Who needs a licence
By law, a person carrying out prescribed pesticide work in NSW must hold a licence, and pest management technician licences are issued by the NSW EPA. If someone uses pesticides or fumigants in their work, they need a pest management technician licence or a fumigator licence; a trainee needs a training permit. Clause 6 of the Pesticides Regulation 2017 says what counts as prescribed work.
| Licence | What it allows | Training the EPA requires |
|---|---|---|
| Pest management technician | Using pesticides (but not fumigants) to control pests, either for a fee or reward or on behalf of a public authority. | Three units: manage pests without applying pesticides, manage pests by applying pesticides, and maintain equipment and pesticide storage in pest management vehicles. |
| Timber pest management technician | Using pesticides against termites and other timber pests, and non-timber pest work too. Being phased in. | The pest management technician training, plus two units in inspecting for and controlling timber pests. |
| Fumigator | Using the fumigant products the EPA lists, such as methyl bromide, sulfuryl fluoride and products that liberate phosphine gas. | A unit in managing organisms by applying fumigants. |
| Training permit | Pest management or fumigation work by a trainee who does not yet hold the licence. | An approved course of training (a pest management or timber pest trainee may start without enrolling for up to 84 days, under conditions), supervised by someone who holds the matching licence. |
A few rules from the same page shape what you see on a card. Licences are issued to an individual, never to a business or a business name; they last 1 or 5 years; and someone holding more than one licence type is issued one card for all of them. Applicants must be 18 or older.
Check one: the public register
The EPA’s public register holds records of pesticide licences and permits. You can search it by any combination of terms, such as the licence holder’s name or a licence number. Search the EPA’s public register of pesticide licences.
All pesticide licences the EPA issues in NSW are placed on that register.
Check two: the card
To double-check, the EPA suggests asking to see the pest controller’s licence before agreeing to any work, and checking three things.
- Check 1
It is a photo licence card
The EPA’s first check is that they have a photo licence card.
- Check 2
The photo is the person
The photo on the licence matches the person carrying out the work.
- Check 3
It is in date
The expiry date on the licence has not passed.
Licences from other states
Some similar licences from other states and territories are also acceptable in NSW, the EPA says, with the exception of those issued in Queensland. Under automatic mutual recognition, a person holding a current pesticide licence from another state or territory, other than Queensland, may be entitled to work in NSW, but needs to notify the EPA.
Pigeons and bird products
The City of Sydney advises owners of property affected by nesting or roosting pigeons to seek the services of a licensed pest controller. One NSW rule is specific to bird work: bird control products containing alphachloralose or 4-aminopyridine may be used only by a pest management technician who has completed bird management training, and the EPA suggests asking to see proof of that training before such products are used on your property.
If something is wrong
If you cannot find a person or licence on the register, or a pest controller cannot produce their licence, the EPA asks you to contact the NSW Environment Line. The EPA can take regulatory action against unlicensed pest controllers, including prosecution in serious cases. For concerns about the pest control work itself, the EPA points to the company that carried out the treatment, or NSW Fair Trading.
For a licence you cannot find, or pesticide misuse. The EPA’s page on engaging a pest management technician lists what helps them look into a report.
The licence is one part of the rules for treatments in a shared building. When the treatment is in common areas, NSW also requires notice to residents: panel 05.