Every legitimate Florida pest operator has an FDACS license. Here’s how to check it in two minutes.
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The governing framework, in plain English
Structural pest control in Florida is regulated by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), Bureau of Entomology and Pest Control, under Chapter 482, Florida Statutes and Chapter 5E-14, Florida Administrative Code. Any lawful pest control operator in Florida — in Lakeland, Winter Haven, Bartow, or anywhere else — must hold an active FDACS license under one or more service categories.
Two credentials matter when you’re vetting a company: the Pest Control Business License (the company) and the Certified Operator (the person certified in the relevant category who supervises the work). A legitimate company can produce both; a truck operating under someone else’s certification can’t.
The four primary FDACS categories
Florida structural work is divided into categories under Rule 5E-14. These are the ones that apply to residential and commercial pest control:
| Category | Covers |
|---|---|
| General Household Pest (GHP) | General structural pests: cockroaches (German, American/palmetto bug, smokybrown, Asian), ants (carpenter, fire, ghost, white-footed), spiders, silverfish, earwigs, rodents (mice, roof rats, Norway rats), and other general pests. The most common category — nearly every Florida pest company holds it. |
| Termite & Other Wood-Destroying Organisms (WDO) | Subterranean, Formosan, and drywood termites, plus wood-decay fungi and wood-boring beetles. Required to perform termite treatment, write bonds, and issue the WDO inspection report used in real estate. This is the category for anything termite. |
| Lawn & Ornamental (L&O) | Turf and landscape pests — lawn insects, ornamental plant pests, and weeds. Separate from structural work; a company doing both needs both. |
| Fumigation | Whole-structure tent fumigation for drywood termites and other pests. A specialized category — many general companies subcontract fumigation to a licensed fumigator. |
The categories are sometimes referenced by their FDACS letter codes (for example, WDO/termite work). What matters to you is simple: the category has to match the job. A GHP-only company isn’t authorized to write a termite bond — that needs WDO.
How to verify a license — the two-minute version
1. Ask for the number
Ask the company for its FDACS Pest Control Business License number and the Certified Operator’s name and category. A legitimate operator gives both without hesitation.
2. Check FDACS directly
Look it up at the FDACS license search, aessearch.fdacs.gov — the state’s public database. Confirm the license is active and the business name matches.
3. Match category to work
Confirm the category fits: GHP for general pest, WDO for termite work and bonds, Fumigation for tenting. A mismatch is a red flag.
Red flags a verification check catches:
- A termite bond or WDO report offered by a company that only holds a General Household Pest license.
- Tent fumigation quoted by a company with no fumigation category and no named subcontracted fumigator.
- A business name that doesn’t match the one on the FDACS license.
- No proof of general liability insurance or workers’ comp, or reluctance to name the Certified Operator.
Every operator Lakeland Exterminators dispatches to holds an active FDACS license in the category the work requires — and because we’re a referral service rather than the provider, we’d rather you verify than take our word for it.
Want a licensed Polk County operator without the vetting legwork?
One call reaches a licensed, local exterminator who covers your address — and a real person answers, 24/7.
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FDACS licensing FAQs
How do I verify a Florida pest control license?
What license does termite work require?
Does a lawn company need a separate license for structural pests?
Who regulates pest control complaints in Florida?
Are the operators you dispatch licensed?
Related Polk County pages
Disclosure
Lakeland Exterminators is a dispatch and matching service. We connect Polk County callers with FDACS-licensed structural pest control operators. We are not a licensed pest control operator. We do not perform treatment, set prices, issue warranties, or carry pest control trade insurance. All pricing, scheduling, treatment plans, and service terms are determined by the FDACS-licensed operator dispatched to your address under Chapter 482, Florida Statutes.
Same-day and 24/7 emergency services are subject to provider participation, location, technician availability, and demand. Availability is not guaranteed and may vary by market and appointment capacity.
License status of any operator you connect with is publicly verifiable at the FDACS license search.