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Georgia Pest Control License Requirements (2026)

Gabriel Giner

By Gabriel Giner, Editor  ·  Reviewed 2026-07-28  ·  CLR Editorial Review Desk

Operating a structural pest control business for hire in Georgia requires two distinct credentials that must exist together. First, the firm itself must hold a Structural Pest Control Company License. Second, that company must employ a Designated Certified Operator (DCO) — a qualified individual holding a Certified Operator certification — for each service category the business offers. A lone Certified Operator is not a licensed company, and a company license cannot be issued or maintained without a DCO on staff. Both credentials are administered by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, Structural Pest Division, with company licenses approved by the Georgia Structural Pest Control Commission (SPCC) under the Georgia Structural Pest Control Act (O.C.G.A. Title 43, Chapter 45). This is a pesticide and structural-pest credential, not a construction-contractor license — there is no NASCLA or contractor-board involvement. Georgia divides structural work into categories including Category 28 Fumigation (FUM), Category 29 Household Pest Control (HPC), Category 30 Wood-destroying Organism Control (WDO), and Honey Bee Control and Removal (HBR); WDO/termite and fumigation each carry their own certification exam and, for WDO, substantially higher insurance requirements.

Governing Authority

Georgia Department of Agriculture, Structural Pest Division (with the Georgia Structural Pest Control Commission) (GDA SPD / SPCC) administers and enforces this credential under the authority of O.C.G.A. Title 43, Chapter 45 (Georgia Structural Pest Control Act); implementing rules at Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 620 (rules chapter cite not independently verified). Regulates and licenses structural pest control companies, certified operators, and registered employees under the Georgia Structural Pest Control Act. Company licenses are approved by the Structural Pest Control Commission (SPCC), which meets monthly on the second Tuesday.

Eligibility Requirements

An applicant qualifies only after meeting the age floor of 0 and producing a valid Social Security Number. No residency requirement was identified in the statute or on official GDA pages.

Good moral character

Implied. The Commission may deny examination or certification to a person convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude (O.C.G.A. 43-45-9(a)).

Background investigation

No fingerprint-based background check was identified. The Commission may deny examination or certification to a person convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude (O.C.G.A. 43-45-9(a)).

Disqualifying conditions

  • Crime involving moral turpitude (may be denied examination or certification)

Experience & Education Matrix

The applicant must document and verify at least 2 years of Certified Operator: at least 2 years of verifiable structural pest control experience, with one year within the last 5 years; OR a degree in entomology, public health, or a related field plus 1 year of actual structural pest control experience within the last 5 years. Registered Employee: 10 hours of classroom training plus 70 hours of on-the-job experience under a certified operator or registered employee before exam eligibility.. Keep payroll, tax, project, or supervisor records to support the claim, as the board can request proof for any period within its lookback window.

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

  • Verifiable employment/experience documentation submitted to the SPCC
  • Degree or transcript for the education substitution
  • DCO-signed exam application

Education substitution

A degree in entomology, public health, or a related subject substitutes for one year of the two-year experience requirement; the applicant still needs 1 year of recent field experience.

Examination Structure

This credential carries no state-administered written exam under the cited sources. What governs instead is: Georgia Department of Agriculture, delivered via computer-based testing at GeorgiaPestExam.com (Registered Employee exams are also offered at participating technical colleges)

Examination fee: $45 per category exam

Retake policy: A two-day waiting period applies between failed attempts. After a third failure, the applicant must repeat 10 hours of classroom training before retesting.

Insurance & Financial Security

Financial responsibility for a structural pest control business runs through pesticide (environmental) liability insurance rather than the surety bond a construction contractor posts; some states additionally require a bond for termite or subterranean work. The requirement that applies in this jurisdiction is set out below.

General liability

Required before a company license is issued. Household pest and fumigation companies must carry not less than $50,000 per occurrence and $200,000 annual aggregate, including pollution liability for sudden and accidental discharge or release of pollutants (O.C.G.A. 43-45-9(d)). Wood-destroying organism (WDO/termite) companies must carry not less than $100,000 per occurrence and $500,000 annual aggregate, plus errors-and-omissions coverage on an occurrence basis (O.C.G.A. 43-45-9(e)). Coverage must be maintained continuously with 30-day cancellation notice; a company license is automatically suspended on lapse.

