Georgia Pest Control License Types and Permitted Treatments

If you operate or hire in Georgia structural pest control, permission is not a single "pest license." The Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) Structural Pest Division, working with the State Structural Pest Control Commission, issues company licenses to qualifying places of business, certifies individuals as operators by operational category, and registers employees who solicit or perform structural pest control work. What a firm may offer commercially depends on which categories its designated certified operators hold - and whether field staff meet registered employee or supervision rules under the Structural Pest Control Act (O.C.G.A. Title 43, Chapter 45) and Commission rules in Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 620-3.

This guide is for owners, qualifying operators, technicians planning category expansion, property managers evaluating vendors, and out-of-state firms mapping Georgia services to credentials. It focuses on permitted treatments and credential scopes - not business formation, insurance filing mechanics, or launch marketing. For those topics, see the Georgia startup guide and sibling Phase 2 pages on licensing requirements, insurance, renewals, reciprocity, and technician employment.

Georgia's humid subtropical climate produces a service mix materially different from cold-winter route markets. Long warm periods and rainfall support termite, ant, cockroach, and moisture-driven pest pressure statewide. The Atlanta metro combines multifamily density, suburban crawl spaces, and rapid housing growth with demand for household pest, rodent, bed bug, and termite programs. Coastal humidity around Savannah and historic wood structures raise the operational importance of wood-destroying organism (WDO) documentation and inspection discipline. Central cities such as Augusta, Columbus, Macon, and Athens combine residential routes with student, military, hospitality, and commercial-property demand. Category authority is statewide; your service menu should reflect both Commission rules and the pests your territory generates.

Federal label law always applies: the pesticide label is the law regardless of Georgia credential. Georgia adds company licensing, designated-operator supervision, examination-based category authority, insurance minimums (including higher WDO limits), registered employee training, and detailed WDO contract and record rules under Chapter 620-6. GDA states that the Georgia Structural Pest Control Commission does not have reciprocal certification agreements with other states. Treat every permissions map as current as of verification date and re-check official statute, Commission rules, and GDA materials before expanding service lines or quoting compliance to customers.

Georgia structural pest control permissions stack: the business location must hold a company license in the categories it performs; a designated certified operator must actively participate in personal supervision for each operational category; and employees who solicit or perform work must register - or work only under qualifying supervision until registration requirements are satisfied.

Structural Pest Control Company License. Required for engaging in the business of structural pest control. A license is issued to each qualifying place of business and is not transferable. The applicant must show the business employs one or more qualified operators. The licensee must designate a certified operator for each operational category who actively participates in personal supervision of pest control activities in that category. Holding a company license authorizes the firm to operate in the licensed categories - it does not by itself substitute for category-matched operator certification on staff. Your advertised service menu must fit the categories on your license and the certified operators you designate.

Certified Operator License. An individual credential to use or supervise pesticide use in the structural pest control categories held. Operators qualify through documented category experience (generally two years of actual service experience in the category sought, with one year within the preceding five years), an alternative degree-plus-experience path, or qualifying substitutions described on GDA operator materials. Each category requires passing the General Examination and the category examination at 70 percent or higher. Fumigation applicants must additionally submit a list of at least six fumigation treatments in which they participated. A company designates an appropriately certified operator for each category it offers; that operator must actively participate in personal supervision - not merely appear on paper.

Registered Employee. Employees involved in soliciting or performing structural pest control work must register unless working in the presence of a certified operator, certified registered employee, or another registered employee until registration requirements are satisfied. The standard initial path requires 10 hours of approved classroom training, 70 hours of supervised on-the-job training, passing the employee examination at 70 percent, and paying the registration fee. Registered employees perform work under supervision rules; they do not replace designated certified operator authority for category supervision.

Understanding this hierarchy prevents a common compliance error: a company displays a valid Structural Pest Control Company License while advertising termite baiting, structural fumigation, or WDO inspection programs that no designated certified operator is category-qualified to supervise. The company license permits the entity to operate in licensed categories; certified operator categories permit the treatments; registered employees extend field capacity under supervision - not independent category authority.

