If you need to become a certified and licensed pesticide applicator, or you need to be recertified and licensed, read the information needed for the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) training.

The training materials are sold by the University of Wisconsin Extension – Pesticide Application Training (PAT) program. The training manuals are $47 per category, an interactive pdf of the manual is $42 (if available), plus a handling fee. 

You can become certified and licensed by doing self-study and setting up an appointment to take the exam at a DATCP testing center, or you can attend a “Live Session”. If you attend the Live Session you need to pre-register for the session, and that is an additional $30 nonrefundable fee. At the live training session there is a proctored DATCP certification exam given after the training session. 

Be sure to bring your copy of the current training manual with the intact training registration with you whether you go to a DATCP testing center or a Live Session. The Forestry Live Session was held on Feb. 23, 2017, so if you want to become certified and licensed in Category 2.0 Forestry you will have to do the self-study for 2017 and take the exam at a DATCP testing center.

If you have any questions about training materials, call PAT at (608) 262-7588 or email them at PATprogram@mailplus.wisc.edu.

Written by: Todd Lanigan, forest health specialist, Eau Claire, (Todd.Lanigan@wisconsin.gov), 715-839-1632.