Illinois Structural Pest Control Law

About 5 of every 50 questions on a Illinois General Standards (Structural) practice exam come from this topic.

Sources checked November 10, 2026

What to know

IDPH licenses each commercial structural pest control business location separately, including firms working in Illinois from out of state; a location that uses its own employees to apply restricted pesticides registers as a non-commercial location. Licenses expire December 31 (an original issued after October 1 runs to the next December 31), renewals postmarked after December 1 owe a late charge, those postmarked after December 31 can't be renewed. Each location employs at least one certified technician; if the only one leaves, commercial operations stop until a replacement is employed and IDPH is told within seven days. Technicians must be 18 with a high school diploma and pass General Standards; supervising restricted pesticides also needs six months' experience, 16 college semester hours or an approved course, plus a sub-category exam. Certificates last 3 years and need 9 classroom hours in 3-hour or longer blocks of approved seminars; a certificate lapsed over a year means retesting. Exams are closed book, need the confirmation letter and photo ID, allow four tries a year, and cheating fails every exam taken at that site. Non-certified technicians need the supervisor present until they have two supervised uses of each pesticide type at each site type; after that the label must be on hand, voice contact kept and the supervisor able to arrive within an hour. Records are kept two years and include the EPA registration number, amounts within 10 percent and termite diagrams. Also tested: vehicle and storage rules, the 2-inch air gap, one-business-day incident reports and school notices 2 business days ahead, baits excepted.

Where it comes from

• 225 ILCS 235/3.12, 4, 5, 6
• 225 ILCS 235/10.2, 10.3, 13
• 77 Ill. Adm. Code 830.200, 830.240, 830.310
• 77 Ill. Adm. Code 830.400, 830.410
• 77 Ill. Adm. Code 830.270, 830.820
• 77 Ill. Adm. Code 830.800, 830.830, 830.840, 830.850, 830.870

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