List of Individuals whose Credits are Due in CY 2023
As per State Regulations, 333 CMR 10.08(3)(f) and further outlined below, individuals maintaining a valid Massachusetts Pesticide Credential must complete training and be recertified every three years. The following list includes those individuals whose three-year recertification / retraining cycle ends on 12/31/2023.
Please note that notification of these requirements will be sent by email only and posted on the MDAR website. Notifications will NOT be sent via U.S. Mail, as the Department continues its efforts to be more environmentally minded and minimize the volume of records printed, mailed, returned, and stored in hardcopy format.
Please note that the Department is launching a new process for collecting training certificates. These changes will impact everyone maintaining a Massachusetts Pesticide License. Development is now underway to change the EEA ePLACE Portal; such that, your credits will be submitted and uploaded into your EEA ePLACE Portal Account when you renew your Pesticide License.
At the time of renewal, if your recertification date is a past date, the system will NOT allow you to submit your renewal, unless you upload the needed credits into the system.
Please do NOT mail your certificates to the Department but, maintain your copies and make an electronic copy of them. You will need the electronic copies to upload them into your EEA ePLACE Portal Account when filing your annual license renewal application.
Everyone whose three–year recertification cycle ends on 12/31/2023 will be required to upload their credits into the system. The new process treats everyone equally, as it requires everyone to upload their credits at least once every three years. In essence, the new process will mean that everyone is audited or required to provide their credits every three-years—no exceptions.
Once development is complete, the system updates will move into production. At that point, the Department will provide an updated step-by-step renewal guide--including the processes for uploading credits into the system.
For more information on workshops to earn Contact Hours (continuing education units) for your recertification, please visit the MDAR Pesticide Applicator Continuing Education (PACE) and UMASS Pesticide Education Program Websites.
Your Recertification Requirements
Massachusetts Pesticide Regulations require pesticide applicators and dealers to be re-certified every three years, by re-examination or attendance at pre-approved recertification training programs, also known as, 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.
If you have any questions about your specific three-year recertification cycle 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
Remember it is your responsibility to maintain the contact hour certificates for your recertification. Do not send your contact hour certificates to the Department but maintain these records yourself and make electronic copies of these records. You will upload these electronic copies into your EEA ePLACE Portal Account.
Please note that 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, then you should be in possession of the needed training certificates; which, document the required number of contact hours earned. Please be sure to keep all copies of your training certificates and retain them for your records.
If you haven’t earned the required contact hours, 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 organizations e.g. New England Pest Management Association (NEPMA) and Massachusetts Nursery and Landscape Association (MNLA); and
- the Massachusetts licensed pesticide dealers in your area.
There are also online or web-based training programs available. As outlined in the Online CEU Policy at least ½ of the required training credits must be earned by attending either traditional classroom (in-person) trainings or live stream computer trainings (zoom), or virtual classrooms and no more than ½ of the required training credits may be earned from use of On-Demand (24/7 non-live) computer trainings.
What You Need
The Massachusetts Pesticide Program is required under Federal and State Laws to conduct Audits of your Pesticide Continuing Education. If you are licensed to apply or sell pesticide products in Massachusetts then, you have been assigned a three-year continuing education cycle. At the end of the cycle, the Department will require you to provide your certificates as proof of meeting these State and Federal Requirements.
Failure to Comply with Your Recertification 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.
Please note that failure to respond to the audit letter will be treated as a failure to meet the recertification requirements.
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 either the applicable Commercial Certification License Exam(s) or Applicator (core) License Exam again in order to be issued another valid Pesticide Applicator credential for the following calendar year.