Academy · Licensing · AL
Alabama pest control licence requirements
How do you get a pest control licence in Alabama?
Alabama applicator licences are issued by Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) — Pesticide Management Division. Requirements are set per category rather than as a single general licence, so the exam you sit and the hours you carry depend on which categories you intend to work. Details below are published only once verified against the agency.
Reviewed by LTK editorial team
- Issuing agency
- Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) — Pesticide Management Division
- Exam structure
- Written exams set by the examining board, $75 per exam. Paper exams are held in Montgomery on the third Tuesday of March, June, September and December, with pre-approval required. Computer-based testing runs weekly at sites across the state through apply.adaitesting.com for $125 per exam ($75 ADAI fee + $50 administrative fee); the Fumigation Certified Operator exam (FC) is not offered at the online sites. Certified Operator and Branch Supervisor candidates need one year of structural pest control experience, an entomology-inclusive college degree, or equivalent institutional training. Only a Certified Operator may supervise a main office or run their own business; a Branch Supervisor may supervise a branch office only.
- Application fee
- $45
- Cycle length
- 36 months
- Agreements
- ADAI grants reciprocal commercial applicator certification to holders from Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina and Tennessee ($120 per category, $75 General Standards). The structural categories (HPC, WDC, FC) are not among the categories listed on the reciprocal application — confirm with ADAI before relying on reciprocity for structural work.
Reciprocity is the most commonly misunderstood part of moving states. We publish only agreements confirmed by the agency, never inferred ones.
Licence categories
| Code | Category |
|---|---|
| HPC | Household, Institutional and Industrial Pest Control (Certified Operator) |
| WDC | Control and/or Eradication of Wood Destroying Organisms (Certified Operator) |
| FC | Fumigation Pest Control (Certified Operator) |
| HPB | Household, Institutional and Industrial Pest Control (Branch Supervisor) |
| WDS | Control and/or Eradication of Wood Destroying Organisms (Branch Supervisor) |
| FB | Fumigation Pest Control (Branch Supervisor) |
| OTPS | Ornamental and Turf Pest Control Supervisor |
| IIHC | Industrial, Institutional and Health Related Pest Control (Custodial) |
| OTPC | Ornamental and Turf Pest Control (Custodial) |