Structural pest control board: where each state lists exterminator licenses

California's Structural Pest Control Board

California's board sits within the Department of Consumer Affairs and is led by a seven-member appointed board. The state's first Structural Pest Control Act dates from 1935 and took effect on January 1, 1936. The board licenses work in three branches: Branch 1 is fumigation, Branch 2 is general pest control, and Branch 3 is wood-destroying organisms, which covers termite work. People hold one of three license types. An Applicator may apply pesticides in Branch 2 or 3 and works only for a registered company; a Field Representative may also inspect, bid and contract for a company; an Operator may do all of that and own a company or qualify one. In the 2021–22 fiscal year the board counted 6,639 Applicators, 14,109 Field Representatives, 4,065 Operators and 3,174 registered companies.

Consumers check licenses through the Department of Consumer Affairs license search, by name, business name, license type or number. Canceled licenses do not appear in the results, so a company that is missing may have lost its license. The board also runs an address search that shows whether a termite inspection was filed on a property in the last two years. Pesticide use itself is enforced locally by county agricultural commissioners, who can fine companies for violations.

Texas: the board became part of agriculture

Texas had its own Structural Pest Control Board until 2007. House Bill 2458 abolished it effective September 1, 2007, and moved its work to the Texas Department of Agriculture, where the Structural Pest Control Service now licenses businesses, certified applicators and technicians and registers apprentices. License categories include pest control, termite control, lawn and ornamental, structural fumigation, commodity fumigation, weed control and wood preservation. Instead of a search box, the department publishes downloadable lists of current licensees, and every Texas pest control contract must print the company's license number and the statement "Licensed and regulated by: Texas Department of Agriculture."

Pest control license lookup in Florida, Louisiana and North Carolina

Florida. The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services licenses pest control businesses by category: general household pest and rodent control, termites and other wood-destroying organisms, lawn and ornamental, and fumigation, plus limited certifications such as one for wildlife management. Business license numbers begin with the letters JB. Every employee who performs pest control carries a state identification card and must show it on demand, service vehicles are marked with the company name on both sides, and a company's complaint history for the last three years is public.

Louisiana. Pest control is licensed by the Structural Pest Control Commission within the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, which publishes its list of licensed companies as a downloadable document. Employees are registered with the state and must carry their registration certificate and show it on request.

North Carolina. The Structural Pest Control and Pesticides Division of the state agriculture department licenses work by phase: household pests, wood-destroying organisms and fumigation. Employees who perform structural pest control must be registered with the division within 75 days of being hired.

Exterminator license outside the agriculture department

Federal law makes the states the primary enforcers of pesticide use, and each state picks its own lead office. In most, that is the department of agriculture. The exceptions are worth knowing, because searching the wrong agency's site wastes time:

• Illinois: structural pest control is handled by the Department of Public Health.
• New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Alaska and Rhode Island: the state environmental agency.
• District of Columbia: the Department of Energy and Environment.
• South Carolina: the Department of Pesticide Regulation at Clemson University.
• Indiana: the Office of Indiana State Chemist.
• Maine: the Board of Pesticides Control.
• California: the Structural Pest Control Board for pest control companies, with the Department of Pesticide Regulation over pesticides in general.

Pest control license, state by state

The table lists the office that licenses or certifies pest control in each state, as recorded in the National Pesticide Information Center's directory, with California and Illinois shown at their structural pest control offices. Links were checked on September 24, 2026; where a state's own page did not respond, the link goes to that state's listing at NPIC.

Wildlife control license: a different office again

Trapping and removing wild animals is usually a wildlife matter, handled by the state fish and wildlife agency rather than the pesticide office. Connecticut licenses Nuisance Wildlife Control Operators through its environmental agency; Pennsylvania issues permits through its Game Commission; Florida's pest control law says plainly that it does not exempt anyone from the wildlife commission's rules. If the job is a raccoon, squirrel or bat, check the wildlife permit too. The wildlife removal guide explains the difference.

Reading what the lookup shows

• Status. Active, expired, suspended or revoked. Only active counts.
• Category. A general pest license does not by itself cover termite work in states that separate the two.
• Name match. The business name on the truck, the contract and the license record should agree.
• The person. Ask for the technician's own credential number; many states license individuals as well as companies.

With the license confirmed, the next step is comparing the paperwork. The guide to comparing pest control companies covers insurance, agreements and callbacks.