Category 29 - Household Pest Control - is Georgia's primary credential for non-fumigation structural pest work on pests commonly entering, nesting on or in, or invading structures. Official scope: use of a pesticide, device, or practice to control those pests, other than fumigation. This category covers the bulk of recurring residential and light commercial route work when labels and supervision rules are satisfied: many ant and cockroach programs, spider treatments, occasional invaders, some rodent control, bed bug treatments with non-fumigant methods, and exterior perimeter work that stays within household pest scope.

Household Pest Control is distinct from Category 30 Wood-destroying Organism Control. Termites, powder post beetles, wood-boring beetles, wood-destroying fungi, and related organisms in structures or adjacent outside areas require Category 30 - not Category 29 alone. It is also distinct from Category 28 Fumigation, which covers application of a fumigant to a structure, enclosed space, or compartment regardless of pest type. Operators sometimes assume that because a product is sold at retail or applied in a "standard" residential job, household pest authority covers all structural work. That assumption fails for WDO treatments, structural fumigation, and honey bee colony removal programs that fall outside Category 29 scope.

To hold Category 29 operator certification, an individual documents qualifying experience or the degree path, passes the General Examination and Category 29 examination at 70 percent, completes certification requirements, and pays applicable fees ($100 certification; $45 examination fee per category under current rules). The licensed company must designate a Category 29 certified operator who actively participates in personal supervision of household pest work. Registered employees may perform household pest applications under supervision while completing or maintaining registration.

For service-line planning, Category 29 supports a broad Georgia menu when product labels cooperate: German cockroach clean-outs, fire ant mounds near structures, wasp nests on eaves (where not honey bee colonies), rodent programs, fleas, and many multifamily recurring accounts - provided WDO organisms, fumigants, and honey bee structural removal without pesticides are routed to their respective categories. Expanding into termite pretreats, WDO inspection reports tied to real-estate transactions, tarp-and-seal fumigation, or structural honey bee removal requires adding Category 30, Category 28, or HBR credentials before marketing or scheduling those jobs.

Beyond Household Pest Control, Georgia assigns structurally distinct work to three additional operational categories. Each requires its own certified operator designation, examination path, and - where applicable - insurance and operational rules beyond Category 29.

Category 28 - Fumigation. Scope: application of a fumigant to a structure, enclosed space, or compartment to control insects, rodents, or other pests. Fumigation is operationally distinct from route-truck pest control: sealing, tarping, aeration monitoring, placarding, and emergency response planning exceed typical household pest skills. Georgia adds a documented experience gate for fumigation operators: applicants must submit a list of at least six fumigation treatments in which they participated, in addition to meeting general operator qualification paths and passing the Category 28 examination at 70 percent. A firm with Category 29 household pest authority cannot legally conduct structural or commodity fumigation with fumigants without Category 28 operator designation and company licensing in that category. Cross-training and subcontract relationships should respect this firewall.

Category 30 - Wood-destroying Organism Control. Scope: measures to control termites, powder post beetles, wood-boring beetles, wood-destroying fungi, and related organisms in structures or adjacent outside areas, other than fumigation. Subterranean termite baiting and liquid barrier treatments, pretreats on new construction, WDO inspection reports, and corrective treatments for wood-boring insects and fungi require Category 30 - not Category 29. Georgia operators statewide should treat WDO as a separate business line with distinct insurance ($100,000 per occurrence and $500,000 annual aggregate minimum, including occurrence-basis errors and omissions), contract templates, inspection report obligations, and recordkeeping under Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 620-6. Real-estate WDO marketing without Category 30 operator designation and appropriate company licensing is a high-enforcement-risk mismatch.

Coastal Georgia markets may encounter Formosan termite pressure as a planning concern, but Formosan termites do not create a separate Georgia license category - they fall under Category 30 WDO rules when controlled with non-fumigant measures, or Category 28 when structural fumigation is the labeled method. Drywood termite fumigation on coastal structures typically implicates Category 28 when fumigants are applied, plus company licensing and operator designation in both categories as your service model requires.

