UF/IFAS Extension Seminole County
Pesticide Resources

Steps to obtaining a new pesticide license:

1. Determine which license you need. See "Which pesticide license do I need?" below. 

2. Apply for your license exams through the FDACS licensing online portal to obtain exam vouchers. Please note that some exams require payment prior to taking your exam. 

3. Schedule an appointment to take your exams using the UF Pesticide Exam website.
   Exams are available by appointment at your local county extension office or online through the virtual proctor service EverBlue (additional fees apply). UF/IFAS Extension Seminole County typically offers the exams twice a month on the fourth Wednesday (AM) and the second Thursday (PM)*. Appointment slots are limited and you must sign up in advanced. For information regarding other testing centers and schedules, please see the UF/IFAS Extension Testing Centers by Florida County webpage.
   *Exam dates are subject to change.

4. Study and prepare for your exams.
   Exam study materials can be purchased through the UF/IFAS Extension Bookstore. For more information on which materials you need, visit Finding the Correct Pesticide Applicator License in Florida. We also offer exam review classes for the General Standards Core, Ornamental & Turf, Private Agriculture, Limited Commercial Landscape Maintenance, Limited Lawn and Ornamental License, Aquatics and other exams. Please visit the UF/IFAS Extension Seminole County Eventbrite for information on upcoming trainings. 

5. Once you have passed your exams, you will receive some information from FDACS directly. If you took an exam that requirement payment ahead of time, you will receive your full license. If you did take an exam that require payment ahead of time, you receive a requirements met letter and be asked to pay the license fee. If you do not receive any information, please contact FDACS directly. 

Florida Pesticide License Dichotomous Key (This original key can also be found here: Finding the Correct Pesticide Applicator License in Florida). Si busca información en español, visita esta guía.

Do you apply products to:

1. Mosquitos and other public health threats, CH 388 F.S.

a. Yes—go to Table 1.1.

b. No—go to 2.

2. The interior or exterior of occupied buildings, CH 482 F.S.

a. Yes—go to Table 2.1.

b. No—go to 3.

3. Agriculture and all other sites, CH 487 F.S.

a. Yes—go to Table 3.1.

Table 1.1. Mosquitos and other public health threats.

1. Do you work for the government or on government property?

a. Yes—Public Health. 

b. No—go to 2.

2. Do you install and service automated mosquito misting devices and/or offer residential or commercial fogging and barrier treatments around occupied structures (homes, hotels, resorts, etc.)?

a. Yes—Pest Control Operator in General Household Pests (GHP) or Lawn and Ornamental (L&O). 

b. No—go to 3.

3. Do you make mosquito-control applications to private, commercial, or governmental properties that do not include buildings, and are you for hire?

a. Yes—Public Health. 

b. No—go to 4.

4. Are you or do you plan to be a director of a county or district mosquito control program?

a. Yes—Mosquito Control Directors. 

Table 2.1. The interior or outside of occupied buildings, CH 482 F.S.

1. Do you work for the government or on private property and are not a contractor?

a. Yes—go to Table 2.2.

b. No—go to 2.

2. Are you a for-hire contractor?

a. Yes—go to Table 2.3.

Table 2.2. Government or private property around occupied buildings.

1. Do you treat household pests and rodents in and around structures?

a. Yes—Limited Structural. 

b. No—go to 2.

2. Do you treat lawns and ornamentals around buildings?

a. Yes—Limited Lawn and Ornamental (LLO), unless using Ready-to-Use product, then no license. 

b. No—go to 3.

3. Are you a volunteer?

a. Yes—no license or Limited Lawn and Ornamental if product requires it.

Table 2.3. For-hire contractors around occupied buildings. CH 482, F.S.

Do you:

1. Trap rodents around and in buildings. No bait is allowed—Limited Wildlife. 

2. Trap or treat household pests and rodents in and around buildings—General Household Pest (PCO GHP) or ID Cardholder. 

3. Treat or inspect for termites and other wood destroying organisms in and around structures, including landscapes—Wood-Destroying Organism (PCO WDO) or ID Cardholder/Special ID Cardholder.

4. Fumigate structures for wood-destroying organisms—Structural Fumigation (PCO FUM) or Special ID Cardholder. 

5. Treat lawns and ornamentals in and around structures—Lawn and Ornamental (PCO L&O) or ID Cardholder. 

6. Applies Fertilizer—Limited Urban Commercial Fertilizer (LUF). 

7. Treat ornamental beds, sidewalks, driveways, NO turf—Limited Commercial Landscape Maintenance (LCLM). 

Table 3.1. Agriculture or other sites.

