Illinois pest control licensing at a glance
Agency
IL Dept. of Public Health
Business license
$250
$150 annual renewal
Certified technician
$75
3-year certificate
CE
9 hours
per 3 years
License types and fees
| License | Who needs it | Key requirements | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Structural Pest Control Business License (per location) | Any person engaging in a commercial structural pest control business; separate license for each business location (incl. out-of-state firms working in Illinois) | Must employ at least one certified technician at each location; certificate of insurance; notify IDPH within 7 days if without a certified technician and replace within 45 days (operations suspended meanwhile); licenses expire Dec 31 | $250 original; $150 renewal (annual, expires Dec 31); $75 late filing; $25 replacement |
| Non-Commercial Structural Pest Control Location Registration | In-house (not-for-hire) locations using restricted pesticides for structural pest control | At least one certified technician per location; no insurance certificate required | $200 original; $125 renewal |
| Certified Structural Pest Control Technician | Individuals applying or supervising pesticide use in commercial structural pest control (non-certified technicians may work under a certified technician's supervision) | General-use: age 18+, high school diploma, pass General Standards exam. Restricted-use sub-categories: also 6 months practical experience OR 16 semester hours entomology/related OR approved pest control course; pass sub-category exam(s); 70% passing score | $75 exam application incl. original certificate; $75 renewal (3-year); $50 for additional sub-category or re-exam |
| Non-certified Technician (supervised) | Employees applying pesticides under a certified technician | Supervisor must be present at the site until on-the-job training completed (at least two supervised uses of each pesticide type at each type of work site); otherwise supervisor must be reachable by voice at all times and able to be on site within 1 hour | None stated |
| Commercial Applicator License (Illinois Pesticide Act) | Commercial applicators outside IDPH's structural jurisdiction (e.g., lawn/turf and ornamental, right-of-way, aquatic) | Pass general competency exam and at least one technical category exam at 70%; max 2 attempts per day, 3 per 6 months; proof of financial responsibility | $300 multi-year commercial applicator license (2026 onward; was $240 for 2024-2025); $25 duplicate/transfer |
License categories
- IDPH sub-category A - Insects, Rodents and Other Pests (restricted use, non-fumigant; excludes termites/WDO) - structural/general pest
- IDPH sub-category B - Termites and Other Wood-Destroying Organisms - termite/WDI
- IDPH sub-category C - Birds - structural/bird
- IDPH sub-category D - Fumigation - fumigation
- IDPH sub-category E - Food Processing, Manufacturing and Storage (non-commercial only) - structural/food
- IDPH sub-category F - Institutional and Multi-unit Residential Housing (non-commercial only) - structural/institutional
- IDPH sub-category G - Public Health Pest Control (government employees) - public health
- IDPH sub-category H - Wood Products Pest Control - wood treatment
- IDPH General Standards - General Standards (general use pesticides) - required of all technicians - structural core
- IDOA Category 3 - Ornamental and Turf Pest Control (3 subcategories: Ornamental, Turf, Plant Management) - lawn & ornamental
- IDOA Category 7 - Industrial, Institutional, Structural, and Health Related Pest Control - under IDPH jurisdiction - structural
Commercial structural operators using restricted pesticides must be examined in each of sub-categories A-D and H that they perform; E-G certification alone does not permit commercial restricted-use work.
