Beginning April 1, 2026, pesticide applicator recertification classes will not be available in Pender County until a new NC Cooperative Extension Agriculture Agent is hired and certified to teach these courses. During this transition period, both private and commercial pesticide applicators in Pender County will need to attend recertification classes offered in neighboring counties in order to earn the credits required to maintain their applicator licenses.
Pender County Cooperative Extension appreciates the understanding and cooperation of the agricultural community during this time and encourages applicators to plan ahead to ensure their recertification requirements are met.
New EPA-Mandated Training Requirement
In addition to routine recertification credits, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has mandated a new, one-time training requirement titled Pesticide Certification and Training. This training is required for all current pesticide applicators to comply with updated federal EPA standards.
Important Details:
- The training is mandatory and approximately 1 hour in length.
- It must be completed by your specific license recertification date.
- In North Carolina, recertification deadlines are:
- June 30 for commercial applicators
- September 30 for private applicators(in the year of your current certification)
NC Cooperative Extension is committed to assisting applicators in meeting this requirement. The training is available online and can be completed at your convenience at:
https://go.ncsu.edu/mandatorytraining
After viewing the training video in full, applicators must submit their information to the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Pesticide Division using the submission link provided next to the video.
Please Note: You must complete the entire training video before submitting your information.
Pesticide applicators are strongly encouraged to complete this requirement well in advance of their license expiration date to avoid any lapse in certification.
For additional information, please contact the Pender County Extension office at 910-259-1235.