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How do I check a pest control contractor in Florida myself?

Start, if you choose, with the FDACS Pest Control Database Search for the business and its certified operator, then use any other optional records that fit your job: a local business tax record the bidder names, and the DFS workers' compensation coverage records for the business whose technicians would treat your home, and any exemption records for its officers or members.

Source: FDACS Pest Control, read 15 October 2026.
Source: FDACS Pest Control Database Search, read 15 October 2026.
Source: FDACS Pest Control FAQ, read 15 October 2026.
Source: Florida DFS Proof of Coverage search, read 15 October 2026.
Source: Florida DFS workers' compensation exemptions, read 15 October 2026.

Researched by the InstaBids editorial team. Last checked: 15 October 2026

A plain bait station set in the mulch along the foundation of a home.

Key facts

Which public records can I look up for a pest control contractor?

Use up to three optional public records for a pest control bidder: the FDACS database for the business licence and any certified operator the bidder names, a local business tax record if the bidder holds one, and the DFS workers' compensation records for the employer on your written scope. Keep the date of each search.

Source: FDACS Pest Control, read 15 October 2026.
Source: FDACS Pest Control Database Search, read 15 October 2026.
Source: FDACS Pest Control FAQ, read 15 October 2026.
Source: Florida DFS Proof of Coverage search, read 15 October 2026.

The FDACS pest control page, read 15 October 2026, names the regulator and the law: “FDACS regulates and licenses the pest control industry under the authority of the Structural Pest Control Act, Chapter 482, Florida Statutes, and the associated rules, Chapter 5E-14, Florida Administrative Code.”

Source: FDACS Pest Control, read 15 October 2026.

The same page describes its Pest Control Database Search as a place to “Search for licensed applicators, dealers, pest control companies, available and completed CEU classes, earned CEUs and exam scores.” On the database site, read the same day, the menu lists separate reports labelled “Pest Control Business Licenses” and “Individual Licenses - Statute 388 and 482”.

Source: FDACS Pest Control, read 15 October 2026.
Source: FDACS Pest Control Database Search, read 15 October 2026.

Ask the bidder for the exact business name on its pest control licence and the town of the business location that would send technicians to you. Search the business report with that name, and use the individual report for any certified operator the bidder names.

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How do I read the state licence record?

Read the License Status, Expiration Date, Licensee Name and Categories columns on the FDACS business record, and the listing of employees and certified operators in charge beneath it. FDACS ties a company's work to those categories, so compare them with every task in your written scope, from ants in the kitchen to termites in the attic.

Source: FDACS Pest Control Business Licenses report, read 15 October 2026.
Source: FDACS Pest Control FAQ, read 15 October 2026.

Section 482.071(1) of the 2026 Florida Statutes, read 15 October 2026, states: “The department may issue licenses to qualified businesses to engage in the business of pest control in this state. It is unlawful for any person to operate a pest control business that is not licensed by the department.”

Source: Section 482.071, 2026 Florida Statutes (licenses), read 15 October 2026.

Section 482.071(3) adds: “A licensee shall display its current license at each of its business locations. Each business location of a licensee must be licensed.” A company with several offices can hold a record for each one, so match the location on the record to the office that would serve your home.

Source: Section 482.071, 2026 Florida Statutes (licenses), read 15 October 2026.

The FDACS licensing page, read 15 October 2026, states of the operator in charge: “This operator must be certified in the categories in which the business operates:” Its list then reads “General Household Pest and Rodent Control,” “Termite and Other Wood-Destroying Organisms Control,” “Lawn and Ornamental Pest Control, and/or” and “Fumigation.”

Source: FDACS Pest Control Licensing and Certification, read 15 October 2026.

FDACS's pest control FAQ, written for businesses and read the same day, explains what those categories mean for a company: “A company's pest control operations are the responsibility of the certified operator in charge and the business operations are limited to the category (or categories) possessed by the certified operator (or operators) in charge at the business location.”

Source: FDACS Pest Control FAQ, read 15 October 2026.

Section 482.163 of the 2026 Florida Statutes, read 15 October 2026, explains who answers for the technicians: “Proper performance of pest control activities by a pest control business employee is the responsibility not only of the employee but also of the certified operator in charge, and the certified operator in charge may be disciplined pursuant to the provisions of s. 482.161 for the pest control activities of an employee. A licensee may not automatically be considered responsible for violations made by an employee. However, the licensee may not knowingly encourage, aid, or abet violations of this chapter.”

Source: Section 482.163, 2026 Florida Statutes (responsibility for employees), read 15 October 2026.

A certificate shown to you may be a limited one. The licensing page names four limited certification categories, including one for wildlife, and then states: “None of these certifications allows the operation of a commercial pest control business.” Ask which business licence stands behind any limited certificate a bidder mentions.

Source: FDACS Pest Control Licensing and Certification, read 15 October 2026.

Does the county also keep a record?

Possibly. Ask the pest control bidder which county or city issued any local business tax receipt it holds, and keep that record with your written scope, apart from the FDACS licence. The state statute quoted below makes the FDACS licence a prerequisite for a local occupational licence to engage in pest control.

Source: Section 482.071, 2026 Florida Statutes (licenses), read 15 October 2026.

Section 482.071(6) of the 2026 Florida Statutes, read 15 October 2026, states: “A license under this section is a prerequisite for the issuance of a local occupational license to engage in pest control, as provided in s. 205.1967.”

Source: Section 482.071, 2026 Florida Statutes (licenses), read 15 October 2026.

Section 482.242(1), read the same day, begins: “This chapter is intended as comprehensive and exclusive regulation of pest control in this state.” A later sentence in that subsection reads: “No local government or political subdivision of the state may enact or enforce an ordinance that regulates pest control, except that the preemption in this section does not prohibit a local government or political subdivision from enacting an ordinance regarding any of the following:” The first listed item is “Local business taxes adopted pursuant to chapter 205.”, and the list continues with further exceptions.

