Dude Where's My CEUs? - Pesticide Information

Many of our applicators who get certified loathe taking tests. Our applicators are GREAT in the field, but tests are stressful. Many want to avoid them AND learn information beyond the basics of the test. This leaves only one additional pathway in Florida to renew those certificates, continuing education units (CEUs). Keeping track and knowing where to find them is essential. Today we will review that here so you can answer Dude Where’s My CEUs?

It can be tricky to know how many CEUs are needed, as it varies from category to category. We have a handy document that walks through each license and just how many CEUs are needed: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/PI292. Downloading the PDF will ensure you can click all the links and make it to your category. This will tell you what you need.

Once you know how many CEUs are needed, its time to find opportunities to get those CEUs. Our office has an entire catalog that can be taken anytime and at the comfort of your own home: https://ifas-pest.catalog.instructure.com/

Find CEUs

Simply search by your category and the courses that meet those requirements will pop up. These CEUs can be convenient, but attending an in-person training is one of the best ways to learn. This allows you to interact with other applicators and learn from the best educators around through our county extension network. The main FDACS Public Database Search is going to be your starting point for CEUs and beyond.

From there search the available CEU classes and narrow in on the type and location you are after. Narrow down your dates, location, type of training, even who is offering the training, UF/IFAS Extension for the WIN!

After attending the best training EVER from UF/IFAS, what do you do to ensure that you got credit? If you attended a training from UF/IFAS it is highly likely they loaded attendance for you (more on that in a moment), and you don’t need to do anything else. Isn’t UF/IFAS the best? I might be a little biased, but that doesn’t make me wrong 😊. For larger trainings or those unaware, you might simply be handed a CEU form that you must now keep track of and get to FDACS so your credit can be counted. If you are worried about losing that form, or worried the mail will lose your form, good news there is a better way. You can upload the form yourself, right after you get it! No more waiting 4 years only to find they are missing, eaten, or stolen, we’ve heard it all.

Track CEUs

Go to the FDACS Main Licensing Page and then select your Chapter. From there you can go down to “Upload Documents” and now you can upload a digital version of your forms. That’s it, CEUs are held ready for renewal. If you have forgotten your license number, you can look it up on the FDACS Public Database Search and select “Applicators” and put in your first and last name. It’s important to note this does NOT automatically mean you are renewed, you will have to pay and let them know you want to renew when it is time. This just means you don’t have to worry about that form getting lost.

Lots of choices, choose “Upload Documents”

Enter all your details so YOU get credit

You took my advice and went to a UF/IFAS training, most likely at your local county extension office and your credit was uploaded for you (Thanks again UF/IFAS). How do you confirm this and keep track of just how many CEUs you have? Go back to FDACS Public Database Search and choose “Earned CEUs”. Type in your license number and your programs attended will be revealed. From there you can click any of those programs and it will give you details on how many CEUs and in which category. If you are like me, I sure hope you aren’t, and have like 10 categories, this is important. Knowing where you are on your CEUs can ensure you don’t have to scramble at the end to find CEUs.

Earned CEUs, then put in YOUR license number

Renew Your License

There you have it, you now know how many CEUs you need, where to find them (UF/IFAS right???), how to upload them, and how to check how many you have. Once you are in the final 60-90 days FDACS will let you know it’s time to renew. Pay your fees, get your CEUs counted, and keep that license. This makes it easier to focus on what the CEUs are really for, which is helping you learn more about your profession to be a safer more effective applicator. So the next time you are scrambling to renew and saying Dude Where’s My CEUs, this should help keep you up to date and ready to go!