In addition to the provisions found under
R3-3-200, the following apply to
this Section.
A. An individual shall
not act as a PCA without a valid PCA license issued by the Department. To
advise in any of the categories listed in subsection (I), a PCA shall pass the
specific examination associated with the category.
B. An individual, without a valid PCA
license, applying for a PCA license shall provide the following information on
a form obtained from the Department:
1. The
applicant's name, address, e-mail address, daytime telephone number, social
security number, and signature;
2.
Date of the application;
3. License renewal
period;
4.3. Name, physical
address, mailing address, e-mail address, and daytime telephone number of the
applicant's employer, if applicable;
5.4. Examinations that the
applicant has passed by category;
6.5. Whether the applicant
has had a similar license revoked, suspended, or denied in this or any other
jurisdiction during the last three years, and the nature of the violation
resulting in the revocation, suspension, or denial; and
6. Information and documentation indicating
that the individual's presence in the United States is authorized under federal
law according to A.R.S. §
41-1080, if not on
file.
C. An individual
applying for a PCA license, except an individual who holds or has held a PCA
license in this state within the previous five years shall meet one of the
following five sets of qualifications:
1.
College degree.
a. Possess a bachelor's
degree (B.A. or B.S.), master's degree or doctorate degree in any subject;
and
b. Have completed 42 semester
hours (63 quarter units) of college-level curricula as specified in subsection
(D).
2. Master's degree
in a biological science.
a. Possess a
master's degree in a biological science;
b. Have 12 months of work experience related
to a core area listed in subsection (D); and
c. Have a letter from the institution, a
faculty member, or a supervisor where the individual obtained the work
experience certifying the time spent and describing the type of experience
obtained by the individual.
3. Doctorate degree in a biological science.
a. Possess a doctorate degree in a biological
science; and either
b. Meet the
qualifications in subsection (C)(2)(b) and (C)(2)(c); or
c. Have a letter of recommendation from the
faculty member that supervised the dissertation or the division head of the
discipline.
4. Other
education with unlicensed experience.
a. Have
completed 42 semester hours (63 quarter units) of college-level curricula as
specified in subsection (D);
b.
Have 24 months of work experience related to a core area listed in subsection
(D); and
c. Have a letter from the
institution, a faculty member, or a supervisor where the individual obtained
the work experience certifying the time spent and describing the type of
experience obtained by the individual.
5. Other education with licensed experience.
a. Be currently licensed as a pest control
advisor (PCA) or equivalent in another state; and
b. Have completed 42 semester hours (63
quarter units) of college-level curricula as specified in subsection (D),
except that each year of verifiable licensed experience under subsection
(C)(5)(a) within the previous 5 years qualifies for two semester hours up to 10
hours. The semester hours based on licensed experience do not reduce the
minimum hours required from each individual core area.
c. The applicant shall provide proof of the
equivalency of a license from another state.
D. The 42 semester hours (63 quarter units)
of college-level curricula specified in subsection (C) shall come from the core
areas shown in the following table, with at least the minimum indicated hours
(or units) coming from each individual core area. A single course shall not
count toward the minimum hours of more than one core area. At least one course
from the pest management systems and methods core area shall emphasize
integrated pest management principles. Each course completed must be awarded
credit with a minimum passing grade of a "C" or a 2.0 GPA, or a passing score
if taken on a pass or fail basis.
|
Core Area
|
Examples of
Subjects
|
Sem.
Hours
|
Qtr. Units
|
|
Physical, biological, and earth sciences, and
mathematics
|
Inorganic chemistry; organic chemistry; biochemistry;
plant biology or botany; general ecology; biology; genetics; plant physiology;
zoology; post-algebra mathematics
|
12
|
18
|
|
Crop health
|
Soils and irrigation; vegetation management or weed
science; plant pathology; entomology; plant nutrition or fertility; nematology;
vertebrate management
|
6
|
9
|
|
Pest management systems and methods
|
Applied courses in entomology, plant pathology,
vegetation management or weed science, and other pest management disciplines;
pesticides or use of pesticides; pest control equipment systems; alternative
cropping systems; sustainable or organic agricultural systems; biological
control
|
3
|
4.5
|
|
Production systems
|
Horticulture; viticulture; forestry; agronomy; crop,
vegetable, fruit or animal sciences; other production systems (e.g., wildlife
production, cattle production)
|
3
|
4.5
|
E.
