Pesticide licence in South Australia: categories, exam and renewal
What SA Health says about the Pest Controller's business licence at AU$419.00 a year, the Full and Limited Pest Management Technician licences, the Control of weeds and plant pests endorsement, its training units and mutual recognition.
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 Controlled Substances Licensing in SA Health, which licenses pest control under the Controlled Substances Act 1984 and the Controlled Substances (Pesticides) Regulations 2017. The parent page, pesticide licences by country, has the national background.
At a glance
| Item | What SA Health says |
|---|---|
| Agency | SA Health, Controlled Substances Licensing |
| Licences for work for hire | Pest Controller's licence (the business), Full Pest Management Technician and Limited Pest Management Technician |
| Endorsement for trees and turf | Control of weeds and plant pests (weeds, insects and fungal pests in any setting except viticulture, including orchards, sports grounds and timber plantations); stump treatment is a separate endorsement |
| Exam | No state exam described; a technician completes training competency units, for this endorsement AHCCHM307, AHCCHM304, AHCPMG301 and AHCPMG302 |
| Fees for 2026/27 | Pest Controller's licence AU$419.00 for 1 year or AU$1,257.00 for 3 years; technician AU$104.00 for 1 year or AU$312.00 for 3 years |
| Insurance or bond | Not stated on the pages read |
| Reciprocity | Mutual recognition and automatic mutual recognition for licences from other states, territories and New Zealand |
Who must be licensed
According to SA Health, the pest control licensing page says all pest control businesses and pest management technicians in South Australia must be licensed. Pest control work means using a pesticide to kill, repel or otherwise control a pest, and includes handling a pesticide. A pest control business is one that does this work for another person for fee or reward. Pests include insects, rodents, weeds and fungal pests. Anyone who uses pesticides at work must either be licensed or hold a statement of exemption.
Licence types
According to the licensing information page, a Pest Controller's licence is the business licence, and every technician works under one, their own or an employer's. A Limited Pest Management Technician licence lets a person who has not finished the courses work under supervision, and it can be held for at most two years. A Full Pest Management Technician licence allows unsupervised work once the relevant courses and final assessment are done, and comes with a photo ID card. Working outside the endorsements on a licence is an offence. All applications and exemptions are made online.
The endorsement that covers trees and turf
On the training side, the endorsements page defines control of weeds and plant pests as weed, insect and fungal control with herbicides, insecticides and fungicides in any setting except viticulture, naming fields, pastures, roadsides, orchards, sports grounds and timber plantations. Control of weeds covers herbicides only. Stump treatment is for treating plant or tree stumps to prevent regrowth with a limited range of chemicals, and a Limited technician licence is not available for it. Domestic and commercial pest control covers pests in and around buildings.
Training units and fees
For Control of weeds and plant pests the page lists AHCCHM307, preparing and applying chemicals, AHCCHM304, transporting and storing chemicals, AHCPMG301, control weeds, and AHCPMG302, control plant pests, diseases and disorders. Stump treatment needs the first two. A Limited technician can apply to work under indirect supervision, within sight or sound of the supervisor, after a training skills declaration and units AHCCHM307 and AHCCHM304. The licensing page lists fees for 2026/27: AU$419.00 for a Pest Controller's licence for one year or AU$1,257.00 for three years, AU$104.00 for a technician for one year or AU$312.00 for three years, and AU$30.50 for a Limited technician extension. Renewal rules beyond those terms were not on the pages read.
Mutual recognition
The licensing page says a person licensed for pest control in another state, a territory or New Zealand is entitled to have that licence recognised by Controlled Substances Licensing. Mutual recognition applies to people moving to South Australia to live or work, and automatic mutual recognition covers temporary work. A separate page on automatic mutual recognition of pest management licensing has the detail.