Pennsylvania extends pesticide license deadline

As part of the adjustment to the coronavirus pandemic, Pennsylvania has determined that state-issued private applicator licenses that expire on March 31 are now valid through June 1.

This extension will allow private pesticide applicators to purchase and make pesticide applications legally until June 1.

This change required an official waiver from the governor because the license requirements are a law. The waiver is a legal extension of the deadline.

The Ag Department will not be mailing out new certification cards to reflect this extension, but the agency will be notifying pesticide dealers, so applicators will be able to purchase their pesticides during this time period.

All pesticide applicator exam sessions have been canceled through the end of March 2020. All third-party testing sites are currently closed. The latest exam schedule will be posted at paplants.pa.gov when exams resume.

For those who have taken exams recently, notification of exam results will be delayed. Those who have taken a pesticide exam and have not heard back will receive notification once Ag Department offices are reopened and exams can be processed.

Those who had signed up to take a pesticide exam at exam sessions that were canceled will be contacted by the department to reschedule.

Private applicators whose certification expiration date reads March 31, 2019, or March 31, 2020, will have until June 1, 2020 to obtain the required recertification credits and make payment for the applicators license.

Even with this extension, the department urges private pesticide applicators to obtain their recertification credits and pay for your licenses online at paplants.pa.gov.

Completed renewals may be viewed at PaPlants homepage.