Due to the ongoing state of emergency declared by Governor Beshear on March 6, 2020 in response to the COVID-19 virus outbreak and subsequent directive that provision of all in-person government services cease effective March 17, 2020, in response to the need for the use of pesticides for the production of food and reduction of pests, including the need for application of anti-microbial pesticides, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture is addressing the testing, certification and licensure of all pesticide operators and applicators in the following manner until further notice:

For Commercial and Non-Commercial Licenses

• Testing for all licenses is suspended;
• For all license holders whose certification expired December 31, 2019, the KDA will extend their certification period until December 31, 2020 upon payment of license fees for 2020 at Account Registration;
• Persons seeking a new applicator license will be issued a trainee license until certification testing resumes. Click here to access the Trainee Registration form.
• For Structural Pest Control Operators, any new or existing changes must be submitted on this form
• No new commercial operator licenses will be issued.

For Private Applicator Licenses

• For all private applicators whose certification expired December 31, 2019, the KDA (in cooperation with the University of Kentucky’s Department of Entomology) will extend their certification period until December 31, 2020;
• Training for new private applicator licenses will be handled by the University of Kentucky’s Department of Entomology through remote methods. This training will be available online beginning Monday, March 23, 2020 at UK pesticide safety education program.

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In Kentucky, only current Category 7A (Structural Pest Control) and Category 15 (Antimicrobial) operator or applicator license holders may apply disinfectant products in and around structural facilities to control pests, including viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms.

Due to current public gathering restrictions and closure of government offices around the state to in-person services, KDA is unable to perform testing functions, and therefore unable to issue any NEW operator or applicator licenses, including Category 7A and Category 15. Please refer to KDA’s March 19, 2020 guidance on certification extensions and trainee status to determine who qualifies as a current license holder.

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These measures will remain in effect until further notice. Please direct any questions to the Division of Environmental Services by calling (502) 573-0282.