- Plan for a trade exam.
- Every year, with the $35 fee.
Do you need a state license in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania licenses pest control work at the state level through the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Pesticide Programs. Below is what the board asks for, in the order you will run into it.
Steps to get licensed in Pennsylvania
- Pass the certification exams for your categories.
- Use the business license application the department sends after your exams.
- Have your insurer send a certificate naming the department as holder.
- Pay the $35 fee, and renew 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. Pesticide application business license, with a certified commercial applicator.
Pennsylvania pest control exams
Trade exam. Certification exams. After you pass, the department sends instructions and a business license application.
Business and law exam. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
What it costs in Pennsylvania
The board lists one fee for this license. These are the state's own numbers. Insurance, any bond, exam prep and your business registration come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Business license application, first year and each year after | $35 |
Insurance and bond
Insurance. Meet the financial responsibility rules. Your insurer issues a certificate of insurance naming the Department of Agriculture as certificate holder.
Bond. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Renewal and licenses from other states
Renewal. Every year, with the $35 fee.
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 Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Pesticide Programs 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.