Missouri Statutes 281.005 - 281.120 effective on January 1, 2025
   significant changes in Red

Pesticide Rules effective January 1, 2025

Please call (573) 751-5504 or email pesticiderulechanges@mda.mo.gov with any questions.

Question and Answer Documents

These documents will answer common questions regarding pesticide certification and licensing changes that will become effective January 1, 2025.

• Commercial Applicator, Noncommercial Applicator, Public Operator, and Noncertified Pesticide Applicators
• Certified Private Applicators and Certified Provisional Private Applicators
• Pesticide Dealers

Noncertified RUP Applicator (NRUP)

As of January 1, 2025, (01/01/2025) anyone who uses a Restricted Use Pesticide (RUP) in a commercial, noncommercial, or public operator setting must at minimum have an NRUP license. NRUP license holders are not certified. Anyone licensed as an NRUP applicator must remain under the direct supervision of a Certified Applicator working for the same business and from the same business location. There are two ways to obtain an NRUP license.

Option 1:

• Take and pass the Missouri CORE exam through Pearson Vue.
• Fill out the NRUP Application and submit it to MDA along with the $35 licensing fee.
• This license would have a retraining period of 3 years.

Option 2:

• An employer (or a certified applicator of restricted use pesticides, or an educator with an institution of higher education or professional association) can create an NRUP training program that meets the EPA’s 25 training topics and MDA’s NRUP Training Guidelines.
• The trainer would then need to submit their NRUP training program to the Missouri Department of Agriculture for review.
• Once MDA approves the course, the trainer may begin training.
• Complete the training and NRUP notice of training form.
• Submit the NRUP application, NRUP notice of training form and the $35 licensing fee to MDA.
• This license would have a retraining period of 1 year.

NRUP licenses do not have categories. NRUP Applicators can use General Use and Restricted Use Pesticides ONLY in the categories that their supervisor holds while they are under the direct supervision of their supervisor.

Pesticide Technician

As of January 1, 2025, (01/01/2025) Pesticide Technicians can ONLY use or determine the need for the use of General Use and Minimum Risk Pesticides. Pesticide Technicians may no longer use or determine the need for the use of any Restricted Use Pesticides. Due to this change, the minimum Pesticide Technician training hours will be decreased. Anyone using General Use Pesticides (GUPs) or minimum risk pesticides in a commercial setting in Category 3- Ornamental and Turf Pest Control, Category 7A- General Structural Pest Control and/or Category 7B- Termite Pest Control will at minimum be required to have a Pesticide Technician license. Anyone using RUPs must at minimum have an NRUP license. For information regarding NRUP licensing, please see the above section.

Pesticide Technician license holders are not certified. Anyone licensed as a Pesticide Technician must remain under the direct supervision of a Certified Commercial Applicator working for the same business and from the same business location and certified in the same categories as the technician.

Pesticide Technician Programs

• Technician Training Guidelines
• MDA-3 Program Outline
• MDA-7A Program Outline
• MDA-7B Program Outline

Application Documents for Pesticide Technicians

• Pesticide Technician Application
• Technician Notice of Training Form (one for EACH category you are applying for)
• $35 application fee

Commercial Applicators, Noncommercial Applicators, Public Operators and Pesticide Dealers

There have been two categories added to the list of categories available to the above listed certified pesticide applicators in Missouri:

Category 1A- Agricultural Plant Pest Control
Category 1B- Agricultural Animal Pest Control
Category 2- Forest Pest Control
Category 3- Ornamental and Turf Pest Control
Category 4- Seed Treatment Pest Control
Category 5- Aquatic Pest Control
Category 5B- Sewer Root Pest Control
Category 6- Right-of-Way Pest Control
Category 7A- General Structural Pest Control
Category 7B- Termite Pest Control
Category 7C- Fumigation Pest Control
Category 8- Public Health Pest Control
Category 9- Regulatory Pest Control
Category 10- Demonstration and Research Pest Control
(Category 10 licensees must also be certified in the categories of use)
Category 11- Wood Products Pest Control
NEW Category 12- Soil Fumigation Pest Control
NEW Category 13- Aerial Pest Control
(Category 13 licensees must also be certified in the categories of use)

Anyone who holds an active certified pesticide applicator license in Missouri on January 1, 2025, and uses pesticides aerially or via soil fumigation, will not be required to pass the category 12 or category 13 exam until they are due to recertify.

Example:

If your current, active, certified commercial applicator license in 1A-Agricultural Plant Pest Control has certification that is not due to expire until March of 2026, and you apply aerially, you can continue to apply aerially with your current certification and license until you need to recertify your commercial applicator certification in March of 2026 (assuming you pay your annual renewal fee to maintain an active license until March of 2026). You would then either:

• Go to a recertification course for the CORE and Category 1A
  – AND pass the Category 13-Aerial Pest Control Category Exam

OR

• Retake the CORE and Category 1A exams to recertify
  – AND pass the Category 13-Aerial Pest Control Category Exam

Application Documents for Commerical Applicators

• Certified Applicator-Dealer License Application
• Commercial Applicator Insurance Form
• Verification of Education and/or Experience form (ONLY if you are applying for category 7A,7B, and/or 7C)
• $65 application fee

Application Documents for Noncommercial Applicators:

• Certified Applicator-Dealer License Application
• $35 application fee

Application Documents for Public Operators:

• Certified Applicator-Dealer License Application
• Verification of Education and/or Experience form (ONLY if you are applying for category 7A,7B, and/or 7C)

Recertification/Retraining for Certified Applicators & Pesticide Technicians

As of January 1, 2025, (01/01/2025) Certified Applicators and Pesticide Technicians will need to recertify in ALL categories on their license.

