FAQ: Private pesticide applicator’s license by AgriLife’s Mario Villarino
Understanding Pesticide Applicator licenses: Do YOU need a license? If so, which endorsement do you need?
The Texas Pesticide Law requires that you must be licensed or certified by the Texas Department of Agriculture inorder to lawfully use a restricted-use pesticide, state-limited-use pesticide or regulated herbicides. The law isdesigned to ensure safety of humans, animals, plants, and the entire ecosystem. License types are below:Private Applicator — A person who uses or supervises the use of restricted-use or state-limited-use pesticides forthe purpose of producing an agricultural commodity on property owned or rented by the person or the person’semployer or under the person’s general control; or on the property of another person if applied withoutcompensation other than the trading of personal services between producers of agricultural commodities. Anagricultural commodity is defined as a plant or animal grown for sale, lease, barter, feed or human consumptionand animals raised for farm or ranch work. Private applicator licenses are valid for five years, and the applicatormust obtain 15 CEUs during that time to renew.
Commercial Applicator — A person who operates a business or is employed by a business that applies restricted-use or state-limited-use pesticides to the property of another person for hire or compensation. Commercialapplicators must renew annually and obtain five CEUs each year.
Noncommercial Applicator — A person required to use restricted-use or state-limited-use pesticides but who is nota private applicator or commercial applicator. Noncommercial applicators are generally government employeeswho apply restricted-use or state-limited-use pesticides in the course of their employment or persons employed bybusinesses applying such pesticides on their own property. Noncommercial applicators must renew annually andobtain five CEUs each year.
Vector Control licensing: Effective Sept. 1, 2009, TDA assumed the duties of licensing for health-related pest control (mosquito control); duties formerly conducted by the DSHS. This change occurred through HB 1530, which made these changes to Chapter 76, the Agriculture Code. Persons wishing to licenses in health-related pest control will be subject to licensing under the Ag Code and subsequent regulations in the Vector Control Category. The Hopkins County Extension Office offers three dates for Pesticide Applicators to get their training on May 24, August 16 and November 15, 2023. Call the Hopkins County Extension Office at 903-885-3443 to register. The cost of the training is $30 and teaching materials (set) is $50.
For more information on this or any other agricultural topic please contact the Hopkins County Extension Office at 903-885-3443 or email me at m-villarino@tamu.edu.
Contributed by Mario Villarino
