How to Check a Landscaper License: State Lookups and What to Verify

This page is general information, not legal advice. Licensing rules and agency websites change; confirm with the agency linked for your state before you sign a contract or pay a deposit.

Checking a landscaper’s license takes about five minutes once you know two things: which credential the job legally requires in your state, and which agency keeps the record. Most guides skip the first part, which is why people search the wrong database, find nothing, and either panic or give up. A landscaper can be fully legal with no contractor license at all in Texas, and breaking the law with one in Oregon if the license is the wrong type.

The steps below follow the order the records are kept in. Every lookup link was opened from the agency’s own website and loaded in a browser on October 7, 2026.

Step 1: Work out which license your job needs

Licenses follow the work, not the job title. “Landscaper” covers five different kinds of work, and states regulate each one separately. Sort your project into these buckets before you search anything.

Type of work	Is a state license usually required?	Examples from state law
Mowing, edging, pruning, mulch refresh	Rarely	Oregon says landscape maintenance “is not regulated”; North Carolina exempts mowing and lawn care; Utah exempts aeration, fertilizing and dethatching from contractor licensing
Planting, sod, beds, grading (softscape)	In about 12 states	California C-27, Nevada C-10, Oregon LCB, Utah S330, North Carolina (jobs of $30,000+), Louisiana and Mississippi horticulture licenses
Patios, walls, walks, fences (hardscape)	In the 12 license states plus most of the 11 partial ones	Arizona licenses hardscape and irrigation but not planting; Virginia LSC covers grading and landscape walls; Maryland, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania home-improvement laws name patios or landscaping
Irrigation and sprinklers	Often a separate license	Texas TCEQ Landscape Irrigator, Illinois IDPH irrigation contractor registration, North Carolina and Louisiana irrigation licenses, Tennessee BC-33
Tree removal and pruning	A separate license in 7 states	Maryland Tree Expert, New Jersey Tree Expert, Connecticut and Rhode Island arborist licenses, California C-49; Minnesota requires tree-care companies to register
Weed control, insect control, fertilizer for hire	Yes, in every state	A commercial pesticide applicator license for turf and ornamentals; Florida, Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia also certify lawn fertilizer applicators

Two consequences follow. A patio-and-planting job can need two credentials from two agencies (a contractor license for the patio, a separate one for the irrigation). And in the 27 states with no landscape license, “licensed” on a truck door may only mean a city business license or a pesticide license, which tells you nothing about whether the company can build a retaining wall.

Dollar thresholds decide most small jobs

Most license states exempt small jobs, and the cutoffs vary by a factor of 60. Washington requires registration on almost anything: the casual-work exemption ends at $500 (RCW 18.27.090). North Carolina’s landscape license starts only when contracts at one job site total $30,000 within 12 months (G.S. 89D-13, per the NCLCLB). Utah sits at $7,000 (Utah Code 58-55-305) and California at $1,000, with two extra conditions: no permit of any kind and no employees (CSLB, AB 2622 bulletin).

Thresholds count the whole job, labor and materials together, in nearly every state that defines them. Several states say outright that splitting a project into smaller contracts does not get under the line: Arkansas’s $2,000 exemption does not apply to split contracts (A.C.A. 17-25-513), and Arizona’s $1,000 exemption is lost if the work is part of a larger job (A.R.S. 32-1121). If you are quoted three separate $900 invoices for one yard, that is a red flag, not a discount.

Step 2: Search the official lookup for your state

Use the agency’s own search, not a third-party “license lookup” site. Third-party copies lag, and some still quote California’s old $500 threshold more than a year after it changed. The table covers every state that licenses all or part of landscape work, plus Texas, whose only state credential for landscape installation is the irrigation license. Search by license number if you have it; business names are often registered differently from the name on the truck.