Alternative curricula credits.
1. A current
crop advisor certificate issued by the American Society of Agronomy qualifies
for three semester hours in one of the following core areas: physical,
biological and earth sciences and mathematics; crop health; or production
systems.
2. Non-traditional courses
such as a senior project, an internship, cooperative work experience,
independent study, a dissertation or a thesis qualify for three semester hours
in one of the core areas of crop health, pest management systems and methods,
or production systems, as applicable.
3. For applicants with a bachelor's,
master's, or doctorate degree, at least one year of full-time related work
experience qualifies for three semester hours in one of the core areas of pest
management systems and methods or production systems, as
applicable.
F. In
addition to the information required by subsection (B), an applicant shall
submit to the Department:
1. An official
transcript verifying the courses completed and the degrees granted to the
applicant;
2. Documentation
verifying alternative curricula relied on under subsection (E). Documentation
of subsection (E)(2) and (E)(3) shall include a letter certifying completion
and describing the activity from the institution, a faculty member or
supervisor; and
3. If applicable,
the letter required for licensure under subsection (C).
4. A $50 fee.
G.
A PCA license is not transferable, expires on
December 31, and is:
1. Issued for up to one year as an
initial license;
2. Renewed every one or two years,
depending on the renewal period selected by the applicant; and
3. Renewed for all categories of
license under subsection (I) for the same renewal period.
H.G. Renewal.
1. The continuing education
requirement in subsection (H)(5) is not applicable to an individual who passes
the examination prescribed in subsection (I) and who applies for a PCA license
between October 1 and December 31 of the test year.
2. Upon renewal, a PCA license is
valid for one or two years, depending on the renewal period selected by the
applicant, provided the applicant meets the criteria prescribed under
subsection (H).
3. An applicant shall submit the
completed application, accompanied by a $50 fee for each licensing year or
portion of the year during which the license is valid.
4. Renewal; expired
license.
a. An applicant may renew an
expired license without retaking the written examinations under subsection (I)
provided the applicant:
i. Complies with the CEU
requirements in subsection (H)(5),
ii. Submits a completed
application and fee within 30 days after the expiration date,
and
iii. Does not provide any pest
control-related service from the date the license expired until the date the
renewal is effective.
b. All other applicants for
renewal shall retake the applicable written examinations prescribed in
subsection (I).
5.1. The Department shall
not renew a PCA license unless, before the expiration of the current license,
the licensee completes 15 CEUs for each year of the renewal period or passes
any applicable examination prescribed in subsection (I). The licensee shall
complete CEU credit during the calendar years the current license is in effect.
CEUs earned that are in excess of the requirements do not carry forward for use
with future renewals.
6.2. To obtain credit, the
applicant shall provide the Department with documentation of completion of the
CEU course.
3. For license renewal,
the license may only be renewed if the required CEUs are obtained and the
renewal application and fees are received by the Department within the
specified time period.
I.H. Examinations.
1. In addition to the core examination as
prescribed in
R3-3-208(D), an
applicant shall demonstrate knowledge and understanding of integrated pest
management in any of the following categories:
a. Weed control,
b. Invertebrate control,
c. Nematode control,
d. Plant pathogen control,
e. Vertebrate pest control,
f. Plant growth regulators, or
g. Defoliation.
2. An individual who fails the
examination may retake it no more than two times in a 12-month period and shall
not retake an examination until at least seven days have elapsed from the date
of the last examination.
J.I. Exemption. An
individual operating in an official capacity for a college or university,
providing recommendations in a not-for-profit capacity, or merely furnishing
information concerning general and labeling usage of a registered pesticide is
not considered an authority or general advisor for the purposes of this
Chapter.