If you fail to recertify/retrain or reexamine for a category before the category recertification date, the category will be removed from your certification and license. If you fail to recertify or reexamine in the CORE before your CORE recertification date, your license will be cancelled.

To find recertification courses approved for recertification/retraining credit in Missouri, you can search for approved courses on our MOPlants website.

Application Documents for Pesticide Dealers:

• Certified Applicator-Dealer License Application
• $35 application fee

Private Pesticide Applicators

As of January 1, 2025, (01/01/2025) anyone who uses a Restricted Use Pesticide (RUP) in a private applicator setting must be licensed as certified private applicator or certified provisional private applicator. Private applicators will have categories on their license.

Certified Private Applicator

Individuals who are 18 years of age or older and use any pesticide that is classified for restricted use for purposes of producing any agricultural commodity on property owned or rented by the individual or the individual's employer or on the property of another person, if used without compensation other than trading of personal services between producers of agricultural commodities.

Applicators must become certified in category 20 before they can become certified in categories 21, 22, and/or 23.

• Certified Private Applicator (18+years of age)
  • Category 20- General Agricultural Pest Control (REQUIRED)
  • Category 21- Soil Fumigation Pest Control
  • Category 22- Non-soil Fumigation Pest Control
  • Category 23- Aerial Pest Control

Anyone who holds an active Certified Private Applicator license in Missouri on January 1, 2025, and uses a pesticide aerially, via soil fumigation, or non-soil fumigation, will not be required to add category 21, 22, or 23 to their license until they are due to recertify.

Example #1:

If your current certified private applicator license is not due to expire until March of 2027, and you fumigate your grain bins, you can continue to fumigate your grain bins with your current certification and license until you need to recertify your private applicator certification in March of 2027. You would then either go to in-person PPAT trainings, take the on-line courses, or take the exams for:

• Category 20- General Agricultural Pest Control (REQUIRED)

AND

• Category 22- Non-soil Fumigation Pest Control

Example #2:

If your current Certified Private Applicator license is not due to expire until February of 2028, and you use your license to apply restricted use pesticides to your row crops with a spray rig, but you do not use restricted use pesticides to do soil fumigation, non-soil fumigation, or aerial applications, you can continue to spray your row crops with RUPs on your current license until you need to recertify your private applicator certification in February of 2028. You would then either go to in-person PPAT training, take the on-line course, or take the exam for:

• Category 20- General Agricultural Pest Control (REQUIRED)

Certified Provisional Private Applicator

Individuals who are 16 or 17 years of age, an immediate family member of a certified private applicator, and certified by the director to use any pesticide that is classified for restricted use for purposes of producing any agricultural commodity on property owned or rented by the individual's immediate family member, so long as the following requirements are met:

1. The restricted use pesticide (RUP) is not a fumigant;
2. The restricted use pesticide (RUP) does not contain sodium cyanide or sodium fluoroacetate;
3. The individual will not apply any restricted use pesticide (RUP) using aerial application equipment;
4. The individual will not supervise the use of any restricted use pesticide (RUP); and
5. The individual will not purchase any restricted use pesticide (RUP).

• Certified Provisional Private Applicator (must be 16 or 17 years of age, must be an immediate family member of a certified applicator)
  • Category 20- General Agricultural Pest Control (ONLY)

Definition of “Immediate Family”

Immediate Family- familial relationships limited to the spouse, parents, stepparents, foster parents, father-in-law, mother-in-law, children, stepchildren, foster children, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, grandparents, brothers, sisters, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and first cousins. As used in this subdivision, “first cousin” means the child of a parent's sibling, i.e., the child of an aunt or uncle.

Recertification for Certified Private Applicators

There will now be 3 ways a private applicator can become certified or recertified:

Option 1:

• Attending a private pesticide applicator course for each required category through the University of Missouri Extension.
• After attending the courses with the University of Missouri Extension, the extension agent will supply each attendee with an application for their license.
• After completion of this application, the extension agent will send the application and training verification directly to the Missouri Department of Agriculture.

Option 2:

• Completing an online training course through the University of Missouri Extension.
• After completion of this course, private applicators will need to fill out the Private Applicator Application and submit it to the Missouri Department of Agriculture.

Option 3:

• Taking and passing the category exam/exams through Pearson Vue.
• After completion of the exams, private applicators will need to fill out the Private Applicator Application and submit it to the Missouri Department of Agriculture.