Important Links for New York Pest Control Operators

• New York Pesticide Business Registration Application: Any company wishing to provide pest control services in the state of New York are required to be properly registered with the NY Department of Environmental Conservation. Register your pest control company today.

• New York Pesticide Certification Exam Information: Information and procedures for prospective certified pest control technician or applicators in the state of New York. 

• New York Pesticide Certification Exam Schedule & Registration: View pesticide certification exam schedules in the state of New York and register to take exams to become a certified pest control technician or certified pest control applicator in New York. 

• New York Certified Pesticide Technician Search: Search New York's database of certified pesticide technicians and certified pesticide applicators. Individuals making pesticide applications in the state of New York are required to maintain an active pesticide license with the NY DEC. 

• New York Pest Control Business Search: Find out if your pest control company is properly licensed to do business in the state of New York. All pest control businesses are required to maintain an active pesticide registration with the NY DEC. 

• New York Approved Pesticide Product Search: Are the pesticide products being used by your company approved for use in the state of New York? Find out here with this handy approved pesticide database search. 

• New York Pesticide Certification Exam Registration Form: Registration form for exam to become a certified pest control technician or certified pest control applicator in the state of New York. Applications are due at least 10 days prior to the exam date. 

• New York Pesticide Certification Exam Instructions: Need additional help with the exam registration? Step by step guide for completing the pesticide certification exam registration process. 

• New York Pesticide Certification Category Descriptions: A complete listing of pesticide certification categories in the state of New York along with a brief description for each category. 

• New York Certified Pesticide Technician / Applicator Renewal Form: Certified licenses are to renewed on a timely basis. Don't let your Certified Pesticide License expire. Renew today. 

• New York Pesticide Reporting Law: The NY Pesticide Reporting Law requires the annual submission of reports by February 1 of each year, detailing pesticide activities for the prior calendar year. For more information on the PRL and to file your annual report on line, please click here. 

• NY Applicator / Technician Pesticide Annual Report FORM 44-15-26: This report is due by February 1st of each year to include pesticide applications for the previous calendar year for all certified pesticide applicators and technicians employed by the business during that time. 

• New York Permit for the Sale of Restricted Use Pesticides: NY DEC Section 33-0901 requires a "Commercial Permit for the distribution, sale, offer for sale, purchase for the purpose of re-sale or possession for the purpose of resale of a restricted use pesticide. A Commercial Permit is required by all pesticide registrants and dealers who sell or ship restricted-use pesticides within or into New York State." More information on which pesticides may classified as Restricted Use Pesticides in the state of New York can be found at www.dec.ny.gov/docs/materials_minerals_pdf/nysactiveingredrev.pdf.

• List of Certified Commercial Applicators & Technicians FORM 44-15-26A: Each registered pest control business or agency in the state of New York is required to file FORM 44-15-26A which lists all certified commercial pest control technicians and applicators employed during that year. Pesticide apprentices do not need to be included on this form. Form 44-15-26A should be submitted as a supplement to Form 44-15-26 (the applicator / technician pesticide annual report).  

Q. What are the different types of pest control applicator certifications in New York? 

In New York, commercial pest control applicators are classified as one of the following: 

• Anyone participating in commercial pesticide applications in the state of New York who is neither a certified pest control applicator nor a certified technician is considered a pesticide apprentice. Pesticide apprentices must be at least 16 years old, receive at least 40 hours of direct training from a NY certified pest control applicator, and received at least 8 hours of training according to NY 6 CRR-NY 325.18.

• Following the complete of this initial training, a New York pesticide apprentice may perform commercial pesticide applications under the off-site supervision of the registered company's certified pest control applicator. Individuals may not provided commercial pesticide applications until or unless this required training has been provided, documented, and maintained by the registered pest control company and/or the certified commercial pesticide applicator. (Documentation need not be submitted to the NYDEC, but should be made available upon request). 

2. NY Certified Commercial Pesticide Technician

• After serving 2 years as a NY pest pesticide apprentice (or earning a degree from an accredited university covering topics of NY 6 CRR-NY 325.16, 325.17, or 325.18, or taking 30 hour training course approved by the NY DEC), a pesticide apprentice may be eligible to become a New York Certified Pesticide Technician in combination with the following requirements:

• Must be at least 17 years of age at the time of application to become a NY certified commercial pesticide technician;

• Must have passed the NY certified pesticide core examination as well as a any specific commercial pesticide category exams for which certification is desired. 

3. NY Certified Commercial Pesticide Applicator

• In order to become a certified commercial pesticide applicator, an individual must have one year of documented experience as a NY Certified Pest Control Technician along with 12 hours of category specific training, or 2 years of verifiable experience as a pest control technician, or 3 years of verifiable full-time experience as a pest control apprentice. Section 6 CRR-NY 325.8 outlines the complete eligibility requirements for certified pesticide applicator requirements in New York.

• If none of the above requirements have been met, eligibility may also be met by having 3 years of documented experience as a New York Certified Private Pesticide Applicator or pesticide certification in another state which has reciprocity with the state of New York. 

