Pesticide applicator license requirements in New Hampshire

New Hampshire is the only state in this batch that structures its private-applicator categories entirely around the crop or commodity being protected, rather than around a generic core-plus-category exam structure. The Division of Pesticide Control, inside the state’s Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food, licenses both tracks on a shared fee schedule and a 5-year recertification cycle.

Private applicator: certification by commodity, not by a generic core exam

New Hampshire’s private applicator categories name the actual crop: Christmas trees, nursery, greenhouse, small fruit, tree fruit, poultry, dairy, vegetable, or sod. A farmer applying restricted-use pesticides picks the category matching what they grow or raise rather than sitting a single generic private-applicator exam the way most other states in this batch structure it. The exam fee is $25 and the license fee is $50, with a 70% minimum passing score.

Commercial applicator: use-site categories, A1 through F1

Commercial applicators certify by use-site category instead: A1 through A3 for agricultural pest control, B for right-of-way and weed control, C1 and C2 for forest pest control, D for aquatic pest control, E for public health, and F1 for industrial and institutional use. Every category exam runs $25, and the state’s core-exam-plus-category-exam structure applies the same $50 license fee and $50 renewal fee across both private and commercial tracks, keeping New Hampshire’s fee schedule notably simple compared to states that scale fees per category.

Recertification: 10 units over a 5-year cycle

Both private and commercial credentials recertify on a 5-year cycle, requiring 10 continuing-education units accumulated across that period. UNH Extension delivers most of the qualifying training, both online and in person, working alongside the Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food’s own recertification training requirement. Ten units over 5 years works out to roughly 2 units a year on average, though New Hampshire does not require the units to be spread evenly, only that all 10 land somewhere inside the 5-year window.

Reciprocity is not published; confirm directly with the Division

New Hampshire’s Division of Pesticide Control does not publish a reciprocity table on its public licensing pages. An applicator relocating to New Hampshire with an out-of-state credential should contact the Division directly at (603) 271-3550 to confirm whether their existing exam history shortens New Hampshire’s own category-exam requirement, rather than assuming automatic recognition.

Where to go from here

Because New Hampshire’s private categories are named by commodity rather than by a generic private-applicator label, checking which pesticide applicator category do I need before you register for an exam is worth the few minutes it takes. For the exam content itself, the Core exam, explained covers what to expect regardless of which commodity or use-site category you sit for.

Sources: New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food, Division of Pesticide Control, Pesticide Licensing program page (agriculture.nh.gov/farms-businesses/pesticides/pesticide-licensing, referenced 2026-07-30). Authored by the Applicator Prep editorial team. Not legal advice. Reviewed 2026-07-30.