Georgia Pest Control Licensing Requirements

Georgia regulates structural pest control through the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) Structural Pest Division / Structural Pest Control Section, working with the State Structural Pest Control Commission. That agriculture-and-commission model shapes the licensing questions operators actually need answered: Who must hold which credential? In what order? What fees and insurance floors apply? When do renewals hit?

The governing authorities are the Structural Pest Control Act (O.C.G.A. Title 43, Chapter 45) and the Commission’s licensing and related rules - especially Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 620-3 (Licensing), Chapter 620-4 (Advertising and Bonds), and Chapter 620-6 (Wood Destroying Organisms). GDA licenses companies, certifies operators, registers employees, supports examinations and training documentation, inspects firms, and enforces misuse. GDA’s credentials page is explicit: the Act establishes three classes of structural pest control credentials - company license, certified operator, and registered employee - and credentials are not prorated. All cards expire June 30 of odd-numbered years.

This page is a licensing-process deep dive for founders, owner-operators, compliance leads, and out-of-state companies entering Georgia. It is distinct from the Georgia startup guide: the focus here is who needs which credential, the operator-then-company-then-employee sequence, application steps, verified fees, a short insurance-floor summary, and renewal timing - not market selection, entity formation, pricing, or go-to-market.

Fees and insurance amounts below come from Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 620-3, O.C.G.A. Title 43, Chapter 45, and related GDA program pages as verified in the Georgia facts pack (accessed August 2, 2026). Always reconcile the live GDA application, GAPestExam.com workflow, and current statute or rule text before you pay or advertise. Commission rules can be amended; treat today’s fee and CE tables as verified snapshots, not permanent fixtures.

Structural Pest Control Company License. Any person who engages in the business of structural pest control needs a company license. A license is issued to each qualifying place of business. The applicant must show the business employs one or more qualified operators, and the licensee must designate a certified operator for each operational category who actively participates in personal supervision. Licenses are not transferable. Operating under a different business name can require a separate license path under Commission rules - confirm name and office structure on current GDA materials before you print trucks or invoices.

Each licensed office and sub-office needs designated certified-operator coverage for the operational categories performed there. The firm must notify the Secretary in writing within 10 days of an address change or the opening or closing of an office. Without appropriately certified operator coverage - and without the required insurance certificate - the company license application is not ready.

Certified Operator License. Individuals hold a Certified Operator License that certifies competence to use or supervise pesticide use in the structural categories held. A certified operator credential alone does not authorize for-hire structural pest control; the operator must be employed by a licensed pest control company or hold the company license. Qualification generally requires two years of actual service experience in the category sought (with one year within the preceding five years), or a recognized college or university degree with advanced training or major in entomology, sanitary or public health engineering, or related subjects, plus one year of actual supervised service experience in the category sought within the preceding five years. University specialized category training may substitute experience at one year of training for one-quarter year of experience under the verified path. Pass the General Examination and each category examination at 70 percent. Fumigation applicants must also submit a list of at least six fumigation treatments in which the applicant participated.

Registered Employee. Employees involved in soliciting or performing structural pest control work must be registered, unless working in the presence of a certified operator, certified registered employee, or another registered employee until registration requirements are satisfied. Initial registration requires 10 hours of approved classroom training, 70 hours of supervised on-the-job training in the category, a 70 percent written-exam score, and the registration fee. Licensees must notify GDA about employees who do not become registered within 30 days of employment.

Operational categories that shape who needs what. Georgia divides structural pest control into four operational categories: Fumigation (Category 28), Household Pest Control (Category 29), Wood-destroying Organism Control (Category 30), and Honey Bee Control and Removal (HBR). Companies, operators, and employees must be licensed, certified, or registered in the categories they will operate in. Household Pest Control covers pests that commonly enter, nest on/in, or invade structures by methods other than fumigation. WDO Control covers termites, powder post beetles, wood-boring beetles, wood-destroying fungi, and related organisms other than by fumigation. HBR is limited to professional control and removal of an established honey bee colony in a structure without pesticides - it excludes wasps and hornets. Mosquito or turf work and wildlife trapping/removal sit outside this structural triad and require other Georgia credentials; do not fold them into a structural company license by assumption.