Workers' compensation

Not confirmed on official pages.

Additional financial requirements

Not required for licensure; proof of insurance is required before a company license is issued.

Application and License Fees

Fee Amount
Application (non-refundable)No separate state fee
Examination$45
Initial license — sole ownerNo separate state fee
Initial license — non-sole ownerNo separate state fee
Renewal (every 2 years)No separate state fee

To turn these board fees into a realistic year-one budget — bond premium, liability insurance, and exam prep included — open the cost calculator preloaded for Georgia pest control.

Maintenance & Renewal

Expect to renew the Structural Pest Control Company License every 2 years. Renewal currently costs $100. Administrative credentials (company, certified operator, registered employee) are non-prorated and expire June 30 of odd-numbered years (biennial). The confirmed $100 renewal fee is for the Certified Operator certification; the company license renewal fee and any late fee were not confirmed on official pages. The five-year CE certification period runs separately from the two-year administrative renewal — verify how the two interact with the agency.

Continuing education: Certified Operators must earn continuing-education credits over a FIVE-year certification period: 12 credits for Fumigation, 25 for Household Pest Control, and 25 for Wood-destroying Organism Control (with computer-based-training caps noted on the official page), or retake the certification examination before expiration. These CE totals accumulate over the 5-year certification period, not the biennial administrative renewal cycle.

Downloadable Asset

2026 Georgia Pest Control License Roadmap (PDF) — a printable step-by-step checklist for the application process.

Download the PDF roadmap →

Reciprocity and Endorsement

How Georgia treats a pest control operator already certified in another state — and whether any applicator-certification reciprocity applies — is covered below; NASCLA has no bearing here.

Reciprocal State Accepted Exam Conditions
No formal bilateral reciprocity agreements identified.

No structural pest control reciprocity or endorsement for out-of-state certified operators was identified on the official GDA pages consulted; applicants appear to qualify through Georgia's own experience and examination process. NASCLA is a construction-contractor credential and does not apply to pest control.

Weighing more than one jurisdiction? The national hub compares Pest Control license requirements in every state — exam, bond, fee, and experience thresholds side by side.

Pest Control Licensing in Neighboring States

Contractors working near a state line, or weighing where to qualify first, should compare Georgia's requirements against the bordering jurisdictions before committing to an application:

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

  1. Meet the Certified Operator experience requirement. Accumulate at least 2 years of verifiable structural pest control experience (one year within the last 5 years), or earn a degree in entomology, public health, or a related field plus 1 year of recent field experience.
  2. Pass the core and category exams to become a Certified Operator. Pass the core general-standards (general competency) exam plus a category exam for each category (FUM, HPC, or WDO) via computer-based testing at GeorgiaPestExam.com. Category exams cost $45 each and return instant results.
  3. Obtain the Certified Operator certification. Pay the $100 Certified Operator certification fee to the GDA. This individual credential is the qualifying professional the business must designate as its Designated Certified Operator (DCO).
  4. Apply for the Structural Pest Control Company License. Submit the company license application designating a DCO for each service category. Applications must be received by the 1st of the month for review at the SPCC's monthly meeting (generally the second Tuesday). Confirm the current company license and UGA research fee by calling (404) 656-3641.
  5. Secure the mandated liability insurance. Obtain the pesticide/pollution liability coverage required before issuance — $50,000/occurrence and $200,000 aggregate for HPC/fumigation, or $100,000/occurrence, $500,000 aggregate plus E&O for WDO/termite work — with 30-day cancellation notice.
  6. Register all employees and add sub-offices as needed. Register each employee who performs or solicits structural pest control as a Registered Employee (10 hours classroom + 70 hours OJT before their category exam). Single-employee locations may operate under a sub-office license supervised by the head-office DCO.
  7. Maintain certification and renew on schedule. Administrative credentials expire June 30 of odd-numbered years (biennial). Certified Operators must earn CE credits over the five-year certification period (12 FUM / 25 HPC / 25 WDO) or retake the certification exam before expiration.