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

State	Credential to look for	Required when	Official lookup
Alabama	ADAI Horticulture Professional Services permit (Setting of Landscape Plants, Landscape Design, Tree Surgery)	Any landscaping or planting for a fee (Ala. Code 2-28-4)	No public permit search located; ADAI’s pesticide applicator search covers spray licenses
Alaska	Specialty contractor registration, Landscaping Contractor	Any contracting; no dollar floor (AS 08.18.011)	Professional license search of the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing (commerce.alaska.gov); it refused our automated check
Arizona	ROC R-21, C-21 or CR-21 Hardscaping and Irrigation Systems; planting is not ROC-licensed	$1,000 and up, or any job needing a permit (A.R.S. 32-1121)	ROC contractor search
Arkansas	Contractors Licensing Board landscaping/irrigation specialty; Plant Board Nursery Landscape Contractor for planting	Residential home improvement over $2,000; commercial $50,000 and up (residential law)	Find a Licensed Contractor
California	CSLB C-27 Landscaping; C-49 for tree and palm work	$1,000 and up, or any permit, or any employee (B&P 7048)	CSLB Check a License
Connecticut	DCP Home Improvement Contractor registration (statute names landscaping and patios)	Residential job over $200 (CGS 20-419)	CT eLicense lookup
Hawaii	C-27 Landscaping; C-27b Tree trimming; C-37b Irrigation	Over $1,500, or any job needing a building permit (HRS 444-2)	DCCA Contractors License Board (MyPVL license search)
Idaho	DOPL contractor registration, type 400 Landscaping/Sprinklers	$2,000 and up (Idaho Code 54-5205)	DOPL online license search
Iowa	Contractor registration (covers sprinklers, patios, walks, fences; plain planting is not listed)	Contractors earning $2,000 or more a year (Iowa Code 91C.1)	DIAL contractor registration (“Check a contractor license”)
Louisiana	LDAF Landscape Horticulturist; separate LDAF Irrigation Contractor and Arborist licenses; LSLBC for big commercial jobs	Any fee for regulated landscape work; LSLBC at $50,000 and up commercial (LDAF)	LDAF licensee lists; LSLBC contractor search
Maryland	MHIC home improvement license (statute names landscaping); DNR Licensed Tree Expert for tree work	Any residential home improvement; no dollar floor (BR 8-101)	Maryland Labor licensing queries
Mississippi	MDAC Landscape Horticulturist; MSBOC Landscaping, Grading and Beautification for commercial work	Any fee for “landscaping and setting of plants”; MSBOC at $50,000 and up (MDAC)	MSBOC Check a License; no public MDAC search located
Nevada	NSCB C-10 Landscape Contracting	$1,000 and up, or any permit (NSCB)	NSCB license search; discipline search
New Jersey	Home Improvement Contractor registration (rule names landscaping and patios); irrigation and tree work need separate credentials	Any residential home improvement; no dollar floor (N.J.A.C. 13:45A-17.2)	NJ license verification (choose Home Improvement Contractors)
New Mexico	CID GS-4 concrete and walks, GS-16 masonry and retaining walls, MM-1 for potable-water sprinklers	Unless under the handyman exemption of $7,200 a year (NMSA 60-13-3)	RLD license lookup
North Carolina	NCLCLB Landscape Contractor; NCICLB Irrigation Contractor	$30,000 and up per job site over 12 months; mowing and lawn care exempt (NCLCLB)	NCLCLB verify license; NCICLB licensee search
Oregon	LCB Landscape Contracting Business (planting, irrigation, patios, walls)	Any landscape construction; maintenance is unregulated (LCB)	LCB “Verify a License”; CCB search for tree removal
Pennsylvania	Attorney General Home Improvement Contractor registration (hardscape at homes); PDA plant merchant certification	Residential jobs over $500, for contractors doing $5,000 or more a year (73 P.S. 517.2; statute site refused our automated check)	Attorney General HIC registration search (hicsearch.attorneygeneral.gov); it refused our automated check
Rhode Island	CRLB registration for patios, walks and walls; DLT irrigator license; DEM arborist license	Exempt only under $500 and casual or minor (R.I. Gen. Laws 5-65-2; statute site refused our automated check)	Contractors’ Registration and Licensing Board search (crb.ri.gov); it refused our automated check
Tennessee	Board for Licensing Contractors BC-29 Landscaping, BC-33 Irrigation, S-Tree Trimming; Home Improvement license in 9 counties	$25,000 and up; home improvement license at $3,000 to $24,999 in the 9 opt-in counties (TN board)	Verify TN
Texas	TCEQ Landscape Irrigator (no state license for planting or hardscape)	Any irrigation system design, install or repair (TCEQ)	TCEQ irrigator page (“Individual Search”)
Utah	DOPL S330 Landscape and Recreation Contractor	$7,000 and up (Utah Code 58-55-305)	DOPL license verification
Virginia	DPOR contractor license with LSC (landscape service) or ISC (irrigation) specialty; planting is not covered	Over $1,000 (Va. Code 54.1-1100)	DPOR License Lookup
Washington	L&I contractor registration, Landscaping specialty	$500 and up (RCW 18.27.090)	L&I Verify

For the other 26 states, there is no state landscape license to look up. That does not mean there is nothing to check: pesticide, irrigation and tree credentials still apply, and many cities and counties license landscapers locally. Run the same checks on any company you find, including those in our directory of licensed landscapers.

