Review of Certification or License

PURPOSE: This rule provides for review of licenses by the director as provided for in section 281.110, RSMo 1986. The reason for this rule is to allow the director to determine whether or not denial or revocation procedures should be invoked on an individual whose license has been denied or revoked or who has been convicted in criminal or civil action in another state or by the federal government for misuse of pesticides. This rule is needed to keep unscrupulous pesticide applicators and dealers from continuing business by seeking harborage in another state. (1) The director may investigate the need for hearings to deny, suspend, revoke, or modify a license or certification. These investigations may extend to license qualifications and possible violations of the Missouri Pesticide Use Act. (2) Additional training or reexamination of certified commercial applicators, certified noncommercial applicators, and certified public operators is required within three (3) years from initial certification and within each subsequent three- (3-) year period. Additional training and reexamination shall pertain to maintaining competence and meeting the needs of changing technology in the safe and proper use of pesticides through one (1) of the following options: (A) Certified commercial applicators, certified noncommercial applicators, and certified public operators must attend a recertification training program approved by the department that meets the general standards of competency and category specific standards of competency for each category of certification; or (B) Certified commercial applicators, certified noncommercial applicators, and certified public operators must pass the general standards of competence exam (CORE) and each category exam for which the applicator is certified. (3) Additional training of pesticide technicians is required within three (3) years from initial licensing and within each subsequent three- (3-) year period. Pesticide technicians may attend a recertification training program approved by the department that meets the general standards of competency and the category specific standards of competency for each category in which the technician is licensed or by completing the approved technician classroom training program for each category. Additional training shall pertain to maintaining competence and meeting the needs of changing technology in the safe and proper use of pesticides. (4) Additional training or reexamination of certified private applicators is required within five (5) years from initial certification and within each subsequent five- (5-) year period. This additional training and reexamination shall pertain to maintaining competence and meeting the needs of changing technology in the safe and proper use of agricultural pesticides through one (1) of the following options: (A) Certified private applicators must attend a departmentapproved University of Missouri Extension private applicator in-person or online certification training program that meets the general standards of competency and the category specific standards of competency for each category of certification; or (B) Certified private applicators must pass the examination for each category of certification: 20–General Agricultural Pest Control, 21–Soil Fumigation Pest Control, 22–Non-Soil Fumigation Pest Control, or 23–Aerial Pest Control. (5) If successful completion of the additional training or reexamination requirement is not met prior to the CORE, training, or category(ies) expiration date, the CORE or category(ies) becomes invalid. Licensed applicators will be given sixty (60) days from the expiration date to properly comply with the additional training or reexamination requirement. (A) Use of an invalid license or category during the sixty- (60-) day period following expiration will be in violation of the Act. (6) Noncertified restricted use pesticide (RUP) applicator (NRUP) licenses will be cancelled if the NRUP training or the CORE examination requirement is not successfully completed within sixty (60) days of the CORE/Training expiration date. (7) Certified Commercial Applicator, Certified Noncommercial Applicator, and Certified Public Operator licenses will be canceled if the CORE additional training or reexamination requirement is not successfully completed within sixty (60) days of the CORE expiration date. (A) Categories will be canceled if the additional training or reexamination requirement is not successfully completed within sixty (60) days of the category expiration date. If all categories are canceled, the license will be canceled. (8) Pesticide Technician categories will be canceled if the retraining requirement is not successfully completed within sixty (60) days of the category expiration date. If all categories are canceled, the license will be canceled, and the individual shall be required to satisfy all the requirements of licensure as if such individual was never licensed. (9) Certified Private Applicator licenses will be canceled if the additional training or reexamination requirement for Category 20–General Agricultural Pest Control is not successfully completed within sixty (60) days of the expiration date. (A) Additional categories will be canceled if the additional training or reexamination requirement is not successfully completed within sixty (60) days of the category expiration date. AUTHORITY: section 281.110, RSMo 2016.* Original rule filed May 12, 1976, effective Oct. 21, 1976. Amended: Filed Sept. 6, 1977, effective Dec. 11, 1977. Amended: Filed Aug. 14, 1989, effective Jan. 1, 1990. ** Amended: Filed May 15, 2024, effective Jan. 1, 2025. *Original authority: 281.110, RSMo 1974. **Pursuant to Executive Order 21-07, 2 CSR 70-25.050, section (2) was suspended from March 26, 2020 through April 23, 2021.