Certificates for the sale and use of pesticides

Certificates are mandatory for sellers and/or appliers of pesticides working in sectors where permits are required. Farmers and forest producers are also required to hold certification.

The certificate states the type of activity as well as the classes of pesticides you can sell or use. This information is provided in Appendix V of the Pesticide Management Code Reference Manual (PDF 6.86 Mb) (French). Passing a prescribed or recognized test is a prerequisite for certification. Certificates are valid for five years.

Identify the certificate(s) you need

Certification is required for the following types of pesticide sales and use:

• Wholesale pesticide sales;
• Retail pesticide sales for professional use;
• Retail pesticide sales for individual use;
• Aerial application;
• Aquatic application;
• Application on raw land (transportation corridors);
• Application in green space maintenance;
• Application on golf courses, starting July 6, 2025
• Application for pest management;
• Application by fumigation;
• Application in forest areas;
• Application on cultivated land;
• Application for the control of stinging insects;
• Application in buildings for horticultural purposes;
• Other applications, such seed coating.

Farmers and forest producers that apply pesticides but do not resell them also need to be certified.

Subject to specific conditions , certification may not be required to treat lawns if the pesticides used meet regulatory health and environmental criteria.

For more information, see the Decision Chart concerning Certificates for the Sale of Pesticides or Work Involving the Use of Pesticides (PDF 255 Kb) (French).

Cost

The cost of certificates is invariable, independent of the number of different activities performed.

General rules for certificate holders

Certificate holders must ensure the following:

• Only authorized activities are performed;
• The certificate is in the holder’s possession when pesticides are sold or applied.

For more information on the specific rules for your sector, see the Pesticide Sales or  Applying commercial pesticides webpages.

When applying for a certificate, use the Vente de pesticides ou exécution de travaux comportant l’utilisation des pesticides (PDF 1.66 Mb) (French) form or apply online.

The same form should be used when requesting a change to an unexpired certificate. This is required for any change that renders the information provided inaccurate or incomplete. It must be done within 30 days of the change.

You will be mailed a notice when it is time to renew your certificate. The accompanying form must be filled out and submitted at least 30 days before your current certificate expires.  If you misplaced the notice or did not receive it, you may use the same form you originally submitted when applying for a certificate, or use the online service.

For certificate replacements, use the Remplacement en cas de perte, de vol ou de détérioration (PDF 1.32 Mb) (French) form.

Online service

Before applying for a certificate online, we suggest you read the information webpages respecting the use  and security  of the service. You will also need to hold a clicSÉQUR–Citoyens  account. If you do not have an account, you can open it when connecting to the online service. If you have problems registering, contact the Customer Relations Centre. Any applicable fees can be paid online by Visa or MasterCard.

Fill out a certificate application 

Paper or electronic forms

Fully executed applications and appropriate documentation such as an attestation of a passing exam grade may be emailed or snailmailed to your regional office of the MELCCFP (PDF 150 Kb). Digitized copies and clear, legible photos and documentation are acceptable when submitting electronically.

However, if you have completed a recognized program of study in Québec, you must submit the original of your diploma or attestation of vocational studies, your college studies transcript or your university studies transcript. It will be returned to you.

Payment can be made by cheque or postal money order.

Application for equivalency recognition of a certificate issued by a regulatory agency from another Canadian province or territory

In order to recognize a certificate issued by a regulatory agency from another Canadian province or territory, the Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (MELCCFP) must ensure that it meets the conditions required for issuance in the requested Québec certificate class or sub-class. Certain conditions must be met in order for such certificates to be recognized, including:

• The activity described on the certificate must correspond to one or more of the Québec regulations (see Appendix V of the ​​​​Pesticides Management Code Reference Manual (PDF 6.86 Mb)-French);
• The certificate must not have expired;
• The level of knowledge required for the class or sub-class must match the Standard for Pesticide Education, Training and Certification in Canada . This is a national standard whose purpose is to ensure favourable Canada-wide conditions for training and certification programmes and certified worker mobility;
• The passing grade in the exam required for certification to the national standard was received no more than five years prior to the request for equivalency.

The Reconnaissance d’équivalence d’un certificat relatif à la vente ou à l’utilisation de pesticides délivré par un organisme de réglementation d’une autre province ou d’un territoire canadien (PDF 380 Kb) (French) flowchart illustrates how these conditions are met.

In order to receive a Sub-class CD5 Certificate for Application for Pest Management, upgrade requirements include knowledge acquisition in line with bedbug control. Inasmuch as this is specific to Québec, certification associated with this activity issued by a regulatory agency of another Canadian province or territory will be recognized by the MELCCFP on condition that the applicant has previously passed the upgrade examination.

