Pesticide licence in Texas: categories, exam and renewal
What the Texas Department of Agriculture says about the two license routes for spraying trees, lawns and ornamentals for hire, the landscape maintenance category, exam testing, continuing education and reciprocity.
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 Texas Department of Agriculture, which calls itself TDA and names itself the state's lead agency for pesticide use and application. The parent page, pesticide licences by country, has the national background.
At a glance
| Item | What TDA says |
|---|---|
| Agency | Texas Department of Agriculture |
| Two license routes | Agricultural Pesticide license, or Structural Pest Control Service license |
| Categories for trees and turf | Agricultural route: 3A Landscape Maintenance and 5 Vegetation Management. Structural route: Lawn and Ornamental, and Weed Control |
| Who is covered | Anyone applying any pesticide, general-use products included, to ornamental plants, trees, lawns or weeds for hire |
| Fertilizer only | No TDA license, the page says |
| Exam provider | Metro Institute, from May 19, 2025 |
| Exam and license fees | Not published on the pages read |
Which license covers tree and lawn work
The TDA page on applying pesticides to ornamentals, trees, lawns or weeds says applicators who apply any pesticide to those targets for hire must be licensed by TDA, whatever the product classification. It names the two routes. An Agricultural Pesticide license certifies in the 3A Landscape Maintenance category, the 5 Vegetation Management category, or both. A Structural Pest Control Service license certifies in the Lawn and Ornamental category, the Weed Control category, or both. The page says the right category depends on what and where the applications are.
The category page defines 3A as pest control in the establishment or maintenance of lawns or ornamental plants grown for function or looks in landscapes, and it lists athletic fields, residential properties, industrial sites, golf courses, parks and cemeteries. It defines category 5 as control of unwanted plant growth along roads, utility lines, pipelines, railways, airports, ditches and similar rights of way. The first page adds that each vehicle used by an employee of a business making 3A applications needs a business decal from TDA on the rear window, front fender or front door panel.
License types
TDA's page on types of agricultural licenses separates a private applicator, a commercial applicator, a noncommercial applicator and a noncommercial political subdivision applicator. A commercial applicator is a person who operates a business, or is employed by one, that applies restricted-use pesticides, state-limited-use pesticides or regulated herbicides to the property of another for hire. Commercial applicators renew every year. The structural route is a separate program run by TDA's Structural Pest Control Service, which licenses people who apply pesticides in and around structures.
Exam
TDA's convenience testing page says Metro Institute has given TDA's pesticide applicator exams since May 19, 2025, both agricultural and structural. An applicant sends the application and license fees to TDA, receives an account number, and then books an exam on Metro's website at one of its testing locations in Texas. The reciprocity page adds that out-of-state applicators must pass TDA's General Standards exam.
Continuing education
The TDA continuing education FAQ lists the credits per license type.
| License type | Credits (CEUs) | What the FAQ says |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural commercial or noncommercial | 5 each year | One credit each from two of three subjects: laws and regulations, integrated pest management, drift minimization |
| Structural certified applicator | 3 at least | Two general credits and one in each category held |
| Private applicator | 15 over five years | Held for five years, per the license types page |
The FAQ says webinars and similar online sessions with a live instructor count as in-person training. Agricultural certificates of completion are kept for 12 months after the latest renewal, and structural ones for two years. Structural credits are counted on the calendar year, January 1 to December 31.
Reciprocity
The TDA reciprocity page says it has agreements with several states and that only commercial, noncommercial and noncommercial political applicators can reciprocate. They must be current and in good standing at home. The page lists the states with the categories that carry over; several rows include landscape maintenance among them. A licensed Texas applicator who wants a license elsewhere asks TDA to send exam scores to the other state.
Sources
- Texas Department of Agriculture, Applying Pesticides to Ornamentals, Trees, Lawns, or Weeds, read October 8, 2026
- Texas Department of Agriculture, TDA Ag Pesticide Applicator Categories, read October 8, 2026
- Texas Department of Agriculture, Types of Agricultural Licenses, read October 8, 2026
- Texas Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Applicator CEU FAQ, read October 8, 2026
- Texas Department of Agriculture, Pesticide Applicator Reciprocal Agreements, read October 8, 2026
- Texas Department of Agriculture, Pesticide training for commercial and noncommercial applicators and convenience testing, read October 8, 2026
- Texas Department of Agriculture, Structural Pest Control Service, read October 8, 2026