STATE LICENSE
RequiredPennsylvania Department of Agriculture — …
Pest control is the one trade in this set that Pennsylvania licenses statewide. Under the Pesticide Control Act of 1973, any business that applies pesticides for hire needs a $35 annual Pesticide Application Business License that expires December 31, plus at least one commercial applicator certified in the right category — Category 11 (Household and Health Related) for general pest work, Category 12 (Wood Destroying Pests) for termites, Category 13 for structural fumigation.
Employees who are not certified can work as registered technicians if the business employs a certified applicator who has held certification for at least one year and trains them within a 30-day period. Otherwise a certified applicator must be physically present at the application site. The Act occupies the whole field of pesticide regulation, so municipalities cannot add their own pesticide licensing.
The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.
The Pesticide Control Act occupies the whole field of pesticide regulation (Act § 37), so cities and counties cannot license or regulate pesticide use in conflict with it. Local business-privilege taxes and Philadelphia's Commercial Activity License still apply to the business as a business.
The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every Pennsylvania 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.
The business license runs to December 31; commercial applicator certificates expire September 30.
Applicators recertify on a three-year cycle: 6 core credits plus 10 category credits for Categories 11 and 12.
The Act occupies the whole field of pesticide regulation; municipalities cannot regulate pesticide use in conflict with it.
A practical sequence for a new pest control contractor in Pennsylvania. 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.
Unlawful conduct under the Act is a summary offense; repeat conduct within three years, or a violation after a written warning, is a second-degree misdemeanor for commercial applicators.
The Secretary may assess a civil penalty per offense after notice and hearing, or issue a warning where no harm resulted.
The Department may deny, suspend or revoke licenses, permits and certificates for violations.
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: Dollar minimums for commercial applicator financial responsibility (set in 7 Pa. Code ch. 128) were not confirmed · Whether termite treatment contracts on a private residence also trigger HIC registration under HICPA was not confirmed
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.