Florida Herbicide Applicator's License

In Florida, people who want to apply restricted-use herbicides, or apply herbicides for hire (profit), need to get licensed through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). Under FDACS laws, you can apply herbicides when you are licensed in one of the categories below:

Apply for a license

How to get licensed

Structural Categories

All the categories below are for people who want to control weeds around structures on their customer's property (commercial service) or to control weeds on their employer's property.

Apply for a structural license

Limited Commercial Landscape Maintenance (LCLM)

This license is for landscape maintenance contractors applying herbicides to their customer's property to control weeds. Herbicides you can use are limited to 'Caution' labels only. Only backpack sprayers having no more than a 5-gallon capacity and handheld 3-gallon compressed air "pump-up" sprayers are allowed. Powered equipment is prohibited. Each individual applicator must be licensed. You are not allowed to apply pesticides to lawns and ponds. Apply 

Limited Lawn & Ornamental (LLO)

This license is for employees applying pesticides on private property owned by employers or employees of government agencies who make herbicide applications to the turf & ornamental areas of the property to control weeds. 

PCO Lawn & Ornamental

This license is for applicators who want to apply or supervise restricted-use herbicides to control weeds. Powered equipment is allowed, and each individual applicator must be licensed.

Agricultural categories

All the categories below are for people who want to control weeds as a part of their agricultural production, such as fruit, vegetable, meat, and egg production.

Apply for an agricultural license

Private Agricultural Applicator - License

This license is required for people who want to apply restricted-use herbicides by ground application to produce an agricultural commodity on a property owned or rented by the applicator or the applicator's employer. 

Agricultural Row Crop Pest Control - License

This license is for people who want to apply herbicides to row crops to prevent weeds from damaging crops. 

Agricultural Tree Crop Pest Control - License

This license is for people who want to apply herbicides to tree groves such as avocado, mango, citrus, and other tree crops to prevent weeds from damaging the crops.

Aquatic Pest Control - License

This license is for people who want to apply herbicides to standing or running water, including banks or shorelines, to control weeds and other forms of aquatic plants. 

Natural Areas Weed Management - License

This license is for people who want to apply herbicides in natural areas such as parks and natural reserves to control weeds.

Ornamental & Turf - License

This license is for people who want to apply herbicides in golf courses, athletic fields, parks, sod farms, and cemeteries to control weeds.

Right of Way - License

This license is for people who want to apply herbicides to right-of-way areas such as roads, electronic lines and substations, pipelines, railroads, and similar areas to control weeds.