The growing season is upon us finally! With the new green growth will also come pests unfortunately. Do you have what you need to deal with them? Do you still need to obtain your Illinois pesticide applicator or operator license? Only a couple in-person pesticide safety education clinics remain and spots are limited.
Register today to hold your seat
March 31-April 1 – Skokie – Commercial Clinic
General Standards (only a few seats available at this writing)
Ornamentals
Turfgrass
April 7-8 – Crystal Lake – Commercial Clinic
General Standards
Rights-of-Way (added to this location)
Turfgrass (added to this location)
Once this clinic season ends, you still have options for training and testing. See below to get you well on your way to becoming certified. The training options offered will help you prepare for the test so that you can make pesticide applications this year still. Additionally, these resources may prove useful to you, Tips to help employees succeed and Certification exam preparation: tips and accommodations.
Training options
Online training
Online courses remain available as an alternative to in-person training. Online courses include General Standards, Private Applicator, and the most popular license categories. The courses are designed to be completed on your own schedule and pace. Each course will guide you through video lessons instructed by PSEP specialists and keep you engaged with plenty of exam-prep questions. Our online training courses will be available until August 31, 2026 when we close them for a month for routine maintenance.
Register through our Training and Testing page. Be sure to read the “How-to & FAQ” to save time and confusion.
Fee: General Standards/Private Applicator $45.00; Categories $25.00 each
Self-study publications
Training manuals (reference textbooks) are available for purchase for those who prefer to simply read the required material for General Standards, Private Applicator, and each category of licensure. Workbooks contain “fill-in-the-blanks” which can be answered when using the accompanying manual or while attending our in-person training clinics. Workbook questions include page numbers of where the topic can be found in the manual. Please note these workbooks are not intended for use with online training as the two aren’t as closely aligned and the blanks may not be as easy to fill in.
Order Study Materials page or call (217) 333-2007. Please note that ordering online will require the creation of an account. Note too that many local Extension offices also carry and sell our publications.
Testing options
In-person testing
The Illinois Department of Agriculture offers test-only sessions (no training). Pre-registration is required for all test-only sessions. To register for an exam and to find locations, dates and times please visit their in-person testing website. While at that website, note the testing rules listed. There is no fee for in-person testing.
Online testing
For those needing an alternative to in-person testing, online exams for General Standards, Private Applicator and all categories (except Soil Fumigation) are offered utilizing an exam proctoring service. Exam length and time are similar to that of in-person testing. Exams appointments may be scheduled 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. A small fee is required for the proctoring service and paid directly to them. For more information or to register for an online exam, visit our Training and Testing website. Be sure to read the “How-to & FAQ” to save time and confusion.
Planning ahead
As this clinic season ends, we are planning the 2026-2027 in-person training clinics with those set to begin in November or December this year. Keep in mind, that passing the test after October 1, 2026 will allow for licensure valid the calendar years of 2027, 2028, and 2029.
If your license will expire end of 2026, go ahead and make a note in your calendar to watch the mail for your retest notification letter, typically mailed out around November 1. We'll release our clinic schedule then too. Unsure of when your license is set to expire? Check out the Illinois Department of Agriculture's online applicator search tool.
Lastly, any passing scores received during 2026 will expire on December 31, 2026. Be sure to pass any needed category exams and complete any mailing or payment requirements in time to ensure licensure.
Photo credit: mailcaroline, Adobe Stock
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Michelle Wiesbrook provides subject matter expertise and training in pesticide safety with an emphasis on horticultural weed science. She serves as the Illinois Pesticide Review newsletter editor, collecting and organizing material.