Pesticides Certification Program
Lakeland College manages Alberta’s commercial pesticide applicator and dispenser certification programs.
The program includes 15 different applicator classes. As well, Lakeland manages:
- commercial dispenser
- recertification
- train the trainer
- authorized assistant
- interprovincial certification
You earn certification by passing an exam. Lakeland also oversees the associated training, home study courses. Each course is a series of lessons.
Learn more in the brief descriptions below. More information is on specific pages in this section of Lakeland's website.
For more background, check the provincial pesticide management in Alberta website.
Who needs an applicator certification? |
The Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (EPEA) controls the sale, use, application, handling, storage, transport and disposal of pesticides in Alberta.
Anyone who wants to purchase, use or apply a pesticide described in Schedule 1 or 2 of the Pesticide Ministerial Regulation must either be a certified applicator or be supervised by a certified applicator.
This means:
Specifically, pesticide applicator certification is required for anyone applying:
Notes:
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Pesticide applicator classes |
These are the main applicator classes:
There are also 5 specialized applicator classes:
More detail on each of these classes can be found on the applicator classes and specialized applicator classes pages. |
Elements of Training |
There are 3 parts to the training:
You purchase the home study courses from Lakeland College. Classroom tutorials are generally 4 days in length and are offered in colleges around Alberta. The home study courses are the text books. Exams range in length from an hour and a half to 4 hours. This depends on what applicator class you have studied. Exams are electronic and can be taken at proctored exam centres in Vermilion, Olds, Lethbridge, Edmonton and Grande Prairie. Paper exams are available. Currently, due to COVID-19, exams are also available in a virtual setting. All exams are closed book. |
Recertification (renew before it expires) |
If you don't renew, your service registration is automatically cancelled. Then you must stop all pesticide applicator activities until you have re-certified your certificate/s. You must renew each class of certificate you hold. You have two options:
More information, including a list of courses approved for credit, is on the Alberta Environment Pesticide Applicator Recertification Program web page.
You may check your current certification by logging into our applicator database.
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Commercial dispenser certification |
Commercial Retail Vendor Requirements - Companies retailing pesticides registered as "Restricted, Industrial, Commercial or Agricultural" (Alberta Schedules 1 & 2) must hold a valid Agrichemical Warehousing Standards Association (AWSA) certificate or a Pesticide Vendor Registration issued by Alberta Environment.
All retail outlets are required to have at least one certified commercial pesticide dispenser. A certificate is issued upon successful completion of the certification exam. |
Train the Trainer and Authorized Assistants |
If you want to train an authorized assistant and provide core lesson pesticide applicator tutorial training, you must first become a pesticide applicator trainer. This requirement is in place to:
Authorized assistants may do the same work as a certified applicator but have to be under the certified applicator's direct supervision. An assistant may also apply pesticides listed in section 5(11) of the Environmental Code of Practice for Pesticides. |
Farmer pesticide training |
If you aren't applying pesticides commercially, there is a Farmer Pesticide Certificate. This certification applies only to work on your farmland. Alberta Agriculture oversees the training program and certification. However, if you use restricted products, you'll need to take 2 additional modules related to pest control in stored grain and exterior rodent control.
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