Update to Compendium Volume 3, Restricted Materials and Permitting: Private Applicator Certification

This letter announces the availability of updates to Volume 3, Restricted Materials and Permitting, of the Pesticide Use Enforcement Program Standards Compendium. Effective January 1, 2024, California adopted regulations to align California’s private applicator certification program with U.S. EPA’s revised Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations (40 CFR) Part 171. The enclosed updates to Compendium Volume 3 address the following changes in Chapter 4:

• U.S. EPA required DPR to align the Title 3, California Code of Regulations (3 CCR) section 6000 definition of “private applicator” with the applicable definition in the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. This was done by removing subsection (b) covering “householders” from the California definition. Starting January 1, 2024, these individuals looking to use restricted pesticides must be a certified commercial applicator (i.e., hold a Qualified Applicator Certificate or License with the proper category from DPR), rather than be a certified private applicator.
• Effective January 1, 2024, 3 CCR section 6406 has been amended and expanded. The changes will be addressed in future updates to Compendium Volume 4. For additional information on private applicator supervision of noncertified applicators please refer to Volume 8 Section 3.8.
• Consistent with 40 CFR Part 171, Assembly Bill 203 (Statutes of 2022) eliminated authority in Food and Agricultural Code Section 14092(b) for County Agricultural Commissioners to administer an oral examination to private applicator certificate examinees. All private applicator exams must be provided and answered in writing.
• Information about obtaining the Private Applicator Certificate study guide has been updated. In addition, information on obtaining the Burrowing Vertebrate Pest Fumigation certificate option and study material has been added.
• Other miscellaneous changes to improve clarity and readability.

Enclosed updates:

• Volume 3. Chapter 4. Private Applicator Certification; Pages 4-1 – 4-8.

The enclosed updates will also be available online.

Print the updates two-sided, remove the old pages from the manual, and insert the new pages.

If you have any questions, please contact the Enforcement Branch Liaison assigned to your county.

Sincerely,