Licenses.

(1) The department may issue licenses to qualified businesses to engage in the business of pest control in this state. It is unlawful for any person to operate a pest control business that is not licensed by the department.

(2)(a) Before entering business or upon transfer of business ownership, and also annually thereafter, on or before an anniversary date set by the department for each licensed business location, each person, partnership, firm, corporation, or other business entity engaged in pest control must apply to the department for a license, or a renewal thereof, for each of its business locations. Applications must be made on forms prescribed and furnished by the department.

(b) The department shall establish a fee for the issuance of a license, which fee may not be more than $300 or less than $75, and a fee for the renewal of a license, which fee may not be more than $300 or less than $75; however, until rules setting these fees are adopted by the department, the issuance fee and renewal fee shall each be $75. After a grace period not exceeding 30 calendar days following the anniversary renewal date, the department shall assess a late renewal charge of $50, which must be paid in addition to the renewal fee. The aggregate of the fees assessed pursuant to this paragraph may not exceed 105 percent of the direct costs for administering this chapter.

(c) Unless timely renewed, a license automatically expires 60 calendar days after the anniversary renewal date. Subsequent to such expiration, a license may be reinstated only upon reapplication and payment of the issuance fee and the late renewal fee.

(d) A license automatically expires when a licensee changes its business location address or its business name as registered with the department. The department shall issue a new license for the remainder of the term upon payment of a fee of $25.

(e) The department may not issue or renew a license to engage in the pest control business unless the applicant’s pest control activities are under a certified operator or operators in charge who are certified in the categories of the licensee.

(f) The department by rule may establish a procedure for expediting the processing of an application for license upon payment by the applicant of a special fee in an amount sufficient to cover the cost of such expedited process, but not exceeding $50.

(g) The department may deny the issuance of a pest control business license to any applicant, or refuse to renew the license of any licensee, if the department finds that the applicant or licensee or any of its directors, officers, owners, or general partners are or were directors, officers, owners, or general partners of a pest control business which has gone out of business or sold the business to another party within 5 years immediately preceding the date of application or renewal and failed to reimburse the prorated value of its customers’ remaining contract periods or failed to provide for another licensed pest control operator to assume its existing contract responsibility.

(3) A licensee shall display its current license at each of its business locations. Each business location of a licensee must be licensed.

(4) A licensee may not operate a pest control business without carrying the required insurance coverage. Each person making application for a pest control business license or renewal thereof must furnish to the department a certificate of insurance that meets the requirements for minimum financial responsibility for bodily injury and property damage consisting of:

(a) Bodily injury: $250,000 per person and $500,000 per occurrence; and property damage: $250,000 per occurrence and $500,000 in the aggregate; or

(b) Combined single-limit coverage: $500,000 in the aggregate.

(5) Each person applying for a pest control business license or renewal thereof who will offer and perform fumigations as a part of his or her regular business operations must furnish to the department a certificate of insurance that meets the requirement for minimum financial responsibility for bodily injury and property damage, consisting of:

(a) Bodily injury coverage of $1 million per person and $2 million per occurrence; and property damage coverage of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million in the aggregate; or

(b) Combined single-limit coverage of $2 million in the aggregate.

(6) A license under this section is a prerequisite for the issuance of a local occupational license to engage in pest control, as provided in s. 205.1967.