Banksy’s authentication organisation Pest Control Office was established in 2008.
Pest Control Office was created to authenticate Banksy’s physical artworks and issue certificates of authenticity. The system became important because Banksy is anonymous and because unauthorised works, reproductions and disputed attributions circulate widely in the art market.
The organisation generally handles official Banksy works rather than trying to identify every image that appears on a wall. Its certificates can affect whether a work is accepted by galleries, auction houses and collectors. This makes Pest Control part of the practical infrastructure surrounding Banksy’s art.
The organisation’s name is a Banksy-style joke, but its role is serious. It is not a conventional public-facing gallery or museum, and Banksy’s anonymity means that authentication is often discussed separately from questions about the artist’s legal identity.