Trade · Starting a company · SC
Start a pest control company in South Carolina
What do you need to open a pest control company in South Carolina?
Form the business with the state. Then: Get your DCA licensed as a commercial applicator in Category 7A (Core plus 7A exams) and document two years of verifiable pest control experience or a four-year natural-sciences degree on the DCA Verifiable Experience form. Have your insurer complete the Evidence of Financial Responsibility form for at least $100,000 combined single limit general liability, with no deductible over $1,000.
Key fact$150 per year for the business license plus $50 for the DCA licence, $200 total.
South Carolina DPR words the DCA experience rule two ways on its own site (pest control experience vs pesticide application experience). Confirm which applies to you with DPR at 864-646-2150.
Pest Control Business License from Clemson University's Department of Pesticide Regulation, required for any business doing Category 7A (Industrial, Institutional, Structural and Health-Related) work. Under Regulation 27-1085 M, as quoted on DPR's application form, no main business office or branch office where records are kept may do structural pest control in South Carolina without first getting a Business License.
$150 per year for the business license plus $50 for the DCA licence, $200 total. The licence is valid through 31 December unless suspended or revoked. A DCA change costs $50.
A Designated Certified Applicator (DCA), licensed by DPR in Category 7A, in place before the business licence is issued. The DCA must be permanently assigned to that specific location full time while the business is open and operating, and nobody can be DCA for more than one location. To qualify: at least two years of verifiable experience in pest control, OR a four-year college degree in the natural sciences. Submit the DCA Verifiable Experience form.
Category 7A and 7B applicators must maintain comprehensive general liability insurance of not less than $100,000.00 combined single limit liability coverage, covering bodily injury and property damage from the use or transport of pesticides. No deductible may exceed $1,000, and coverage must be continuous. The insurer completes DPR's Evidence of Financial Responsibility form, and a Certificate of Liability Insurance for the business goes in with the application.
Step by step
- 01Form the business with the state.
- 02Get your DCA licensed as a commercial applicator in Category 7A (Core plus 7A exams) and document two years of verifiable pest control experience or a four-year natural-sciences degree on the DCA Verifiable Experience form.
- 03Have your insurer complete the Evidence of Financial Responsibility form for at least $100,000 combined single limit general liability, with no deductible over $1,000.
- 04Submit the Business License Application, completed by the owner and signed by the DCA, with the Certificate of Liability Insurance and the $200 ($150 business + $50 DCA). Email it to dprca@clemson.edu and pay online, or mail it to DPR, 511 Westinghouse Rd., Pendleton, SC 29670.
- 05Display the licence at each location, get vehicle decals, and renew by 31 December each year.
Also on the list
- The business licence must be prominently displayed at each location.
- Report changes within ten days: the name or licence status of the Category 7A applicator or DCA, that applicator's financial responsibility status, or any change in the facility's location.
- Vehicles transporting pesticides need DPR vehicle decals. Send vehicle registration numbers to dprca@clemson.edu.
- A DCA is required at each structural pest control business location.
Opened a shop in South Carolina? Owners in the LTK Discord trade notes on insurance brokers, routing software and first hires.
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- Clemson DPR — Licensing
- Clemson DPR — Frequently Asked Questions
- Clemson DPR — Business License Application (rev. 07/22)
Fees and forms change. This is a summary of the state’s published rules, not legal advice — confirm with the agency before you file.
