Academy · Licensing · CO
Colorado pest control licence requirements
How do you get a pest control licence in Colorado?
Colorado applicator licences are issued by Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) — Pesticide Applicator Certification and Licensing Program. 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
- Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) — Pesticide Applicator Certification and Licensing Program
- Exam structure
- Qualified Supervisor (QS) and Certified Operator (CO) both pass a General Core exam and at least one pest management category exam. Exams are online at proctor locations, run with Metro Institute and CSU Extension; $41.50 per test, booked and paid at least two days ahead. Results are valid one year. Anyone may sit the QS exams, but a QS licence is issued only with documented field experience (8 CCR 1203-2 Parts 8–10); otherwise a CO licence is issued and can be upgraded later without retesting.
- Application fee
- $100
- Cycle length
- 36 months
- Agreements
- CDA issues a reciprocal licence at Certified Operator level only, without exams, for the unexpired term of the other jurisdiction's licence ($150, plus a letter of good standing). Reciprocal licences are not renewed and CECs do not apply to them; a new application is needed each time.
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 |
|---|---|
| 206 | Turf Pest Control |
| 207 | Ornamental Pest Control |
| 301 | Wood Destroying Organism Pest Control |
| 302 | Outdoor Vertebrate Pest Control |
| 303 | Structural Fumigation |
| 304 | Residential/Commercial Pest Control |
| 305 | Stored Commodities Treatment |
| 306 | Wood Preservation and Wood Products Treatment |
| 307 | Interior Plant Pest Control |
| 309B | Non-Soil Fumigation Pest Control |
| 109 | Industrial and Right-of-Way Weed Control |
| 110 | Public Health Pest Control |
