A plain-English walkthrough of getting licensed in New Hampshire — commercial versus private licensing, the exams, what it costs, and how to study and pass. Pesticide licensing in New Hampshire is run by the Division of Pesticide Control within the Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food, with study materials through UNH Cooperative Extension.
Exams are $15 each, scheduled by calling the Division of Pesticide Control, with study materials from the UNH Extension Pesticide Safety Education Program — anchored by the National Pesticide Applicator Certification Core Manual, the exact text our practice bank drills, plus the New Hampshire administrative rules. UNH also runs $60 two-day prep courses (with the state exams on day three) and category-specific commercial prep.
New Hampshire licenses renew annually — application, proof of financial responsibility, and your prior-year pesticide use report — with the recertification checkpoint landing every fifth renewal: commercial applicators show about 12 education credits and private applicators about 15 over the five-year period (documented by December 31 of the recert year), or retest in year five. Approved out-of-state seminars count, and UNH offers one-credit online modules. Confirm current fees and your credit target with the Division.
New Hampshire renews the license every year — you submit the renewal application, proof of financial responsibility, and your prior-year pesticide-use report each cycle, with notices emailed in mid-November. The recertification checkpoint lands every fifth renewal: over the five-year period commercial applicators document about 12 education credits and private applicators about 15 (complete by December 31 of the recertification year), or retest in the fifth year. Approved out-of-state seminars count, and UNH Extension offers approved online credits with no cap on how many you take that way. Confirm your recertification year and credit total with the Division of Pesticide Control before it lands.
Exams are $15 each (commercial, dealer, and private restricted-use), and a general-use-only private permit is free with no exam. License fees are on the Division's fee schedule and renew annually — confirm current amounts with the Division of Pesticide Control.
Licenses renew every year, but every fifth renewal requires proof of recertification: roughly 12 education credits for commercial applicators and 15 for private applicators earned across the five-year period — or passing the exams again in the final year.
Anyone applying pesticides on the property of another — professional pest control, invasive plant work, golf course applications, or applications made as part of your job. Selling restricted-use products requires the separate dealer license.
Through the UNH Cooperative Extension Pesticide Safety Education Program — the National Core Manual plus the New Hampshire rules — with two-day prep courses ($60) that finish with the state exams, and online recertification modules for credit.
New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food — Division of Pesticide Control (DPC) administers pesticide applicator certification in New Hampshire. Official requirements, applications, and scheduling come from the agency directly at https://www.agriculture.nh.gov/farms-businesses/pesticides/pesticide-licensing.
Start with the National CORE material — the safety, label, and law foundation every state exam draws on. The free practice exams, flashcards, and study guides on this page mirror the real exam format: timed, scored, with a plain-English rationale on every question.
