Farmers can test in-person for license renewal.
The Illinois Department of Agriculture and the DeKalb County Farm Bureau are partnering to offer in-person pesticide testing in the upcoming months.
Testing will be made available at the DeKalb County Farm Bureau Building on Thursdays, Feb. 11 and Feb 25 pending gathering restrictions, with additional opportunities to follow the second and fourth Thursday of each month until further notice.
Testing will begin at 9 a.m. and go until noon each day, with all testing needs available on site. Availability will be limited to within the Restore Illinois guidelines due to COVID-19 and facility restrictions.
Anyone interested in scheduling should visit https://www2.illinois.gov/sites/agr/Pesticides/Pages/in-person-testing.aspx to review the rules about in-person testing and to schedule their time and location.
Specific questions about pesticide testing can be directed to the IDOA DeKalb office at 815-787-5476.
The Department of Agriculture also offers on-line testing.
Farmers are required to renew their Illinois private pesticide applicator license every three years. The license is needed for farmers who apply and purchase restricted-use pesticides. The fee for the applicator license is $30.
Applicants must complete an examination and obtain a score of at least 70 percent. The Department of Agriculture administers the test.
As part of the certification and licensing program, the Department conducts various types of inspections and pesticide application records checks.