North Carolina · NCDA&CS

North Carolina continuing education requirements

Who needs what, and when, for North Carolina structural pest control credentials and pesticide applicator licenses.

Structural pest control

Under the Structural Pest Control Act (N.C.G.S. Chapter 106, Article 4C) and rules at 02 NCAC 34. Credit is counted in Continuing Certification Units (CCUs) by phase: Household Pest (P), Wood-Destroying Organisms (W), and Fumigation (F). Licensees and certified applicators are certified for 5 years at a time.

Licensee (P, W, or F phase)

What you need

One phase: 10 CCUs per 5-year certification period, 5 in your phase plus 5 from any approved structural pest control course.
Two phases: 15 CCUs. Three phases: 20 CCUs. Each phase needs 5 CCUs that count only toward that phase.
CCUs must be earned in at least 4 separate years of the 5.
Or pass the recertification exam instead.

When

CCUs are due by June 30 of your recertification year.
The recertification exam is taken January 1 to June 30 of the last year of your period.
The license itself renews every year by June 30.

Certified applicator, noncommercial

What you need

Same CCU totals as a licensee for the phases you hold.
CCUs earned in at least 4 separate years of the 5, or pass the recertification exam.

When

CCUs due by June 30 of your recertification year.
Card renews every year by June 30.

Certified applicator, commercial

What you need

Same CCU totals as a licensee for the phases you hold.
CCUs earned in at least 3 separate years of the 5, or pass the recertification exam.

When

CCUs due by June 30 of your recertification year.
Card renews every year by June 30.

Registered technician

What you need

No CCUs.
Before the card is issued: the Division workbook, at least 24 hours of supervised on-the-job training, and the 8-hour registered technician school.
Every year: the required NCDA&CS registered technician training video, watched with a certified person overseeing. No in-house substitute is accepted.
Must be at least 18 years old (from July 1, 2025).

When

The licensee must apply for the technician's ID card within 75 days of hire.
Card renews every year by June 30.

Good to know

1 CCU equals 1 hour of Division-approved training. Structural courses are approved in whole hours, and each hour counts toward one category.
The structural year runs July 1 to June 30. For a June 30, 2026 recertification date, courses taken from July 1, 2021 on count.
You can't earn credit for the same course twice in one 5-year period.
One-time requirement from the 2025 rules revision: every licensee and certified applicator must watch the 52-minute NCDA&CS rules video before their current 5-year period ends.

Pesticide applicators

Under the North Carolina Pesticide Law of 1971 (N.C.G.S. Chapter 143, Article 52) and rules at 02 NCAC 09L. Recertification credits are earned in the category you hold.

Commercial applicator (ground categories)

What you need

The credits for your category over a 5-year period (table below), or pass a comprehensive exam.
Credits for each category must be earned in at least 2 of the 5 years.
Several categories: the full credits for your highest-requirement category, plus 3 credits for each additional category.

When

Credits due by June 30 of your recertification year. The 5-year period follows your own certification date.
The license itself expires December 31 every year and must be renewed.

Aerial applicator (P)

What you need

4 credits per 2-year period: 1 aerial credit plus 3 specialty credits.

When

Your NCDA&CS record shows your recertification date. The license renews every year.

Private applicator

What you need

Every 3 years: 2 V credits (private safety) plus 2 X credits (private specialty).
One additional category-specific X credit for each extra private category.

When

Credits due by September 30 of the year your certification expires.

Pesticide dealer (D)

What you need

5 credits per 5-year period.

When

Your NCDA&CS record shows your recertification date.

Credits per 5-year period, by category

Code	Category	Credits
A	Aquatic	6
B	Public Health	6
D	Dealer	5
G	Forest	6
H	Right-of-Way	4
I	Regulatory	6
K	Agricultural Pest-Animal	6
L	Ornamental & Turf	10
M	Seed Treatment	3
N	Demonstration & Research	10
O	Agricultural Pest-Plant	10

Good to know

1 credit equals 1 hour of approved training: at least 50 minutes on pesticide or IPM content. A half credit needs at least 25 minutes.
One-time requirement: private and commercial applicators certified before July 1, 2025 must watch the one-hour NCDA&CS training-standards video and submit the verification form by their credit deadline (June 30 commercial, September 30 private). Missing it means retaking the certification exams.
Public operators and pest control consultants also recertify by credits or exam. Confirm your exact requirement with the NCDA&CS Pesticide Section.
Attendance can take 2 to 3 weeks to post. You are responsible for confirming your credits were reported.

Check your credits

1Open the NCDA&CS credential search on the NCDA&CS Public Portal.
2Look up your credential, then select the yellow "Course Credits" button to see your transcript.
3Compare it against the requirement above for your credential, and note your recertification date.

Where our North Carolina courses fit

Our courses are pending NCDA&CS approval and are not open for enrollment or credit yet. The credit below is what we have requested.

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Sources

Summarized from NCDA&CS, the North Carolina Administrative Code (02 NCAC 34 and 02 NCAC 09L), and the General Statutes, reviewed October 2026. Rules change: your NCDA&CS record and the Division are the final word on what you owe. This page is general information, not legal advice.