Pesticide applicator lookups for the largest states

If the quote includes weed control, grub or insect treatment, or (in several states) fertilizer, the company needs a commercial pesticide license in the turf and ornamental category. This is the one credential every state requires, and the one homeowners check least. The license is usually issued by the state agriculture department, not the contractor board, so it lives in a different database.

State	Credential to look for	Official lookup
California	DPR Qualified Applicator License or Certificate, Category B Landscape Maintenance; the business needs a Pest Control Business or Maintenance Gardener license	DPR list of current licensees
Texas	TDA Structural Pest Control Service license, Lawn and Ornamental or Weed Control category (Occ. Code 1951)	No public online search found on TDA’s site; TDA lists (800) 835-5832 on its Structural Pest Control Service page
Florida	FDACS Lawn and Ornamental pest control license (Ch. 482); urban landscape fertilizer certification for anyone fertilizing lawns for hire	FDACS pest control database
New York	DEC certified commercial applicator (3A or 3B) plus a registered pesticide business	NYSPAD portal
Illinois	IDOA Commercial Applicator or Operator, categories 3.1 Ornamental and 3.2 Turf	IDOA certification and licensing page (“Licensed Pesticide Applicator/Operator Search”)
Georgia	GDA Pesticide Contractor License plus a Category 24 Ornamental and Turf applicator	GDA pesticide applicator search
North Carolina	NCDA&CS Commercial Ground Applicator, Category L Ornamental and Turf	NCDA&CS license and credit status search
Washington	WSDA Commercial Pesticide Applicator (business) or Operator	WSDA license search
Minnesota	MDA commercial applicator, Category E Turf and Ornamentals; tree companies must also be on the Tree Care Registry	MDA license lookup; Tree Care Registry
Oregon	ODA Commercial Pesticide Applicator, Ornamental and Turf; the employer holds a Commercial Pesticide Operator license	ODA pesticide license search

Match the category, not just the name. Michigan numbers turf as 3A and ornamentals as 3B, the reverse of most states (Mich. Admin. Code R 285.636.3), and in Florida and Texas lawn spraying is licensed under the structural pest control law rather than the agricultural one. A license for termite work or for crop spraying does not cover your lawn.

Step 3: Read the record, line by line

A search result that simply exists proves very little. Six fields matter, and most state lookups show at least four of them.

1. Name and number. The legal business name and any registered DBA should match your quote and contract. In California, the license number has to appear on every contract, bid and ad (B&P 7030.5). A number that belongs to a different company is the most common form of license fraud a lookup catches.
2. Status. You want “active” or “current”. Inactive, expired, suspended, revoked and pending all mean the company cannot legally do licensed work today.
3. Classification. The license has to cover your job. An Arizona R-21 covers patios and irrigation but not planting. A California C-27 covers landscaping, but large tree work belongs to the C-49 class. A Virginia LSC covers grading and landscape walls, and irrigation is a separate ISC specialty.
4. Expiration date. Check that it runs past your expected finish date. If it expires mid-project, ask for proof of renewal before work starts.
5. Bond and insurance on file. Many boards record the bond and insurance the license depends on (see the next table). CSLB’s check shows bond details and workers’ compensation coverage or an exemption (CSLB).
6. Complaints and discipline. Look for citations, accusations, suspensions and settled bond claims. Nevada runs a separate discipline search; North Carolina’s board publishes enforcement actions.

Know what a clean record does not prove. California, which has the most detailed disclosure rules, shows a complaint only after it is referred for legal action or found to present a risk of harm. Citations stay public for five years after compliance, accusations that end in suspension or revocation for seven years after settlement, and matters resolved in the contractor’s favor are never shown (B&P 7124.6). A blank complaint history can mean a good contractor or a young file.

What the bond and insurance on file should look like

A license bond is not insurance for your project. It is a fixed sum a board can draw on when a contractor breaks the licensing law or a contract, and it is shared by every claimant. CSLB warns that its $25,000 minimum “is often not enough” to cover multiple complaints or a larger project (CSLB). Liability insurance pays for damage to your property; the state minimums are floors set for licensing, not a measure of what your job needs.

