Licensing requirements to operate a pest control business in The State Of Texas

The   Texas  State Pest and  Pesticide   Control Licensing  Program can include multiple types of licenses and exam categorization.  The license required to legally sell,  apply, distribute or consult on insecticide use in Texas will depend on who your employer is and/or what type of pest control work you are going to do.

To become a licensed structural pest control applicator in  Texas,  you must first become an apprentice or technician and must complete the required hours of pest control training.     Once you have met all the requirements, you must pass ann extensive closed book multiple scans and a score of 70% or higher. The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA)  administers the tests through PSI and offers tests at various locations and hours around the state.  Applicants must pass a criminal background check.

To obtain a license as a pest control technician in pest control you must be at least  18 years of age. There are several types of pesticide applicator licenses  in  Texas

Obtaining a Structural Pest Control Business License in Texas

Anyone in the structural pest control business must obtain a commercial license from SPCS for each business location, including branches, in accordance with the Structural Pest Control Act.

Each commercial licensee must designate a responsible certified commercial applicator that is not serving as a responsible certified commercial applicator for any other commercial licensee or any other commercial license location. A company or person may not advertise to provide services or solicit business without first obtaining a commercial license and having a certified applicator in each license category in which the business is conducted.

If you or your employee currently have a license as a certified business applicator, your business license application must include a license change form for the certified applicator or a  renewal form.

Insurance Requirement In Texas

Requirements A commercial license applicant must file an insurance policy or contract in an amount of no less than $200,000 bodily injury and property damage coverage with a minimum total of $300,000 for all events, ensuring against liability for damage to persons or property under your care, custody or control. Your insurance agent must be informed that the exclusion of care, custody, and control must be removed to comply with Chapter 1951.312 of the Texas Occupational Code.

Texas License Fees

A business license fee is  $300. If you or your employee are not currently licensed certified applicators, you can present the insurance fee and certificate after you have passed the exam. You may not conduct any business until your license is issued.

Certified Commercial Applicator License

A certified commercial applicator is defined as the person who is responsible for providing direct training and supervision for pest inspections, identifications, and control measures for a licensed business. This person can be a certified commercial applicator for a single commercial license location.

A certified non-commercial applicator is defined as the person who as an employee is responsible for providing pest control services to a government entity, apartment building, daycare center, hospital, nursing home, hotel, motel, lodge, warehouse, food processing center, school or school.

Licensing requirements

• Have held a Technician License for at least six months and been employed with functions that include pest control services under the supervision of a licensed certified applicator for at least 12 of the past 24 months;
• Have a degree in a biological science* and provide an official copy of your university academic record; Or
• Have 12 months of verifiable technical experience on the ground in the last 24 months from another occupation. The applicant must submit a signed and notarized statement from his former employer detailing technical experience on the ground with regard to pest control.

For non-commercial applicators only, complete an SPCS-approved non-commercial applicator training course.

All Certified Applicator applicants are required to take the General    Examination (marked as TX General Certified Applicator on the PSI testing website), as well as a category and pass with 70% or more correct to obtain a license.

Structural Pest Control Applicator

The Structural Pest Control Act requires licensing of companies and individuals that perform structural pest control for rent. In addition, employees of state government units that apply pesticides as part of their work functions, and people who perform pest control in an apartment building, day care center, hospital, nursing home, hotel, motel or lodge, warehouse, food processing establishment (other than a restaurant, retail food or food service establishment), or the school must be licensed. Structural pest control includes but is not limited to pests that can infest parks, buildings or adjacent structures and areas, industrial plants, streets, docks, rail cars, trucks, ships or airplanes. Structural pest control includes the following compensation activities:

• identifying infestations,
• doing inspection reports,
• Recommendations
• submission of estimates or offers,
• Hiring
• services to prevent, control or eliminate infestations, or
• advertising of such services.

SPCS Technician and Apprentice Licenses

Licensed technicians

A commercial technician is defined as the person who, under the direct supervision of a certified applicator, performs pest control services. A technician must be licensed for each business for which you are employed or for which you perform pest control services.

A non-commercial technician is defined as the person who, under the direct supervision of a certified applicator, performs pest control services for a government entity, apartment building, day care, hospital, nursing home, hotel, motel, school or educational institution.

