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United States · Certification exam

Washington State pesticide applicator license

Every Washington State pesticide applicator license starts with the same Laws and Safety exam plus one category exam. The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) then issues a license you renew every year. You must be at least 18 to apply and take exams.

  • 55Questions on Laws and Safety
  • $58Fee for a computer-based exam
  • Every 5 yearsHow often you recertify
Register with Metro Institute

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

Washington license types and yearly fees

LicenseFee
Private applicator$45
Limited private applicator, 5 years$40
Rancher private applicator, 5 years$110
Private commercial applicator$45
Public operator$50
Commercial applicator$250
Commercial operator$85
Commercial pest control consultant$75
Structural pest inspector$85

Fees are yearly except for the limited and rancher private licenses, which last five years and are for eastern Washington only. A commercial applicator’s first piece of equipment is free and each extra one is $27. WSDA says $7 of every license supports Washington State University’s pesticide safety education program.

How do you get a Washington State pesticide applicator license?

  1. Pay the license fee and get your application approved before you schedule.
  2. Study the Washington State University (WSU) manual for each exam.
  3. Choose computer-based testing with Metro Institute at about 18 sites, or a WSDA paper session in Olympia, Yakima, Moses Lake, Spokane, Burlington or East Wenatchee, with a $25 testing fee paid by check or money order.
  4. Pass Laws and Safety (1 hour) and one category, such as Weed Control (65 questions, 2 hours). Private applicators can take the 60-question Private Applicator exam instead. Exams are closed book.

After a second, third or fourth failure you wait 14 days, and after a fifth 60 days. A passing score counts for the year you took it and the next calendar year.

Recertification credits in Washington

You recertify every five years by credits, exam or reciprocity. Private applicators need 20 credits, at most 10 a year. Limited private applicators need 8 weed credits and rancher private applicators 12, with no yearly maximum. All other licenses need 40, at most 15 a year. Credits don’t carry over to the next cycle. WSDA’s license search shows licenses and recertification credit reports.

WSDA: Pesticide and SPI licensing search ↗

Washington’s new certification and training rules

WSDA’s new certification and training (C&T) rules began January 1, 2026. Before the end of your recertification cycle you take WSDA’s C&T course or quiz, and some licensees need new exams. The deadline is the end of your current cycle, so December 31, 2026 for the 2022 to 2026 cycle and December 31, 2027 for 2023 to 2027. WSDA expects every licensee to meet the new requirements by December 31, 2030 (a date WSDA marks as subject to change), and you can’t recertify without them, even with enough credits.

WSDA: How to comply with C&T changes ↗
Sources: WSDA and 6 more. Checked October 2026.

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

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