(a) Commercial applicator. An individual shall be eligible for commercial pesticide applicator certification in specific categories or subcategories if that individual has:

1. (1) at least one year of verifiable experience as a technician with an additional 12 hours of category-specific recertification training, or has two years of verifiable experience as a technician and has not had the technician certification suspended, revoked or modified as provided in section 325.13 of this Part, and petitions the department for full certification;
2. (2) at least three years of verifiable full-time experience within the last five years as an apprentice working in the category or categories of commercial pesticide application, as listed in section 325.16 of this Part, in which the individual is seeking certification and has passed the core and appropriate category examinations. For purposes of this paragraph, a year of full-time experience shall be deemed to have been met when a full season's experience is completed in those certification categories that are seasonal;
3. (3) at least three years of verifiable experience within the past five years as a certified private pesticide applicator in a corresponding private category and has successfully passed the appropriate commercial category examinations;
4. (4) certification in another state with which New York State has reciprocity; or
5. (5) at least three years experience in the sale of pesticides or industrial chemicals, or can otherwise demonstrate, through applicable training certifications or educational degrees, that the individual possesses appropriate technical background, as determined by the department, and has successfully passed the appropriate certification examination(s), if seeking pesticide applicator certification in the sales category.

(b) To be eligible for certification in subsequent categories of commercial applicator certification, an individual must have at least one year of experience in the category in which the individual seeks certification or obtain 12 hours of such category-specific training, approved by the department, except that:

1. (1) individuals certified in ornamental and turf pest control, forest pest control or right-of-way pest control meet the experience or training requirements to be eligible for certification in any of these categories; and
2. (2) individuals certified in agricultural plant, animal pest control, ornamental and turf and forest pest control do not need to meet the experience requirement to be eligible for certification in regulatory pest control.

(c) Private applicator. An individual shall be eligible for private applicator certification in specific categories or subcategories if that individual has met the experience or training requirements as set forth below and successfully passed the necessary examinations:

1. (1) the applicant must be at least 17 years of age at the time an application for certification is made; and
2. (2) have at least one year of full-time experience within the last three years in the use of pesticides in the category or categories of private pesticide certification as listed in section 325.17 of this Part, in which the individual is seeking certification. For purposes of this paragraph, full-time experience shall be deemed to have been met when the individual has had at least one growing season of experience in those certification categories that are seasonal; or
3. (3) have completed a comprehensive 30-hour training course, approved by the department, in topics described in section 325.18 of this Part and related categories in sections 325.16 and 325.17 of this Part; or, alternatively, have received an associate's or higher level degree from an accredited college or university which covers the topics listed in section 325.18 of this Part and related categories in section 325.16 or 325.17 of this Part;
4. (4) have one year of verifiable experience as a certified commercial applicator in a corresponding commercial category.