Landscaping License Requirements by State, 2026: All 50 States + DC

1. Full state license12
2. Partial12
3. None at state level27

Source: The Green Industry Report compilation of state statutes, rules and agency pages, verified 2026-10-07 (state_licensing.csv)

Show the numbers

	Jurisdictions
Full state license	12
Partial	12
None at state level	27

This page answers one question for every state: what a landscaping business needs from the state before it takes paid work. We compiled the statutes, administrative rules and licensing-agency pages for all 50 states and DC and recorded four things for each: whether the state licenses landscape contracting and at what job size, the pesticide category that covers lawns and ornamentals, any irrigation license, and any tree-work license. Every row links to the primary source it came from, and every row was checked on October 7, 2026.

If you are hiring rather than bidding, the companion guide on how to check a landscaper’s license shows how to look a contractor up in each state’s database. More state rules live on the licensing hub.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Licensing rules and thresholds change; confirm with the agency linked for your state, and with your city or county, before you bid, spray or hire.

Do you need a license to do landscaping? It depends on the task

State licensing follows the task, not the job title. A crew that only mows needs no state license almost anywhere, while the same crew spraying a broadleaf herbicide for pay needs a pesticide license almost everywhere. Hardscape and irrigation sit in between: they are the work most likely to be pulled into a contractor law even in states that ignore planting.

Work	How often a state license applies	Examples
Mowing, edging, cleanups	Rarely licensed by the state on its own	North Carolina exempts mowing and lawn care from its landscape license (G.S. 89D-13); Oregon and Louisiana say routine maintenance is not regulated; Washington’s Landscaping specialty definition includes “maintains”
Planting, sod, seed, beds	Licensed in the 12 full-license states, usually above a dollar threshold	California C-27 (from $1,000), Utah S330 ($7,000), North Carolina ($30,000 per site); Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi at any fee
Patios, walls, walks, fences	The 12 full-license states plus most partial states	Arizona R-21, Virginia Landscape Service Contracting, Rhode Island registration; home improvement laws in CT, MD, NJ and PA
Irrigation systems	19 jurisdictions	Standalone licenses in CT, IL, LA, NJ, NC, RI and TX; contractor classes or landscape licenses elsewhere
Pesticides for hire	At least 49 of 51, general-use included	Georgia Category 24; Florida and Texas regulate lawn spraying under structural pest control law
Fertilizer only	Separate certification in a few states	FL, MD, NJ and VA certify fertilizer applicators; MN licenses custom application; IN requires its Category 3b exam
Tree pruning and removal	12 jurisdictions have a state tree credential	Licenses in AL, CT, LA, MD, MS, NJ, RI; MN registration; contractor classes in CA, HI, TN and WA

How the 50 states and DC split

12 states license landscape contracting directly

Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Utah and Washington license landscape work as such. They do it through three kinds of agency. Contractor boards issue a landscape classification in California (C-27), Hawaii (C-27), Nevada (C-10), Utah (S330) and Arkansas, and Alaska and Washington list landscaping as a specialty in contractor registration. North Carolina and Oregon run boards that license only landscape contractors. Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi license landscaping through their agriculture departments as a horticulture profession, with no dollar threshold at all.

Thresholds and exams vary as much as the agencies. Washington exempts only casual jobs under $500 (RCW 18.27.090), California jobs under $1,000 with no permit and no employees (B&P 7048), Utah jobs under $7,000 (Utah Code 58-55-305) and North Carolina landscaping under $30,000 per job site per year (G.S. 89D-13). Alaska and Washington require registration but no exam; Utah requires a 25-hour course instead of an exam.

12 jurisdictions license part of the work

Arizona, Connecticut, DC, Idaho, Iowa, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Virginia cover some landscape work but not all of it. The gaps follow three patterns:

• Hardscape and irrigation only. Arizona’s ROC renamed its landscaping class Hardscaping and Irrigation Systems (A.A.C. R4-9-104); New Mexico has no landscaping class, so concrete, masonry and sprinkler work need trade classes (14.6.6 NMAC); Virginia’s specialties cover grading, landscape walls and irrigation but not planting (18VAC50-22-30); Rhode Island registers hardscape “appurtenances”.
• Residential home improvement laws that name landscaping. Connecticut (jobs over $200), Maryland (no floor), New Jersey (no floor) and Pennsylvania (over $500) register home improvement contractors and name landscaping or hardscape; DC’s law names driveways and fences but not landscaping.
• General registrations that list landscape trades. Idaho lists “400 Landscaping/Sprinklers”, Iowa lists sprinklers, concrete patios and fences, and Tennessee has a BC-29 Landscaping class that applies to prime contracts of $25,000 or more (TN Board for Licensing Contractors).

