Pesticide licence in Louisiana: categories, exam and renewal

This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. The source is the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, which certifies commercial applicators and licenses the businesses that apply pesticides outside buildings. Structural pest control is licensed separately. The parent page, pesticide licences by country, has the national background.

At a glance

Item	What the department says
Agency	Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, pesticide certification and licensing
Business licence	Ground Owner Operator License; US$200 for Louisiana residents, US$500 for others, plus a US$50 equipment registration
Applicator certification	Commercial Pesticide Applicator Certification; US$20 annual card renewal
Category for trees and turf	Category 3 Ornamental and Turf Pest Control; category 2a General Forestry Pest Control
Exam	General Standards (no charge) plus a US$50 category exam, at the Baton Rouge main office or online with a vendor fee
Recertification	Every three years, by an approved meeting or a retest
Insurance	Liability insurance of not less than US$25,000 for the ground operator license
Reciprocity	Exam waiver for applicators licensed in another state; Missouri lists Louisiana as a reciprocal state

Two layers

The department's commercial pesticide licensing page says Louisiana certifies and licenses two types of application businesses. Commercial Pesticide Certification covers application anywhere that is not in or on a building or other structure, and Structural Pest Control covers pests inside structures. A business that applies pesticides by ground needs a Ground Owner Operator License, and employees who apply pesticides need Commercial Pesticide Applicator Certification. The business must employ at least one certified commercial applicator, register all mechanically powered spray equipment at US$50 a year, show evidence of financial surety, and carry liability insurance.

Licence and insurance

On the same page the department lists the Ground Owner Operator License requirements as a US$200 fee for those based in Louisiana for at least 90 days or US$500 otherwise, the US$50 equipment registration, proof of liability insurance of not less than US$25,000, and a description of all mechanically powered pesticide equipment. The aerial license asks for insurance of not less than US$50,000.

Categories and exams

The department's exam application form lists the commercial categories, including 1 Agricultural Pest Control, 2a General Forestry Pest Control, 3 Ornamental and Turf Pest Control, 5a Aquatic, 6 Right of Way and Industrial, and 8a Mosquito Control. Category 10 Demonstration and Research can be taken with categories 1, 2a, 3, 7c3 and 8a. The form says the General Standards exam has no charge and each numbered category exam is US$50. The licensing page says the General Standards exam covers the federal pesticide law and Louisiana's pesticide laws and regulations, and that the study material is the National Core Manual and category guides from the LSU AgCenter.

The page says in-person testing is offered only at the main office in Baton Rouge, since district office testing ended on October 15, 2025, and online testing is through a vendor that charges an added fee. Applications must be complete and paid before an exam is scheduled, and the form says an application fee is forfeited if exams are not taken within 60 calendar days. A pass mark is not stated on the pages read.

Renewal and recertification

The licensing page lists a US$20 annual renewal for a Commercial Pesticide Applicator Certification card and US$25 for a government employee card. Commercial applicators attend an approved recertification meeting or retest every three years and keep a record of pesticides applied. The department's recertification opportunities page sends applicants to a state meeting search and lists approved 2026 commercial meetings. The number of credit hours is not stated on the pages read.

Reciprocity

The licensing page says that an applicator licensed as a commercial applicator in another state may apply for an exam waiver. The waiver terms were not on the pages read. Missouri lists Louisiana as a reciprocal state except for structural categories, as the Missouri guide reports.