Becoming a Licensed

Arborist in ConnecticutJohn Sulzbach Killingworth CT

Becoming a Licensed Arborist in

Connecticut

In addition to holding his current position as a plant manager at Astroseal

Products, John Sulzbach manages Proper Tree, his own tree company in

Killingworth, CT. John Sulzbach maintains a strong interest in arboriculture

and recently became a licensed arborist in the state of Connecticut.

Becoming a Licensed Arborist in

Connecticut

Arboriculture is essentially the use of various techniques and practices such

as bracing, aeration, and pruning to improve the condition of trees and

shrubs. Within the state of Connecticut, arborists must possess an arborist

license if they are planning on soliciting, contracting, or advertising

arboriculture services. Licenses are issued by the Department of Energy and

Environmental Protection (DEEP) to individuals who successfully

demonstrate a working knowledge of the basic biology of trees and the

types of various practices performed by arborists.

Becoming a Licensed Arborist in

Connecticut

The DEEP arborist license examination is available only by appointment and

consists of two parts. Once an application is received, the individual is

scheduled for the soonest available date for the first part of the exam,

which is a written, multiple-choice test. The written exam includes questions

about tree disorders, insects, and pesticide safety, as well as questions

regarding the control and analysis of certain diseases. Applicants who fail

the written test must wait at least one month before retaking it.

Becoming a Licensed Arborist in

Connecticut

The second part of the exam, an oral exam and tree identification test, is

given at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. Failing the

identification test prevents applicants from moving on to the oral test.

Failing either the oral test or identification test twice results in applicants

restarting the entire process. After passing both parts of the exam, licensed

arborists must complete at least 12 credits of continuing education within

five years.