HBR - Honey Bee Control and Removal. Scope: professional control and removal of an established honey bee colony in a structure without pesticides. HBR explicitly excludes other stinging pests such as wasps and hornets - those generally fall under Category 29 household pest programs when pesticides or devices are used, subject to label and supervision rules. Honey bee work is often mentally grouped with "stinging insect" route services, but Georgia isolates pesticide-free structural honey bee colony removal into its own credential. Nuisance wasp and hornet programs using pesticides need Category 29 (or fumigation methods under Category 28), not HBR alone.

Operators may hold multiple categories. Each additional category requires passing that category's examination (and paying the per-category examination fee), meeting experience or fumigation documentation requirements, and company designation for personal supervision. Supervision rules require that category work be supervised by a certified operator holding the category for the work supervised. Registered employees do not expand category authority beyond their supervisor's certifications.

Georgia's Structural Pest Control Act centers on for-hire structural pest control businesses rather than a separate non-commercial registration track like some states maintain for in-house restricted pesticide programs. If you engage in the business of structural pest control - selling services to homeowners, landlords, restaurants, schools, warehouses, HOAs, or any third party - you need a Structural Pest Control Company License for the qualifying place of business, designated certified operators for each category performed, statutory insurance meeting O.C.G.A. § 43-45 and Chapter 620-4 minimums, and compliant registered employee coverage for field and solicitation staff.

Category-matched designation. The company license lists the operational categories authorized at that location. For each category on the license, the business must designate a certified operator who actively participates in personal supervision - not a nominal name on file. A location licensed only in Category 29 cannot legally perform Category 30 WDO treatments or Category 28 fumigation until it adds those categories to the company license and designates qualified operators in each. Sub-offices and branch operations follow company licensing rules in Chapter 620-3; duplicate sub-office license fees apply where rules require separate authorization.

Insurance follows category scope. General structural pest company coverage must be at least $50,000 per occurrence and $200,000 annual aggregate bodily injury and property damage, including sudden-and-accidental pollution liability. WDO Control requires additional coverage at $100,000 per occurrence and $500,000 annual aggregate, including occurrence-basis errors and omissions. The insurer must be authorized in Georgia or obtained through a surplus lines broker licensed by the Commissioner of Insurance. Policies require at least 30 days' cancellation notice received by the Commission through GDA. Performing WDO services without WDO insurance limits - even with a Category 30 operator - is both a business and compliance risk.

Registered employees vs operators. Registered employees extend field and sales capacity but do not substitute for designated certified operators. Employees may work in the presence of a certified operator, certified registered employee, or another registered employee while completing registration requirements; uncertified staff cannot independently supervise category work or replace operator designation on the company license.

Common coverage mistakes. A household-pest-only company accepts a termite pretreat contract because the technician "has experience." A franchise displays company licensing while the designated operator left employment but remains on paper. A firm advertises fumigation using a subcontractor without company Category 28 licensing and operator designation. A honey bee removal startup markets wasp control under HBR. A coastal operator performs drywood fumigation under Category 29. Each mistake confuses company authorization, operator category authority, or employee registration with a universal pest permission.

Use this matrix as an operator planning tool. It states Georgia credential layers only; labels, contract scope, local ordinances, and wildlife rules may add requirements.

Recurring residential general pest (ants, spiders, occasional invaders, many wasps and hornets). Company license in Category 29 + designated Category 29 certified operator + registered employees (or qualifying supervision). Non-pesticide devices and practices within household pest scope follow the same category and supervision framework.

Rodent control in structures. Category 29 household pest when pesticides, devices, or practices fit the category scope and labels; company license and designated operator in Category 29; registered field staff.

Bed bugs in apartments, hotels, or homes. Category 29 for non-fumigant insecticide and IPM programs; company license and operator designation; institutional or sensitive occupancies still require household pest category authority - not WDO unless wood-destroying organisms are the target.

Subterranean termite liquid or bait systems. Category 30 WDO + company license in Category 30 + WDO insurance minimums + designated Category 30 operator + Chapter 620-6 contract and inspection/report rules. Not authorized on Category 29 alone.

