I have a slightly different opinion. You are a PUA as long as you are learning and using new PUA-techniques, AND approaching women frequently, just for the sake of pickup and getting laid. If a woman asks whether you are PUA, your game is too obvious, with a risk of being a try-hard.
This process (being a PUA) goes on until you become a natural, which in my opinion is the "master rank" so to speak. You are a PUA as soon as you learn your first technique, and therefore it is equivalent to being a newbie/rookie. When you get good enough, you will stop calling yourself a PUA, because you realize that all it is, is a big fat DLV.
When you learn game to perfection, becoming a natural, you can stand next to a girl, looking at some guy doing his PUA-stuff, shaking your head saying "look at that poor guy, trying so hard to learn how to deal with women", and suddenly you have demonstrated higher value. MUCH higher value! Like a boss.