What does not authorize for-hire work. Forming an LLC with the Georgia Secretary of State, obtaining an EIN, buying a van, holding a neighboring state’s applicator card, carrying a federal card alone, or joining a trade association does not authorize structural pest control for hire in Georgia. GDA states that the Georgia Structural Pest Control Commission does not have reciprocal certification agreements with other states. An equivalent out-of-state structural pest control applicator certification can satisfy one documented eligibility option to sit for the certified registered employee examination - it is not operator reciprocity and does not create a company license. If you will advertise or bill for structural pest control in Georgia, plan on Georgia company, operator, employee, and insurance credentials before the first paid job.

Georgia licensing fails most often when founders reverse the order - filing a company license before anyone holds category certifications that match the services they plan to sell, or sending unregistered solicitors into the field without a documented training and supervision path. The workable sequence is:

1. Decide which operational categories you will sell. Choose among Fumigation (28), Household Pest Control (29), Wood-destroying Organism Control (30), and Honey Bee Control and Removal (HBR). For most new companies, Household Pest Control is the operational foundation. Add WDO only when you can designate a WDO-certified operator, carry the higher WDO insurance, and run the Commission’s contract, inspection-report, and records system. Fumigation is its own safety and supervision system. Do not advertise termite or fumigation services on a Household Pest Control credential alone.

2. Qualify and certify at least one certified operator for every category offered. Document the experience path or the degree-plus-experience path, apply through the published GAPestExam.com / GDA pathway, pay $45 per category examination, sit for the General Examination plus each category section, and achieve 70%+. GDA says examination approval may take up to 45 days after it receives an operator application. After passing, complete certification requirements (documentation and the $100 certification fee) within 90 days of notice of passing, or reexamination is required. A second operator-exam failure within 12 months triggers a six-month wait before another attempt - confirm current wait and retake rules on live materials. Owner-operators often certify themselves first. Multi-category firms either certify one person in each line or employ multiple operators.

3. Designate the certified operator for each operational category at the licensed place of business. The designated certified operator must be an employee of the licensee and actively participate in personal supervision of the company’s pest control operations in that category. One certified operator can cover multiple categories only if certified in each one. A designated operator generally cannot serve more than one licensee; a narrow, notified 90-day dual-service option exists after an unplanned loss - confirm the current rule text before you rely on it. Multi-office plans need designated-operator coverage per office and category structure before you advertise statewide from a single qualifier.

4. Secure insurance that meets company-license floors. Before filing the company application, arrange bodily injury and property damage coverage meeting the statutory floors, including sudden-and-accidental pollution liability, and obtain a certificate on the pathway GDA describes. If you will offer WDO Control, arrange the higher WDO limits including occurrence-basis errors and omissions. Insurance detail lives in the sibling insurance guide when published; the floor summary appears later on this page.

5. Apply for the Structural Pest Control Company License. Submit the company application with designated certified operator information, Certificate of Insurance, ownership/office answers, the $100 company license fee, and the $70 research fee per company license. When materials are properly completed and approved, GDA issues the license for the qualifying place of business. Display licenses conspicuously at the licensed office. Mark sales/service vehicles and mobile equipment with the licensee’s identifying information as required.

6. Build the registered-employee pipeline before independent field or sales work. New hires who solicit or perform work need 10 hours of approved classroom training, 70 hours of supervised on-the-job training in the category, a 70 percent exam score, and the $10 registration fee. Until registration is complete, they must work in the presence of a certified operator, certified registered employee, or another registered employee. Notify GDA of employees who fail to become registered within 30 days of employment. Employee exams are scheduled through GAPestExam.com at participating technical colleges; the Designated Certified Operator signs the application pathway GDA describes.

7. Only then book for-hire work. No official source reviewed authorizes structural pest control for hire in Georgia before required Georgia company, operator, employee, and insurance credentials are in place. Out-of-state operator certificates do not substitute for Georgia certification under GDA’s current no-reciprocal-agreements statement. Branch and sub-office structures are separate compliance events - map designated operators, insurance, and employee cards per location before you print multi-city wraps.

