Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) has been reminding pesticide applicators who received a special extension to their applicator license in May 2020 due to the pandemic that they must complete recertification training before April 15, 2021 in order to retain their licenses.
Applicators who requested and received an extension received their new licenses with the expiration date of April 15, 2023, along with a letter reminding them of their obligation to complete training by April 15, 2021. They received another reminder letter in December, and another in March.
As of April 2, about 150 applicators (mostly private applicators) who applied for the extension have not yet completed recertification. If they do not do so by April 15, 2021, their licenses will be deemed inactive. People with inactive licenses may not purchase or apply RUPs. NDA intends to send another letter to applicators who miss the April 15, 2021 recertification date explaining their options after the April 15, 2021 deadline:
• Private applicators can activate their licenses by taking online training or taking a private applicator exam. In special situations, people can ask to be mailed a private self-study manual and exam. Remember that this option requires extra time to hand-correct each exam, as well as additional mailing costs, so it should be considered a last resort.
• Commercial/noncommercial applicators will have to retake (and pass) exams for the categories listed on their license (plus the General Standards exam).
The options above also apply to anyone who has not completed the recertification process prior to the April 15, 2021 expiration date on their licenses.
Please share this information with those in your office who may receive questions regarding the special extension and the applicator’s obligations. As a reminder about the extension and requirements, see the press release: NDA ORDER EASES RESTRICTIONS ON PESTICIDE APPLICATOR LICENSE HOLDERS
https://nda.nebraska.gov/press/april2020/PesticideLicenseInformation.pdf