As per State Regulations 333 CMR 10.08(3)(f) and further outlined below, individuals maintaining a valid Massachusetts Pesticide Credential must be recertified every three-years. The following list includes those individuals whose three year recertification period ends no later than 07/01/2011 and who were sent an audit letter by mail in June of 2011. If the your name is on the list, please check to see that your audit was submitted and that you do not owe any additional contact hours. If your audit is not complete, please call Hoang Vo at 617-626-1818 or email to Hoang.Vo@state.ma.us. A 2012 Renewal Form will not be sent to you if you fail to complete recertification.

2011 Recertification/Audit Due Date: 08/19/2011 (CLOSED)
List of Specific Individuals with Audits Due for Renewal of 2012 Pesticide Credential(s).

If you were Audited in 2011 for your compliance with the Department's recertification requirements, outlined in 333 CMR 10.08(3)(f) through (g), and failed to comply with your Audit/Recertification requirements, than you are not eligible to renew your Calendar Year 2012 pesticide applicator credential, but must take the applicable pesticide exam again to be licensed. All the information you need to navigate this process, including--study material order forms, exam registration appliations, exam schedules, etc. is found in the Pesticice Examination and License Information Bulletin.

Your Recertificaton Requirements

The Massachusetts regulations for licensing both pesticide applicators and pesticide dealers require all certified and licensed pesticide applicators and licensed dealers to be re-certified every three years either by re-examination or attendance at pre-approved recertification training programs a.k.a. continuing education workshops.

Licensed pesticide applicators are required to attend six (6) hours of recertification classes in a three year period. Certified applicators, both commercial and private, are required to attend twelve (12) hours of recertification classes PER CATEGORY for each three year period in which the particular certification category is maintained. Licensed pesticide dealers are required to attend three (3) hours of recertification classes in a three year period.

Your Recertificaton Due Date

The Department no longer sends out monthly audit notifications on the third anniversary of Massachusetts pesticide licensure. Some years ago, the recertification and audit process was revised to require all audits to be due on June 30^th in the third-year of the three year recertification period.

Your three-year recertification end-date is June 30^th in the third-year of your recertification cycle or period and is at least three-years from the date on which your Massachusetts pesticide credential was first issued. It is normally printed above your license on the form sent to you when the license is first issued and each year; thereafter, upon renewal.

If you have any questions about your specific three-year recertification cycle(s) or the year in which you may be recertified, please call or send email to the program contact above. If sending your request by email, be sure to provide your first and last name and your Massachusetts pesticide license number.

Your Requirements for Recertification and Audit Compliance

Each year the Department conducts an audit or recertifies select individuals maintaining a Massachusetts Pesticide Credential. All applicators that need to be recertified will be sent audit letters requiring them to submit proof of attendance at Department approved recertification training programs a.k.a. continuing education workshops.

Remember it is your responsibility to maintain the contact hour certificates for your recertification. Do not send your contact hour certificates to the Department unless you are sent an audit letter. The Department does not maintain your contact hour certificates for you or receive them from any party other than you.

If you have met your recertification requirements, than you should be in posession of the needed training certificates which document the required number of contact hours earned. Please be sure to make copies of your training certificates and retain them for your records. Then submit both the original recertification training certificates and your signed audit letter to the attention of the Pesticide Program - Audits. Please be sure to retain copies for your records before mailing the originals to the Department. Once we receive your audit response, we’ll evaluate your contact hours for recertification.

If you haven’t earned the required contact hours needed for recertification, you may be able to find pre-approved workshops providing contact hours for recertification by using the following resources : :

• the MDAR Pesticide Applicator Continuing Education (PACE) Approved Programs website;
• the University of Massachusetts Extension or UMEXT Pesticide Education Program (PEP) website;
• the applicable trade or professional orginization; and
• the Massachusetts licensed pesticide dealers in your area.

There are also a number of online or web-based tranining programs available; whereby, you may earn up-to one-third of your required contact hours. Please review the Department’s PACE Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page for more details about online training limitations.

You have until the due date of your audit to respond by producing documentation of your contact hours. If you have maintained your recertification requirements over the three-year recertification period, this will provide you with sufficient time to submit your required documenation.

Failure to Comply with Your Recertificaton Requirements

As outlined in the Massachusetts Pesticide regulations, individuals who do not obtain the required number of contact hours for recertification will be required to recertify by reexamination. Failure to respond to the audit letter will be treated as a failure to meet the recertification requirments.
Please note that those individuals with a commercial certification credential, who fail the recertification audit will also be required to reexamine. These individuals CANNOT "fall-back" to a commercial license, but must take the applicable commercial exam again.