license application form will accompany your exam score and certification card. You must be licensed to use or direct the use of restricted-use pesticides or pesticides containing metam sodium or to use or direct the use of any pesticide as a commercial applicator for hire.

If you failed the exam, instructions for scheduling to retake the exam will accompany your exam score. You must observe the following waiting periods before retaking the exam:

1st failure: 24 hours
2nd and 3rd failure: 30 days
4th failure in a 6-month period: 6 months

Definitions

Certified: The WDATCP will certify an applicator when they determine that the applicator has met the pesticide applicator training knowledge requirements. Certification must be renewed every 5 years.

Commercial Applicator Types:
Commercial Applicator for Hire
You are a commercial applicator for hire if you apply or direct the use of pesticides for others on a contract basis. (Excepted from this definition is anyone who performs janitorial, cleaning, or sanitizing services if the person uses no pesticides other than sanitizers, disinfectants, and germicides.)

Commercial Applicator Not for Hire
If you apply or direct the use of pesticides only to sites that you or your employer controls, and do not contract out your pesticide application services, you are a commercial applicator not for hire. (Excepted from this definition is anyone who applies only nonrestricted-use pesticides at their own home.)

Mixer-Loader
If you mix or load (or direct the mixing or loading of) pesticides, but do not apply them, you can be considered a mixer-loader. To determine whether you are for hire or not for hire, use similar criteria to those used above for commercial applicators. For example, if you mix or load pesticides for a commercial application business that contracts out its services, you are a mixer-loader for hire.

Temporary Commercial Applicator Trainee Registration
A noncertified and nonlicensed individual beginning employment for a commercial applicator business may register as a trainee with the WDATCP to apply pesticides on a temporary basis (maximum 30 days). A trainee registration allows an individual to use nonrestricted-use pesticides during his/her "hands-on" training conducted by the individual's employer in preparation for that individual to become a certified, licensed applicator.

Licensed: A license from the WDATCP authorizes a certified applicator to use pesticides. The license must be renewed annually. (You can compare certification to getting a driver's license, and licensing to registering your vehicle: even with a driver's license, you need to register your vehicle annually to be allowed to drive it.)

Use: Use of a pesticide includes the following activities: mixing, loading, or applying a pesticide; handling an open pesticide container (other than an empty container which has been triple rinsed or cleaned to label specifications); disposing of pesticide or pesticide rinsate; cleaning or rinsing an open pesticide container, pesticide application equipment, or a mix or nurse tank; and any other activities which the pesticide label requires of the mixer, loader, or applicator.

Direct the Use: To direct the use of a pesticide means to select or control the use of that pesticide for a person who is under your supervisory authority (e.g., an employee).

Restricted-Use Pesticide: FIFRA directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to compare the benefits and risks of using a pesticide before the product can be sold in the United States; if the benefits outweigh the risks, the EPA will register the product for sale and use. However, if the EPA believes that the benefits of using a pesticide will outweigh the risks only when the pesticide is used by trained persons, it will classify the pesticide restricted-use. This classification must appear on the product label.

► A List of restricted-use pesticides can be found on the Download page.