Hiring a pro

Check a pest control license in your state

Pest control companies and the technicians who apply pesticides for them must be licensed or certified by the state. You can confirm a license by contacting your state pesticide regulatory agency.[2][3]

How to check a license

  1. Ask the company for its license number and the name of the technician who will do the work. A company must have at least one certified, licensed commercial applicator in the proper service category.[3]
  2. Check that the license is current and is the right classification for the job, such as general household pests, termites, or lawn and ornamentals.[2][4]
  3. Confirm it with your state pesticide regulatory office, listed below. Some states offer an online license search; the rest will confirm a license by phone.[2][1]

Find your state agency

Alabama

Alabama Department of Agriculture & IndustriesPest Management Division

Alaska

Alaska Department of Environmental ConservationPesticide Control Program

Arizona

Arizona Department of AgriculturePest Management Division

Arkansas

Arkansas State Plant BoardPesticide Division

California

California Environmental Protection AgencyDepartment of Pesticide Regulation

California Department of Consumer AffairsStructural Pest Control Board (licenses pest control companies and operators)

Colorado

Colorado Department of AgricultureDivision of Plant Industry, Pesticide Programs

Connecticut

Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental ProtectionPesticide Management Program

Delaware

Delaware Department of AgriculturePesticide Management

District of Columbia

Washington DC Department of Energy & EnvironmentToxic Substance Division

Florida

Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer ServicesAgricultural Environmental Services

Georgia

Georgia Department of AgriculturePlant Industry Division

Hawaii

Hawaii Department of AgriculturePesticides Branch

Idaho

Idaho State Department of AgricultureAgriculture Resources Division

Illinois

Illinois Department of AgricultureBureau of Environmental Programs

Illinois Department of Public HealthDivision of Environmental Health, Structural Pest Control

Indiana

Office of Indiana State ChemistPesticide Section

Iowa

Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land StewardshipPesticide Bureau

Kansas

Kansas Department of AgriculturePesticide & Fertilizer Program

Kentucky

Kentucky Department of AgricultureDivision of Environmental Services

Louisiana

Louisiana Department of Agriculture & ForestryPesticide & Environmental Programs

Maine

Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, & ForestryBoard of Pesticides Control

Maryland

Maryland Department of AgriculturePesticide Regulation Section

Massachusetts

Massachusetts Department of Agricultural ResourcesPesticide Program

Michigan

Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural DevelopmentPesticide & Plant Pest Management Division

Minnesota

Minnesota Department of AgriculturePesticide & Fertilizer Management Division

Mississippi

Mississippi Department of Agriculture & CommerceBureau of Plant Industry, Pesticide Program

Missouri

Missouri Department of AgriculturePlant Industries Division, Bureau of Pesticide Control

Montana

Montana Department of AgriculturePesticide Programs

Nebraska

Nebraska Department of AgriculturePlant Health Programs, Pesticide

Nevada

Nevada Department of AgriculturePlant Industry Division

New Hampshire

New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & FoodDivision of Pesticide Control

New Jersey

New Jersey Department of Environmental ProtectionBureau of Pesticide Compliance & Enforcement

New Mexico

New Mexico Department of AgriculturePesticide Compliance Section

New York

New York State Department of Environmental ConservationDivision of Materials Management, Bureau of Pest Management

North Carolina

North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer ServicesStructural Pest Control & Pesticide Division

North Dakota

North Dakota Department of AgriculturePesticide & Fertilizer Division

Ohio

Ohio Department of AgriculturePesticide Program

Oklahoma

Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food & ForestryConsumer Protection Services Division

Oregon

Oregon Department of AgriculturePesticide and Fertilizer Program

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Department of AgricultureBureau of Plant Industry, Pesticide Programs

Rhode Island

Rhode Island Department of Environmental ManagementDivision of Agriculture

South Carolina

Clemson UniversityDepartment of Pesticide Regulation

South Dakota

South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural ResourcesAgriculture & Environmental Services; Inspection, Compliance & Remediation

Tennessee

Tennessee Department of AgriculturePesticides Section

Texas

Texas Department of AgriculturePesticide Programs

Utah

Utah Department of Agriculture and FoodPesticide Program

Vermont

Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food and MarketsPesticide Programs

Virginia

Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer ServicesOffice of Pesticide Services

Washington

Washington State Department of AgriculturePesticides and Fertilizers

West Virginia

West Virginia Department of AgricultureRegulatory & Environmental Affairs Division

Wisconsin

Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer ProtectionBureau of Agrichemical Management

Wyoming

Wyoming Department of AgriculturePesticide Program

Agency names and phone numbers come from the National Pesticide Information Center's directory of state pesticide regulatory agencies; where an agency had moved a page, we linked its current page instead.[1] Every link was opened and checked on 2026-10-06. If one has moved, tell us.

Questions to ask before you hire

  • Will the person doing the work be a certified, licensed pesticide applicator? Can you give me a copy of your pest control license and copies of the labels for the pesticides you use?[3]
  • Can you give me an estimate in writing? Is there a guarantee, and what are its terms?[2][4]
  • Do you use integrated pest management, and will you discuss low-toxicity options?[2][4]
  • Does the company carry insurance for my property and its employees? Can you provide references?[4][3]
  • After the service, will you give me the product names, their EPA registration numbers, and the precautions to follow?[2][4]
  • Is a long-term contract required, and what will it cost over time? EPA notes that routine applications are not warranted unless pests are actually present.[2][3]

Warning signs

  • A price quoted per gallon of pesticide, or a claim of a secret formula.[3]
  • Pressure to sign a contract on the spot.[3]
  • A claim that the company or its products are endorsed by a state or federal agency.[3]

Sources

  1. National Pesticide Information Center (Oregon State University / U.S. EPA), “State Pesticide Regulatory Agencies.” npic.orst.edu/reg/state_agencies.html (accessed 2026-10-06). Directory data: npic.orst.edu/mlr/stateLead.json
  2. National Pesticide Information Center, “Selecting a Pest Control Company.” www.npic.orst.edu/pest/selectpco.html (accessed 2026-10-06)
  3. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Tips for Selecting a Pest Control Service.” www.epa.gov/safepestcontrol/tips-selecting-pest-control-service (accessed 2026-10-06)
  4. University of Minnesota Extension, “Hiring a pest control professional.” extension.umn.edu/home-maintenance-and-safety/hiring-pest-control-professional (accessed 2026-10-06)

Updated 2026-10-06. Built from sourced records. Spot an error? Tell us.