Pest control
rankings by state.
Use the figures to narrow your reading, then check the state’s license level, pathway and qualifications. A low issuance fee does not establish the cheapest overall route to licensure.
Lowest license fee
Ranked only by the recorded license issuance fee. Application, exam, training and other costs are not included. This is not a ranking of total cost to qualify.
29 of 51 jurisdictions ranked. Equal values share a rank; the next rank skips tied places. Calculations use unrounded values. Source scope may differ between states.
| 1 | West Virginia | $20.00 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Alaska | $25.00 |
| 2 | Iowa | $25.00 |
| 2 | Virginia | $25.00Source and scopeAny person applying for a certificate as a commercial applicator shall pay to the department an initial nonrefundable certificate fee of $25.Official source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 |
| 5 | Vermont | $30.00Source and scopeCommercial & non-commercial - Categories are $30.00 per category per year, with a maximum of $120 per applicator per year.Official source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 |
| 6 | California | $35.00Source and scopeFill out the Applicator license application using the SPCB online licensing system and pay the $35 fee.Official source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 |
| 6 | Ohio | $35.00Source and scopeThe initial and renewal fee for a commercial applicator license shall be thirty-five dollars per licensing period.Official source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 |
| 6 | South Dakota | $35.00Source and scopeA fee of $35 is charged for a commercial pesticide applicator license.Official source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $40.00 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $45.00Source and scopeA fee of $45.00 shall be charged prior to the issuance of the initial certification document and at the time of each annual renewal or re-certification thereafter.Official source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 |
| 11 | Minnesota | $50.00Source and scopeStructural Pest Control Applicator | $50 | N/A | $50Official source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 |
| 11 | Oregon | $50.00Source and scopeSituation (choose only one) Base Fee — first license category Additional license categories New license or license renewal $50.00 $7.50 eachOfficial source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 |
| 11 | Wisconsin | $50.00Source and scopeACCP Surcharge = $10.00 Your license fee will be $50.00.Official source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $60.00Source and scopeAn annual application for a certificate of registration with a fee of $60 shall be collected by the division for each commercial application registrationOfficial source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 |
| 15 | Missouri | $65.00 |
| 16 | Maryland | $75.00Source and scopea $75 annual certification fee must be paid for the initial categoryOfficial source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 |
| 17 | Montana | $85.00Source and scopeCommercial, Non-Commercial, Public Utility Applicator and Dealer licenses New and renewed licenses = $85 eachOfficial source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 |
| 18 | Nebraska | $90.00Source and scopea commercial pesticide applicator must pay the $90 license fee to become licensed.Official source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 |
| 19 | Georgia | $100.00Source and scopeThe fee for the certified operator credential is $100.00.Official source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 |
| 19 | Michigan | $100.00Source and scopeThe fee to apply or renew a license is $100.Official source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 |
| 19 | Oklahoma | $100.00Source and scopeCommercial Business License: $100 per category; not more than $500 per yearOfficial source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 |
| 19 | Utah | $100.00Source and scopePlant Industry | Pesticide | Commerical Applicator Certification: Triennial (3 year) Certification and License | $100.00Official source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 |
| 23 | Maine | $105.00 |
| 24 | Texas | $125.00Source and scope$125 for an original certified applicators license;Official source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $200.00Source and scopeThe fee for a structural pest control license is $200.00 for the first phase, plus $75.00 for each subsequent phase.Official source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 |
| 26 | Nevada | $250.00Source and scopeFor a business license, a licensing fee of $250.Official source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 |
| 26 | Washington | $250.00Source and scopepay the Commercial Applicator license application fee of $250.Official source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 |
| 28 | Connecticut | $285.00Source and scopeLicensing fee: $285 this is paid after the necessary written and oral exams are passed.Official source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 |
| 29 | Idaho | $300.00 |
22 jurisdictions not ranked for this measure
Not verified yet, stale, or not a single comparable number. A missing rank does not mean no requirement. Use each state page’s official source to check.
Fewest required hours
Ranked only where the required-hours field is a single verified number. Conditional text and alternative pathways are excluded. Hours are not elapsed time to licensure.
Not verified yet
There are no eligible numeric values for this measure in the current records.
Read the verified state requirements and official sources51 jurisdictions not ranked for this measure
Not verified yet, stale, or not a single comparable number. A missing rank does not mean no requirement. Use each state page’s official source to check.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Fastest time to get licensed
Requires a verified total time-to-license figure in days for the cited pathway. Training hours, experience requirements and agency processing estimates cannot establish that total.
Not verified yet
The current records do not establish total time to get licensed. No fastest state is named.
Read the verified state requirements and official sources51 jurisdictions not ranked for this measure
Not verified yet, stale, or not a single comparable number. A missing rank does not mean no requirement. Use each state page’s official source to check.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Renewal cost per year
Calculated as the verified renewal fee divided by its verified renewal period in years. This is an annualized fee, not an annual bill; CE and other costs are not included. An initial fee or initial license term is never substituted.
