By: Art Aguirrebarrena, Yuma ESD
The Arizona Department of Agriculture’s Environmental Service Division (AZDA-ESD) issues a number of pesticide related permits, licenses, and certificates to those wishing to sell, deliver, recommend, handle, or apply pesticides, as well as to those who teach about pesticide safety. Individuals who hold an ESD permit or license are required to attend a certain amount of continuing education courses per year to make sure they are up to date with the knowledge required to perform their duties. The amount of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) required per year varies from license to license. The minimum amount, however, must be met to be able to renew each license (except for PGP). Those who hold Pesticide Safety Trainer certificates are required to attend a refresher course every three years, those 3 hours are converted into CEU’s and will count towards the renewal of any ESD license that requires CEU’s.
Online and in-class courses which offer CEUs are available to all AZDA-ESD license holders throughout the year. These courses are provided by third party providers, The University of Arizona (U of A), and the Arizona Department of Agriculture.
Information regarding online and in-class courses are offered are available through several sources. Two of the most common are the Arizona Department of Agriculture and the University of Arizona. Licensees seeking information regarding online courses can visit AZDA’s website at https://agriculture.az.gov/pestspest-control/pesticide-use-providers-continuing-education. You will find a list of AZDA approved on-line courses. AZDA also offers an annual CEU course where a total of 6 CEU’s are available, 3 in the morning and 3 in the afternoon. This course is normally held every December in Maricopa, Safford and Yuma. You can also sign up for UA’s email list to be notified when in-class courses are available through University of Arizona’s different Cooperative Extensions by visiting www.extension.arizona.edu.
In many cases we receive calls in late December or early January from folks that failed to fulfill the CEU requirement and there is nothing that can be done to waive or extend the CEU requirement because the requirement is clearly written in the regulations. So please make sure you don’t wait until the last minute to take CEU courses or you will risk having to retest and reapply for your license.
As always for more information or help with our website please call us. In Yuma, 928-344-7909 and in Phoenix call, 602-542-3579.