United States · Certification examMaryland certificates and licenses
- Private applicator certificate: restricted use pesticides to produce an agricultural commodity on your own or leased property. You must be at least 16.
- Pest control applicator certificate: commercial work for a licensed pesticide business. You must be at least 18.
- Public agency applicator certificate and permit: no fees or insurance requirements.
- Not-for-hire business license and applicator certificate, and pest control consultant license and certificate.
- Registered employee: trained in a program MDA approves, within 30 days.
How do you get a Maryland pesticide applicator license?
- Commercial: send MDA an application for certification with proof of experience or education at least a month before the exam.
- Take the exams. MDA gives commercial exams every other month. You pass the core exam and at least one category exam. They’re multiple choice and closed book.
- Private: your county’s University of Maryland Extension office schedules the exam, and an MDA representative gives it. The exam covers core, regulations and label interpretation, based on the core manual.
- Pay MDA the certificate fee in the table below.
You can retake an exam as many times as you need.
Maryland license fees
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Private applicator certificate | $7 |
| Commercial certificate, first category, each year | $75 |
| Each extra main category | $25 |
| Each exam retake | $10 |
| Business license, each year | $150 |
Keeping a Maryland certificate
A commercial applicator certificate is valid for one year, running with the business license from July 1 to June 30. Each year you need recertification training. One credit is half an hour:
- 8 credits: Categories 1, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 13
- 6 credits: Categories 2, 5 and 6
- 4 credits once every three years: Categories 4 and 11
Without the training, you retake the exams by June 30.
A private certificate runs January 1 to December 31 and is valid for three years. You need at least 4 credits in the last year.
Maryland manuals
MDA posts PDF manuals for core and several categories on its forms page, and links the Maryland Cooperative Extension manuals sold through the National Pesticide Safety Education Center’s store.
Sources: MDA and 3 more. Checked October 2026.
- MDA: Pesticide Business Licensing and Certification ↗
- MDA: Pesticide applicator forms and resources ↗
- MDA: Pest control categories ↗
- MDA: Private applicator application ↗
Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.
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