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United States · Certification exam

Oregon pesticide applicator license

You pass closed-book, computer-based exams booked through Metro Institute, then the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) emails you the license application. An Oregon pesticide applicator license is renewed every year by December 31, and the certification behind it runs on a five-year credit period. You must be at least 18.

  • 70%Score to pass each exam
  • $58Fee for each exam attempt
  • 2 hoursDefault time block for an exam
See exam information

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

Oregon license types

  • Private applicator: restricted use pesticides to produce an agricultural commodity or forest crop on land you or your employer own or lease.
  • Commercial applicator: employed by a licensed commercial pesticide operator, the business license, which has no exam.
  • Public applicator: government employees.
  • Noncommercial applicator and pesticide consultant.
  • Apprentice: the Laws and Safety exam only. Immediately supervised trainee: no exam.
  • Aerial applicator: an extra license on top of a base license.

How do you get an Oregon pesticide applicator license?

  1. Study ODA’s exam outlines and manuals. Some are free PDFs on ODA’s site; printed copies are at the Chemeketa Community College Bookstore. Pre-license courses from Oregon State University are optional.
  2. Register with Metro Institute and pay for each exam when you book. Testing centers, often community colleges, are spread across the state.
  3. Pass. Commercial, public and noncommercial applicators take Laws and Safety plus at least one category. Private applicators take the private applicator exam, in English or Spanish.
  4. Send ODA the license application it emails you, with the license fee below.

From November 17 to December 31, ODA issues a license for someone who qualifies in early January of the next year, unless you ask for it sooner on the application.

Oregon license fees

LicenseFee
Private applicator$25
Commercial or public applicator, each year$50
Each extra category$7.50

Credits over five years

LicenseCredit hours, 5 yearsMax a year
Private applicator16, including 4 core8
Public, commercial or consultant4015
Apprentice8 each licensing period, 4 coreNot listed

Without enough credits, you retake and pass the exams. You can check your credits, exam scores and any license on ODA’s licensing hub.

ODA: Search pesticide licenses ↗

What changes in Oregon on January 1, 2027

ODA’s Fall 2026 newsletter says a new National Pesticide Applicator Certification Core Manual is slated to become the study material for the Laws and Safety and private applicator exams from January 1, 2027. If you take either exam after that date, you’ll use the new manuals and take the new exams. Applicators already certified will be offered a special continuing education program to meet the new federal standards without retesting.

ODA is also updating Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR) chapter 603, division 057, to match the federal standards in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 40 CFR Part 171, with public hearings and rule finalization planned for November 2026 to January 2027.

The National Core Manual →
Sources: ODA and 7 more. Checked October 2026.

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

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