How to Check a Pest Control License in Your State

Every state licenses the people who put termite chemicals in the ground under your house. Checking takes five minutes, and the license tells you more than whether the company is legal. Here's where to look and what to look for.

By John Updated 6 min read
Sketch of a laminated license card held up next to a magnifying glass, with a checkmark beside it

The short version

Termite companies are licensed by a state agency, usually the department of agriculture or a pest control board. Check two things: that the business holds a current license, and that it covers termite or wood-destroying organism work, which is a separate category in most states. Most states have an online search or a downloadable list; your state's agency can confirm by phone.

On this page
  1. Who licenses termite work
  2. Termite license categories, state by state
  3. How to check a company
  4. How the lookups work
  5. What else the license tells you
  6. Before you hire anyone
  7. Questions

Who licenses termite work

Pesticides are regulated under a federal law, FIFRA, but the people who apply them are licensed by the states. The national pesticide applicator training manual explains the split: EPA registers products, and each state's lead agency, usually the department of agriculture, certifies applicators and enforces both federal and state pesticide law. Some states hand termite work to a dedicated board instead, like California's Structural Pest Control Board.

Two layers usually matter:

  • The business license or permit. The company itself is licensed, often with a separate permit for each office.
  • The individual's certification. Somebody at the company, often called a certified operator or certified applicator, has passed the state exam in the right category.

When you search, check both if your state lets you. A company with a valid license and no certified person in the termite category is a question worth asking.

Termite license categories, state by state

Termite work is usually its own license category, separate from general pest control. Here's what it's called in the states we've covered so far. The details are on each state page.

What the termite license is called
State Who licenses The termite category
California Structural Pest Control Board Branch 3, wood-destroying organisms; fumigation is Branch 1
Texas Department of Agriculture, Structural Pest Control Service The termite category; only a licensed technician or certified applicator in it may prepare written termite estimates
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services A separate certification for termite and wood-destroying organism work, and another for fumigation
Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Structural Pest Control Commission Termite control license; WDIR inspections by a licensee or a certified WDIR technician
Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce, Bureau of Plant Industry WDI, wood-destroying insect control
Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries Wood-destroying organism control, under the structural license
Georgia Department of Agriculture, Structural Pest Control Section Wood destroying organisms; only certified operators may issue the state's sale report
South Carolina Clemson University Department of Pesticide Regulation Category 7A structural license with a Designated Certified Applicator at each location

Find your state on the termite pressure map for local rules.

How to check a company

  1. Get the exact business name and license number

    Ask for it on the phone. Several states require the license number on written termite estimates, contracts or reports.

  2. Find your state's lookup

    Search for your state's department of agriculture plus "structural pest control." Our state pages link to the right search: California, Texas, Florida, Georgia and others.

  3. Confirm the license is current

    Look for an active status and an expiration date in the future. Some states renew every year; Alabama's permits, for example, run October 1 to September 30.

  4. Confirm the termite category

    A general pest control license for roaches and ants doesn't cover termites in most states. Look for the termite or wood-destroying organism category, and for fumigation separately if anyone mentions tenting.

  5. Check for actions against the license

    Some states publish disciplinary actions or civil penalties; Virginia, for example, has a pesticide civil penalty search. Others will tell you by phone whether there are complaints.

  6. Call if the search is confusing

    Lists can be hard to read, and some states publish spreadsheets or PDFs instead of a search box. A phone call to the agency settles it.

How the lookups work

States publish license information in different ways. A few examples from states we've covered.

State license lookups, by format
State Format Phone if you're stuck
California Online license and registration search 800-737-8188
Texas Downloadable lists of businesses, applicators and technicians 800-835-5832
Florida Online license reports (Statutes 388 and 482) Through FDACS
Virginia Downloadable list of licensed pesticide businesses, plus a civil penalty search 804-371-6560
Louisiana PDF list of place-of-business permits; the LDAF Business App has the current listing 225-925-3787
Georgia Online structural pest control search 404-656-3641
South Carolina Online list of licensed commercial companies 864-646-2150
Alabama Pesticide applicator search 334-240-7100

Phone numbers come from each agency's own pages, linked from our state guides.

What else the license tells you

A license is a floor, not a recommendation. But it carries some protections you can use:

  • Insurance. Several states make licensing depend on insurance. South Carolina, for instance, requires structural companies to carry at least $100,000 in general liability coverage and suspends the license if it lapses. Florida requires companies doing wood-destroying organism inspections to carry errors-and-omissions insurance.
  • A complaint route. A licensed company answers to the agency. That matters if a treatment fails or a report misses damage; see how to file a complaint against a pest control company.
  • Rules about paperwork. In states like Texas, Alabama and Georgia, licensed companies must give you specific written documents: estimates, diagrams, contracts with required wording. An unlicensed operator won't.

Before you hire anyone

Do

  • Ask for the license number and look it up yourself
  • Confirm the termite or wood-destroying organism category
  • Check for fumigation certification if tenting is proposed
  • Ask who will actually do the work, and whether they're certified or supervised

Don't

  • Accept a logo shirt or truck lettering as proof
  • Hire door-to-door sellers who can't give a business phone number
  • Assume a general pest license covers termites
  • Treat an EPA product registration as a company credential

Questions people ask

How do I check if a pest control company is licensed?

Search your state agency's license lookup, usually run by the department of agriculture or a structural pest control board, using the company's exact name or license number. If your state publishes a list instead of a search, or the results are unclear, call the agency.

Do termite companies need a special license?

In most states, yes. Termite or wood-destroying organism work is usually a separate category from general pest control, and fumigation is often another separate category.

Is the person treating my house required to be licensed?

Rules vary by state. Generally a certified applicator must apply restricted-use pesticides or directly supervise the person who does, and many states require technicians to be registered or licensed too. Ask who will do the work and how they're supervised.

What if a company isn't licensed?

Don't hire it, and consider reporting it to your state agency. Unlicensed termite work leaves you without the state's paperwork requirements, inspection standards or complaint process, and in many states it's illegal.

Termites in your state

Sources