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United States · Certification exam

MN pesticide applicator license

You pay the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) first, then pass a closed-book core exam and at least one category exam. An MN pesticide applicator license is renewed every year, and on top of that you go to an MDA-approved recertification workshop on a cycle set by your category. Farmers who need a private certificate go through University of Minnesota Extension instead.

  • 70%Score to pass each exam
  • December 31When applicator licenses expire each year
  • 1 to 3 yearsRecertification workshop cycle by category
Choose a testing location

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

Which Minnesota license do you need?

  • Commercial applicator: for-hire work, where customers are billed or invoiced.
  • Noncommercial applicator: restricted use pesticides as part of your job, on property your employer owns or controls. Government employees have their own noncommercial license.
  • Structural pest control applicator: work in, on or around structures. The company needs its own license.
  • Private applicator: you farm land you or your family own, rent or manage, or you’re one of two or fewer employees working that land.

Since August 1, 2024, Minnesota has required anyone using restricted use pesticides to be 18 or older, and someone who mixes, loads or handles open restricted use pesticides needs a license.

How do you get an MN pesticide applicator license?

  1. Pick your license type and categories. Everyone takes the Core exam (Category A) plus at least one other category; aerial applicators also need Category B.
  2. Apply and pay MDA before you test. MDA asks you to allow 4 business days after paying online before you book.
  3. Buy the manuals from the University of Minnesota (UMN) Extension Pesticide Manual Store.
  4. Book a testing location. Metro Institute charges $60 an exam at its college and center sites; county testing partners may charge their own fee.
  5. Bring your application confirmation or renewal receipt and a driver’s license or government photo ID. Exams are closed book, mostly multiple choice, in English, or in Spanish if you ask MDA at least seven days ahead (not every location offers it), with a calculator provided.
  6. Score 70% or better. MDA mails your license card, and the license shows in MDA’s online lookup once it’s approved.

You can test three times within a licensure period.

Minnesota license fees

License, each yearTotal
Commercial applicator$76
Noncommercial applicator$76
Noncommercial government applicator$15
Structural pest control applicator$55
Structural pest control company$295
Private applicator certificate (3 years)$100
  • $50 license fee, $21 Agricultural Chemical Response Reimbursement Account (ACRRA) surcharge and $5 processing fee make up the commercial and noncommercial totals.
  • Late fees: $25 commercial and noncommercial and $5 government from March 1; structural $25 applicator and $100 company from January 1.
  • Metro Institute’s $60 exam fee is on top.

Recertifying in Minnesota

All applicator licenses expire on December 31 and are renewed each year. Separately, you attend an approved recertification workshop within the year shown on your license card, or retest. The cycle depends on the category: 1 year for General Aerial and structural, 3 years for Field Crop and Seed Treatment, and 2 years for the other categories. Every approved workshop includes Core credit.

Private applicators renew their certificate every 3 years, before March 1 of the expiration year, by a UMN Extension workshop or by retesting.

MDA: License lookup ↗MDA: Private applicator lookup ↗

Private applicators in Minnesota

Private applicators apply and test through UMN Extension, online or with a paper mail-in exam from a county extension office, and MDA issues the certification card. MDA says a free study manual is available online, or you can buy a paper copy from a UMN county extension office. Aerial and fumigation endorsements need an in-person proctored exam at 70%, a $5 card change, and a retest each time you renew.

UMN Extension: Private pesticide applicators ↗UMN Extension Pesticide Manual Store ↗
Sources: MDA and 7 more. Checked October 2026.

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

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