How To Obtain And Renew An Applicator, Pest Control, Or Public Health License In Florida

In Florida, individuals who want to manage pests professionally or apply restricted-use pesticides (RUP) must own a pesticide applicator, pest control, or public health license. The process of obtaining a license under the categories above can vary significantly. In this article, we will review the application process for obtaining a license under each category.

Agricultural (Chapter 487) Licenses:

Required Certification Exams

To apply for an agricultural pest control license, you must first pass the required exam in the specific category. In most categories, you must take a General Standards exam plus the exam required for that category. You can find the complete list of the exams required in each category and the study materials here.

Exam Sites

There are two sites administering pesticide applicator exams: Cooperative Extension Service and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS).

• Administered by local UF-IFAS extension centers
• You can find the complete list of exams offered by county extension offices here.
• Administered by FDACS
• FDACS administers the following exams:
• Chlorine Gas Infusion Exam
• Regulatory Inspection and Sampling Exam
• Sewer Root Control Exam
• Regulatory Pest Control Exam (Government Employees Only/Division of Plant Industry)

How to Apply for a License

Upon passing the required exams, you will receive the required documentation for the application process.

License Fees

Private Applicator License $100

Public Applicator License $100

Commercial Applicator License $250

• Note that these fees are subject to change.

License Renewal

Approximately 60 days before a license expires, the applicator will receive a renewal notice. You need to update your contact information here or use our Change of Address/Information form (pdf). To renew your license, you must either retake the certification exams or accumulate Continuing Education Units (CEUs). Some categories are renewed by reexamination and others with CEUs. You need to choose the method of renewal and return the renewal form, the license fee, and copies of the CEU attendance forms if renewing by CEUs. In case of renewing by reexamination, you must take the exams within 12 months of the license expiration date.

Learn more about CEU requirements here.

Expired Licenses

No RUP may be purchased or applied before the renewal of the license. A signed and notarized affidavit stating that no RUP has been purchased or applied since the license has expired must be submitted. In addition to the affidavit, a $50 late fee is required if a license is renewed later than 60 days of expiration. Licenses that have been expired for more than one year cannot be renewed, and the applicator must pass the application process again.

Out-of-State Requirements

Applicators who are not Florida residents must submit a form to FDS before the license is issued.

Reciprocal Certification

Florida has reciprocal agreements with six other states to waive reexamination for applicators licensed or certified in those states to obtain a Florida license. However, all RUP applicators in Florida or individuals who apply any pesticide in Florida by "aerial delivery" must have a Florida license issued by FDACS. Reciprocal certification may be possible with states other than the six states mentioned on a case-by-case basis. Please note that the expiration date on the Florida license may not be the same as the expiration date on the reciprocal license.

Structural (Chapter 482) licenses

To apply RUP to homes or other structures, Florida law requires that each pest control business location obtain a license from FDACS. Also, one needs to pay the insurance fee ($250,000 per person and $500,000 per occurrence for bodily injury and $250,000 per occurrence and $500,000 in the aggregate for property damage, or a combined single limit coverage of $500,000 in the aggregate), and recruit a full-time Florida-certified operator in charge of the operations of the business location. This operator must be certified in the categories in which the business operates:

• General Household Pest and Rodent Control,
• Termite and Other Wood-Destroying Organisms Control,
• Lawn and Ornamental Pest Control, and/or
• Fumigation.

How to apply for a Business License:

You must mail the following to FDACS:

• A completed Pest Control Business License Application
• A completed Certificate of Insurance
• Completed Employee Identification Card Applications for each employee and the certified operator(s) in charge, and
• All required fees.

The business license fee is $300, and the fee for each employee identification card is $10.

Pest Control Operators:

Qualifications:

• Age over 18
• Pass the written exam administered by FDACS

To qualify for the examination, you must:

• Either have a high school or equivalent education PLUS three years of experience in the category you seek to obtain a license (at least one year of which must have been under a Florida licensee),
• Or have a recognized degree and 20 semester hours or 30 quarter hours in entomology, botany, agronomy, or horticulture. (You can also provide 24 semester hours or 36 quarter hours advanced training in entomology, botany, agronomy, or horticulture without a degree) PLUS one year of experience as an employee of a Florida licensee.

Apply for the Examination 

• Online or
• By mail  

Upon application, FDACS will provide you with a voucher number to select a date and time and complete your registration through the Exam Registration Website.

Limited Certification Programs:

The examination fee for limited certification is $150 per category.

• Limited Commercial Landscape Maintenance Applicator Certification

This program allows commercial landscape maintenance personnel to make pesticide applications to ornamental plants and plant beds only. It does not allow any pesticide applications (including weed control or weed and feed products) to any turf areas.

• Limited Governmental or Private Applicator Certification

This certification is designed for individuals who apply pesticides in, on, around, or under structures or to the turf or ornamental areas of the property. For smaller municipalities or companies, each applicator must be individually certified. For larger operations, a certified operator must be in charge of the pest control program.

• Limited Urban Commercial Fertilizer Applicator Certification

This certification is necessary for any fertilizer application to commercial turf or ornamental areas or the turf or ornamental areas of parks or fields (other than agricultural areas) or the turf or ornamental area of any residential property.

To be eligible for this certification, you must provide proof of having received Green Industry Best Management Practices training.

• Limited Commercial Wildlife Management Certification

The Limited Commercial Wildlife Management Certification (LW) is only required for trapping rats and mice in, on, or under structures. FDACS recommends that persons commercially trapping nuisance wildlife (e.g., raccoons, opossums, armadillos, skunks, squirrels) in structures also obtain this certificate.

How to Apply for Limited Certification Examination

You can apply:

• Online or
• By mail

Upon application, FDACS will provide you with a voucher number to select a date and time and complete your registration through the Exam Registration Website.

Public health (Chapter 388) licenses

Mosquito Control Licensing

Operation of a for-hire basis making mosquito-control applications to private or commercial properties and government-contracted vendors making widespread community or municipal mosquito-control applications over a large area must obtain a license.

How to Obtain a Public Health Pest Control License

Examinations and Study Materials

To qualify for certification, you must pass two exams:

1. Core exam: tests the applicant on general pesticide use and safety. Study material: IFAS Extension Bookstore
2. Public Health Pest Control Exam: covers mosquito biology and habitats, control methods, regulations, medical importance, and non-mosquito arthropods of public health importance. Study material: Public Health Pest Control Applicator Training Manual

How to Schedule an Exam

You can make exam scheduling through your local county Extension office. There are no fees required to take the exams.

Continuing Education Requirements

Sixteen hours of continuing education training is required during the four-year validity of the license. Training must cover specific areas of study listed in Section 5E-13.040(4).

License Renewal

A renewal license will automatically be sent to license holders who have completed and submitted at least 16 CEUs. Failure to meet the CEU requirements will result in a 90-day temporary expiration grace period. If the CEU requirements are not met during the grace period, the license will permanently expire. You will be required to retake both examinations and reapply for a new license.

FDACS Public Health Director Certification

This certification is necessary for anyone who wants to become director of a county or district mosquito control program.

Director's Exam

With a valid Public Health Pest Control license and approval through FDACS, an applicant can take Director's Exam, which is valid as long as the Public Health Pest Control license is renewed. 

Study Materials

Study materials for the Director's Exam are:

• The Florida Mosquito Control 2018 White Paper
• Chapter 388, Florida Statutes
• Chapter 5E-13, Florida Administrative Code

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