On or after January 1, 1997, the Board shall require as a condition to the renewal of each certified applicator license granted pursuant to the provisions of this section, that the holder thereof certify to the Board that he or she has completed courses of continuing education approved by the Board that cover the applicator's categories of certification for the preceding twelve (12) months. This certification must be completed upon each annual renewal of the certified applicator's license. Failure to do so will prevent the license from being issued.
Each certified applicator is required to gain a certain number of continuing education points per year, and for each annual renewal period thereafter. Applicators who are certified and licensed after the effective date of this regulation, will not be required to obtain points for the first year in which their license is issued. Upon written request, the Board or the Executive Director may grant a hardship to a certified applicator due to extenuating circumstances. The length of the hardship is at the discretion of the Board or the Executive Director.
Each certified applicator shall keep a certificate of completion for each course he or she attends for a period of two years, and submit such records to the Board upon request. These records are subject to inspection by Board personnel at any time. The penalty for falsifying continuing education records is a fine of $2500 to $5000, a six (6) month license suspension and re-testing by the certified applicator. Certified applicators who do not meet the re-certification requirements will have their licenses suspended in all deficient categories for one year or until all deficiencies are corrected, and they must then re-qualify by taking the certification examination.
No courses may be repeated for credit.
The number of continuing education points required for eachyear is hotel rooms Portotwo (2) points in general* training and one point in each categoryin which the applicator is certified. Applicators who become certifiedin additional categories during an annual renewal period will not be required toobtain points in those categories for that period.
*Of the two general category points required forre-certification, at least one (1) must be in federal and state laws, pesticidesafety, environmental protection, or integrated pest management. The other maybe in any general topic.