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United States · Certification exam

Florida pesticide applicator license

You apply to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) for an exam voucher, pass the exams, and then pay for a four-year license. A Florida pesticide applicator license is needed to apply restricted use pesticides to any outdoor area not tied to a structure or public health pest control, and to apply any pesticide from the air. Structural pest control is a separate FDACS license.

  • 4 yearsLength of a license
  • 4 core creditsNeeded to renew, plus category credits
  • Remote or in personHow Everblue gives most exams
Apply in the licensing portal

Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

Florida license types

  • Private applicator: restricted use pesticides to produce an agricultural commodity on property you or your employer own or rent.
  • Public applicator: you work for a government entity and use restricted use pesticides on the job.
  • Commercial applicator: restricted use pesticides on any agricultural or related area not associated with buildings, for any other purpose.

Florida law sets the age at 18 or older, or an emancipated minor.

How do you get a Florida pesticide applicator license?

  1. Buy the manuals from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) bookstore. FDACS says they cost a nominal amount. The core manual is Applying Pesticides Correctly.
  2. Apply for an exam voucher in the FDACS licensing portal.
  3. Take the exams with Everblue, remotely or in person. Private applicators take the general standards (core) exam and the private applicator agricultural pest control exam. Commercial and public applicators take the core plus at least one primary category.
  4. Pay for the license (fees below).

FDACS gives four rare category exams itself, as needed: chlorine gas infusion, regulatory inspection and sampling, sewer root control and regulatory pest control. FDACS’s pages don’t publish the voucher fee, question counts or a pass mark; Florida law lets the vendor charge a convenience fee.

Florida license fees

License, 4 yearsFee
Private applicator$100
Public applicator$100
Commercial applicator$250
Renewal more than 60 days late, extra$50

Renewing a Florida license

A license expires at the end of the month four years from its issue date. FDACS sends a notice about 60 days ahead. After a year expired you must retest.

To renew by continuing education units (CEUs), you need four core CEUs per license plus the category CEUs for each category: for example 4 for the private applicator category, 8 for row crop or tree crop, 12 for ornamental and turf, and 16 for aquatic, aerial or natural areas weed management. One CEU is 50 minutes of class. You can mix CEUs and re-exams by category.

FDACS: CEU requirements ↗FDACS: Search for a licensed pesticide applicator ↗
Sources: FDACS · Florida Legislature and 3 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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