You can get licensed to perform pest control under various licenses in California. These licenses are issued by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR), the California Structural Pest Control Board (SPCB), or the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). The exact license you need depends on the site (e.g., park, home, airplane, golf course, food processing facility) and the type of pest (mosquitoes, ants, cockroaches, aphids) you are trying to control.
CDPR issues various licenses to control pests in the landscape, on farms, on farm animals, around roads and railroads, golf courses, sewer systems, water bodies, in forests, etc. SPCB issues licenses for treating pests in structures such as residential buildings, offices, ships, airplanes, theaters, etc. CDPH issues licenses for controlling pests of public health importance such as mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, etc.
With the wide range of pests and sites in the pest control business, there is a significant need for a step-by-step guide to license types and their use. To address that, I have created a new key that combines all the individual pest control licenses issued by all three California agencies. Please visit my key to California licenses to figure out what type of pest control license you need for your work:
