PCT’s Distance Learning Center: What You Need to Know

The pest management Industry is constantly evolving with new and improved technologies, new laws and regulations, new marketing strategies and business models. Federal and state regulations require that pest management professionals stay current with the latest skills and technology of pest management in order to maintain their license/certification. Professional organizations such as the Entomological Society of America, for example, require continuing education to maintain professional accreditations.

Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 171 requires that certified commercial pesticide applicators maintain their competency in order to recertify at the end of the certified/licensed period.  The details of how recertification is completed is left to each certifying authority upon approval, by the U.S. E.P.A., of a recertification plan.  The specific CEUs or hours of training required is left to each certifying authority if the recertification plan meets the minimum standards of 40 CFR 171. Therefore, details vary from State to State. 

PCT COURSES ARE FREE. Applicators seeking recertification through continuing education can earn hours by completing online courses from the PCT Distance Learning Center – totally free.  Currently there are no charges for The PCT Distance Learning courses.

USEFUL INFORMATION. The following is useful guidance when completing online courses through the PCT Distance Learning Center.

• If you are seeking continuing education credits it is important that you check with your certifying authority to assure that The PCT Distance Learning course you wish to complete is approved and current.

Once you complete a course and pass the exam, you will be given the opportunity to print out two certificates. 

The first certificate is suitable for framing and provides a record for your files. 

The second certificate is designed to meet all state certificate requirements and is the certificate that should be provided to your certifying agency, if required. If the course you completed is not approved for continuing education credits at the time of your completion, you will not be able to print this certificate. Caution: If you are licensed in more than one State, the certificate will  print if the course was approved and current for one or more of the States in which you are licensed, but will not show credit for the State or States where the course was not approved or was not current. For example: A PMP is licensed in California and Arizona. A PCT online course is completed that is approved for California but is not approved for Arizona. The certificate will print showing credit for California but will NOT show credit for Arizona. This can be prevented by checking the box for specific state credits at the beginning of the course.

Some states have processes whereby you report your completions to the state, usually by the presentation of a completion certificate. Others require that the course provider send verifiable evidence of completions. When The PCT Distance Learning Center is required to verify course completions to the certifying agency, course completions are reported each Monday or Tuesday following the week in which the course was completed, unless a different frequency is stated by the certifying authority.

While we have tried to be as accurate as possible, the final and ultimate authority is your certifying authority. Further, the information about the PCT Distance Learning Center courses approved is current only through the final edit of this article before going to print. The courses could be more, or less, as of the date you are reading this information. It is highly recommended that you always check with your agency to assure that PCT Distance Learning courses are accepted, approved and current for continuing education credits.

NOTE: The PCT Distance Learning Center has endeavored to submit and gain approval for its on-line courses in as many States as possible. If you see “PCT courses approved: No” for your state it could be because your State does not accept on-line training. Or it may be that your State accepts continuing education training only through a selected University or Extension Service, or other reason. Therefore, PCT Distance Learning Courses are not available for all States.

STATE BY STATE REQUIREMENTS. CLICK HERE to download a document that provides a summary of which states accept on-line courses from The PCT Distance Learning Center and other useful information for licensees seeking recertification through continuing education.