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United States · Certification exam

The pesticide applicator core manual

The National Pesticide Applicator Certification Core Manual is published by the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) Research Foundation under a cooperative agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Oregon requires it for its Laws and Safety exam, and Penn State Extension, which sells Pennsylvania’s study materials, calls the 2014 Second Edition the most current pesticide applicator core manual. Some states use a core manual of their own, so check the one your state names. There’s no national exam to go with it: EPA says state, territorial and tribal authorities certify applicators, so the core exam you take is your state’s.

  • 2014Year of the Second Edition
  • 11Chapters, each with review questions
  • NASDA Research FoundationPublisher, with EPA support
Where to study

Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

What does the pesticide applicator core manual cover?

  • Chapter 1: Pest management
  • Chapter 2: Federal pesticide laws
  • Chapter 3: Pesticide labeling
  • Chapter 4: Pesticide formulations
  • Chapter 5: Pesticide hazards and first aid
  • Chapter 6: Personal protective equipment
  • Chapter 7: Pesticides in the environment
  • Chapter 8: Transportation, storage and security
  • Chapter 9: Emergency or incident response
  • Chapter 10: Planning the pesticide application
  • Chapter 11: Pesticide application procedures

Each chapter ends with review questions. The appendices give the answers, a glossary, and conversions and calculations.

Where to get the National Core Manual

The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) posts the manual as a PDF on its exam study materials page and lists it, with its Oregon Addendum, as required study material for the Laws and Safety exam. ODA also links the National Pesticide Safety Education Center store and the Pesticide Educational Resources Collaborative (PERC) store for national study manuals. Your state’s extension service may sell printed copies.

ODA: National Pesticide Applicator Certification Core Manual (PDF) ↗ODA: Exam study materials ↗

States with their own core manual

  • Iowa: the Iowa Core Manual, from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
  • Illinois: the General Standards manual, from the University of Illinois Extension.
  • Florida: Applying Pesticides Correctly (SM 001), from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS).
  • Virginia: Applying Pesticides Correctly, the Virginia Core Manual, from Virginia Cooperative Extension.
  • Maryland: a Pesticide Applicator Core Manual posted as a PDF by the Maryland Department of Agriculture.

Oregon says a new edition of the National Core Manual becomes its study material from January 1, 2027; the Oregon page has the details.

Oregon pesticide applicator license →Category manuals by state →
Sources: NASDA Research Foundation · ODA · Penn State Extension and 7 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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