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Permits & Supplements

All growers that sell their agricultural products must obtain a permit through our office prior to spraying their crops with any kind of pesticide. There are two permits issued by our office. An Operator Identification Number and a Restricted Materials Permit.

  • New Restricted Materials Permit
  • New Operator Identification Number (Non-Restricted Pesticide Use Only)
  • Change/Update to Existing Restricted Materials Permit/Operator Identification Number (Supplement)
  • Renewal for Restricted Materials Permit/Operator Identification Number
  • Private Applicator Certificate (PAC or "Brown Card") Exam
Please Note:
A Restricted Materials Permit is needed if you plan to use California Restricted Materials. An Operator Identification Number is needed if you plan to use materials that are not California Restricted.
Permit Delivery

Private Applicator Certification

Certification is achieved through a written examination that assesses the knowledge and skills of a private applicator. Private applicators who pass the examination with a minimum score of 70 percent receive a Private Applicator Certificate (PAC) card issued by the County Agricultural Commissioner's office. Applicants who fail the examination must wait at least seven calendar days before retaking the examination.

There is no fee for taking the PAC examination, obtaining the PAC card, or renewing the PAC card (recertification). An employee who holds a PAC card is exempt from the annual pesticide training requirements.

PAC card qualifies for:

  • To use restricted materials on property owned, leased or rented by the grower.
  • To train and supervise noncertified employees in the use of pesticides on property owned, leased, or rented by the applicator or their employer.

PAC card not qualifies for:

  • Commercial applications.
  • Non-Production Agricultural Pest Control and Non-Agricultural Pest Control
  • Pesticide application by the employees of a Farm Labor Contractor (FLC).

Growers can obtain a PAC card by passing a multiple choice exam administered by the Agricultural Commissioner's Office. The PAC examination is available in both English and Spanish. The only part of the Spanish examination written in English is the pesticide label.

Schedule an appointment for an appointment for an exam

You can schedule an appointment for an exam on our website here

OR

By calling our office at (209) 953-6000, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding state holidays.

Private Applicator Certificate Expiration Year:

  • Last Names that start with R to Z Expire on December 31, 2026
  • Last Names that start with A to H Expire on December 31, 2027
  • Last Names that start with I to Q Expire on December 31, 2028
Note:
All PAC holders, regardless of certificate expiration date, must hold a separate Burrowing Vertebrate Pest Fumigation (BVF) certification to fumigate burrowing rodents using aluminum phosphide or magnesium phosphide.
See the links for Study Guide for PAC and BVF Exam.

Individuals who have already taken and passed the revised/new Private Applicator Certificate Examination on or after October 1, 2022, are eligible to renew their PAC card by two ways:

  1. By retaking the PAC exam every three years,
  2. By obtaining at least 6 hours of Continuing Education (CE).

PAC cards valid for three years require a total of six (6) CE hours earned during the three-year issuance period. At least two (2) of the six CE hours must cover the subject “Laws and Regulations”.

The Agricultural Commissioners Office offers CE classes for card renewal annually. When using CE hours to renew a card, the card must be renewed before April 1 of the year following its expiration. Cardholders who miss the April 1 deadline must retake the exam to renew their PAC.

Based on the last name, if the PAC card is issued for less than three years, the required CE hours for card renewal are as follows:

  • Less than 12 months: 0 CE hours
  • 12 to 24 months: 4 CE hours
  • 25 to 36 months: 6 CE hours

(Of the required CE hours, at least 2 must be in Laws and Regulations.)