State and credential	Bond	Liability insurance minimum
Alaska specialty contractor	$10,000 ($5,000 if every project is $10,000 or less)	$20,000 property, $50,000 per person, $100,000 per occurrence (AS 08.18.101)
California C-27	$25,000 (B&P 7071.6)	Not set in the license law; record shows workers’ comp or exemption
Hawaii C-27	As the board imposes	$100,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence bodily injury, $50,000 property (HAR 16-77-8)
Maryland MHIC	None in license law	$500,000 general liability (BR 8-302.1)
Mississippi Landscape Horticulturist	$1,000	Not required (MDAC)
New Jersey home improvement	None	$500,000 per occurrence (N.J.S.A. 56:8-142)
North Carolina landscape contractor	$10,000 bond or letter of credit (NCLCLB)	Not stated by the board
Oregon LCB business	$20,000 from January 1, 2026 ($15,000 probationary)	$500,000 (LCB)
Pennsylvania home improvement	None	$50,000 personal injury plus $50,000 property damage (Act 132 of 2008)
Utah S330	None in license law	$1,000,000 per incident, $2,000,000 total, plus workers’ comp or waiver (R156-55a-302d)
Washington specialty contractor	$15,000 (RCW 18.27.040)	$50,000 property, $100,000 per person, $200,000 per occurrence (RCW 18.27.050)
New York pesticide business	Not applicable	$1,000,000 per occurrence, certificate filed with DEC (DEC)

Step 4: Check the insurance certificate yourself

Even where a board records insurance, the record can trail a cancellation. Ask for a certificate of insurance and read it against the license record.

• Get it from the agent, not the contractor. Ask the contractor to have their insurance agent email the certificate to you directly, with you named as certificate holder. A PDF forwarded by the contractor can be an old policy.
• Match the names. The named insured should be the same legal entity as the license holder. A policy in the owner’s personal name or a sister company does not cover the business you are hiring.
• Check dates and limits. The policy period should cover your whole project, and the general liability per-occurrence limit should at least meet your state’s licensing minimum in the table above.
• Ask about workers’ compensation. If a crew will be on your property, ask for workers’ comp coverage or the state exemption. Some states let you check this independently: California shows it on the CSLB record, Washington’s L&I lookup searches by workers’ comp account, and Arkansas publishes a certificate of non-coverage search.
• Call to confirm. The agent’s phone number is on the certificate. A two-minute call confirms the policy is in force.

For spray work, regulators run the same check: New York requires every registered pesticide business to file a certificate showing at least $1,000,000 per occurrence, naming DEC as certificate holder (NYSDEC).

Step 5: Red flags the records reveal

These are the mismatches between what a contractor says and what the public record shows. Each one is checkable.

• The number is real but the name is not. The license belongs to a different business, or to an individual who is not part of the company quoting you.
• The class does not fit the job. A planting-only or maintenance credential on a quote for a retaining wall, or a contractor license with no irrigation specialty on a sprinkler install. Retaining walls and patios are where the money is; see our retaining wall cost and paver patio cost guides for typical budgets.
• The deposit is over the legal cap. In California and Nevada a down payment cannot exceed 10 percent of the contract price or $1,000, whichever is less (CSLB; NSCB). Nevada allows more only with a $100,000 consumer protection bond on file.
• The job is sliced under the threshold. Separate invoices for one project, each just under the state exemption. Statutes in Arizona and Arkansas exclude split or partial jobs from the exemption.
• Spraying without a pesticide license. “Weed and feed included” from a company with no applicator record in your state’s agriculture database.
• No written contract on a larger job. Oregon’s LCB requires a written contract for landscape projects over $2,000 and gives consumers one year from substantial completion to file a claim (LCB consumer guide).
• Unlicensed ads that hide it. In California and Arizona, an unlicensed operator working under the small-job exemption has to say in the ad that they are not licensed. An ad with no license number and no disclosure fits neither rule.

A missing license is not automatically a red flag. Most landscaping businesses are tiny: 537,970 of them had no employees in 2024, and 65.5 percent of those took in less than $25,000 for the whole year (Census Nonemployer Statistics, 2024). A solo mower in North Carolina never reaches the $30,000 job-site threshold and is legal without a landscape license. What matters is whether the job you are paying for is one the law reserves for license holders. If it is, our landscaping cost guide shows what licensed work usually runs, so an unusually cheap bid stands out.

More on hiring, from bids to contracts, is in our hiring section.