Common Filing Mistakes

Drawn from the board instructions and sources cited on this page, the pitfalls below are the ones most likely to slow down or sink a Georgia Pest Control application.

Operating without both tiers

A company license without a Designated Certified Operator for each category — or a Certified Operator with no company license — cannot legally offer structural pest control for hire. Both credentials must be in place simultaneously.

Doing WDO/termite or fumigation work without that category

Category 30 WDO and Category 28 Fumigation each require their own category exam. WDO/termite work also demands higher insurance ($100,000/occurrence, $500,000 aggregate) plus errors-and-omissions coverage; performing it under an HPC-only credential is a violation.

Letting insurance or certification lapse

Liability coverage must be maintained continuously with 30-day cancellation notice — a company license is automatically suspended if it lapses. Certified Operators who miss CE credits or fail to retake the exam within the five-year certification period lose their qualifying status.

Unregistered technicians applying pesticides

Every employee who performs or solicits structural pest control must be a Registered Employee, completing 10 hours of classroom training and 70 hours of on-the-job experience before taking the category exam. Fielding unregistered staff exposes the company to enforcement.

Study and Reference Materials

What follows are the regulator-cited and commonly used preparation references for this trade. They appear here for convenience only; CLR takes no compensation for them.

  • GDA Certified Operator License page — Georgia Department of Agriculture. Official source for Certified Operator requirements, categories, fees, and CE credit totals.
  • GeorgiaPestExam.com computer-based testing portal — Georgia Department of Agriculture. Where core and category structural exams are scheduled and delivered with instant results.
  • GDA Structural Pest Applicator Testing page — Georgia Department of Agriculture. Details Registered Employee training (10 hrs classroom + 70 hrs OJT) and testing procedures.

Pre-Submission Checklist

The most critical documents or confirmations the applicant should have in hand before filing with GDA SPD / SPCC:

Other Georgia Trade Licenses

If the Pest Control license is not the right fit, the following published Georgia trade guides are also covered by CLR:

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a license to do pest control in Georgia?

Yes. Performing structural pest control services for hire in Georgia requires a Structural Pest Control Company License issued by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, and the company must employ a Designated Certified Operator for each service category. Employees who perform or solicit the work must also be Registered Employees. Operating without these credentials violates the Georgia Structural Pest Control Act.

What is the difference between the company license and the Certified Operator certification?

They are two separate credentials with separate fees. The Structural Pest Control Company License authorizes the business itself to operate for hire and requires proof of insurance. The Certified Operator certification is an individual credential earned through experience and the core plus category exams. A company must designate a Certified Operator (the DCO) for each category it services — one credential does not substitute for the other.

Do termite and fumigation work require separate certifications?

Yes. Wood-destroying organism control is Category 30 (WDO) and fumigation is Category 28 (FUM); each requires passing its own category exam in addition to the core general-standards exam. WDO/termite companies must also carry higher liability insurance — not less than $100,000 per occurrence and $500,000 aggregate — plus errors-and-omissions coverage on an occurrence basis.

How much does the Georgia company license cost?

The individual Certified Operator certification fee is $100 and each category exam is $45, both confirmed on official GDA pages. The company license fee could not be verified on any official GDA page — the official page references appropriate fees including the required UGA research fee with no dollar amount. Confirm the current amount with the GDA Structural Pest office at (404) 656-3641 before filing.

How do Certified Operators keep their certification current?

Administrative credentials expire June 30 of odd-numbered years on a biennial cycle. Separately, Certified Operators must earn continuing-education credits over a five-year certification period — 12 credits for Fumigation, 25 for Household Pest Control, and 25 for Wood-destroying Organism Control — or retake the certification examination before expiration. Confirm how the biennial renewal and five-year CE period interact with the agency.

Primary Sources

Regulatory requirements on this page are drawn from the official board, statute, and exam-provider materials listed below.

  1. GDA — Structural Pest Control (overview)
  2. GDA — Structural Pest Control Company License
  3. GDA — Certified Operator License
  4. GDA — Licensing, Certification and Employee Registration (categories)
  5. GDA — Structural Pest Applicator Testing

Verified 2026-07-28  ·  Next scheduled review 2026-10-26