Licensing Requirements for Water Cooling Towers and Evaporative Condensers

The enclosed letter describes the Department of Pesticide Regulation’s licensing policy for pest control businesses that service water cooling towers and evaporative condensers.

In summary, a pest control business license and qualified applicator license are required for any business that provides service for water cooling towers and evaporative condensers. The licenses are also required for the use of registered sanitation service pesticides in institutional settings, such as application to potable water lines necessary for the operation of hospitals, schools, libraries, auditoriums, and office complexes.

The following situations do not require a pest control business license:

• When providing pest control services in a household or industrial sanitation setting (Food and Agricultural Code section 11531[c]).
• When the services provided by the business do not include dispensing the registered pesticides into the delivery system, calibrating the application equipment, or participating in the pesticide application in any way.

If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Mac Takeda, Agriculture Program Supervisor II, at (916) 445-3838.

Sincerely,