Pesticide licence in South Carolina: categories, exam and renewal
What the Clemson University Department of Pesticide Regulation says about category 3 Ornamental and Turf Pest Control, mandatory commercial licensing, the US$75 core and US$50 category exams, the US$50 licence fee and five-year recertification units.
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. In South Carolina the regulator is the Department of Pesticide Regulation at Clemson University, which certifies and licenses pesticide applicators under the state's Pesticide Control Act. The parent page, pesticide licences by country, has the national background.
At a glance
| Item | What the department says |
|---|---|
| Agency | Clemson University, Department of Pesticide Regulation (Pendleton) |
| Licence for work for hire | Commercial applicator license; new license fee US$50 |
| Category for trees and turf | Category 3 Ornamental and Turf Pest Control; licensing is mandatory in this category |
| Exam | Core exam US$75 and each category exam US$50, taken online at testing centers booked through Metro Institute |
| Recertification | Five-year blocks; for category 3 alone, 10 continuing certification units with 3 specific to the category |
| Insurance | An evidence of financial responsibility form completed by the insurer is required for all new applicators; the amount is not on the pages read |
| Business licence | Required only for category 7A structural pest control businesses, as read October 8, 2026 |
| Reciprocity | 13 states, applicant files a reciprocal application and affidavit |
Who needs a licence
The department's licensing page says that anyone applying restricted use pesticides, or applying any pesticide in categories 3, 5, 6, 7a, 7b or 8 to another person's property as part of the job or for pay, is a commercial applicator and must be licensed in South Carolina. Employees of government agencies apply for a non-commercial license. The page, read October 8, 2026, says that only a business that will perform category 7A work needs a business license from the department.
Categories
On its certification categories page the department describes category 3, Ornamental and Turf Pest Control, as using or supervising pesticides to control pests in the maintenance and production of ornamental trees, shrubs, flowers and turf. It states that licensing is mandatory in this category. Category 2, Forest Pest Control, covers forests, forest nurseries and forest seed producing areas, and category 6, Right-of-Way Pest Control, covers roads, power lines, pipelines and railway rights of way. Category 12E is a limited glyphosate-only herbicide certification.
Exam and licence fee
The department's exam information page says it no longer gives routinely scheduled exams. Commercial and non-commercial exams are online at testing centers around the state and are booked through Metro Institute, and both the core exam and a category exam are required. The core exam is US$75 and each category exam is US$50. The SC Core Study Manual is sold through Clemson University Press at a list price of US$39.95, and the category guides come from the Pesticide Safety Education Program marketplace. Paper exams are available for a specific need, with a pre-exam registration form two weeks ahead. The pages read do not state a pass mark. After passing, the licensing page says the applicant returns an application, an evidence of financial responsibility form completed by the insurance company, and a US$50 new license fee.
Recertification
The department's recertification page says all certified applicators earn continuing certification units over five-year blocks. For commercial and non-commercial applicators the block read runs from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2028. A commercial applicator holding category 3 alone needs 3 category-specific units and 10 in total, and the same total applies when category 3 is combined with categories 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 10 or 11. Holding categories 3, 5, 7B and 8 together raises the total to 12. Category 7A alone needs 20 units. The law caps the requirement at 24. Instead of units, an applicator may pass a written exam given in the final twelve months of the block. Course organizers submit programs 15 business days ahead, and the programs must be open to the public.
Reciprocity
The licensing page says South Carolina has reciprocal licensing with 13 states for equivalent categories. An applicant files a reciprocal license application, an affidavit, a copy of the current license and the evidence of financial responsibility form, with the US$50 fee. The page does not name the states in the text read. Tennessee's department lists South Carolina among the states it recognizes for certification, as the Tennessee guide reports.
Sources
- Clemson University Department of Pesticide Regulation, Licensing overview, read October 8, 2026
- Clemson University Department of Pesticide Regulation, Recertification, read October 8, 2026
- Clemson University Department of Pesticide Regulation, Exam information, read October 8, 2026
- Clemson University Department of Pesticide Regulation, Certification categories, read October 8, 2026