Continuing Education - Course Approval Process

Arizona regulations require Environmental Services Division license holders obtain a certain number of continuing education units (CEUs) to renew their license. Courses to obtain CEUs must be approved by the Arizona Department of Agriculture following the process described on this webpage.

CEU

CE Application -  Required Forms

In order for your course/event to be considered for approval, you must submit the AZDA Continuing Education Application Form, the AZDA Continuing Education Outline Form and an AZDA Continuing Education Preparer/Presenter Qualifications Statement for each course preparer or presenter. You can also download all three forms as a packet.

NO substitution is permitted for the application form, however, if you provide the information required on the outline form in your own format, we can accept it as long as all the information required on the outline form is present, including the amount of minutes focused on pests, pesticides or pest management. As for the qualifications statement, if you often submit CE applications for review, this will benefit you. When completed and approved, the qualifications statement is valid for 7 years. This means that for that seven year period you will enter your assigned P# in lieu of a biography or another qualifications statement. Those submitting applications that include special guests or speakers contracted or invited for one specific event, can submit a biography that explains why that person is qualified to present about pests, pesticides or pest management. A Qualifications Statement is required for ALL presenters/preparers of online courses. This requirement is to ensure that persons whose materials, presentations, knowledge or other intellectual property, are aware that such materials/knowledge is being used by the applicant and takes reponsibility for the contents of the course. 

It is the applicant's responsibility to enter a P# for a presenter or preparer. Writing "on file" in lieu of the number is not allowed; the application will be labeled "incomplete" and returned to the applicant. This is the most recent list of approved presenters/preparers all P# are listed here. 

Once complete, you must submit the forms to: [email protected]. Make sure to check your application and attachments to make sure they are complete. Incomplete forms will cause a delay in the review process. 
 

Review and Approval Process

To obtain approval for a CE course, the applicant must submit to the Department, at least 14 days before the course, the application and required attachments as described above. 

To equal one unit of continuing education, the course for which the application is submitted must consist of at lest 50 minutes of instruction and be directly related to:
     (1) The identification/classification of pests;
     (2) The control or management of pests; or
     (3)  The usage, dispensing or safe handling of pesticides.

For Commercial Applicators (1), (2), and (3) above must be related to the following categories as described in AAC R3-3-208(D)(2)(a): 40 CFR 171.101(a)-(f) and (i)-(o):
     (a) Agricultural pest control
     (b) Forrest pest control
     (c) Ornamental and turf pest control
     (d) Seed treatment
     (e) Aquatic pest control
     (f) Right-of-way pest control
     (i) Regulatory pest control
     (j) Demonstration and research
     (k) Sodium cyanide predator control
     (l) Sodium fluoroacetate predator control
     (m) Soil fumigation
     (n) Non-soil fumigation
     (o) Aerial pest control

For Private Applicators (1), (2), and (3) above must be related to the following categories as described in AAC R3-3-208(D)(2)(a): 40 CFR 171.101(a)-(f):
     (a) Agricultural pest control
     (b) Forrest pest control
     (c) Ornamental and turf pest control
     (d) Seed treatment
     (e) Aquatic pest control
     (f) Right-of-way pest control

For Golf Applicators (1), (2), and (3) above must be related to the following categories as described in AAC R3-3-208(D)(2)(a): 40 CFR 171.101(c), (e) and (n):
     (c) Ornamental and turf pest control
     (e) Aquatic pest control
     (n) Non-soil fumigation

For Pest Control Advisors (1), (2), and (3) above must be related to the following categories as described in AAC R3-3-207(I)(1)(a)-(g):
     (a) Weed control
     (b) Invertebrate control
     (c) Nematode control
     (d) Plant pathogen control
     (e) Vertebrate pest control
     (f) Plant growth regulators
     (g) Defoliation

Examples of topics which will not be considered for CE approval include the following:

(a) Plant nutrition and fertilizers;
(b) Adjuvants or the use of non-pesticide products;
(c) Presentations regarding pests not present in Arizona;
(d) Presentations regarding rules and/or regulations of other states;
(e) Marketing techniques, sales pitches, sales presentations containing no significant technical information regarding pests, pesticides or pest management;
(f) Industrial safety topics not related to pests, pesticides or pest management such as the safe operation of equipment unrelated to the application of pesticdes;
(g) Food safety topics not related to pests, pesticides or pest management; or
(h) Irrigation or soil amendments. 

What happens after review?

Once a CE application packet is reviewed, a decision on approval or denial is made based on whether or not the contents meet the standards of approval. Even when a section or part of your outline may not meet the standards of approval, you will receive partial credit for your course for the content that is approved. Comments will be made on your outline form and application explaining the decision made.

After the ESD reviewer makes a final decision, the application is forwadred to the CEU Coordinator who will assign an approval number (for approved applications) and add it to the provider's list of approved courses.