- Renew before the expiration date with current insurance and the renewal fee. A lapsed license cannot operate until renewed.
Do you need a state license in Texas?
Texas licenses pest control work at the state level through the Texas Department of Agriculture, Structural Pest Control Service. Below is what the board asks for, in the order you will run into it.
Steps to get licensed in Texas
- Become a commercial certified applicator, or hire one to be your Responsible Certified Applicator.
- Get liability insurance and have it filed on form ALS-1101.
- Apply for the business license with your tax ID and pay $300.
- Wait for the license before you advertise or work.
Experience and other requirements
Experience. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
The license to apply for. Structural pest control commercial business license, with a Responsible Certified Applicator.
Texas pest control exams
Trade exam. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Business and law exam. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
What it costs in Texas
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 |
|---|---|
| Commercial business license | $300 |
Insurance and bond
Insurance. At least $500,000 bodily injury and property damage coverage, $1,000,000 aggregate, filed on form ALS-1101. The care, custody and control exclusion must be removed.
Bond. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Renewal and licenses from other states
Renewal. Renew before the expiration date with current insurance and the renewal fee. A lapsed license cannot operate until renewed.
Reciprocity. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Good to know in Texas
- You cannot advertise or solicit pest control work until the business license is issued and you have a certified applicator in each category.
- Register employees with your business license within 10 days of hire. New workers start as registered apprentices.
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 Texas Department of Agriculture, Structural Pest Control Service 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.