Academy · Licensing · RI
Rhode Island pest control licence requirements
How do you get a pest control licence in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island applicator licences are issued by Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) — Division of Agriculture, Pesticides. 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
- Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) — Division of Agriculture, Pesticides
- Exam structure
- Two steps, in order. First the Commercial licensing exam: online, closed book, $30.11 fee, studied from the NASDA National Pesticide Applicator Certification Core Manual plus the RI Pesticide Control Act and DEM pesticide rules. Only after passing it can you register for Commercial Certificate (category) exams such as 7A or 7B, which are open book, held monthly and also carry a $30.11 online convenience fee; in-person sittings can be arranged with DEM. Category 7 certification is required to use or supervise restricted-use or state-limited-use pesticides in that sub-category. No commercial certification under 18.
- Application fee
- $45
- Cycle length
- 12 months
- Agreements
- DEM grants reciprocal certification without the written exam to applicants fully certified in their resident state; it lasts only while the home-state certification is maintained (250-RICR-40-15-2.20). Confirm eligible states with RI DEM.
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 | Shade Tree (Arborist) |
| 3B | Custom Grounds |
| 3C | Interior Scape |
| 5C | Sewer Root Control |
| 6 | Right-of-Way Pest Control |
| 7A | General Pest |
| 7B | Termite and Structural Pest |
| 7C | Fumigation |
| 7D | Vertebrate |
| 7E | Mosquitoes and Biting Flies |
| 7F | Food Processing Pest Control |
| 8 | Public Health Pest Control |
| 11A | Pole Treatment |
| 11B | Pressure Treatment |