1. Do you use a restricted use product (RUP)?

a. Yes—go to Table 3.2.

b. No—If using a General Use Pesticide (GUP), which is any product that does not have RUP labeling on the top of the product, then a license is not always required. However, it is always suggested to hold the appropriate license for your category. If you still want to know what license is needed, follow the dichotomous key as if you are using RUP products, even if you are not.

Table 3.2. Using restricted use products on agriculture or other sites.

1. Do you apply on property you own or rent, or on property owned or rented by your employer that produces an agricultural

commodity?

a. Yes—Private applicator agriculture. 

b. No—go to 2.

2. Do you work in agriculture production? (crops, fields, seeds, forests, sod, livestock)

a. Yes—go to Table 3.3.

b. No—go to 3.

3. Do you apply in nonagriculture sites? (natural areas, golf courses, cemeteries, parks, athletic fields, water)

a. Yes—go to Table 3.4.

Table 3.3. Restricted use applicators in agriculture production areas (crops, fields, seeds, livestock).

Do you apply to:

1. Production crops (not trees); includes row crops, grains, forage, vegetables, small fruits not produced on trees, pastures; no fumigation — Agricultural Row Crop. 

2. Production trees; includes citrus, blueberries, pecans, or crop grown on woody shrubs/trees; no fumigation — Agricultural Tree Crop. 

3. Seeds; no fumigation — Seed Treatment. 

4. Field soils, containerized plants, potting soil, lawns, turf, and ornamentals not associated with structures using fumigant injections or applications; or within enclosed agricultural structures such as greenhouses where agricultural production is in progress using fumigant injections or applications — Soil and Greenhouse Fumigation.

5. Postharvest raw ag commodity or applied to ag storage facilities using fumigations— Raw Agricultural Commodity Fumigation. 

6. Land from an aircraft — Aerial. 

7. Animals, in or on places where such animals are kept or confined (includes swine, cattle, sheep, horses, fish, poultry, bees, and other agricultural livestock) — Agricultural Animal. 

8. Forests, forest nurseries, or forest seed orchards —Forest. 

9. Ornamental trees, shrubs, flowers, or sod on a nursery/production farm— Ornamental and Turf. 

Table 3.4. Restricted use applicators in nonagriculture areas (natural areas, golf courses, cemeteries, parks, athletic fields, water).

Do you:

1. Use herbicides to control vegetation to protect natural communities and ecosystems in natural areas — Natural Areas. 

2. Applications to water, standing or running water, banks or shorelines. Excludes chlorine gas and public health activities — Aquatics. 

3. Maintenance of ornamental plants or sod. Also includes turfgrass growing in or on cemeteries, golf courses, parks, or athletic fields. Does not include lawns around structures — Ornamental and Turf. 

4. Maintenance of right-of-way areas associated with public roads, electric power lines, pipelines, railroads, and other

similar areas  — Right-of-Way. 

5. Other—Wood treatment, antifouling paint, sewer root, chlorine gas infusion, regulatory, demonstration and research.

You have two options for your renewal:

1. Obtain the required continuing education units (CEUs). 

2. Retake the licensing exams. See above "Looking to obtain a new pesticide license (ie. licensing exams)?"

Renewing you license by Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

1. Find out the number and type of CEUs needed for your license.
   Depending on which license you hold, you will need between 4-20 CEUs. To find out how many CEUs you need for your license, please visit this guide on CEU requirements. We recommend obtaining your CEUs well before your license expires. It can be challenging to obtain all your CEUs the day before your license expires. Note: Some licenses require that you obtain all CEUs prior to the expiration of your license. Other licenses have a grace period after expiration, but late fees may apply. During this grace period, you are unable to use the license for pesticide application until it is renewed. 

2. Take FDACS approved CEU classes.
   To see what CEU classes we has available, visit our UF/IFAS Extension Seminole County Eventbrite. We offer in person and online webinar classes with CEUs. Class pages will list what CEUs they are approved for. 
   You can find "work at your own pace" online CEU classes through Pesticide Information Office Online Learning page.
   You can also search for additional classes through the FDACS CEU Search. 

3. Submit your renewal application and CEU forms online through the FDACS licensing online portal.  

How many CEUs have I already obtained?

If your CEU forms have been uploaded to FDACS, you will find them in the FDACS Completed CEU database. If you are unsure of your license number, you can search that in the FDACS Licensed Applicator search portal. 

Visit this UF EDIS Document for information specific to each license: Finding the Correct Pesticide Applicator License in Florida. 

Please reach out to UF/IFAS Extension Seminole County by phone at (407) 665-5560 or by email extension@seminolecountyfl.gov. If you are outside of Seminole County, FL, you can find you local county extension office here.