Pest control licensing in New Mexico
There are two licenses, not one. The company holds the first. The person standing in your kitchen with a sprayer has to hold the second.
Applying pesticide on someone else's property for money is a licensed act.
The New Mexico Department of Agriculture defines the Commercial Applicator license plainly. NMDA says Commercial Applicators apply or supervise the application of any pesticide for any purpose on someone else's property for compensation. That covers the company you hire, whatever it calls itself on the truck.
Getting that license is not a form and a fee. NMDA asks for two years of documented experience applying pesticides, or twenty hours of college credit in biological or agricultural sciences plus one year of experience. On top of that comes a national core exam covering pesticide information and New Mexico law, and at least one pest control category exam. The license fee is $100.
Termite work carries its own bar. For wood-destroying pests, NMDA requires a documented year of experience in wood-destroying pest control, an approved training session, and the certification exam.
The second license is the one people miss
The owner holding a Commercial Applicator license does not make everyone on the payroll legal. NMDA states that any employee of a Commercial Applicator who applies any pesticides must be licensed. That is the Commercial Operator or Technician license, and it costs $75.
A technician does not sit the category exams. They pass written exams on general pesticide information and New Mexico laws and rules, and they may only perform the types of pest control their Commercial Applicator employer is certified in. So a company certified for general household pests has technicians who are licensed for general household pests. If the job turns out to be termites, that is a different category, and the certification behind it has to actually exist.
Insurance is part of the license, not a separate promise
NMDA sets a floor. The minimum coverage required is $25,000 each aggregate bodily injury and property damage for ground applications. A company operating without it is not carrying thin insurance, it is operating outside the terms of the license.
Ask to see it. That is the state's own advice.
NMDA tells consumers that each individual who handles pesticides must be licensed by NMDA and should show you his or her license. The question NMDA puts in a homeowner's mouth is short enough to ask on the phone before anyone books a visit: will the person performing the services be licensed?
There is no public online lookup on the NMDA site to check a license yourself, so the honest answer is to ask for the license and, if you want it confirmed, call NMDA. The main office is (575) 646-3007.
This is statewide, which makes it simpler than most rules on this site. Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Corrales, Los Ranchos, Tijeras and both valleys sit under the same requirement. The city line does not change the answer.
Reviewed September 1, 2026. Every requirement on this page was read at the NMDA pages linked above on that date. Rules change. If the date above is old, check the source before you rely on it.
Questions about New Mexico pesticide licensing
Does a pest control company in Albuquerque have to be licensed?
Yes. NMDA defines Commercial Applicators as people who apply or supervise the application of any pesticide for any purpose on someone else's property for compensation. Doing that work for money is a licensed act in New Mexico.
The company is licensed. Does the technician need one too?
Yes, separately. NMDA states that any employee of a Commercial Applicator who applies any pesticides must be licensed. That is the Commercial Operator or Technician license, and the fee is $75.
Can a technician treat anything the company sells?
No. A technician may only perform the types of pest control in which their Commercial Applicator employer is certified. If the employer is not certified in a category, nobody working under that employer is licensed to do it.
Is termite work treated differently?
It carries an extra requirement. For wood-destroying pests, NMDA asks for one year of documented experience in wood-destroying pest control, an approved training session, and the certification exam.
How do I check a license before anyone sprays?
Ask to see it. NMDA says each individual who handles pesticides must be licensed and should show you his or her license. We did not find a public online lookup on the NMDA site, so if you want it confirmed independently, call NMDA on (575) 646-3007.
What insurance does the state require?
For ground applications, NMDA sets a minimum of $25,000 each aggregate bodily injury and property damage. Aerial application carries a higher figure.
Got a pest problem and want a straight answer first?
Describe what you are seeing and where. No obligation, and no pressure to book on the call.
(505) 578-2864