Pesticide licence in Mississippi: categories, exam and renewal
What the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce says about the professional services licence for hire, horticultural pest control HCPL, the US$55 computer-based exam, the 70% pass mark, the 36-month cycle and the US$5,000 bond with US$100,000 insurance.
Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 8, 2026. Rules, fees and pay change: the source has the last word.
This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. The source is the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce, Bureau of Plant Industry, which certifies commercial applicators and licenses professional pest and weed control services. The parent page, pesticide licences by country, has the national background.
At a glance
| Item | What the bureau says |
|---|---|
| Agency | Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce, Bureau of Plant Industry |
| Licence for work for hire | Professional services: a Company License for the business and an Operator License or Permit for the person in charge; a Registered Technician card for others |
| Category for trees and turf | Horticultural pest control (HCPL) and horticultural weed control (HCWL); commercial certification category 3 Ornamental and Turf Pest Control is for work not for hire |
| Exam | One written exam per category, 70% to pass; computer-based exams at US$55 each; no application fee |
| Renewal | Licences and permits expire 36 months after issue; renew with an approved training course or by retaking the exam, in the 12 months before expiry |
| Insurance or bond | Pest control category: bond of at least US$5,000 and insurance of US$100,000 per occurrence, US$200,000 yearly aggregate |
| Reciprocity | A reciprocity request form exists for commercial certification; its terms are not on the pages read |
Certification and licence are different
The bureau's pesticide program page says a commercial certification card lets a person buy and use restricted use pesticides but does not allow applying them for a fee. A professional service licence lets a person use any pesticide, general or restricted use, to do work for hire, and it needs both an Operator License and a Company License. Licence categories follow the certification categories.
The categories that cover trees and turf
On its weed and pest control license page the bureau describes horticultural pest control (HCPL) as control of insect pests, plant diseases or pest animals of ornamental plants, shade trees and lawns in residential, commercial, public, industrial and manufacturing areas. Nut or fruit trees count if they are used as ornamental or shade trees. Horticultural weed control (HCWL) covers weeds in ornamental plants and turf in the same settings. Right-of-way weed control (ROWL) covers rights-of-way, forest lands and drainage ditches, and orchard pest control (ORPL) covers fruit and nut trees. The commercial applicator certification page lists category 2 Forest Pest Control and category 3 Ornamental and Turf Pest Control among 14 certification categories.
Operator, permit and technician
An Operator License applicant qualifies by education, either a college degree with at least 15 semester hours in the category or two years of college with special training, or by experience. For horticultural categories the page asks for a high school diploma or equivalent plus one year with a licensed operator within the past two years, while wood destroying insect, general pest and fumigation categories ask for four years. A Permit is for a company employee who already holds a Registered Technician card, and it can supervise a branch office. Anyone without either needs a Registered Technician card before working without on-site supervision. The page lists 8 hours of general classroom training and 8 hours per category for some categories, and 40 hours of on-the-job training per category.
Exam
Written exams run quarterly at Mississippi State. The next dates on the page are October 14, 2026, January 12, 2027, April 13, 2027 and July 13, 2027. Computer-based exams are offered at testing centers in Meridian, Oxford, Jackson and Starkville through an outside testing company. The page gives US$55 per exam, a 90-day wait after a failed exam, and 70% as the passing score. There are no fees to apply for an Operator License or Permit.
Renewal
The bureau says operator licences, permits and certified commercial applicator cards expire 36 months after issue. A holder renews in the 12 months before expiry by attending a training course the bureau has approved, or by passing the exam again. The bureau reports that it approves more than 180 training courses a year, in person, online or by webinar. The commercial certification page adds that its recertification day runs about 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and renews all 14 categories without an exam.
Insurance and bond
The same licence page says any pest control category needs a bond of at least US$5,000 and insurance, any weed control category needs a bond of at least US$2,500 and no insurance, and a pest and weed combination needs US$5,000 and insurance. Insurance runs US$100,000 per occurrence with a yearly aggregate of at least US$200,000, covering pollution and contamination, property damage, personal injury and errors and omissions. Non-resident applicants appoint the Mississippi Secretary of State as agent for service of process unless they already have a resident agent.
Sources
- Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce, Pesticide Program, read October 8, 2026
- Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce, Weed and Pest Control License and Permit, read October 8, 2026
- Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce, Commercial Applicator Certification, read October 8, 2026