Exams
- Structural IDPH: General Standards exam (all applicants) plus sub-category exams for restricted-use pesticides; 70% minimum on each; applications due at least 15 days before exam; IDPH or designee holds written exams at least 4 times per year and may require a practical demonstration
- Structural exam fee: $75 (includes original certificate); $50 re-exam/additional sub-category
- IDOA commercial: Closed-book exams, 70% passing, at regional locations at least annually and by appointment at state regional offices
Business license and insurance
Business license
- Requirement: IDPH commercial structural pest control business license required for each business location (not for phone-answering-only locations)
- Fee: $250 original / $150 annual renewal per location
Insurance / bond
- Structural IDPH: Certificate of insurance with primary, first-dollar public liability coverage: not less than $100,000 per person / $300,000 per occurrence for personal injury, and $50,000 per occurrence property damage; new certificate filed within 30 days after policy renewal
- IDOA commercial applicator: Surety bond of at least $50,000/year (or two $25,000 bonds for bodily injury and property damage), OR liability insurance of $50,000 per person / $100,000 per occurrence bodily injury with $500,000 annual aggregate plus $50,000 per occurrence property damage ($50,000 aggregate), or combined single limit $100,000 with $500,000 aggregate; 30 days notice of cancellation to the Director
Renewal and continuing education
- Business license: Annual; expires Dec 31 (original issued after Oct 1 runs through Dec 31 of following year)
- Certified technician: 3-year certificate expiring Dec 31 of third year; renewal application by Dec 1
- CE hours per cycle: Certified technician: minimum 9 classroom hours per 3-year period, in increments of 3 hours or more, at IDPH-approved seminars
Application recordkeeping
- Contents: Customer name and address or site; technician name; date and time; target pest or purpose; brand/common name, EPA reg. no., % active ingredient in finished product, and amount of finished product (within 10%); termite jobs: diagram of foundation types and accurate dimensions. Restricted-use records kept separate from general-use. Certified technician must document review of records for services by uncertified technicians. Copies to property owner/manager/tenant on request.
- Retention years: 2
- IDOA note: IDOA commercial applicators: restricted-use records (chemical, EPA reg. no., rate, date, site) kept 2 years per 8 Ill. Adm. Code 250.150
Free log with these fields: pesticide application record template.
Worth knowing
- Illinois splits jurisdiction: structural pest control (Category 7) is licensed by the Department of Public Health, not the Department of Agriculture.
- A business location that loses its certified technician must notify IDPH within 7 days and hire a replacement within 45 days; all structural pest control operations are suspended until then.
- The Structural Pest Control Act is scheduled to be repealed (sunset) on December 31, 2029 unless extended.
- Restricted-use sub-category certification requires 6 months practical experience, 16 semester hours of entomology or related study, or an approved pest control course.
Official links
Law: Structural Pest Control Act, 225 ILCS 235; 77 Ill. Adm. Code 830 (IDPH). Illinois Pesticide Act, 415 ILCS 60; 8 Ill. Adm. Code 250 (IDOA).
Last verified 2026-09-23 against Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Structural Pest Control Program - for structural/exterminator work and the official sources listed below. Fees and rules change - confirm with the agency before you apply. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Licensed and running a route?
PestRouteDesk (in development) keeps state-ready chemical application records, recurring routes and billing for 1-5 tech shops. Founding members lock $49/mo.
Frequently asked questions
Who licenses exterminators in Illinois?
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Structural Pest Control Program licenses structural pest control businesses and certifies technicians. The Illinois Department of Agriculture separately licenses commercial pesticide applicators (e.g. lawn and agricultural work).
What does the Illinois technician exam cover?
All applicants take a General Standards exam plus sub-category exams (e.g. A insects/rodents, B termites); 70% is required on each.
Where can I verify Illinois pest control license requirements?
Directly with Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Structural Pest Control Program - for structural/exterminator work - see the official links on this page. We last checked on 2026-09-23.
Sources
- IDPH Structural Pest Control program (accessed 2026-09-23)
- 8 Ill. Adm. Code 250.120 Technical categories (accessed 2026-09-23)
- Structural Pest Control Act (225 ILCS 235) (accessed 2026-09-23)
- Illinois - statute / administrative code (ilga.gov) (accessed 2026-09-23)
- 415 ILCS 60/10 Commercial applicator license (IDOA) (accessed 2026-09-23)
- 77 Ill. Adm. Code 830.410 Examinations / sub-categories (accessed 2026-09-23)
- Illinois - statute / administrative code (ilga.gov) (accessed 2026-09-23)
- Illinois - statute / administrative code (ilga.gov) (accessed 2026-09-23)
- Illinois - statute / administrative code (ilga.gov) (accessed 2026-09-23)
- 77 Ill. Adm. Code 830.820 Records (accessed 2026-09-23)
- Illinois - statute / administrative code (ilga.gov) (accessed 2026-09-23)