- New for-hire applicators in Category 7b (termite control) or Category 12 must complete a hands-on training program approved by the State Chemist.
- Plan for a trade exam.
- The license renews every year on December 31. Certification lasts five years, renewed by exam or by continuing certification hours.
Do you need a state license in Indiana?
Indiana licenses pest control work at the state level through the Office of Indiana State Chemist. Below is what the board asks for, in the order you will run into it.
Steps to get licensed in Indiana
- Pass the written Core exam.
- Pass the Category exam for your work. Termite work (7b) also needs approved hands-on training.
- Get licensed once you are certified.
- Renew the license every December 31 and keep up your certification hours.
Experience and other requirements
Experience. New for-hire applicators in Category 7b (termite control) or Category 12 must complete a hands-on training program approved by the State Chemist.
The license to apply for. For-hire commercial pesticide applicator certification and license.
Indiana pest control exams
Trade exam. A written Core exam, then a Category exam. You get up to three tries in 12 months.
Business and law exam. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
What it costs in Indiana
We could not confirm the current fee schedule on an official page. Check with the board before you budget: Office of Indiana State Chemist.
Insurance and bond
Insurance. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Bond. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Renewal and licenses from other states
Renewal. The license renews every year on December 31. Certification lasts five years, renewed by exam or by continuing certification hours.
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 Office of Indiana State Chemist 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.