Responsible Certified Applicators in Texas Pest Control
If you have ever looked up a pest control company’s license or read through a Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) record, you may have seen the term “Responsible Certified Applicator” next to someone’s name. It sounds official because it is. The Responsible Certified Applicator – sometimes abbreviated as RCA – is a specific regulatory designation defined by the TDA’s Structural Pest Control Service, and it plays a direct role in how every licensed pest control business in Texas operates.
This page breaks down what the designation means, how it fits into the broader TDA licensing structure, and why it matters when you are choosing a pest control company for your home or business.
The TDA Definition
According to the TDA’s Structural Pest Control Service, a Responsible Certified Applicator is “an individual designated and notified by the business license holder to be responsible for training and supervision of all pest control operations of the business.” The TDA further specifies that a person “may be employed by other business location(s) as a certified commercial applicator, but may only be the designated responsible certified commercial applicator for one business license location.”
In practical terms, that means every licensed pest control business in Texas is required to have one specific person on file with TDA who is personally accountable for the quality of service, the training of every technician, and compliance with state and federal pesticide regulations at that business location. The business cannot hold an active license without an RCA on record.
How Texas Pest Control Licensing Works
To understand what makes the RCA designation significant, it helps to see where it sits in the full TDA licensing hierarchy. Texas uses a tiered system for structural pest control – the branch of pest control that covers homes, businesses, and other buildings. Each tier has its own training requirements, exam requirements, and scope of what the person is authorized to do.
| License Level | Requirements | What They Can Do |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | Registered by a licensed pest control business. Must be actively completing training toward a Technician license. | Perform pest control work under direct supervision only. Cannot work independently. |
| Technician | Minimum 40 hours on-the-job training per category, 20 hours classroom training in general standards, 8 hours classroom training per category. Must pass TDA Technician exam. | Perform pest control services under the supervision of a Certified Applicator. Must be licensed in at least one category (Pest, Termite, or Lawn). |
| Certified Applicator | Must have held a Technician license for at least 6 months with 12 months of verifiable field experience in the past 24 months, OR hold a degree in a biological science. Must pass the General Standards exam plus at least one category exam with a score of 70% or higher. | The highest level of individual TDA certification. Can independently perform all pest control services in their licensed categories. Can train and supervise Apprentices and Technicians. |
| Responsible Certified Applicator | Must already hold a Certified Applicator license. Designated by the business license holder and registered with TDA. Limited to one business license location. | Everything a Certified Applicator can do, plus: accountable for training and supervision of all pest control operations at that business location. The person TDA holds responsible if something goes wrong. |
The key distinction between a Certified Applicator and a Responsible Certified Applicator is accountability. Multiple people at a company can hold Certified Applicator status – and at a well-run company, several should. But only one person per business location can be the RCA. That person’s name goes on the TDA business license record, and they are the point of accountability for the state.
What the RCA Is Responsible For
The RCA’s responsibilities cover the full scope of pest control operations at their assigned location. That includes training every technician and applicator who works under the business license, making sure all work meets TDA standards and label requirements, ensuring the business complies with state and federal pesticide regulations, supervising pest control operations and ensuring proper identification and treatment methods, and maintaining the continuing education and licensing status of the team.
If TDA audits or inspects a pest control business, the RCA is the person they look to. If a complaint is filed, the RCA is the one accountable for the practices that led to it. It is not just a title on paper – it is a defined point of legal and regulatory responsibility.
Why This Matters When Hiring a Pest Control Company
When you hire a pest control company, you are inviting someone into your home to apply regulated products around your family, your pets, and your property. The licensing structure exists to make sure the people doing that work have been properly trained, tested, and supervised. The RCA designation is the top of that chain.
Any homeowner in Texas can look up a pest control company’s license through TDA’s records. When you do, you will see the TPCL number (the business license number), the categories the business is licensed for, and the name of the Responsible Certified Applicator. If a company cannot tell you who their RCA is, or if the name on file with TDA does not match what the company tells you, that is worth asking about.
A few things to check when evaluating a pest control company’s licensing:
First, verify the business holds an active TPCL license. Second, confirm the license covers the categories relevant to your needs – “P” for general pest control, “T” for termite work, “L” for lawn and ornamental. Third, check that a Responsible Certified Applicator is named on the license. Fourth, ask the company if the technician coming to your home holds an individual TDA license. All of this information is publicly available through the TDA Structural Pest Control licensing portal or by calling (800) 835-5832.
How Stride Pest Control Is Licensed
Stride Pest Control operates two TDA business licenses across our Central Texas service area. Each location has a designated Responsible Certified Applicator on file with TDA, and each office maintains a team of individually licensed Certified Applicators and Technicians.
| Location | TPCL # | License Categories | Responsible Certified Applicator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin / Round Rock | 667951 | P (Pest), T (Termite), L (Lawn) | Burton Johnston – License #862752 |
| San Antonio | 827449 | P (Pest), T (Termite) | Alexander Randall – License #741406 |
The Austin/Round Rock office holds five Certified Applicators on staff: Matthew Kearns, Burton Johnston, Michael Honeycutt, Ramone Houston, and Marcos Zarragoitia. The San Antonio office has two Certified Applicators: Alexander Randall and Raul Ramos. All technicians on both teams carry individual TDA licenses.
Want to verify our licensing? All TDA license information – including our TPCL numbers, license categories, and named applicators – is publicly available through the Texas Department of Agriculture Structural Pest Control Service. You can call them directly at (800) 835-5832 or look up our records through their online licensing portal.
Questions About Pest Control Licensing?
If you have questions about our licensing, our team’s certifications, or the products and methods we use, we are happy to walk through it with you. Pest control involves regulated products being applied in your home, and you have every right to know exactly who is doing the work and what qualifies them to do it. Call us at (512) 777-1339 for Austin and Round Rock or (210) 547-8410 for San Antonio.
