Virginia Law

A. Any certified private or commercial applicator or registered technician who desires to renew his certification shall do so biennially for the category or subcategory for which he is certified. A certified private or commercial applicator or registered technician must first attend board-approved recertification courses and submit proof of attendance at such courses or be reexamined in basic pesticide safety and the categories desired for recertification. In addition to the requirement in this subsection, commercial applicators and registered technicians shall also submit an application for renewal before the commissioner will renew their certification.

B. A certified commercial applicator or registered technician must complete a board-approved recertification course that, at a minimum, addresses the following topics:

1. Legal aspects including:

a. A reminder to follow label directions including those on use, storage, disposal, and transportation;

b. A review of possible consequences of violating the law;

c. A reminder that restricted use pesticides purchased under an applicator's certificate number must be for use by certified commercial applicators only;

d. A review of a certified commercial applicator's responsibilities in supervising the use of restricted use pesticides by noncertified applicators; and

e. A review of recordkeeping responsibilities of certified commercial applicators for restricted use pesticide applications; and

2. Category-related training including:

a. A review of general safety for the applicator, coworkers, and the public;

b. A review of the environmental aspects of pesticide use, including impact on nontarget organisms, wildlife, domestic animals, groundwater, etc.;

c. A review of application techniques, including equipment, calibration, and maintenance;

d. A review of hazards, both personal safety and environmental, unique to that specific category;

e. A review of pertinent information regarding new chemistry or new formulations available that would be of use to applicators certified in the category;

f. A review of integrated pest management programs applicable to the category; and

g. A review of pests specific to category, including in-depth training on identification and control of selected specific pests. This section may be tailored to local needs.

C. A certified private applicator must complete a board-approved recertification course that, at a minimum, addresses the following topics:

1. General safety;

2. Legal update; and

3. Pest management and application technology, including:

a. A review of category-specific pest management and pesticide use patterns; and

b. A review of category-specific pesticide application and handling technology.

D. A certified private or commercial applicator or registered technician may accumulate up to four years of credit by attending board-approved recertification courses.

E. Upon expiration of certification, the certificate of a private applicator, commercial applicator, or registered technician shall become invalid. Any private applicator, commercial applicator, or registered technician who desires to renew his certification, but fails to do so within 60 days after its expiration, shall be reexamined.