Welcome to Pennington County, Minnesota.

Welcome to Pennington County, Minnesota.

Welcome to Pennington County, Minnesota.

Welcome to Pennington County, Minnesota.

Welcome to Pennington County, Minnesota.

Category: Extension Office

Commercial/Non-Commercial Recertification

If your Minnesota commercial or non-commercial pesticide license expires in 2024, plan to attend a recertification workshop. This should not be confused with the Private Pesticide license held by most farmers who spray chemicals on their own or rented acreage. 

Those who need to recertify in categories A (Core,) C (Crops,) or H (Seed Treatment) may do so in-person locally on January 30th at the University of Minnesota-Crookston, Student Union Building, 2900 University Avenue in Crookston. Registration closes on January 23rd. Cost is $145 for two certifications and $190 for three. A recertification workshop will also be held in Fergus Falls April 15th. A Zoom recertification will be held online for categories A and C on February 14th, registration closes February 7th. You can register at z.umn.edu/psee

Those who wish to earn their initial commercial/non-commercial license may set up to test at Pennington County Ag Services by calling 218-683-7030 between the hours of 7:30 am and 12:30 pm. You may also email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. in order to set-up a test date.  First-time applicants should check-out the PRE-certififcation online,self-paced course prior to testing. 

To register for any of these online or in-person workshops, or to find other recertification times and locations, please search “Minnesota pesticide recertification workshop.” Then look for the University of Minnesota Extension link at the top of the page or go to z.umn.edu/psee

Category: Extension Office

Private Pesticide Applicator Recertification 2024

Private applicators apply restricted use pesticides (RUPs) to lands or sites they own, rent or manage for the production of an agricultural commodity. Farmers and their families who apply RUPs to their land can apply for a private applicator certification.  Certification lasts for three years. To check your certification number, status and expiration date, search for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture Private Pesticide Applicator Search page. Or call the MDA at 651-201-6633.

Those who wish to recertify their private pesticide license have several options.If your certification has not yet expired, choose one of the following recertification options:

  • Complete a mail-in exam, take an online exam, or  attend an in-person or Zoom workshop offered in January or February.

Each option costs $75.   If your certification has expired, you must complete the mail-in or online exam.If you want to mail your recertification test or take it online, call Pennington County Ag Services or stop by to get a packet after January 3rd. Online Zoom options or workshop registrations are available by searching “private applicator testing Minnesota extension.”

Those who wish to attend a workshop may do so as long as their license is still valid.  Here are the workshops sites in the Northwest Region of Minnesota.

1/16/2024 9:00 am - 12:30 pm McIntosh Community Center 115 NW Broadway McIntosh

1/17/2024 1:00 - 4:30 pm  Ada Event Center (former VFW)  415 S Main St Ada

1/19/2024 1:00 - 4:30 pm Comstock Community Center 15855 17th St South Comstock

2/1/2024   9:00 am - 12:30 pm Roseau City Center 121 Center St  Roseau

2/2/2024   1:00 - 4:30 pm Northwest Research & Outreach Center Auditorium 2900 University Ave. Crookston

2/16/2024 9:00 am - 12:30 pm Northland Community & Tech College Auditorium 1101 Highway One East Thief River Falls

If you have questions, contact Grant Nelson at Pennington County Ag Services from 7:30 am until 12:30 pm at 218-683-7030 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.