4. Certified Private Pesticide Applicator

• In New York, a Private Pesticide Applicator Certification is required for use or supervision of the use of restricted pesticides, including chemigation, when producing agricultural commodities on property owned or leased by the applicator. (For other pesticide applications made to one's own property in a non-commercial capacity, pesticide certification is not required by New York state law). 

• Section 6 CRR-NY 325.8 outlines the complete eligibility requirements for private certified pesticide applicator in New York.

Q. What are the different pest control certification categories in the state of New York? 

In New York, pesticide use or supervision of pesticide use on property not owned or leased by the applicator is considered Commercial Pesticide Use. Separate certification is required in each commercial category within which an individual or registered PCO wishes to engage:

Category 1A - Agricultural Plant: Production of agricultural crops, grasslands, non-crop agricultural lands, sod, flowers and shrubs.

Category 1B - Agricultural Animals: Use of pesticides on livestock, as well as to places where livestock is confined.

Category 1C - Companion Animals: Pesticide use on animals other than livestock.

Category 1D - Fumigation of Soil and Agricultural Commodities: Use for fumigation of soil in the production of agricultural commodities, as well as, fumigation of agricultural commodities. Certification in this category requires concurrent certification in category 1A - Agricultural Plant.

Category 2 - Forest Pest Control: Control pests in forests, forest nurseries, forest seed production areas, and forested areas within urban settings.

Category 3A - Ornamentals, Shade Trees & Turf: Maintenance and production of ornamental and shade trees, shrubs, flowers and turf.

Category 3B - Turf: Maintenance and production of turf, golf courses, and disease control for aesthetic purposes.

Category 3C - Interior Plant Maintenance: Interior plant maintenance, greenhouses and nurseries.

Category 4 - Seed Treatment: Use for seeds intended for planting on property not owned or leased by the applicator, including seed treaters who apply pesticides to seeds of other individuals and seed plant operators treating seeds before or after sale.

Category 5A - Aquatic Vegetation Control: Used to control of algae and weeds in swimming pools and in any surface waters of the State.

Category 5B - Aquatic Insect and Misc. Aquatic Organisms Control: The control of aquatic insects such as mosquito and black fly larva and miscellaneous organisms such as mollusks, leeches and snails.

Category 5C - Aquatic Fish Control: To control or eliminate unwanted fish including sea lamprey.

Category 5D - Aquatic Antifouling Paints: Application of pesticide products on vessel hulls, boat bottoms, structures and other marine surfaces to inhibit the growth of aquatic organisms.

Category 5E - Sewer Line Root Control: Use of pesticides to eliminate tree roots from sewers and other discharge pipes.

Category 6A - Right of Way Vegetation Control: Maintenance of highways, electric power lines, gas or other pipelines, railway rights-of-way and other related facilities such as, but not limited to, the areas around generating stations, substations, pumping stations and associated buildings.

Category 6B - Right of Way in Place Pole Treatments: Protection of in-place utility poles including the use of pole fumigants. 

Category 7A - Structural & Rodent Control: To control rodents, roaches, ants, fleas, ticks and stinging and biting insects within or associated with structures, excluding food processing areas and post construction wood destroying organisms. This category does not include termiticides.

Category 7B - Fumigation: For rodent control in structures, elimination of experimental laboratory rodents, rodent and mole control (fumigation of burrows), pest control in raw food commodity storage, transportation facilities, trucks, railroad cars, vehicles and food processing establishments.

Category 7C - Termite: Identify and treat termite species.

Category 7D - Lumber & Wood Products: This category includes preserving poles and lumber, pesticide applications at logging decks; and activities associated with construction not covered by other categories.

Category 7F - Food Processing: Required to treat areas, other than individual residences, where exposed food or food products are prepared, packaged or held for further distribution or consumption, including the use of fumigants to control appropriate food pests.

Category 7G - Cooling Towers, Pulp & Paper Process: Use of antimicrobials to control bacteria and other such single cell organisms in cooling water and pulp/paper producing systems. 

Category 8 - Public Health Pest Control: State, federal or other governmental personnel, their contractors and other commercial applicators using or supervising the use of pesticides in public health programs for the management and control of pests.

Category 9 - Regulatory Pest Control: State, federal or other governmental personnel who use, or supervise the use of pesticides in the control of regulated pests.

Category 10 - Demonstration & Research Pest Control: Requires concurrent certification in a second category of specialty. This category includes, but is not limited to: (1) individuals who demonstrate to the public; and (2) individuals conducting field research.

Category 11 - Aerial Pilot: All pilots engaged in commercial or private aerial pesticide applications. Aerial applicators providing pesticide recommendations must obtain concurrent certification in the appropriate category.

Category 12 - Sales of RUP: Individuals who sell, distribute or supervise the sale or distribution of restricted use pesticides. This category is not authorized to commercially use pesticides without obtaining a second category of specialty.