Source: Section 482.242, 2026 Florida Statutes (preemption), read 15 October 2026.

Compare the business address on any local receipt with the business location on the FDACS record. If they differ, ask the bidder which office would hold your service agreement.

How can I check workers' compensation coverage?

Check the DFS Proof of Coverage database, if you choose to, for the pest control business that employs the technicians who would treat your home. Ask the bidder for that employer's exact name, search it, and write the search date beside the result on your written scope.

Source: Florida DFS Proof of Coverage search, read 15 October 2026.

Section 482.091(2)(a) of the 2026 Florida Statutes, read 15 October 2026, describes the technician's link to the business: “An identification cardholder must be an employee of the licensee and work under the direction and supervision of the licensee’s certified operator in charge and shall not be an independent contractor.”

Source: Section 482.091, 2026 Florida Statutes (employee identification cards), read 15 October 2026.

The DFS Proof of Coverage page, read 15 October 2026, describes the database: “The Proof of Coverage (POC) Database provides information regarding workers’ compensation coverage and exemptions from workers’ compensation.”

Source: Florida DFS Proof of Coverage search, read 15 October 2026.

DFS's exemption page answers a different question: “Upon issuance of an exemption, the officer or member is not considered an employee of the business and may not recover workers' compensation benefits. Exemptions are issued to officers of a corporation and members of limited liability companies - not to the business.” An exemption for an owner says nothing about the technicians who come to your door.

Source: Florida DFS workers' compensation exemptions, read 15 October 2026.

What should I ask for in writing about insurance?

Ask the pest control business, only if you want one, for a certificate of insurance that names you as certificate holder at the address on your written scope. The request is optional; take any question about what the document covers to the issuer rather than reading coverage into it yourself.

Section 482.071(4) of the 2026 Florida Statutes, read 15 October 2026, begins: “A licensee may not operate a pest control business without carrying the required insurance coverage.”

Source: Section 482.071, 2026 Florida Statutes (licenses), read 15 October 2026.

Tent fumigation has its own subsection. Section 482.071(5) states: “Each person applying for a pest control business license or renewal thereof who will offer and perform fumigations as a part of his or her regular business operations must furnish to the department a certificate of insurance that meets the requirement for minimum financial responsibility for bodily injury and property damage, consisting of:” The subsection then lists coverage minimums. If your request includes tenting, ask whether the business doing it is the one named on your agreement.

Source: Section 482.071, 2026 Florida Statutes (licenses), read 15 October 2026.

Keep any certificate with the line item it concerns. A household pest plan, a termite treatment and a lawn program can come from different companies, so a document from one says nothing about another.

How do I describe the pest control job before checking anyone?

Describe which pests you have seen, where and when, and which kinds of work you want: household pests and rodents, termites, lawn and shrub treatment or tent fumigation. FDACS certifies those as separate categories, so name each one in your written scope and add a photograph of every sign you found.

Source: FDACS Pest Control Licensing and Certification, read 15 October 2026.

Trapping animals has its own limited certificate. The FDACS licensing page, read 15 October 2026, states: “The Limited Commercial Wildlife Management Certification (LW) is only required for trapping rats and mice in, on or under structures. FDACS recommends that persons commercially trapping nuisance wildlife (e.g., raccoons, opossums, armadillos, skunks, squirrels) in structures also obtain this certificate.” Say in your request whether you hear rats in the attic or have seen a raccoon or squirrel.

Source: FDACS Pest Control Licensing and Certification, read 15 October 2026.

Decide these three choices before you compare anyone:

  1. Household pests and rodents only, or termite inspection and treatment as well.
  2. Trapping and sealing for rats and mice, or removal of a larger animal such as a raccoon.
  3. One treatment for a current problem, or a recurring service agreement with a stated length.

What should my request include?

Describe the pest work in a written scope with photographs of droppings, ant trails, chewed packaging, damaged wood or gaps where animals get in. List kitchen, bathrooms, attic, garage and outside walls as separate areas, note pets or a fish tank, then ask each bidder to list anything its response excludes.

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Source: InstaBids process and privacy, read 15 October 2026.

What should I do before I sign?

Check your pest control agreement for the business name and location, and if you looked up its FDACS record, compare them with it; then check the pests and areas covered, anything excluded, each line item, a start date and the payment schedule. Ask which certified operator is in charge there, and whether termite work sits in a separate agreement.

Source: Section 482.071, 2026 Florida Statutes (licenses), read 15 October 2026.
Source: FDACS Pest Control FAQ, read 15 October 2026.

Section 482.165(1) of the 2026 Florida Statutes, read 15 October 2026, states: “It is unlawful for a person, partnership, firm, corporation, or other business entity not licensed by the department to practice pest control.”

Source: Section 482.165, 2026 Florida Statutes (unlicensed practice), read 15 October 2026.

Section 482.091(1)(a) states: “Each employee who performs pest control for a licensee must have an identification card.” Section 482.091(2)(c) adds: “An employee may not perform pest control without carrying on her or his person a current identification card affixed with the employee’s signature and current photograph.” Ask the technician on the first visit to show the identification card and to name the business that employs them, and compare that name with your agreement.

Source: Section 482.091, 2026 Florida Statutes (employee identification cards), read 15 October 2026.

Ask for a change order in writing if the treated areas, the products or the visit schedule change after the first inspection, and decide on the revised scope before the next treatment. Keep the signed agreement with your photographs, every scope version and your dated lookups.

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Sources for the facts on this page

Sources checked: 15 October 2026.

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