1.4 North Dakota Certification Classes, Exam Administration & Reciprocity

1.4 North Dakota Certification Classes, Exam Administration & Reciprocity

Quick Answer: A commercial, public, or dealer certificate is issued to a person who passes a core examination and obtains certification in one or more classes listed in NDAC 60-03-01-05. As amended effective April 1, 2026, that rule lists 17 classes. North Dakota also records core status as Ground or Aerial/Ground. Private applicators certify in a general class and may add commodity and structural fumigation or vertebrate control with fumigant pesticides. Exams are proctored at county Extension offices by appointment, require government-issued photo identification, and permit only reference material the certifying authority authorizes and the proctor hands out and collects. A candidate who fails may retest after three or more days, and no more than three examinations may be given before further training is required.

Why the Class Structure Exists

FIFRA's implementing rule at 40 CFR 171.101 establishes national commercial applicator categories, and states may subdivide or add categories with EPA approval. North Dakota has used that latitude: rather than mirroring the federal list exactly, NDAC 60-03-01-05 defines the classes that match how pesticides are actually used on the northern plains.

Three rules follow from the class system and are heavily tested:

• NDAC 60-03-01-05.1(6): all commercial and public applicators must be certified in the class that applies to how they use pesticides.
• NDAC 60-03-01-05.1(7): all dealers must be certified in the class that applies to the pesticides they distribute.
• NDAC 60-03-01-05.1(8): if a pesticide is labeled for more than one target pest, a dealer only needs certification in one of the applicable classes.

A certificate lists the holder's North Dakota pesticide identification number, name and address, the classes certified, and the expiration year of each class.

The 17 Commercial, Public, and Dealer Classes (NDAC 60-03-01-05)

Currency note. The class list in NDAC 60-03-01-05 was amended effective April 1, 2026. Older NDSU Extension handouts and third-party summaries still describe a shorter list built around names such as "Ag Pest," "Commodity and Structural Fumigation," and "Home, Industrial and Institutional." Those are the names NDSU Extension uses on its training and study-material order forms, and they map onto the rule's classes. When a question asks what the rule authorizes, answer from NDAC 60-03-01-05; when ordering materials or registering for training, use the NDSU class names. Always confirm the current list with NDSU Extension before you register, because the rule and the training catalog are revised on different schedules.

NDSU Extension training and study-material class names

The current commercial/public/dealer order form lists study materials for Ag Pest, Fumigation (Commodity and Structural), Greenhouse, Home Industrial and Institutional, Ornamental and Turf, Public Health, Right-of-Way, Seed Treatment, Vertebrate, and Wood Preservatives, plus the Core (Ground or Aerial). Research and demonstration status is captured by a separate question on the form, and minor classes — home, industrial and institutional; public health; vertebrate; and wood preservation — may renew by home-study correspondence.

Core Status: Ground versus Aerial

North Dakota divides certification by core status:

• Ground applicator (including dealer).
• Aerial/ground applicator (including dealer).

Aerial status carries an extra continuing-education duty. NDAC 60-03-01-05.1(4): a person holding an aerial pest control certificate must attend a Professional Aerial Applicators' Support System (PAASS) program or other board-approved program at least once every three years, and proof of attendance must reach NDSU Extension before recertification is issued. The NDSU registration form also asks whether all aerial application will be made via drone, reflecting the rapid growth of unmanned aerial application in the state; a drone used to apply pesticides is aircraft for this purpose and requires aerial status.

Private Applicator Classes and Endorsements (NDAC 60-03-01-05.2)

Private applicators have three classes:

Four add-on rules matter:

1. A private applicator who will purchase, store, or apply restricted use fumigants for agricultural commodities and grain storage structures must pass a board-approved commodity and structural fumigation examination.
2. A private applicator using restricted use fumigants for burrowing pest control must pass a board-approved vertebrate examination.
3. A private applicator using restricted use soil fumigants must complete the soil fumigation class requirements for commercial and public applicators.
4. A private applicator applying RUPs by fixed or rotary wing aircraft must complete the aerial pest control class requirements for commercial and public applicators.

Each endorsement carries an additional fee set by NDSU Extension.

How the Exam Is Administered

• Where and when. Exams are administered by appointment through local NDSU county Extension offices. County offices are part of the Extension system but their operations are governed by county government, so each may set slightly different procedures. Order the study materials first, then call ahead for an appointment.
• Format. Written and in English; North Dakota does not provide oral testing, because the pesticide labels an applicator must read are written in English. Exams are monitored by NDSU Extension personnel or county staff.
• Identification. Bring government-issued photo identification. Cell phones are not allowed in the testing room.
• Reference materials. NDSU county offices describe the exams as open book. Under NDAC 60-03-01-05.3, a candidate may not give or receive information or assistance, may not use any electronic device capable of storing data, and may not consult written materials unless expressly authorized in advance by the board or its designee — so the only materials in play are those the proctor authorizes, provides, and collects. The examination and any writings made during the exam period must be handed to the proctor at the end.
• Cheating. Cheating may result in invalidated grades, expulsion from the room, disqualification for a specified period, and other penalties. Before penalties are imposed, the applicant must receive notice and an opportunity to be heard under NDCC Chapter 28-32.
• Scoring and retakes. The passing standard is 70 percent. Commercial exams taken at a county office are commonly sent to the state office for scoring, so results take time. A person who fails may retake the exam after three or more days; no more than three examinations may be given before attendance at another initial training course is required.

Certification Denial and Reciprocity

• Denial (NDAC 60-03-01-05.4). The board or its designee may refuse to issue a certification — including a reciprocal certification — to an individual whose certification has been suspended or revoked in any state or province in the past three years, or who has committed a documented violation of FIFRA or the pesticide regulations of any state, provincial, or tribal authority within the last three years. The board may also require an additional demonstration of qualification from an applicator with a suspension, revocation, or history of violations.
• Reciprocity (NDCC 4.1-33-15). NDSU Extension or its designee may issue certification on a reciprocal basis, without examination, to a nonresident certified under a plan substantially similar to North Dakota's, after payment of a fee no greater than the ordinary examination fee. A reciprocal certification must be suspended or revoked if the home-state certification is. A valid certificate from another state helps but never substitutes for a North Dakota certificate, and eligibility is decided case by case.
• Out-of-state requirements. Nonresidents must supply the certification fee, proof of a valid certificate from the state of residence, photo identification, proof of financial responsibility if a commercial applicator, and the appointment of agent documents on file with NDSU Extension.
• Emergency waiver (NDCC 4.1-33-07.1). If the governor declares a statewide disaster or emergency that affects certification requirements, the Pesticide Control Board may temporarily waive statutory certification requirements or associated rules for the duration of the declaration.

Independent Preparation Notice

This study guide is an independent educational publication developed by OpenExamPrep. It is not affiliated with, sponsored by, endorsed by, or produced in partnership with the North Dakota Department of Agriculture, North Dakota State University Extension, or the EPA.