To maintain your private pesticide applicator certification in Iowa, you must either pass an exam every three years or attend an approved Private Continuing Instruction Course (P-CIC) between Dec. 1 and April 15 each year that your certification card covers.

Betsy Danielson, coordinator of the Iowa State University Pesticide Safety Education Program, provides the following information.

Initially, farmers who apply restricted-use pesticides need to be certified and pass an exam offered through the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Applicator certification and training information is available at IDALS online.

Types of training sessions

Various forms of training will be offered:
In-person. The best option to maintain your certification is to attend a live P-CIC training customized to your location provided by ISU Extension field agronomists. To register, call your county Extension office to determine dates and any preregistration requirements. In-person training is $30. In the event of bad weather, contact the county Extension office for updates.

Online training. The Pesticide Safety Education Program is hosting three live-streamed P-CIC online trainings as an additional option to in-person training. To register, select one of the following dates and complete the registration form through the Iowa State University Extension Store:

Registration closes at 9 a.m. the day prior to each program. Live-stream training is $35. Contact PSEP at 515-294-1122 with any questions.

Last chance training. Your county Extension office may choose to offer a “Last Chance” P-CIC training April 8-12 and April 15. The training will be shown by Blu-Ray disc. Contact your county Extension office for more information. Last Chance training is $30.

Who needs to be certified?

A certified private applicator is a person who applies restricted-use pesticides in the production of an agricultural commodity. The application must occur on land under the applicator’s control or that of their employer. No money changes hands as a result of the application.

For more information, visit the Pesticide Safety Education Program.