10 of 51 jurisdictions ranked. Equal values share a rank; the next rank skips tied places. Calculations use unrounded values. Source scope may differ between states.
| 1 | Virginia | $0.00 / year$0.00 ÷ 2 yearsRenewal fee sourceEffective March 17, 2022, the fee for commercial applicators and registered technicians to renew their certificates has been eliminated.Official source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 Renewal period sourceOnce issued, Commercial Applicator Certificates are renewed on a biennial basis.Official source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Alaska | $8.33 / year$25.00 ÷ 3 yearsRenewal period sourceRecertification is valid for three years.Official source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 |
| 3 | Ohio | $35.00 / year$35.00 ÷ 1 yearsRenewal fee sourceThe initial and renewal fee for a commercial applicator license shall be thirty-five dollars per licensing period.Official source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 Renewal period sourceThe licensing period for commercial applicators shall commence on the first day of October of each year and expire on the last day of September of the following year.Official source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $45.00 / year$45.00 ÷ 1 yearsRenewal fee sourceA fee of $45.00 shall be charged prior to the issuance of the initial certification document and at the time of each annual renewal or re-certification thereafter.Official source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 |
| 5 | Oregon | $50.00 / year$50.00 ÷ 1 yearsRenewal fee sourceSituation (choose only one) Base Fee — first license category Additional license categories New license or license renewal $50.00 $7.50 eachOfficial source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $57.00 / year$285.00 ÷ 5 yearsRenewal period sourceIt is good for 5 years, then $285 is paid every 5 years at the time of renewalOfficial source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 |
| 7 | Montana | $85.00 / year$85.00 ÷ 1 yearsRenewal fee sourceCommercial, Non-Commercial, Public Utility Applicator and Dealer licenses New and renewed licenses = $85 eachOfficial source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 |
| 8 | Texas | $125.00 / year$125.00 ÷ 1 yearsRenewal fee source$125 for renewal of a certified applicators license;Official source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 |
| 9 | Florida | $150.00 / year$150.00 ÷ 1 yearsRenewal fee sourceCertified Pest Control Operator (JF) – 002253 ($150.00)Official source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 Renewal period sourceA certificate expires 1 year after the date of issuance.Official source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 |
| 9 | New York | $150.00 / year$450.00 ÷ 3 yearsRenewal fee sourceCommercial Applicator - $450 for one category, $150 for each additional category, every 3 yearsOfficial source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 Renewal period sourceCommercial Applicator - $450 for one category, $150 for each additional category, every 3 yearsOfficial source Last verified Oct 25, 2026 |
41 jurisdictions not ranked for this measure
Not verified yet, stale, or not a single comparable number. A missing rank does not mean no requirement. Use each state page’s official source to check.
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Utah
- Vermont
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Read before you choose a route
Last verified Oct 25, 2026.
Official sources (35)
Showing 24 source links. Individual facts keep their citations on the linked data pages. Download all facts and official sources.
- https://agriculture.wv.gov/prerequisites-commercial-applicator/
- https://dec.alaska.gov/eh/pest/certified-applicators/becoming-certified/
- https://iowaagriculture.gov/sites/default/files/department-forms/PesticideApplicatorsLicense20.pdf
- https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title02/agency5/chapter675/section30/
- https://agriculture.vermont.gov/public-health-agricultural-resource-management-division/pesticide-programs/applicator-types
- https://pestboard.ca.gov/howdoi/app.shtml
- https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-administrative-code/rule-901:5-11-04
- https://danr.sd.gov/Agriculture/Inspection/Pesticide/ApplicatorsDealers/default.aspx
- https://www.pa.gov/agencies/pda/plants-land-water/plant-industry/pesticide-programs/pesticide-applicators-registered-technicians-and-certification-exams
- https://rules.sos.ri.gov/Regulations/part/250-40-15-2?reg_id=8998
- https://mn.gov/elicense/a-z/?id=1083-231033
- https://www.oregon.gov/oda/Documents/Publications/PesticidesPARC/CommercialPesticideApplicatorApp.pdf
- https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/Licenses_Permits/CommercialApplicator.aspx
- https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/XL/430/430-33.htm
- https://agriculture.mo.gov/plants/pesticides/
- https://mda.maryland.gov/plants-pests/Documents/Pesticide%20Applicator%20Certification%20and%20Business%20Licensing%20Requirements.pdf
- https://agr.mt.gov/Pesticide-License-Program
- https://nda.nebraska.gov/pesticide/cert
- https://agr.georgia.gov/certified-operator-license
- https://www.michigan.gov/mdard/licensing/pesticide/pesticide-application-business
- https://ag.ok.gov/pesticides/
- https://ag.utah.gov/administrative-services/fee-schedule/
- https://www1.maine.gov/dacf/php/pesticides/applicators/licensing.html
- https://texasagriculture.gov/Regulatory-Programs/Pesticides/Structural-Pest-Control-Service/SPCS-Fees
Not legal or tax advice. Confirm with the official agency before filing.