WDO inspection reports for real estate. Category 30 operator designation, company WDO licensing, WDO insurance including E&O, and compliance with WDO report and record requirements. Household pest authority does not substitute.

Powder post beetles, wood-boring beetles, or wood-destroying fungi. Category 30; fumigation of infested timbers may additionally require Category 28 when fumigants are applied.

Structural or commodity fumigation (including drywood termite tarp fumigation). Category 28 + company license in Category 28 + operator with six-treatment fumigation documentation + operational fumigation plans beyond route pest control. Category 29 explicitly excludes fumigation.

Honey bee colony removal from a wall void without pesticides. HBR credential + company licensing including HBR + designated HBR operator. Wasp and hornet control with pesticides requires Category 29, not HBR.

Multifamily or commercial IPM contracts (non-WDO, non-fumigant). Category 29 company and operator coverage; verify registered employee counts for route scale.

Coastal Formosan termite programs. Category 30 for non-fumigant WDO work; Category 28 when labeled fumigation is the treatment method; insurance and documentation discipline per WDO rules.

General household route startup without termite or fumigation. Company license in Category 29 + designated Category 29 operator + registered employee pipeline; add categories before marketing termite, fumigation, or HBR lines.

When expanding menus, obtain operator certification and company category licensing before marketing, purchasing category-specific products, or scheduling jobs. Category examination fees are $45 per category under current rules; operator certification is $100; company license is $100 plus a $70 research fee per company license for the two-year period.

Georgia structural pest control credentials authorize pesticide-based and device-based structural pest management within Act and Commission rule bounds. They do not grant universal "pest" authority.

Honey bees vs other stinging insects. HBR covers established honey bee colony removal in structures without pesticides only. Wasps, hornets, yellow jackets, and other stinging pests are excluded from HBR scope. Misidentifying a wasp nest as a honey bee colony creates legal and customer-trust problems. Native or protected pollinator situations may implicate additional laws beyond structural pest control categories.

Wildlife and protected species. Raccoons, skunks, bats, snakes, and protected bird species are not household pest categories by default. Wildlife removal, relocation, and many exclusion-only businesses may fall under different statutes, local ordinances, or separate licensing - not GDA structural pest control operator categories. Marketing "wildlife control" based on a Category 29 certificate alone is a permissions error unless the work fits household pest scope and applicable law.

Fumigation vs non-fumigant split. Category 29 and Category 30 are explicitly "other than fumigation." Any fumigant application to a structure, enclosed space, or compartment routes to Category 28 regardless of whether the target pest is a termite, rodent, or stored-product insect.

Insurance and service scope. WDO licensees require occurrence-basis errors and omissions within the WDO insurance minimums. Performing services excluded from your policy - or WDO work without WDO limits - is a business risk even when the operator holds Category 30. A performance bond is not required for company licensing, but a firm that advertises itself as bonded must meet the bond conditions in Chapter 620-4.

Supervision and uncertified staff. Registered employees and helpers working under supervision do not expand category authority beyond the designated certified operator's categories. Category work must be supervised by an operator holding that category.

Reciprocity does not authorize Georgia work. Although O.C.G.A. § 43-45-8 authorizes the Commission to enter reciprocal agreements, GDA states that the Georgia Structural Pest Control Commission does not have reciprocal certification agreements with other states. Equivalent out-of-state applicator certification can satisfy one documented eligibility option to sit for the certified registered employee examination - it is not operator reciprocity and does not authorize for-hire structural pest control before Georgia company, operator, and employee requirements are satisfied.

Program scale unknown. GDA materials reviewed for this pack do not publish approximate licensee or certified-individual counts comparable to some other states' program dashboards. Market sizing should not rely on invented statistics.

Rule conflicts and renewal timing. Company licenses, operator certifications, and employee registrations expire June 30 of each odd-numbered year. Renewal applications and fees not received by June 30 are doubled; licenses generally cannot renew more than 90 days after expiration without reexamination or reapplication. Confirm registered employee renewal CE totals against current GDA pages and Rule 620-3-.02 before renewal - internal rule text may contain conflicting hour references.