Private Applicators
The Private Pesticide Applicators License is required for individuals to purchase and use or supervise the use of restricted use pesticides on their property or the property of their employer to produce an agricultural, horticultural, or forest commodity. Private Applicators are not allowed to charge fees or collect anything of value in return for pesticide application specifically.
Private Applicator licensure is exclusively available as an online training course through PSEP. Prospective licensees must complete the Private Applicator Certification Training Course with a passing grade of 70% or higher.
Upon completion of the course, trainees should print their Certificate of Completion and fill out a Private Pesticide Applicator License Application form.
Trainees must present their Certificate of Completion and License Application to their county Extension agent, who will submit the application to the Georgia Department of Agriculture.
The Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Pesticide Division reviews each application, and when approved, sends it to the Licensing Division, which will print and issue licenses within 3-4 weeks.
Private Pesticide Applicator licenses are valid for 5 years after issue. 3 hours of recertification credits must be earned no later than 90 days before license expiration to avoid retaking the Georgia Private Pesticide Applicator Certification Training Course. All licensees who obtain the required recertification credit hours will be mailed a renewal notice approximately 90 days prior to expiration.
Recertification credits may be earned by attending certain Extension meetings and short courses, professional meetings, or by viewing recordings that have been pre-approved by the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Pesticide Division. Lists of approved courses are available on the department’s website.
Please note that no more than 1 hour of recertification credit may be obtained from viewing a recording or attending a webinar for Private Applicators.
The 1990 Farm Bill requires Private Pesticide Applicators to record all applications of restricted use pesticides. Each restricted use pesticide application made by a Private Applicator must be recorded within 14 days of the application and maintained for 2 years. The following required details must be recorded:
- Brand or product name
- EPA registration number
- Total amount of product used
- Month, day, and year of application
- Location of treated area
- Crop, commodity, stored product, or site to which application was made
- Size of area treated
- Name of Private Applicator who applied or supervised the application of restricted use pesticides
- The license number of the Private Applicator who applied or supervised the application of restricted use pesticides
PSEP and the Georgia Department of Agriculture have developed a recordkeeping manual for Private Applicators which is available for purchase from the UGA Extension Publications webstore.
As required by the EPA’s Paraquat Dichloride Human Health Mitigation Decision and amended product labels, licensed applicators must complete an EPA-approved training program before mixing, loading, and/or applying paraquat. This product specific training is valid for 3 years after completion. This requirement includes (but is not limited to) any person transporting or storing open pesticide containers, cleaning equipment, disposing of excess pesticides, spray mix, wash waters, containers, and any other material containing paraquat.
The EPA-approved online training is available for free from Syngenta, paraquat’s producer. The training is available in English and Spanish, and users will be asked to complete a one-time registration before completing the course.
Temporary license numbers are available for individuals who need to purchase a restricted use pesticide immediately. Upon completion of the Georgia Private Pesticide Applicator Certification Training Program, take completed application materials to your county Extension agent. Ask your agent to call the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Pesticide Division (4040-656-4958) to obtain a temporary license number to allow you to purchase and use restricted use pesticides.
Currently, Georgia has reciprocal license agreements with Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. If you have a Private Applicator license in Georgia, you may purchase or use restricted use pesticides in any of these other states. Contact each state’s Department of Agriculture for more details.