Commercial Pesticide Applicator (category: Industrial, Institutional, Structural & Health Related Pest Control)
Commercial / Structural category · State license · Montana Department of Agriculture - Pesticide Licensing
- Renewal cycle
- Every year
- Continuing education
- 12 hours
Show CE rules
Each category must earn 12 continuing education credits within its 4-year recertification period, with at least 6 of those credits from in-person training (Structural category period: January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2027). Categories without the required credits are dropped at renewal, and a licensee must stay qualified in at least one category. MDA approves the trainings; credits are tracked in MTPlants. - Deadline rule
- License expires each December 31 and must be renewed annually before applying pesticides; renewals postmarked after March 1 incur the late fee. Category recertification (12 credits) cycle for the Structural category: Jan 1, 2024 - Dec 31, 2027.
Show fees, grace period, bond and insuranceHide fees, grace period, bond and insurance
- Grace period
- Renewals accepted through March 1 without late fee (license expires Dec 31 and cannot be used to apply pesticides after that).
Fees, approximate
- Renewal fee
- About $85
- Late fee
Show the details (amounts are approximate)
About $25 added to renewals postmarked after March 1 (does not apply to new licenses). Operators listed under the license: about $25 each for first 2 operators per year, about $10 each additional.
Fees change. Check the official site for the exact amount.
Why approximate?
Boards change fees often and some charge extra processing fees. We show a recent amount so you can plan.
- Bond
- Not required
- Insurance
- Liability insurance required for commercial applicators (financial responsibility may only be met via liability insurance): minimum $30,000 for ground/non-aerial applicators ($50,000 aerial); MDA financial responsibility form; proof on request (ARM 4.10.101-.104).
- Reciprocity
- Nonresidents may be licensed by reciprocity if certified in their state of residence; passing Montana's Rules and Regulations exam is always required first.
Notes
Structural pest control is licensed as a category on the commercial applicator license; no separate structural pest board. Initial licensing: pass core exam plus category exam(s) with 80%+. Online renewal via MTPlants (requires ePass account); card/eCheck service fees apply. Contact: Pesticide Licensing (406) 444-4900, [email protected]; department (406) 444-3144.
Confidence: HighConfirmed from official rule textLast checked Oct 17, 2026
Sources (5)
- https://www.agr.mt.gov/Pesticide-License-Program
- https://agr.mt.gov/Topics/N-P/Pesticide-Pages/Pesticide-License-Pages/Commercial-Applicators
- https://agr.mt.gov/_docs/pesticidetraining-docs/LicenseRecertificationSchedule.pdf
- https://agr.mt.gov/_docs/pesticides-docs/licensing-pesticides/HowToRenewCommercialLicenses.pdf
- https://agr.mt.gov/Pesticide-Training-Recertification-Program