Academy · Licensing · FL
Florida pest control licence requirements
How do you get a pest control licence in Florida?
Florida applicator licences are issued by Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) — Bureau of Licensing and Enforcement. 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
- Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) — Bureau of Licensing and Enforcement
- Exam structure
- Pest control operator certificate requires passing the FDACS examination, and you must qualify to sit it first: a high school diploma plus three years of documented experience as a service employee of a licensee in the category sought (at least one year of it in Florida), or a relevant degree with a year of Florida experience. A degree in entomology qualifies you for examination in ALL categories; horticulture, botany or agronomy qualifies you only for Lawn and Ornamental. Separately, FDACS runs four Limited Certification categories (Commercial Landscape Maintenance, Governmental or Private applicator, Commercial Urban Fertilizer, and Limited Wildlife) at $150 exam fee per category — none of which permits operating a commercial pest control business.
- Application fee
- $150
- Cycle length
- 12 months
- Agreements
- Florida does not operate broad pest control reciprocity — the Chapter 482 experience and examination requirements apply regardless of what you hold elsewhere, and at least one year of the qualifying experience must be Florida experience. Confirm with FDACS before relocating a career: (850) 617-7870.
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 |
|---|---|
| GHP | General household pest control |
| WDO | Termites and other wood-destroying organisms |
| L&O | Lawn and ornamental pest control |
| FUM | Fumigation |