HOW DO I ...

start a Pest Control Company?

• 1. You must be licensed by the Structural Pest Control Board (Board) as an Operator or be in the process of obtaining an Operator's license.
  
  A registered company must have a Qualifying Manager in order to operate. Business and Profession Code, Section 8506.2 states "a 'qualifying manager' is the licensed operator or operators designated by a registered company to supervise the daily business of the company and to be available to supervise and assist the company's employees."
  
  In order to qualify as a Qualifying Manager, you must be licensed by the Board as an Operator. The Operator's license must be in the branch or branches of pest control in which you plan to operate your business (Definitions of pest control branches). For example, if a company registration is issued in Branch 2, General Pest, the Qualifying Manager must be licensed as an Operator in Branch 2. A company may have more than one Qualifying Manager if the company is registered in more than one branch.
• 2. Complete the Request for Approval of Registered Company form and submit it to the Board.
  
  Print the Request for Approval of Registered Company form, complete and mail to the Board. An Operator must be listed as the Qualifying Manager on this form or a licensee who has passed the operator exam and is in the process of becoming licensed as an Operator who will be the Qualifying Manager.
  
  Once the Board receives this completed Request for Approval of Registered Company form, it will be reviewed and processed. A letter will then be mailed out notifying you if the company name style has been approved or denied.
  
  If a name style is approved, a company registration packet will be sent notifying you which name style has been approved and that the name will be reserved for 60 days. If all name styles have been denied, notification will be sent along with a blank approval of registered company form.
• 3. Complete the application for registration of a company along with applicable forms and fee.
  
  Included in the company registration packet are instructions for completing the application, along with insurance and bonding requirements and necessary forms. In order for the Board to process the company registration application, each of these documents must be completed in its entirety.
• Required Insurance, Bond, and Workers’ Compensation
  
  Insurance: The Structural Pest Control Act, Business and Professions Code, Section 8692, requires registered companies to maintain a minimum of $500,000 in general liability insurance. The insurance information must be completed by the insurance company on the insurance form provided by the Board (Certificate of Insurance). All information on the insurance certificate must be typed. The name style in which the insurance policy is issued must be exactly the same as the name style approved by the Board.
  
  If necessary, a list may be requested from the Board regarding the most commonly used insurance companies.
  
  Bond: The Structural Pest Control Act, Business and Professions Code, Section 8697, requires registered companies to maintain a bond executed by an admitted surety insurer in the amount of $12,500. The original bond must be submitted to the Board with the Qualifying Manager's original signature and a seal from the bonding company. If the company will have multiple Qualifying Managers, all Qualifying Managers must sign the bond.
  
  Bond and Insurance Companies
• Workers’ Compensation Insurance Coverage: The Structural Pest Control Act, Business and Professions Code, Section 8693 requires all California pest control companies to submit a copy of their Certificate of Workers’ Compensation Insurance or file an exemption from workers’ compensation, as a condition of receiving or maintaining a Company Registration with the Structural Pest Control Board. If you do not employ anyone in a manner that is subject to the workers’ compensation laws of California, or otherwise required to provide for workers’ compensation insurance coverage, complete the Statement of Exemption from Workers’ Compensation form.
  
  
• Articles of Incorporation or Fictitious Business Name Statement
  
  Articles of Incorporation: Needed only for a corporation. The Articles of Incorporation must be submitted after endorsement by the Secretary of State (a copy is acceptable). If filing for DBA (Doing Business As), submit a copy of fictitious name filing from the county recorder's office along with the copy of the Articles of Incorporation.
  
  Ficticious Business Name Statement: Needed only for a sole proprietorship or partnership. If the name style is fictitious, you must file with the county recorder's office and submit a copy to the Board.



• Live Scan /Fingerprinting
  
  
• Any unlicensed Owner, Partner or Corporate Officer/Director are required to submit fingerprints and undergo a background investigation. LiveScan sites are situated throughout the State at various locations within each county. In most cases, local police, or sheriff’s departments can perform LiveScan services. The fee for Live Scan is $49, plus a fingerprint-rolling fee established by each individual location. This rolling fee can vary depending on the location. These fees are paid directly to the Live Scan site, not to the Board.
  
  To locate the nearest LiveScan Site, visit the Department of Justice website at http://oag.ca.gov/fingerprints.
  
  Each unlicensed Owner, Partner, or Corporate Officer/Director will need to complete and email to SPCB a copy of their completed Live Scan form. Pre-printed forms are available in the SPCB Online Licensing System under Links & Resources, or by emailing a request to pestboard@dca.ca.gov.
  
  
• $120 Application Fee for Company Registration
  
  Once the Board has received the application for registration of a company in its entirety, it will be reviewed. After the Board reviews the completed application and determines that all of the necessary forms are correct, the company will be issued a principal registration (PR) number and the company will then be allowed to do business.
  
  Please note that the registration of a company packet cannot be downloaded from the Board's website.

Related Business Links

• California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA) – Small Business information
• Department of Insurance - Workers' compensation information
• Board of Equalization - Instructions for registering with the Board of Equalization
• Franchise Tax Board - Link to the frequently asked questions which includes a Business section
• Employment Development Department - Information concerning employer responsibility requirements
• Division of Labor Standards Enforcement
• Division of Occupational Safety and Health