Commercial Pesticide Business License Details

APPLICATION FOR A PESTICIDE BUSINESS LICENSE UNDER THE MARYLAND PESTICIDE APPLICATORS LAW.

A pesticide business is any business that is offering pest control services or is applying general or restricted use pesticides for hire as part of a service or contract agreement.

Pest control means engaging in, or offering to engage in, recommending, advertising, soliciting the use of, supervising the use of, or using, a pesticide or device for the identification, control, eradication, mitigation, detection, inspection, or prevention of a pest in, on, or around any house, building, water, air, land, plant, structure, or animal. This includes lawn care companies using weed and feed or organic pesticides, landscapers using Roundup or animal repellents, and firms providing structural pest control, including the use of devices using heat or freezing. A pesticide business license is required in order to provide these services.

Licensing - In order to obtain a pesticide business license, a firm must complete an application obtained from MDA, designate at least one person certified as a pest control applicator in the categories in which they are providing pest control services, pay a $150 annual business license fee, and provide proof of general liability insurance as follows: • Bodily Injury - $100,000 each person and $300,000 each occurrence • Property Damage - $15,000 each occurrence and $30,000 annual aggregate provision An original copy of the current Certificate of Insurance must be kept on file with MDA. 

The licensing period runs from July 1 through June 30. Certification - In order to become certified as a pest control applicator, an individual must be at least 18 years of age and have at least one year of practical pesticide application experience as a registered employee in the category(ies) in which they want to become certified. A degree in a biological field such as biology, botany, horticulture, entomology, agronomy, etc. may qualify in lieu of experience. Certain approved courses (See “Approved Initial Certification Courses” document) will also be accepted in lieu of experience or a degree. 

The individual must pass examinations administered by MDA. In order to qualify for the examinations, an applicant must submit an application for certification obtained from MDA at least one month prior to the examination. Experience or education documentation such as the Verification of Experience Forms or college transcripts must be attached. Applications are available on MDA's web site as a PDF file at www.mda.maryland.gov. A listing of the manuals and suppliers used in preparation for taking the examinations is attached as part of the application form.

Upon approval of the application, MDA will mail an approval letter with further information on the examination process. A notification will be mailed to the applicant’s home address approximately two weeks prior to the examination listing the dates and locations. MDA offers the commercial examinations every other month in Annapolis, Salisbury and Frederick. Examinations are multiple-choice and closed book.

Each applicant must pass the Core examination which covers basic pesticide information and laws and at least one specific category examination with a score of 70% or higher. Please note, that the Core is not considered a Category of Pest Control. 

The last page of this document provides a listing of the pest control categories and subcategories. An individual may retake the exams as many times as is necessary. However, there is a $10 retake fee paid at the time of reexamination for each examination that is retaken. 

Upon passing the exams, a $75 annual certification fee must be paid for the initial category, and a $25 fee for each additional main category (numeric designation) of certification. The fees are only assessed for a category, not for subcategories (letter designation). There are no additional fees for certification in multiple subcategories under one category. Regulations prohibit an individual from maintaining certification for more than one place of business at a time. In addition, a certificate cannot be transferred to another person, and MDA must be notified immediately when a certified applicator is no longer employed by a licensee or permittee.

Recertification - Maryland requires all certified applicators (including out-of-state applicators who were certified based on reciprocity - refer to the section on reciprocity) to attend recertification training each year in order to renew their certificate.

The training does not have to be held in Maryland. In order for a meeting to qualify for recertification credit, a copy must be submitted to MDA for approval. ( if the meeting agenda Note: Before a meeting can be advertised for recertification credit in Maryland it must be submitted to MDA at least 2 weeks prior to the meeting and be approved). If the meeting has not been submitted by the meeting sponsor for recertification credit in Maryland, a copy of the meeting agenda needs to be submitted by the applicator to MDA for approval.

In order for an individual to become recertified, they must obtain the following credits on an annual basis: Categories 1, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 13 must receive eight credits; Categories 2, 5 and 6 must receive six credits; Categories 4 and 11 must receive 4 credits once every three years; Category 10 and 12 must attend recertification training that pertains to the area of their work. All other categories are determined on a case by case basis (1 credit is equal to ½ hour of training). In order for a meeting to receive recertification credit it must cover new laws, regulations or policies along with new technology. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) principles and methodologies should be incorporated into the program along with a combination of the following topics: pesticide safety; environmental concerns; pest biology; control techniques; storage; and disposal. Sponsors of the recertification sessions must ensure that individuals needing recertification credit attend the appropriate sessions and submit documentation to MDA that each individual has satisfied the training requirements. Documentation includes each participant's name and certificate number. If the meeting was not submitted by the sponsor, documentation of attendance must be supplied to MDA by the applicator. Certificates of completion or similar documentation can be used. Upon submission of proof of training, MDA will update the certified applicator's training records and a renewal form will be mailed to the applicator in April. If a certified applicator does not attend recertification training, or provide MDA with proof of attendance, the applicator must retake the certification examinations by June 30 in order to renew the certificate. 

Business License / Permit and Applicator Renewal – Business license/permit holders are responsible for the renewal of their business license and the certificates of all employed applicators. Renewal information will be sent out to businesses / public agencies annually with a deadline of June 30th for application submission. The renewal application includes current employee information and an area to check/input individual applicator recertification credits obtained. 

We are now utilizing an online system for renewals found at https://egov.maryland.gov/mda/pesticides. In order to log onto the site, you need your business license/permit number and a code found on the renewal information card. If you do not have access to an internet connection, you may call our office at (410) 841-5710 and request a paper application. NOTE: A business license or certificate is not considered valid until all the requirements are satisfied and MDA receives the appropriate fees and renewal forms.