Ohio Commercial Pesticide Applicator License Study Guides
T o qualify for a commercial pesticide applicator license in Ohio, you must: (1) pass the Core exam, (2) pass at least one category exam, (3) submit the application, and (4) pay the license fee. These study guides are designed to help applicants prepare for the exams.
For additional information or help in deciding which pesticide-use category you need for licensure, call the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s Pesticide & Fertilizer Regulation Section at 614-728-6987. For information on optional training courses for new applicators and recertification opportunities, call Ohio State University Extension Pesticide Safety Education Program at 614-292-4070 or visit pested.osu.edu. To register for a seat at a pesticide exam session or to find recertification credit class opportunities, please go to agri.ohio.gov/divisions/plant-health/pesticides and click the “Online Tools” tab near the top-center of the page.
Study materials are available through local Ohio State University Extension offices and online at extensionpubs.osu.edu. Ohio residents get the best price when they order and pick up their purchases through local Extension offices. Find your county’s Extension office at extension.osu.edu/lao. Please call ahead for availability.
Available study materials are described below. Download a printable catalog here.
To request an accessible format of any publication, visit cfaes.osu.edu/accessibility .
Category List
Core Manual Bundle (Required for all licensees)
Applying Pesticides Correctly (Core Manual):
- Required for all commercial pesticide applicators.
- Designed to teach and encourage all areas of proper pesticide use.
- Describes pest identification and provides instructions on reading the pesticide label.
- Includes information on dry and liquid formulations, application of pesticides, environmental issues and contamination prevention, the harmful effects of pesticides on humans, emergency response, handling, cleanup, and storage instructions.
- Sample test included in the back of each chapter.
Also required (included with purchase)
- Safety Training Guide for Trained Servicepersons
- Focuses on safety training for trained servicepersons who are non-licensed commercial or private users of pesticides and who work under the direct supervision of a licensed applicator.
NOTE: Spanish language version available upon request. (Nota: Versión en español disponible a petición.) Email extension-pubs@osu.edu.
- Includes general Ohio laws and rules on the use and distribution of pesticides, as well as safety procedures and equipment.
Purchase the Core Manual Bundle. | PDF
Category 1—Aerial Pest Control
- Focuses on the application of pesticides, except fumigants, by aircraft—both manned and unmanned.
- Published by the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Research Foundation (NASDARF), with support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Category 2a—Agronomic Pest Control
Category 2b—Horticultural Pest Control
- Focuses on the application of pesticides to fruit and vegetable crops for the control of pests other than weeds.
Category 2c—Agricultural Weed Control
Category 2d—Seed Treatment
- Focuses on the application of pesticides to seed for the control of insects and disease organisms.
- Includes information on labeling and inspection fee requirements, coloration of seed or grain definitions, poisonous seed treatment material standards, coloring and dyeing of grain and seed treatment material, and labeling, among other topics.
Category 2e—Tobacco Sucker Control
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"Sucker Control in Burley and Dark Tobaccos" is available as a fact sheet on Ohio State University Extension Publishing's Ohioline at ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/anr-0841-2e.
Excerpt: Removing the tops of tobacco plants also removes the dominant influence of the terminal shoot over lateral shoots, or "suckers." If left unchecked, suckers can severely reduce tobacco yield and quality. Manual control of suckers, however, is increasingly handled by less expensive and more efficient chemical control.
Category 2f—Soil Fumigation
- Focuses on the application of fumigants to soil for the control of soil-inhabiting pests.
- Published by the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Research Foundation (NASDARF), with support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Category 3a—Aquatic Pest Control
- Focuses on the application of pesticides to standing or running water, other than swimming pools, for the control of aquatic pests.
Category 3b—Boat Anti-Foulant
- Focuses on the application of restricted-use anti-foulant paints containing TBT to boats for the control of undesirable organisms.
- Prepared by members of the National Paint & Coatings Association.
