Producers intending to apply restricted use pesticides on their own property or property that they lease in the production of an agricultural commodity must have a Private Applicator License. Producers must have that license to both purchase and apply those materials.

Producers have to pass a Private Applicator Test administered by the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDA) in order to be licensed. If the individual producer successfully passes that test, he or she can then pay a fee to the Illinois Department of Agriculture and a license will be mailed to them.

U of I Extension does not administer the test and does not administer the distribution of licenses for restricted use products. However, Extension does assist producers via providing test-only sites.

Two test-only sessions are offered on Jan. 30, 2020, a morning session from 10 a.m.-Noon and an afternoon session from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. at U of I Extension, Tazewell County, 1505 Valle Vista, Pekin.

Individuals wishing to attend one of these test-only sessions must pre-register. There is no fee to attend. Bring a calculator! 

For more information visit: http://web.extension.illinois.edu/psep/ (online training courses, other testing and training dates and locations, contact information for each site, commercial testing information, resources, etc.)