27 states have no state landscape license

Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming have no state license for landscape contracting. That is a state-level answer only. Delaware, Montana, Nebraska and North Dakota have general contractor registration or licensing laws that never name landscaping, and many cities and counties license contractors, landscapers included, on their own.

Four states write landscaping out of the law

Illinois’ Home Repair and Remodeling Act says its definition “does not include … landscaping” (815 ILCS 513/10). Louisiana’s home improvement license exempts anyone who works only in landscaping (R.S. 37:2157), although its Horticulture Commission still licenses landscape horticulturists. Vermont’s residential contractor registration exempts landscaping (26 V.S.A. 5502), and West Virginia’s Contractor Licensing Act says a contractor does not include “a person who performs landscaping or painting services” (W. Va. Code 30-42-3).

Six state rules that published lists often get wrong

Several widely read state-by-state lists contradict the primary sources on the points below. Each correction links to the statute or agency text.

• Washington does license landscapers. Contractor registration with L&I is required for anything beyond casual jobs under $500, and the Landscaping specialty is defined in WAC 296-200A-016.
• Texas lawn spraying is not limited to restricted-use products. For-hire weed control and lawn and ornamental pest work is structural pest control under Occ. Code 1951, and irrigation installation needs a TCEQ license.
• West Virginia has no landscape contractor license. The Contractor Licensing Act excludes landscaping services (W. Va. Code 30-42-3(d)).
• Arizona is not “local only”. The ROC licenses hardscape and irrigation under R-21, C-21 and CR-21 (A.A.C. R4-9-104); only planting and maintenance fall outside it.
• Connecticut has three relevant state credentials. Home improvement registration names landscaping for jobs over $200, and there are separate arborist and irrigation licenses (CGS ch. 400, ch. 451, ch. 393).
• Maryland’s home improvement insurance minimum is $500,000, not the $50,000 still quoted in older guides (BR §8-302.1).

Pesticide licensing is the one near-universal rule

Every jurisdiction has a commercial pesticide credential for turf and ornamental work, and in at least 49 it applies to any pesticide applied for pay, including general-use herbicides and weed-and-feed. The two places where that could not be confirmed: Hawaii ties certification to restricted-use pesticides (HAR 4-66-56), and West Virginia’s applicator rule refers to restricted-use products while its statute could not be retrieved. Massachusetts covers non-certified general-use applicators with a separate Applicator License (333 CMR 10.06).

Who runs the program matters for which license you hold. In Florida and Texas, lawn and ornamental pest control sits under the structural pest control law (F.S. 482.021; Occ. Code 1951), so a lawn spraying business holds the same kind of license as a termite company. Alabama and Mississippi run it through a professional services law that also covers landscaping and tree surgery. Everywhere else it sits with the state agriculture or environment agency, usually with a business license on top of the individual certification.

Category numbering is not standard. Most states follow the federal pattern of a Category 3 for ornamental and turf, often split 3A and 3B, but the states below do not, and the mismatch causes errors on applications and reciprocity requests.

State	Turf and lawn	Ornamentals	Watch for
Michigan	3A	3B	Reversed from most states
Maryland	3(c)	3(a)	3(b) is interior plants
Ohio	8	6a (6c ornamental weed)	Structural 10a may treat turf only for structure pests
Pennsylvania	07 Lawn and Turf	06 Ornamental and Shade Trees	Two-digit codes
Colorado	206	207	206 also covers weeds in beds and xeriscape
New Hampshire	G2	G1	Letter codes
Connecticut	3A (combined)	3A (combined)	3B is golf course
Rhode Island	3B Custom Grounds	3B (3A is Shade Tree/Arborist)	Shrubs, flowers and turf in 3B
New Mexico	3A or 3B	3A or 3B	Split by product: 3A insecticides and fungicides, 3B herbicides
Washington	Weed control; Insect and disease control	Same	Site categories replaced on Jan. 1, 2026
Single-code states	GA 24, MN E, NC L, WY 903, NE 04	Same code	One category covers both

