How to Verify a Pest Control License in Tennessee

Charters, licenses and certifications

Tennessee uses three layers:

• A charter is a permit issued to a business. The department says one is required for each office that does commercial pest control, and charters cannot be transferred
• A license is held by a person in a specific category. Each service category a charter offers must have at least one licensee, and a licensee can be listed on only one charter
• A certification is held by applicators, and commercial certifications require continuing education

Charters carry financial requirements. The department lists liability insurance of $250,000 per incident and $500,000 aggregate and a $10,000 surety bond. New companies with a GRC, WDO, FUM or BDC licensee need a $50,000 bond.

Licenses and charters expire on June 30 of odd-numbered years.

Which license covers rats and mice

The department's license categories list General Pest and Rodent Control (GRC) as covering vertebrate and invertebrate pests that invade or are normally known to invade a structure. GRC requires certification in category C07, Industrial, Institutional, Structural and Health-Related Pest Control.

Other categories you might see on a charter include Wood Destroying Organisms (WDO) for termites, Fumigation (FUM) and Bird Control (BDC). For rat and mouse work, GRC is the one to look for.

How to check a company

The department's consumer tips give several ways to check:

1. Look for the charter number on the company vehicle. The department says a company is operating legally if its charter number is visible on the vehicle.
2. Ask the technician to show a Commercial Pesticide Applicator Certification card or a Commercial Pesticide License card.
3. Ask a salesperson for the solicitor's card the department issues.
4. Search the company on the department's pesticide charter lookup, and check that the charter license end date has not passed.

The department also says to get three bids if you do not know a company, and that you have the right to ask for the label and Safety Data Sheet for any product used.

Questions to ask before you hire

A charter number is the starting point. A few more questions separate good providers from the rest:

• What is your charter number, and who holds the GRC license on it?
• Will the technician on my job be commercially certified, or working under someone who is?
• Will you seal entry points, or only trap and bait?
• What goes inside the house, and can I see the labels?
• How many return visits are included?
• Can I get the plan and price in writing?

Clear answers in writing usually mean a safe choice. Pressure to sign the same day or vague answers about what is included are reasons to get another bid. The cost guide has published price ranges to compare against, and the inspection page lists what a full inspection covers.

Where licensed supervision is required indoors

Tennessee's pesticide law requires licensed supervision for pesticide applications inside certain buildings:

• Apartments, though tenants may treat their own units
• Lodging facilities
• Commercial food processing facilities
• Restaurants
• Most schools

In those buildings, the department says applications must be performed by a chartered company unless a licensee is employed by the facility, usually under the GRC category with matching technician certification. Memphis property managers, restaurant owners and school administrators should start there.

Federal rodenticide rules that apply in Tennessee

Rodenticide sales follow federal EPA rules, which apply in Tennessee and Mississippi alike:

• Consumer products are sold as ready-to-use bait stations with block or paste bait. Pellets are not allowed in consumer products
• Consumer active ingredients are limited to bromethalin, chlorophacinone or diphacinone; second-generation anticoagulants are not registered for consumer use
• Consumer refillable stations may include up to one pound of bait, and consumer products are labeled for indoor use or for use within 50 feet of buildings
• Professional products may be block, paste or pellets, are used in or within 100 feet of buildings, and may not be sold in consumer stores
• Tamper-resistant bait stations are required where children under six, pets or nontarget wildlife could reach bait, and for all aboveground outdoor placements
• Outdoor burrow baiting is allowed only with pellets placed at least six inches down active rat burrows

The label is the legal instruction for use, so read it before you buy and follow it exactly.

Using store-bought bait safely

If you use consumer bait at home, keep stations where children and pets cannot reach them, and follow the label exactly. Bait has a downside inside a house: rodents that eat it often die in walls, attics or crawl spaces, which leads to odor. That is why many providers rely on traps and sealing indoors. See dead rodent smell and best traps.

Red flags when hiring

Most pest control companies in the Memphis area are legitimate. A few warning signs are worth watching for:

• No charter number on the vehicle, and no card when you ask for one
• Pressure to sign a long contract on the first visit, especially a door-to-door pitch
• A price that seems far below other bids, with no sealing included
• Vague answers about what product will be used inside the house, or a refusal to share the label
• Promises that rodents will be gone after one visit, with no follow-up plan
• Loose bait scattered in living areas, the attic or the crawl space, rather than in stations or traps
• No written plan or written price

The department says salespeople who solicit business should carry a solicitor's card it issues. Ask to see it, then check the company on the charter lookup before signing anything.

If something seems wrong after the work, start with the company. If you think a pesticide was misused, the department's Pesticide Section takes complaints. For billing or contract disputes, the department points to the Division of Consumer Affairs.

How to file a complaint

If you think a pesticide was misused, applied by an unchartered company or drifted onto your property, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture's Pesticide Section can investigate. File with its online pesticide complaint form, or call the Consumer and Industry Services complaint hotline at 615-837-5148.

The department says it has no authority over pricing, payment disputes or non-pesticide services, and refers those to the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs at 615-741-4737 or a local Better Business Bureau. Complaints sent to the Pesticide Section are public records under Tennessee law.

If you live in Southaven, Olive Branch or elsewhere in DeSoto County, Mississippi's own agency licenses pest control companies; ask any provider for their Mississippi license.