- Plan for a trade exam.
- The business license renews every year by December 1. Technician certification renews every 3 years by December 1.
Do you need a state license in Illinois?
Illinois licenses pest control work at the state level through the Illinois Department of Public Health, Structural Pest Control Program. Below is what the board asks for, in the order you will run into it.
Steps to get licensed in Illinois
- Apply for structural pest control technician certification, general use or restricted use.
- Pick an exam date and pass the exams with 70 percent or better.
- Submit the Commercial Structural Pest Control Business License Application and fee.
- Have your insurer send the Certificate of Insurance Form.
- Renew the license by December 1 each year.
Experience and other requirements
Experience. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
The license to apply for. Commercial Structural Pest Control Business License.
Illinois pest control exams
Trade exam. The General Standards Examination for general use pesticides. Restricted use pesticides also need one or more subcategory exams. You need 70 percent to pass each.
Business and law exam. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
What it costs in Illinois
We could not confirm the current fee schedule on an official page. Check with the board before you budget: Illinois Department of Public Health, Structural Pest Control Program.
Insurance and bond
Insurance. Your insurance company sends the department a Certificate of Insurance Form showing the coverage the law requires.
Bond. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Renewal and licenses from other states
Renewal. The business license renews every year by December 1. Technician certification renews every 3 years by December 1.
Reciprocity. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
After you are licensed
The license lets you take the work. Getting the work is the next job.
- Register the business. If you work under a name other than your own, register it where your state asks (often the Secretary of State, sometimes the county), and keep the name the same on your license, your truck and your invoices.
- Claim your Google Business Profile. It is the listing people see when they search for pest control near them. Fill in your service area, hours and real photos of your work.
- Put up a website that shows the license. Customers look for it before they call. Koira builds a contractor website for you and keeps it current.
- See where you stand. The free Koira report checks how your business shows up in search and on maps against shops near you.
Where this comes from
Every fact on this page comes from the Illinois Department of Public Health, Structural Pest Control Program and the official pages below, checked October 9, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm with the board before you file.
More for your trade: how pest control companies run on Koira.