UGA Cooperative Extension

Macon County Extension Office:
Pesticide Licensing

Following is a brief overview of applicator licenses required by the State of Georgia and issued by the Georgia Department of Agriculture. Please visit the Entomology and Pesticide Licensing website for more information and FAQ's. Once you receive your license, you may determine the status of your license by clicking here.

Private Pesticide Applicator's License

"Private applicator" means any individual who purchases, uses or supervises the use of any pesticide classified as restricted use for purposes of producing any agricultural or forestry commodity on property owned or rented by him or his employer or, if applied without compensation other than the trading of personal services between producers of agricultural and forestry commodities, on the property of another person.

In order to obtain a private pesticide applicator's license in Georgia, you must be engaged in the production of an agricultural or forestry commodity. If you obtain this license, you must keep records of restricted use pesticide applications, and are therefore subject to inspections by the Georgia Department of Agriculture and the United States Department of Agriculture. Pesticide labels and all pertinent laws, rules, and regulations must be followed -- the misuse of a pesticide in Georgia may result in penalties of $1,000 per violation.

The training and examination for this license are held at the Macon County Extension Office. The training consist of a 2.5 hour video and a written test. Upon completion of the training and examination, results are submitted to the Georgia Department of Agriculture where the licenses are issued. Persons holding a Private Pesticide Applicator's License are required to obtain three credit hours prior to the license expiration date to keep the license valid. Opportunities for credit hours are provided by Macon County Extension periodically. Contact Macon County Extension to arrange a convenient time for training/testing or classes scheduled for credit hours.

Commercial Applicator License

When not engaged in the production of an agricultural commodity, a Commercial Applicator License in the appropriate category is required to purchase, use, or supervise the use of restricted use pesticides on your property or the property of your employer. In order to provide pesticide applications of any type of pesticide, whether general use or restricted use, to the property of another person, and collect a fee for these services, both a Commercial Applicator License and a Pesticide Contractor License are required.

In order to obtain a commercial applicator license, you must pass the commercial applicator examination provided by the Georgia Department of Agriculture Pesticide Division. Individuals wishing to obtain this license must pass the general standards examination, as well as at least one major category examination with a score of 70%. You may obtain testing information, exam locations, an order form for study materials, and other pertinent information by clicking here (pdf).