Applicators who want to apply any pesticide (regardless of classification) to plants, trees, shrubs, grass or other horticultural plants for hire must be licensed by either the Texas Department of Agriculture in the 3A ag category or the Structural Pest Control Service, formerly the Structural Pest Control Board and now part of TDA. Applicators who apply only fertilizer do not need to be licensed by either agency.
To license with TDA in the 3A ag category, applicators will certify as either commercial or noncommercial. Commercial applicators apply restricted-use and state-limited-use pesticides or regulated herbicides for hire. Applicators who will apply only general-use pesticides (those that can be purchased over the counter without a license) need a noncommercial license.
Each motor vehicle used by any applicator business that makes applications in the subcategory landscape maintenance of the lawn and ornamental pest control license use category, category 3(A) will prominently affix an applicator business vehicle identification decal issued and provided by the department on each motor vehicle used by an employee of the applicator business. Decals can be picked up at any TDA regional office.
Information on Ag Commercial/Noncommercial licenses
Information on Structural Pest Control licenses
