STATE LICENSE
RequiredMississippi Department of Agriculture and…
Anyone receiving fees for pest or weed control in Mississippi must be licensed by the Bureau of Plant Industry of the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (Miss. Code Ann. §§ 69-19-1, 69-23-109). The business first secures a Company License backed by a surety bond — at least $5,000 for pest control — and general liability insurance of $100,000 per occurrence and $200,000 aggregate covering pollution, property damage, personal injury, and errors and omissions; wood-destroying insect companies must also cover WDI report errors and structural pest damage.
Each operator qualifies by education or experience — four years with a licensed operator in the past six for wood-destroying insect, general pest and rodent, or fumigation — then passes a category exam (70%; $55 per computer-based exam). Operator licenses, permits, and registered technician IDs run 36 months, renewed through a Bureau-approved course in the final 12 months. Mississippi does not reciprocate operator licenses with any state.
The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.
Pest control licensing is statewide through MDAC's Bureau of Plant Industry; local governments add only general business registration where they require it.
The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every Mississippi county on file.
Each row names the issuing authority, cost, timeline, citation, and status behind the requirement — verified against the official source.
Published fees from the issuing authorities, as of October 2026. Local permit fees vary by project and jurisdiction — the basis is stated where a flat number does not exist.
Pest control is licensed by MDAC's Bureau of Plant Industry, not MSBOC.
Mississippi does not reciprocate operator licenses with any state; out-of-state operators apply and test.
A permit holder may run a branch under a licensed company but may not own and operate a company.
A practical sequence for a new pest control contractor in Mississippi. Actual agency processing times are noted in the ledger above.
Each item names the issuing authority, cycle, and citation.
Statutory consequences with their citations — not estimates, not “commonly cited” guesses.
Performing professional services under Miss. Code §§ 69-19-1 to -11 without securing a license from the Bureau of Plant Industry.
Violating the Pesticide Application Law or its rules; each day of a continuing violation is a separate offense.
Inside city limits, the city office listed here issues the permit; the county office serves unincorporated areas. Every office links to its official page.
Every fact in this file was checked against these official sources on October 2026.
Pending verification: Exam fee conflict: MDAC's license page lists $55 per computer-based exam, while its FAQ says there is no fee to apply or test (the FAQ may predate computer-based testing) · Statutory text of Miss. Code §§ 69-19-1 to -11 (cited through MDAC rules and notices; the code text was not retrieved) · Currency of the MDAC compilation of § 69-23-135, marked 'current through 3/27/2018' · Fees, if any, for the company license, permits, and RTIDs
General information, not legal advice. Always confirm requirements, deadlines, and forms with the issuing authority before filing or contracting.
Store licenses, permits, policies, and renewal dates in one place.