What is needed to start a pest control company?

In order to start a pest control company, a license by the Structural Pest Control Board as an Operator is required. A Qualifying Manager needs to be present in order to manage the company including supervising and assisting the company’s employees. The Qualifying Manager must also be licensed by the Board as an Operator. The branches of pest control which the company plans on operating in needs to be the same branch the Operator is licensed in. If a company plans to be registered in more than one branch, there may be more than one Qualifying Manager. The three different branches are Fumigation, General Pest, and Wood Destroying Organisms.

After the Qualifying Manager is licensed, a form called the Request for Approval of Registered Company needs to be completed and submitted to the Board. To locate the form, go here. As soon as the application is received, it will be reviewed and processed. The applicant will receive a letter in the mail shortly after expressing if the company name style is approved or denied. If approved, the applicant will get a company registration packet  while the name will be reserved for 60 days. If denied, a notification and a blank approval of registered company form will be sent out.

Once the company name style has been approved, the applicant needs to complete the application for registration of a company as well as other bonding and insurance forms. For the Board to process the application, each of the documents listed below needs to be correctly completed.

• Insurance: $500,000 in general liability insurance must be maintained by a registered company. Here is the form to complete.
• Bond: $12,500 executed bond amount by an admitted surety insurer needs to be maintained by a registered company. The pest control operator bond is a type of insurance that must be purchased before a pest control company begins working with clients. This bond protects the company’s clients from fraud.
• Articles of Incorporation: This document is needed only for a corporation. It must be submitted after the Secretary of State has accepted the endorsement.
• Fictitious business name statement: Only a sole proprietorship or partnership needs this. It must be filed with the county recorder’s office if it is a fictitious name style.
• $120 Application Fee for Company Registration: After the Board approves the application, the company will be issued a principle registration number (PR) and can be in business.

To view all the Laws and Regulations for the pest control industry, go to this page.

Additional detailed information can be found at the Department of Consumer Affairs page.

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