Updated 11/15/10

Recertification

• Requirements
• Finding courses
• Tracking credits
• Sponsoring a course
• Fact Sheets/Publications for Use at Recertification Courses
• Sponsor Newsletter
• Listing of All WSDA Approved Recertification Courses

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Requirements

All individuals holding a WSDA pesticide or Structural Pest Inspector (SPI) license must complete recertification requirements every five years in order to maintain their license. This may be accomplished by attending WSDA approved recertification courses or by retesting. The type of license you hold determines the extent of your recertification requirement.

Many people confuse the five-year recertification requirement with annual renewal. In order to be valid, all licenses except the 5-year Limited and Rancher Private Applicator licenses must be renewed annually. A licensee has five years to complete his/her recertification requirement. Once a five-year recertification cycle is completed, a new one begins.

Under the current system, licensees are free to choose which courses they attend. Because WSDA does not, in general, sponsor recertification courses, licensees are encouraged to address concerns and suggestions about course content and quality directly to the sponsor. If you are not satisfied with the content of courses you attend and sponsors are unwilling to tailor courses to your needs, you are encouraged to seek out more relevant courses.

To learn more about WSDA's recertification program, go to our Pesticide/Pest Inspector License Recertification Requirements Fact Sheet.

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Finding courses

WSDA accredits several hundred recertification courses each year, the majority of which are open to all. Courses are sponsored by a variety of businesses, agencies and organizations. Depending on the course and sponsor, there may be a fee required for attendance. You can search on open, WSDA accredited recertification courses by location, topic and language.

The Washington State University's (WSU) Pesticide Education Program sponsors a number of statewide recertification short courses each fall and winter. Your local county extension agent and/or noxious weed board may also sponsor courses as may your pesticide dealer and any professional organizations that you belong to.

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Tracking credits

Licensees are strongly encouraged to maintain a record of the recertification courses that they attend. All WSDA attendance rosters list the course title, ID number and credit amount.  Take special note of sessions designated as either equivalent or concurrent with another session.  This designation, which is printed on the course roster, prevents you from getting credit for both sessions in the same year.

You may also view your recertification credit status on-line. After locating your license record from the license search page, select any of the listed license types to view its credit status.

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Sponsoring a course

Recertification courses must contain a minimum of two hours of credit qualifying topics. This can be accomplished in one course of at least two hours or in an ongoing course that combines sessions to satisfy the two-hour minimum. For on-site training courses, you must be willing to have a WSDA monitor present. WSDA's Recertification Policy details the criteria for assigning recertification credits.

The process to follow to get a course accredited depends upon the type of course you are sponsoring.

• On-site training containing two or more hours of credit qualifying topics in ONE course

Review the Recertification Course Sponsorship Instructions and then submit a completed Recertification Course Accreditation Request form along with a copy of the course agenda at least three weeks prior to the start of the course. If a course is accredited, WSDA will forward the sponsor the recertification credit roster.

• On-site training containing two or more hours of credit qualifying topics in an ONGOING course

In order to meet the two-credit minimum, you may sponsor a course that runs continuously over the course of a year (i.e. a college class, grower breakfast meeting, etc.). You must follow the same procedure as above and you must agree to compile the credit information of those who attend the course. Please see the Recertification Compilation Method Instructions if you are interested in sponsoring this type of course.

• Independent study courses such as correspondence, on-line, video or CD Rom based

Review the Independent Study Course Sponsorship Instructions and then submit the items and information detailed in the memo along with a completed Recertification Course Accreditation Request form at least 90 days prior to the start of the course.

Once the sponsor has submitted all the required information, WSDA will review it and then provide the sponsor with course approval or denial. The course approval will include the number of credits granted and, in the case of on-site courses (except those that are ongoing), the course roster. It is the responsibility of the sponsor to ensure the integrity of the rosters. Only allow licensees to sign rosters for courses they have attended. If they arrive late or leave early, you are obligated to make a notation next to their name directly on the course roster. Failure to do so can affect your ability to sponsor future courses. Return all original signature rosters (not copies!) and unused rosters promptly to WSDA so that credits may be accurately assigned to licensees.

Sponsors are responsible for ensuring that courses contain the material outlined in the submitted agenda or that WSDA is notified of any changes to the program. Failure to do so can affect the accreditation of the course in question and/or your ability to sponsor future courses.

Questions can be directed to License Recertification Staff. Toll free telephone access is available by calling 1-877-301-4555.

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