*NEW* AES Web Portal
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) has transitioned to a new Division of Agricultural Environmental Services (AES) portal, effective April 1, 2025. This upgrade is essential to enhance your experience and improve our services. Please view the following documents for important information regarding the new system.
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New AES Portal Information Sheet
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Portal Tutorials
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The following sites are either no longer accessible or may have limited historical access: https://aesecomm.fdacs.gov, https://aessearch.fdacs.gov, https://ceu.fdacs.gov, https://fumigation.fdacs.gov.
These sites have now been consolidated into the new portal located at https://aeslicensing.fdacs.gov.
Commercial Structural Pest Control
For structural pest control (pest control provided to homes or other structures), Florida law requires that each pest control business location must:
- Be licensed by FDACS,
- Carry the required insurance coverage ($250,000 per person and $500,000 per occurrence for bodily injury and $250,000 per occurrence and $500,000 in the aggregate for property damage, or a combined single limit coverage of $500,000 in the aggregate), and
- Employ full-time a Florida-certified operator in charge of the pest control operations of the business location. This operator must be certified in the categories in which the business operates:
- General Household Pest and Rodent Control,
- Termite and Other Wood-Destroying Organisms Control,
- Lawn and Ornamental Pest Control, and/or
- Fumigation.
How to Apply for a Pest Control Business License
License Fees
The business license fee is $300, and the fee for each employee identification card is $10.
Qualifications for Pest Control Operators
Pest control operator certificates are issued to individuals who:
- Are over age 18 and
- Pass the written examinations administered by FDACS.
Examination Fees
The fee for the Certified Pest Control Operator exam is $300 per category.
How to Qualify to Take the Certification Examination
You can qualify to take the certification examination by experience or by education plus experience.
Experience
To qualify by experience, you must be able to document:
- A high school education or equivalency and
- Three years of experience as a service employee of a licensee that performs pest control in any category or categories in which you are seeking certification. At least one of these years must have been under a licensee in Florida and must immediately precede your application for examination.
Education
To qualify through education, you must be able to document:
- A degree and 20 semester hours or 30 quarter hours in entomology, botany, agronomy or horticulture from a recognized college or university. (You may also qualify without a degree, provided you have 24 semester hours or 36 quarter hours advanced training in entomology, botany, agronomy or horticulture.)
- One year of experience as a service employee of a Florida licensee that performs pest control in any category or categories in which you are seeking certification.
Note: If your education is in entomology, you are qualified for examination in all categories. If your education is in horticulture, botany or agronomy, you are qualified for examination only in the category of Lawn and Ornamental Pest Control.
Limited Certification Programs
FDACS also administers four Limited Certification Categories to certify Commercial Landscape Maintenance applicators, Governmental or Private applicators, Commercial Urban Fertilizer applicators, and the Limited Wildlife category. None of these certifications allows the operation of a commercial pest control business.
Examination Fees
The exam fee for Limited Certification is $150 per category.
How to Register for an Exam
After your completed application has been received by FDACS, you will be provided with a voucher number to register via Everblue to select a date and time to take the exam.
Limited Commercial Landscape Maintenance Applicator Certification
The Limited Commercial Landscape Maintenance (LCLM) Certification Program allows commercial landscape maintenance personnel to make pesticide applications (using herbicides, insecticides and fungicides) to ornamental plants and plant beds only. It does not allow landscape maintenance workers to make any kind of pesticide applications (including weed control and/or weed and feed products) to any turf areas. Furthermore, this certification does not allow or authorize the maintenance company or the certificate holder to supervise company employees under their certificate or operate a pest control business.
Limited Governmental or Private Applicator Certification
Limited Governmental or Private Applicator Certification is designed for government employees or other individuals who make applications of general or restricted use pesticides in, on, around or under structures or to the turf or ornamental areas of the property.
For smaller municipalities and/or companies, each applicator must be individually certified. For larger operations, the program has provisions for an employer to hire a Florida Pest Control Certified Operator to be in charge of the pest control program and they are responsible for providing training and guidance to any applicator(s) in lieu of individual applicator certification.
Limited Urban Commercial Fertilizer Applicator Certification
All commercial fertilizer applicators must be certified by FDACS to make any type of fertilizer application to commercial turf or ornamental areas and/or the turf or ornamental areas of parks or fields (other than agricultural areas) and/or the turf or ornamental area of any residential property.
Prior to issuance of Limited Urban Commercial Fertilizer Applicator Certification, you must provide proof of having received training in Green Industry Best Management Practices.
Limited Commercial Wildlife Management Certification
The Limited Commercial Wildlife Management Certification (LW) is only required for trapping rats and mice in, on or under structures. FDACS recommends that persons commercially trapping nuisance wildlife (e.g., raccoons, opossums, armadillos, skunks, squirrels) in structures also obtain this certificate.
Study Materials
View our
Study Materials
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document to find a list of study manuals and reference materials recommended for each exam, as well as information about where to obtain the reference materials.