The applicant must first register as an apprentice and complete all apprentice training requirements before taking the exam for a technician license.

Apprentice’s requirements

Submit an Apprentice Registration Application and Technician License Form at the rate of $125  within 10 days of employment or within 10 days of initial pest control services.

SPCS will review the application and conduct a background check, if necessary. A learner card will be issued for 12 months from the date of hiring.

An apprentice may provide pest control services in the category for which training has been completed under the direct supervision of a certified applicator.  This means that a certified applicator must have personal contact at least three days a week.

Minimum Training required:

• 20 hours of classroom training in the general rules with at least two hours in each of the following subjects:
  • Federal and state laws regulating the industry
  • Pest recognition and pest damage
  • Pesticide labels and label understanding
  • Pesticide safety
  • Protecting the environment
  • Application equipment and techniques
  • Pesticide formulations and actions
  • Emergency procedures and pesticide cleaning, and procedures for immediate reporting of spills and my applications
  • Basic principles of mathematics, chemistry, toxicology, and entomology
  • Non-chemical pest control techniques, including biological, mechanical and prevention techniques.
• 8 hours of classroom training in each category looking for a license.
• 40 hours of on-the-job training in each category looking for a license.
• Trainees must attend and participate in an SPCS-approved technician training course before taking the technical exam.

Verification of training should be maintained in the apprentice’s personnel record and is subject to review by SPCS staff.

Tests Required To Be A Pest Control Applicator Technician

• Trainees must attend and participate in an SPCS-approved technician training course before taking the technical exam.
• Submit an Apprenticeregistration   Application and   Technician  Examination  along  with  $64 for each category exam.   Pass an exam in each category in which training to receive a technician license was completed.
• The exam must be approved before the expiration date of the learner card.  You can retest as many times as necessary over a 12-month period.
• A technician license will be issued when the exam is approved.  Technicians may provide pest control services under direct supervision and receive instructions at least three days a week from a certified applicator.
• To add a category, the person must receive 40 hours of on-the-job training and 8 hours of classroom training in the additional category and pass the category exam.

Texas Structural Pest Control Applicator License Categories

The license category determines which pest control area is qualified to treat an applicator. Each category has a corresponding exam and each initial exam costs $64. Exams are closed book. You must bring a valid government-issued ID. 

• Pest control – Pest inspection and/or control in and around homes, businesses and industries. This includes insect pests or pest animals that can invade homes, restaurants, shops and other buildings, attack their contents or furniture or be a general nuisance, but normally do not attack the building itself, such as roaches, silver fish, ants, flies, mosquitoes, rats, mice, etc.
• Termite control – Inspection and/or control of termites, beetles or other wood-destroying organisms by means other than fumigation in buildings, including houses, warehouses, shops, docks or other structures.
• Grass and ornamental – Inspection and/or control of pests of ornamental plants, shade trees and lawns. in a park or adjacent to a residence, commercial establishment, industrial plant, institutional building or street.
• Structural fumigation – Inspection and/or control of pests by spraying structures not primarily intended to contain food, feed or grains.
• Commodity fumigation – Inspection and/or control through the spraying of commodities and/or structures normally used to contain them. An ADD agricultural pesticide applicator licence may be used for the spraying of raw agricultural products.
• Weed control – Inspection and/or control of noweds around homes and industrial environments.
• Wood Preservation – Pest control involves the addition of preservatives to wood to extend the life of wood products protecting them from damage caused by insects, fungi and marine drillers. These wood products shall include, but are not limited to, crosses, poles and poles. This includes the removal of power line poles with wood-preserved pesticides, including fumigants.
• Commercial vs Non-Commercial A commercial applicator operates a business or is an employee of a company that offers pest control services
  for rent or compensation.

Texas Pest Control Study Guide

Forms of structural pest control applicator

Structural pest control applicator forms, applications and documentation

Basic Study Guide to Certification of National Pesticide Applicators

NASDA Basic Exam Study Manual

Contact

For certification questions or to access your records, please contact: The Texas Department of Agriculture by visiting its website  and  locating the office closest to you.