Academy · Licensing · MI
Michigan pest control licence requirements
How do you get a pest control licence in Michigan?
Michigan applicator licences are issued by Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) — Pesticide Section. 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
- Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) — Pesticide Section
- Exam structure
- Certified commercial applicator: the Commercial Core exam plus at least one category exam; fumigation and aerial are separate "standards" with their own exam. Every exam needs 70% and is closed book (true/false and multiple choice). Proctored by Metro Institute — $55 at a testing centre or $65 remote, per exam, paid to Metro separately from the MDARD fee — or by MDARD on paper after an MSU core review (core, aerial and fumigation exams only). Combined exam 7J covers 7A + 7B; 6J covers 3A, 3B and 6. Passing scores are accepted for 1 year. Registered applicator (general-use only): Commercial Core exam plus an MDARD-approved employer training programme.
- Application fee
- $75
- Cycle length
- 36 months
- Agreements
- MDARD has reciprocal agreements with Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin for residents of those states certified there — certification without examination on application and fee.
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 |
|---|---|
| 3A | Turfgrass Pest Management |
| 3B | Ornamental Pest Management |
| 2A | Wood Preservation |
| 5B | Microbial Pest Management |
| 5C | Sewer Line Pest Management |
| 6 | Right-of-Way Pest Management |
| 7A | General Pest Management |
| 7B | Wood Destroying Pest Management |
| 7D | Vertebrate Pest Management |
| 7E | Interior Plant Pest Management |
| 7F | Mosquito Management |
| 7G | Domestic Animal Pest Management |
| 8 | Public Health Pest Management |
