Below are brief descriptions of each category of certification available and the recertification credit requirements for each. For those people seeking initial certification and would like clarification on the categories, you can refer to the brief descriptions below.

Commercial Categories:

Intended for pesticide use or supervision of pesticide use on property not owned or leased by the applicator.

Commercial Pesticide Category	Brief Description	3 Year Recertification Requirement*
1A - Agricultural Plant	Production of agricultural crops, grasslands, non-crop agricultural lands, sod, flowers and shrubs.	8
1B - Agricultural Animal	Use of pesticides on livestock, as well as to places where livestock is confined.	6
1C - Companion Animal	Pesticide use on animals other than livestock.	5
1D - Fumigation of Soil & Agricultural Commodities	Use for fumigation of soil in the production of agricultural commodities, as well as, fumigation of agricultural commodities. Certification in this category requires concurrent certification in category 1A - Agricultural Plant.	6
2 - Forest Pest Control	Control pests in forests, forest nurseries, forest seed production areas, and forested areas within urban settings.	6
3A - Ornamentals, Shade Trees & Turf	Maintenance and production of ornamental and shade trees, shrubs, flowers and turf.	10
3B - Turf	Maintenance and production of turf, golf courses, and disease control for aesthetic purposes.	10
3C - Interior Plant Maintenance	Interior plant maintenance, greenhouses and nurseries.	10
4 - Seed Treatment	Use for seeds intended for planting on property not owned or leased by the applicator, including seed treaters who apply pesticides to seeds of other individuals and seed plant operators treating seeds before or after sale.	5
5A - Aquatic Vegetation Control	Used to control of algae and weeds in swimming pools and in any surface waters of the State.	8
5B - Aquatic Insect & Misc. Aquatic Organisms Control	The control of aquatic insects such as mosquito and black fly larva and miscellaneous organisms such as mollusks, leeches and snails.	8
5C - Aquatic Fish Control	To control or eliminate unwanted fish including sea lamprey.	8
5D - Aquatic Antifouling Paints	Application of pesticide products on vessel hulls, boat bottoms, structures and other marine surfaces to inhibit the growth of aquatic organisms.	5
5E - Sewer Line Root Control	Use of pesticides to eliminate tree roots from sewers and other discharge pipes.	5
6A - Right-of-Way Vegetation Control	Maintenance of highways, electric power lines, gas or other pipelines, railway rights-of-way and other related facilities such as, but not limited to, the areas around generating stations, substations, pumping stations and associated buildings.	8
6B - Right-of-Way in Place Pole treatments	Protection of in-place utility poles including the use of pole fumigants.	8
7A - Structural & Rodent Control	To control rodents, roaches, ants, fleas, ticks and stinging and biting insects within or associated with structures, excluding food processing areas and post construction wood destroying organisms. This category does not include termiticides.	12
7B - Fumigation	For rodent control in structures, elimination of experimental laboratory rodents, rodent and mole control (fumigation of burrows), pest control in raw food commodity storage, transportation facilities, trucks, railroad cars, vehicles and food processing establishments.	6
7C - Termite	Identify and treat termite species.	8
7D - Lumber & Wood Products	This category includes preserving poles and lumber, pesticide applications at logging decks; and activities associated with construction not covered by other categories.	6
7F - Food Processing	Required to treat areas, other than individual residences, where exposed food or food products are prepared, packaged or held for further distribution or consumption, including the use of fumigants to control appropriate food pests.	12
7G - Cooling Towers, Pulp & Paper Process	Use of antimicrobials to control bacteria and other such single cell organisms in cooling water and pulp/paper producing systems.	5
8 - Public Health Pest Control	State, federal or other governmental personnel, their contractors and other commercial applicators using or supervising the use of pesticides in public health programs for the management and control of pests.	8
9 - Regulatory Pest Control	State, federal or other governmental personnel who use, or supervise the use of pesticides in the control of regulated pests.	5
10 - Demonstration & Research Pest Control	Requires concurrent certification in a second category of specialty. This category includes, but is not limited to: (1) individuals who demonstrate to the public; and (2) individuals conducting field research.	5
11 - Aerial Pilot	All pilots engaged in commercial or private aerial pesticide applications. Aerial applicators providing pesticide recommendations must obtain concurrent certification in the appropriate category.	6
12 - Sales (of Restricted Use Pesticides)	Individuals who sell, distribute or supervise the sale or distribution of restricted use pesticides. This category is not authorized to commercially use pesticides without obtaining a second category of specialty.	3

Aquatic Antifouling Paint Category:

Category	Brief Description	3 Year Recertification Requirement*
13 - Aquatic Antifouling Paint Applicator	Application of pesticide products on vessel hulls, boat bottoms, structures and other marine surfaces to inhibit the growth of aquatic organisms. This category is NOT able to add other categories of certification or supervise apprentices. Please contact your regional DEC office to speak with a Pesticide Control Specialist for details.	5

Private Categories:

Intended for the use or supervision of the use of restricted pesticides, including chemigation, when producing agricultural commodities on property owned or leased by the applicator or the applicator's employer.

Private Pesticide Category	Brief Description	5 Year Recertification Requirement*
21 - Field & Forage	Production of agricultural crops, vegetables, small fruits, tree fruits and nuts, grasslands, non-crop agricultural lands, sod farms and nurseries. Applicants should choose the category based on their primary crop, it is not necessary to hold additional categories within this series.	10
22 - Fruit
23 - Vegetable
24 - Greenhouse & Florist
25 - Nursery, Ornamentals & Turf
31 - Agricultural Animal Pest Control	Use on livestock, as well as to places the livestock is confined.	8
41 - Aquatic Pest Control	Applications to standing or running water to control aquatic vegetation and insects.	8

*Recertification Note: Core credits count for all categories; however, of the total amount of continuing education credits required for each category a minimum of 25% must be specific to that particular category. The remaining 75% due can be category specific, core, or any combination of the two. For example: An applicator on a 3 Year cycle recertifying in Category 7A must earn at least 3 credits in Category 7A and the remaining 9 credits due can be either all Category specific (7A), all core, or a combination of core and 7A.