Certified operator examination and certification. Use the Certified Operator Exam pathway published by GDA (GAPestExam.com and the Certified Operator Exam Application Guide). Document qualifying experience or education before you apply. Qualify in each category sought. Pay $45 per category examination. Pass the core (general competency) examination plus each category examination at 70 percent. Honey Bee Control and Removal has different requirements from the general operator path - confirm the HBR page before you assume the standard experience and exam sequence applies. After passage, complete remaining certification requirements and pay the $100 certification fee within 90 days of notice of passing, or reexamination is required.

Keep category scope honest on the application. Household Pest Control does not authorize WDO Control or fumigation. Fumigation applicants must include the six-treatment participation list. University training substitutions and degree-plus-experience paths are narrow - read the live rule and GDA operator page against your transcript and employment history rather than assuming a biology degree opens every category.

Structural Pest Control Company License application. After the business employs (or will designate) appropriately certified operators for every category offered and can attach compliant insurance evidence, complete the company license pathway. Applications typically require business identity information, place-of-business address, designated certified operator identifiers by category, Certificate of Insurance meeting Act and rule floors, and the fee package ($100 company license plus $70 research fee per company license). Answer office, sub-office, and name questions accurately - Commission rules distinguish office structures and can require separate licenses for different business names.

Submit materials as directed on current GDA forms or portals. Fees cover the two-year license period or fraction thereof and are not a reliable refund path if an application is denied. When materials are properly completed and approved, GDA issues the license. Display it at the licensed office. Build the 10-day address and office open/close notice habit into operations so location coverage does not silently break.

Registered employee examination and registration. All employees who perform or solicit structural pest control must register or work in the presence of the credentialed personnel the rule allows. Complete 10 hours of classroom training from a Certified Operator or SPCC-approved instructor covering the topics in Rule 620-3-.02 (laws, label interpretation, emergency and spill response, storage/mixing/loading/transport/application/disposal, PPE and exposure risks, environmental effects, and IPM). Complete 70 hours of on-the-job training under constant supervision of a certified operator or registered employee in the categories sought. Document training on the SPCC Pre-Examination Training Form. Schedule the computer-based employee exam at a participating technical college through GAPestExam.com ($45). Achieve 70 percent. After passing, the Designated Certified Operator completes the registration package; submit with the $10 registration fee (online submission is available through the Kelly Solutions pathway GDA links). If an examinee fails a third or subsequent attempt, the 10 classroom hours must be repeated before retaking - confirm current retake rules on the Registered Employee page.

Practical filing tips operators miss. Reconcile live PDF and portal fee language with Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 620-3 before mailing payment. Keep copies of everything submitted. Do not schedule customer work or sign contracts that assume credentials already exist. If ownership or office structure will change soon after launch, learn the non-transferable license and notice paths now. For multi-state fleets, map each Georgia place of business separately and do not treat out-of-state certificates as Georgia authority. Confirm exam calendars, form revisions, GAPestExam.com instructions, and payment channels on GDA Structural Pest Control pages before every filing cycle.

Fees for structural pest control credentials are set in the Commission licensing rules and restated on GDA credential pages. Treat the following as the verified fee schedule from official sources accessed August 2, 2026; confirm current amounts on live materials before filing, because forms and online workflows can revise.

Structural Pest Control Company License

• Company license: $100 (covers the two-year license period or fraction thereof)
• Research fee per company license: $70
• Duplicate sub-office license: $10

Certified Operator

• Examination: $45 per category
• Operator certification / renewal: $100

Registered Employee

• Examination: $45
• Employee registration: $10
• Duplicate employee registration card: $10

Late renewal

• Renewal applications and fees not received by June 30 are doubled for standard company and operator fees
• The company research fee is not subject to the late penalty
• A license, certification, or registration generally cannot renew more than 90 days after expiration without reexamination or reapplication
• Employee renewal materials describe a $20 employee renewal fee window from July 1 through September 30 - confirm the live employee-renewal table before you treat that figure as permanent

Budget beyond these line items for insurance premiums, study time, exam travel or technical-college scheduling, Commission-approved CE courses, and entity formation - those amounts are not fixed in Chapter 620-3 fee schedules and are not invented here. Adding a category later means another $45 examination fee plus study time and, for operators, ongoing five-year recertification hours in that category. Missing June 30 doubles applicable fees and, past the 90-day window, can force a more expensive reapplication or reexamination path.

