Georgia Pesticide Applicator License 2026: Exams and Fees

Which Georgia license do you need?

Private applicator: to buy, use or supervise the use of restricted use pesticides on your or your employer’s property while producing an agricultural commodity.
Commercial applicator: restricted use pesticides when you’re not producing an agricultural commodity, in the right category.
Pesticide contractor license: on top of a commercial applicator license, if you apply any pesticide to someone else’s property for a fee.

Commercial: buy the study materials from UGA, in print or as PDFs.
Register for the exam through GDA’s application and exam registration link. The technical colleges charge $45 each time you take it.
Pass the general standards exam and at least one major category exam, each with 70%, within one year.
Pay GDA the commercial license fee below.
Private: take UGA’s online Pesticide Safety Education Program course ($25 at UGA’s store) and pass with 70% or higher. Your county Extension agent submits the application.

If you fail, you wait until the next month to retest, and you can take any exam at most twice in six months.

License	Fee
Commercial applicator	$90
Private applicator	No fee
Pesticide contractor, each year	$55

Exam fees go to the technical colleges, and the private course fee to UGA.

You renew by retesting or with recertification credit hours, which must reach GDA at least 90 days before your license expires:

10 hours: Plant Agriculture, Ornamental and Turf, Public Health and Mosquito Control
6 hours: the other commercial categories
None: Demonstration and Research, Aerial Equipment Authorization and Worker Protection Standards
3 hours: private applicators

GDA’s applicator search uses Kelly Solutions, a private company GDA says it doesn’t control.

Sources: GDA · UGA Pesticide Safety Education Program and 4 more. Checked October 2026.

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

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