In Texas, you need a license from the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) before you can buy or use restricted-use pesticides in agriculture or apply pesticides to lawns, trees and ornamentals for hire.

Which license you need depends on whose land you treat and whether you are paid for it. The steps and the fees differ a lot between the types, and the order of the steps matters.

This guide covers the agricultural licenses: private, commercial and noncommercial. It follows TDA and the Texas Administrative Code. This site is an independent exam trainer. The licenses are issued by TDA, not by us.

In short

  • There are three main agricultural license types: private ($100 for 5 years), commercial ($200 per year) and noncommercial ($140 per year).1
  • Commercial and noncommercial applicators apply to TDA first, then pass the General Standards exam and at least one category exam.2
  • Each exam costs $64 at Metro Institute, with a 24 hour wait before a repeat.2
  • You need 70 percent or higher to pass.2
  • Commercial and noncommercial licenses renew every year with 5 CEUs. Private licenses renew every 5 years with 15 CEUs.3
Contents
  1. Which license do you need?
  2. Steps for commercial and noncommercial
  3. Steps for private applicators
  4. What it costs
  5. How long it takes
  6. CEUs and renewal
  7. Common questions
  8. Sources

Which license do you need?

TDA licenses people who use restricted-use pesticides, state-limited-use pesticides or regulated herbicides. It also licenses anyone who applies any pesticide to plants, trees, shrubs or grass for hire.4

Private applicator

A private applicator uses restricted-use or state-limited-use pesticides, or regulated herbicides, to produce an agricultural commodity on land the person owns, rents or controls, or that belongs to the employer. No license is needed to apply general-use pesticides to produce an agricultural commodity.5

Commercial applicator

A commercial applicator runs, or works for, a business that applies these products on the property of another person for hire or compensation.4

Noncommercial applicator

A noncommercial applicator must be licensed but is neither private nor commercial. The person works only on the property of the employer and does not solicit pest control work. A noncommercial political subdivision license covers employees of Texas political subdivisions and federal agencies working in Texas.4

Structural pest control (homes and buildings) is licensed separately by the TDA Structural Pest Control Service. It is not covered in this guide.

Steps for commercial and noncommercial

TDA lists the sequence in its testing flyer. The order matters, because you cannot book an exam before TDA has processed your application.2

  1. Get the study manuals from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension.2
  2. Apply to TDA and pay the license fee. You can use the TDA Texas Agriculture Portal online or a paper form (PA-401 for commercial, PA-400N for noncommercial).24
  3. TDA processes the application and sends an eligibility letter with your account number.4
  4. Book your exams at Metro Institute (metrosignup.com) with that account number.2
  5. Pass the General Standards exam and at least one category exam. Aerial application does not count as a category on its own.4
  6. You see your result right away. Metro sends scores to TDA daily, and TDA issues the license once all requirements are met.2

Category exams cover the kind of work you do, for example field crop, pasture and rangeland, landscape maintenance, aquatic or vegetation management. Each exam score is valid for only 12 months, so pass your General Standards and category exams within that window.6

Our guide to the General Standards exam explains the format and the topics.

Steps for private applicators

Private applicators start with training, not with the application. You attend a TDA-approved private applicator training course, usually through your county AgriLife Extension office or the online AgriLife course, and receive a Training Verification form.78

The rules require at least three hours of net instruction time for this training.9 Then you submit form PA-400P with the $100 fee and the verification form, wait for the account number, and schedule the Private Applicator exam at Metro.7

After the training you have one year to pass the exam without retraining.6

What it costs

ItemAmount
Private license$100 for five years
Commercial license$200 for one year
Noncommercial license$140 for one year
Noncommercial political subdivision$75 for one year
Each exam (General Standards, each category, Private)$64, also for every retake

License fees come from 4 TAC 7.20, the exam fee from the TDA flyers and 4 TAC 7.22.126 A commercial applicator who takes General Standards and two categories pays $192 in exam fees on top of the license fee.

Commercial applicator businesses must also show liability insurance: $100,000 for property damage and $100,000 for bodily injury per occurrence, or a $200,000 general aggregate.4

Study manuals from AgriLife are a separate cost.

How long it takes

TDA does not publish a processing time. It says applications are handled in the order received and that staff availability and workload affect the time.4 Plan for the application to take the longest part of the process.

After you hold the eligibility letter, you can book an exam at a Metro location across the state. A repeat exam needs a 24 hour wait.2

If you already hold a license from a state with a reciprocal agreement, TDA may accept your scores there. You still have to pass the Texas General Standards exam.10

CEUs and renewal

LicenseRenewalCEUs
Commercial and noncommercialEvery year5, including at least one each from two of: laws, IPM, drift
PrivateEvery 5 years15, including 2 in laws and 2 in IPM

One CEU is 50 minutes of instruction.11 You need the CEUs before the license expires, and you keep the certificates of completion for 12 months after the renewal.3 Private applicators can also pass a recertification exam instead of collecting 15 CEUs.3

If you miss the deadline, the license is invalid until TDA receives a complete renewal and the late fee. After one year, the license is terminated and you must qualify for a new one.12 The details are in our guide to Texas pesticide license CEU requirements.

Common questions

Do I need a license to spray pesticides in my own yard?

No license is required for general-use products on your own property. The license requirement applies to restricted-use and state-limited-use products and regulated herbicides, and to applying any pesticide to lawns, trees or ornamentals for hire.4

How much is the Texas pesticide exam?

$64 per exam, and the same amount for each retake.2

What score do I need to pass?

70 percent or higher.2

How many exams do I need?

Commercial and noncommercial applicators need General Standards plus at least one category exam. Private applicators need the Private Applicator exam.27

Can I retake a failed exam right away?

No. There is a 24 hour waiting period before a repeat exam.2

Sources

Fees, steps and renewal rules come from TDA and the Texas Administrative Code. Check TDA before you apply, because fees and forms can change.

  1. 4 Texas Administrative Code 7.20 (license fees) (law.cornell.edu)
  2. Texas Department of Agriculture: Convenience Testing for Commercial/Noncommercial Pesticide Applicators (flyer 10.9.26) (texasagriculture.gov)
  3. Texas Department of Agriculture: Agricultural Applicator CEU FAQ (texasagriculture.gov)
  4. Texas Department of Agriculture: Pesticide Commercial/Noncommercial Applicator License (texasagriculture.gov)
  5. Texas Department of Agriculture: Pesticide Private Applicator License (texasagriculture.gov)
  6. 4 Texas Administrative Code 7.22 (licensing of applicators) (law.cornell.edu)
  7. Texas Department of Agriculture: Convenience Testing for Private Pesticide Applicators (flyer 10.9.26) (texasagriculture.gov)
  8. Texas Department of Agriculture: Pesticide Private Applicator Training (texasagriculture.gov)
  9. 4 Texas Administrative Code 7.21 (private applicator training) (law.cornell.edu)
  10. Texas Department of Agriculture: Pesticide Applicator Reciprocal Agreements (texasagriculture.gov)
  11. 4 Texas Administrative Code 7.24 (applicator recertification) (law.cornell.edu)
  12. 4 Texas Administrative Code 7.25 (expiration and renewal of licenses) (law.cornell.edu)