How to get an exterminator licence in Ontario

Step by step

1. Choose your licence type and category

   There are 3 types of exterminator licence: structural, land and water extermination, and each authorizes particular pesticides and conditions of use. Pick the one that matches the work you will do; some exterminations also need a separate permit.

   Source: Ontario — Pesticide licences and permits

2. Apply to OPT&C for certification

   Complete the Application for Pesticide Certification online (Visa or Mastercard) or by mail, phone or fax, with $214 for the Core Manual and one licence category. Choose a first and second exam location and date from the posted schedule; you must write within 12 months of your application date.

   Source: OPT&C — Exterminator Information Guide

3. Study the manuals at home

   OPT&C mails you a Core Manual, with information for all exterminators, and a Licence Category Specific Module for your licence class. The program is designed for home study: read the manuals and answer the practice questions at the end of each section.

   Source: OPT&C — Exterminator Information Guide

4. Write the two-part certification exam

   The exam is multiple choice in two parts of 50 questions each. The Core Manual exam is one hour and closed book; the Licence Category Specific Module exam is one and a half hours and open book. Give your Notice of Examination to the invigilator or you will not be allowed to write.

   Source: OPT&C — Exterminator Information Guide

5. Pass both parts and get your certification letter

   You need 75% or more on both the Core Manual exam and the Licence Category Specific Module exam. Results are sent within 10 working days and are not released by phone. If you pass, you receive a letter of certification for your licence application.

   Source: OPT&C — Exterminator Information Guide

6. Apply to the ministry for your exterminator licence online

   Sign in with your Ontario.ca Login to the ministry's environmental permissions online services, set up your profile, submit the application with your employer information and a copy of your pesticide exam certificate, and pay the $90 fee. You receive an email confirmation and a digital copy of the licence, unless your application needs ministry review first.

   Source: Ontario — Pesticide licences and permits

Who can get it

• At least 16 years old, and you must have completed and passed a ministry-approved pesticide certification course within the last 12 months. Source: Ontario — Pesticide licences and permits
• OPT&C adds that licence applicants must have Grade 10 standing or equivalent and be physically fit, and that certification itself is open to anyone with the English or French skills to complete the home study program and exam. Source: OPT&C — Exterminator Information Guide
• Assistants who work under a licensed exterminator do not need their own licence. An assistant without an MECP-approved pesticide safety course and practical training from a licensed exterminator is a trainee and always needs direct supervision; one who has completed the course within the previous 24 months and the practical training is a technician. Source: OPT&C — Exterminator Information Guide
• If you run a pest control business or employ people who apply pesticides commercially, you also need an operator licence, with the required insurance. Source: Ontario — Pesticide licences and permits
• Exterminators licensed in another province or territory must still become licensed in Ontario, but may qualify through the labour mobility equivalency process without Ontario exterminator training. Source: Ontario — Pesticide licences and permits

What it costs

Fees change. Check the amount on the official page or with the provider before you pay.

Where to take the test

OPT&C schedules exams at locations across Ontario and posts the schedule at ontariopesticide.com, or you can call 1-888-620-9999. You list a first and second choice on your application, and OPT&C confirms your location no later than one week before the exam. Source: OPT&C — Exterminator Information Guide

What to bring or have ready

• To the exam: your Notice of Examination, which confirms your date, time, location and licence category. You must hand it to the invigilator to be allowed to write; call OPT&C if it has not arrived a week before the exam. Source: OPT&C — Exterminator Information Guide
• No unauthorized aids. Copying, sharing answers or using unauthorized written or electronic aids is academic misconduct and can forfeit your application and be reported to the ministry. Source: OPT&C — Exterminator training
• For the ministry application: an Ontario.ca Login, your employer information if you have one, and a copy of your pesticide exam certificate. Source: Ontario — Pesticide licences and permits

After you pass

You receive a letter of certification. Send a copy with your application for a Pesticide Exterminator Licence to the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks within one year of being certified; the licence fee is $90 for five years. Source: OPT&C — Exterminator training

Validity and renewal

Exterminator licences are valid for 5 years from the date of issue. Renewal is online and opens 90 days before the expiry date, and you do not need to retake the course if you renew before expiry or apply for a licence of the same class within 2 years of its expiry. Inaccurate details must be updated within 10 days, at no charge. Source: Ontario — Pesticide licences and permits

Common mistakes

• Missing your exam without telling OPT&C. You forfeit the full certification fee and must reapply as a new applicant; to reschedule without penalty, give at least 48 hours' notice, which you can do only once. Source: OPT&C — Fees
• Arriving without the Notice of Examination. Without it you will not be allowed to write. Source: OPT&C — Exterminator Information Guide
• Waiting too long to apply for the licence. You must apply to the ministry within one year of obtaining certification. Source: OPT&C — Exterminator training
• Using up your rewrites. After a failure you have 12 months to rewrite, with no more than two attempts in any six-month period; if you still have not certified, you can reapply as a new applicant one year after your first attempt. Source: OPT&C — Fees
• Starting a pest control business on an exterminator licence alone. Operating the business or employing people who apply pesticides needs a separate operator licence and insurance. Source: Ontario — Pesticide licences and permits

Prepare for the test

Free practice written from the official material: full practice tests, a study guide, a printable sheet and a timed mock exam.