Ohio Pesticide Licensing

About 5 of every 50 questions on a Ohio Commercial Core practice exam come from this topic.

Sources checked November 6, 2026

What to know

Under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 921 and the Ohio Department of Agriculture's rules in OAC 901:5-11, the director of agriculture issues commercial applicator licenses. A commercial applicator license is needed to apply pesticides for a pesticide business without direct supervision, to apply pesticides as a government employee such as a township worker, to apply restricted use pesticides, to conduct authorized diagnostic inspections, and for owners or employees of other businesses who apply pesticides at listed publicly accessible sites such as golf courses and rental properties of more than four apartment units. Applicants must pass the general exam and each applicable category exam, which test Chapter 921 and its rules along with proper pesticide use. No license is issued if the core exam is failed, a failed exam brings no Chapter 119 adjudication, a retest comes no sooner than five business days later, and passing scores last one year. Licenses run October 1 through September 30 and cover only the categories passed, and a license not renewed within 180 days of expiring requires a new exam. Re-examination comes every three years unless the applicator completes five hours of approved training, with at least one hour of core and one-half hour in each licensed category. Soliciting to apply pesticides is a pesticide business activity. Every pesticide business needs a license from the director and at least one commercial applicator for each location. It also needs liability insurance or other financial responsibility, set by the categories its applicators hold and covering bodily injury, property damage, products and completed operations; a business limited to wood-destroying insect inspections is exempt from that coverage rule. The owner is responsible for employees' acts, an out-of-state business licenses its principal out-of-state location, and a business license revoked within the previous 36 months is grounds for denial. The director must suspend a business license whose financial responsibility lapses, may suspend any license for up to 30 days before a hearing, and may revoke a license for violating the chapter or its rules. An applicator licensed in another state can be licensed under Chapter 4796 in the same categories, and veterinarians treating animals in normal practice are exempt from commercial licensing.

Where it comes from

• ORC 921.01, 921.06, 921.09, 921.10
• ORC 921.12, 921.23, 921.26
• OAC 901:5-11-04, 901:5-11-07, 901:5-11-08

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