Continuing Education
Free & low-cost CE for California pest control licensees
California pest-control continuing education runs through two boards: DPR (agricultural licenses — QAL, QAC, PAC) and the SPCB (structural pest control and fumigation). The free options exist, but they're scattered across non-profit, university, county, and state pages — this page collects them in one place, listed by source, free/non-profit first; anything with a fee is clearly marked.
Free, CE Courses
Wild Farm Alliance — Avian & Habitat Pest Control CE
✔ Freewildfarmalliance.org — avian pest control CE and habitat CE 2026 — non-profit, free, DPR-approved CE, statewide, self-paced through December 31, 2026. Anyone can take the courses; California residents earn credit.
California Urban IPM Apprenticeship
Verifygreenshieldcertified.org — California Urban IPM Apprenticeship — Green Shield / IPM Institute non-profit; DPR- and SPCB-approved, DPR-funded, free with a free account.
Verify: the 2024–25 cohort has ended; confirm whether the recordings still grant CEUs or a new cohort is planned via info@greenshieldcertified.org.
U.C. CE Courses
UC Statewide
UC “Ag Experts Talk” Webinars
✔ Freeucanr.edu/sites/ucexpertstalk — free monthly DPR-approved webinars from UC ANR, about 1.0 unit each, sessions recorded.
UC IPM Self-Paced Courses
$ Low-Costipm.ucanr.edu/training — course content is free to view, but the CE certificate carries a fee (50% off with code ipm50).
County Ag Commissioner Sessions (Central Valley)
San Joaquin County
✔ Freesj-ce.org/courses — DPR-approved county platform; all courses free, on-demand, and open to operators outside the county. Plus a free Spring CE Meeting (April 2, 2026).
Stanislaus County
Verifystanag.org/continuing-education — 2026 schedule: online webinars April 21, July 29, September 17, October 22, plus in-person dates. Likely free — call (209) 525-4730 to confirm.
Kings County
$ Low-Cost$10 for 2 hours of Laws & Regulations, Fall 2026.
Kern County
Verifykernag.com — spring PAC CE, 2 hours Laws & Regulations (English and Spanish). Likely free — confirm with the county.
Merced / Madera / Tulare Counties
No free classes of their own — they refer out (Merced points to San Joaquin's free online platform, listed above).
Fresno County
Mixed calendar: county sessions plus paid third-party seminars — check cost per event before registering.
Gov. CE Source // QAL list
DPR Continuing Education Course Finder
✔ Freecdpr.ca.gov/continuing-education — the master list for all DPR-approved courses.
Tip: open “Approved Courses,” then set Fee = No to list every free DPR-approved class in the state.
SPCB Approved-Course Lists (Structural / Fumigation)
✔ Freepestboard.ca.gov/ce — the Structural Pest Control Board's approved-course lists for structural and fumigation CE.
DPR License Lookup
✔ Freeapps.cdpr.ca.gov — license lookup — check QAL / license status (the same lookup linked from our home page).
- Only San Joaquin (free) and Kings ($10) are confirmed in writing; Stanislaus and Kern are almost certainly free — call to confirm before counting on it.
- County CE hours are often “pending DPR approval” until shortly before the class — call the county the week of the session.
- This page is informational only, not legal or licensing advice. Verify current cost and DPR/SPCB approval on each provider's own page before enrolling.