Applicants should forward requests for recognition to the MELCCFP Direction régionale de l’analyse et de l’expertise de Montréal, de Laval, de Lanaudière et des Laurentides , along with the following:

• A fully-executed Vente de pesticides ou exécution de travaux comportant l'utilisation de pesticides (PDF 1.66 Mb) form (French);
• A copy of both sides of the certificate issued by the regulatory agency of another Canadian province or territory that corresponds to the Québec certificate;
• The required fees  for five-year validity of the new certificate.

In order to be certified for the sales and utilization of pesticides, applicants are required to pass the prescribed or recognized examinations respecting the desired activity.

A standard exists in Canada for uniform pesticide training and certification programs. A working group is currently developing learning tools to enable Canadian provinces and territories to prepare manuals for learning and certification examinations.

Applicants are entitled to take a training course prior to the examination. While not mandatory for securing certification, this has the following benefits:

• Acquires knowledge needed to pass the prescribed exams;
• Upgrades the applicant’s knowledge level;
• Increases the chances of success and the grade awarded on the prescribed exam.

Two types of training are available:

• Distance training, which includes the learning manual, homework assignments, a tutor and registration for the examination. For more information go to the website of the Société de formation à distance des commissions scolaires du Québec (SOFAD) ;
• Self-tuition using SOFAD learning products, which are available in the SOFAD website’s Catalogue  section.

Classroom or online training may also be available. Contact your professional association for more information. If you are a farmer, contact your regional agricultural collective  for available options. The following French language learning guides are also available for selected activity sectors:

• Guide d’apprentissage sur l’utilisation des pesticides en milieu aquatique (aquatic environments) (PDF 1.88 Mb) (Sub-class CD2 certificate);
• Guide d’apprentissage sur l’utilisation des pesticides en terrain inculte (raw land) (PDF 3.59 Mb) (Sub-class CD3 certificate);
• Guide d’apprentissage sur l’utilisation des pesticides dans les aires forestières (PDF 1.40 Mb) (forest areas) (Sub-classes CD7, F1, F1.1 and F2 certificate);
• Bed Bug Control-Training guide (PDF 889 Kb) (in French only) (Sub-class CD5 certificate).

With respect to the use of pesticides to control stinging insects (Sub-class CD9 certificate), some the following will be included in a forthcoming learning guide, usually available in French only:

• The MELCCFP and stinging insects (PDF 1.84 Mb) (in French only);
• Using the Bacillus sphaericus for mosquito control (PDF 406 Kb);
• Using the Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis to control stinging insects in Québec (PDF 2.47 Mb).

Required and/or recognized examinations

The exams vary based on the class or sub-class certification sought. See the list of prescribed and recognized exams  (in French only).

The SOFAD administers all prescribed exams. They are available online for all activity sectors.

The SOFAD website  provides more information about exams and how to register for them. Applicants can prepare online with pre-tests to measure whether they are ready for their exam. While the pre-tests are not a guarantee of success, they are useful in assessing how the preparation is going.

Recognized exams are provided through the Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur or university professional and technical development programs.

Upgrades

Applicants will be personally notified if a renewal upgrade applies to their sub-class certificate renewal. The upgrade requires passing new prescribed exams for certificate renewal. Upgrade requirements currently apply to the following certificate.

• Aquatic pesticide application (CD2) (PDF 279 Kb) (in French only), new requirements upgrade valid to October 1, 2025.

Continuing education

Certificate renewal may require successful results in an exam or a prescribed or recognized training activity.  If this applies to you, you will be notified of the new requirements in the renewal form.

As of now, the successful completion of an accredited continuing education activity  (French) is required for renewal of the following certificate:

• Pest management pesticide application (CD5) (PDF 113 Kb) (French).

The following guide is useful in improving your comprehension of how continuing education programs work: Prerequisite continuing education for pesticide seller and user certification (PDF 289 Kb) (French) .

Continuing education accreditation

As a trainer or speaker, you need to have your training activities accredited so that they can be recognized by the MELCCFP. This step is necessary to ensure that one or more continuing education credits are associated with your activity.

The Accréditation des activités de formation continue relatives aux pesticides (PDF 279 Kb) (guide to continuing education accreditation-in French only) describes the criteria that must be met for a training activity to become eligible for accreditation. The required information and documents to be provided, as well as the procedure to be followed, are explained in the guide.

The Accreditation form for a continuing education training activity related to pesticides (PDF 1.02 Mb) enables you to submit an accreditation application to the MELCCFP.

Regional office of the MELCCFP (PDF 150 Kb) in your area.

For questions about pesticide approvals, contact the Direction régionale de l’analyse et de l’expertise de Montréal, de Laval, de Lanaudière et des Laurentides.

For questions about continuing education and specific training required for the renewal of a certificate for pest management application (CD5), contact the Association québécoise de la gestion parasitaire (AQGP) .