For a company license and renewal, submit a certificate of insurance from an insurer authorized in Georgia or coverage obtained through a surplus lines broker licensed by the Commissioner of Insurance. General coverage must be at least $50,000 per occurrence and $200,000 annual aggregate for bodily injury and property damage, including sudden-and-accidental pollution liability. The coverage must remain in force during the license period, and the policy must provide for cancellation notice received by the Commission through the GDA Structural Pest Control Section at least 30 days before cancellation.

WDO Control add-on. Wood-destroying Organism Control requires higher limits: at least $100,000 per occurrence and $500,000 annual aggregate, covering bodily injury, property damage, and occurrence-basis errors and omissions arising from WDO treatment or services. Loss of required coverage suspends the license automatically unless equivalent coverage is in effect; a license not reinstated within three months is revoked by operation of law under the verified Act and rule materials.

Georgia does not generally require a performance bond for company licensing. A firm that advertises or represents itself as bonded, however, must maintain the rule-required master/blanket or job-specific bond and disclose contract coverage under Chapter 620-4. Avoid “bonded” language unless the business has met those conditions.

Match policy endorsements to your real service menu - termite contracts, structural fumigation, and household routes carry different underwriting profiles than a bare minimum certificate. Landlord, lender, franchise, or general-contractor contracts may demand higher limits; those commercial requirements sit on top of the statutory floor. Workers’ compensation and other employment coverages are not spelled out as the structural-pest company floors above and must be confirmed with qualified counsel and Georgia employment/insurance regulators rather than assumed from pest control statute alone.

For deeper certificate, form, and coverage-matching detail, see the Georgia insurance and bonding Resource Center page when published. This licensing guide only summarizes the floors that block a complete company license application or renewal.

Company licenses, operator certifications, and employee registrations expire June 30 of each odd-numbered year. Credentials are not prorated. Build spring calendar reminders - not June 29 fire drills. If a renewal application and fee do not reach the Secretary by expiration, standard company and operator fees double; the research fee does not carry a late penalty. A company license, operator certification, or employee registration generally cannot renew more than 90 days after expiration without reexamination or reapplication.

Certified operator recertification runs on a five-year cycle even though the license card renews biennially. Operators may recertify by earning SPCC-approved continuing education credits during the five-year period, completed at least 90 days before the operator certification expires, or by passing a written examination. Required approved hours are 25 for Household Pest Control, 25 for Wood-destroying Organism Control, and 12 for Fumigation. Computer-based training is capped at 10 hours for Household Pest Control, 10 for WDO, and 5 for fumigation. Training credits may not be carried forward beyond the five-year recertification period. After attending approved training, allow a minimum of 6 - 8 weeks for processing and transcript updates per GDA guidance.

Registered employee renewal is biennial on the same June 30 odd-year cycle. Employees may re-register by earning SPCC-approved CEUs during the two-year training period (GDA describes a training period beginning March 1 and ending February 28 of odd-numbered years) or by re-examination in the agency-published window (GDA describes re-examination between October 1 of even years and expiration). Current GDA credential pages and the specific employee-renewal requirements list eight approved hours for Household Pest Control, eight for WDO, and three for fumigation, with computer-based caps of four, four, and one hour. The compiled 2026 rules PDF contains an internal conflicting employee-CE reference elsewhere; confirm current credit totals with GDA before renewal rather than relying on a secondary summary.

For CE tracking tools, QR-code transcript checks, online renewal links, and lapse recovery detail, see the Georgia renewals and continuing education Resource Center page when published. This licensing page covers timing and fee anchors operators need when planning the initial license year.