Fertilizer can need its own certificate

Four states certify lawn fertilizer applicators separately from pesticides. Florida requires a limited certification for anyone applying commercial fertilizer to an urban landscape (F.S. 482.1562); Maryland requires a Professional Fertilizer Applicator certification and business license (Ag. §8-803.4); New Jersey requires ProFACT certification; and Virginia requires contractor-applicators to use a certified fertilizer applicator (2VAC5-405-20). Minnesota licenses custom fertilizer application (Minn. Stat. 18C.415), Indiana requires its Category 3b exam to fertilize turf for hire (OISC), and Kentucky’s Category 3 covers “impregnated fertilizer” such as weed-and-feed (302 KAR 26:020). Ohio’s fertilizer certification applies to farms, not lawns.

Irrigation and tree work: the separate licenses

Irrigation

Seven states have a standalone irrigation license or registration: Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, New Jersey, North Carolina, Rhode Island and Texas. Seven more license irrigation as a contractor classification (Arizona, Arkansas, Hawaii, Mississippi, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington), four fold it into the landscape license (California, Nevada, Oregon and Utah), and New Mexico treats potable-water lawn sprinklers as plumbing. That makes 19 jurisdictions. Idaho and Iowa also make sprinkler installers register as contractors.

Where no irrigation license exists, the backflow connection to a drinking-water line can still need a plumber. North Dakota’s plumbing board says hooking up a sprinkler system needs no plumbing license but connecting a backflow preventer to the main supply does, and Illinois requires a licensed plumber to inspect every lawn sprinkler system (225 ILCS 320/2.5).

Tree work

Seven states license tree work as its own credential: Alabama (Tree Surgery), Connecticut (Arborist), Louisiana (Arborist and Utility Arborist), Maryland (Tree Expert), Mississippi (Tree Surgery), New Jersey (Tree Expert and Tree Care Operator) and Rhode Island (Arborist). Minnesota requires tree care companies to register, with no exam (Minn. Stat. 18G.07). California (C-49), Hawaii (C-27b) and Tennessee (S-Tree Trimming) license tree work as a contractor class, and Washington requires contractor registration for tree removal. Utah goes the other way: its contractor rule exempts tree and stump removal (R156-55a-301).

Where landscaping businesses operate under these rules

Matching the licensing status in this table against Census business counts for landscaping services (NAICS 561730) shows that most firms work where the state does not license landscape work itself. The 27 no-license states hold 57.5 percent of employer establishments and 57.8 percent of one-person (nonemployer) businesses.

Licensing status	Jurisdictions	Employer establishments, 2023	Share	Nonemployer businesses, 2024	Share
Full state landscape license	12	25,431	21.6%	141,333	26.3%
Partial	12	24,668	20.9%	85,763	15.9%
None at state level	27	67,870	57.5%	310,874	57.8%
Total	51	117,969	100%	537,970	100%

The practical reading: in most of the country, the pesticide license is the only state credential a lawn care company is likely to hold, so “licensed” on a truck or website often means a pesticide license, a local business license, or nothing specific. Ask which license and look it up. For revenue, jobs and pay by state, see our landscaping industry statistics by state.

Landscaping license requirements by state: the full table

Each row gives the state-level answer as of October 7, 2026. “Yes” means a license or registration that covers landscape contracting itself; “Partial” means only some landscape work is covered; “None (state level)” means no state program was found after searching statutes and agency sites. Thresholds are the total contract price for labor and materials unless the row says otherwise. Longer notes for each state follow the table, grouped by region.

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

State	Landscape / contractor license (threshold)	Pesticide license (turf and ornamental)	Irrigation	Tree work	Primary sources
Alabama	Yes. ADAI Horticulture Professional Services license (Setting of Landscape Plants; Landscape Design). Threshold: any work for fees. Exam: yes.	ADAI Ornamental & Turf Pest Control (OTPS) license with a certified operator	None found (state level)	ADAI Tree Surgery license	Ala. Code 2-28-1; ADAI
Alaska	Yes. Specialty contractor registration, Landscaping Contractor (12 AAC 21.370). Threshold: none; registration needed to bid or work. Exam: no.	DEC certified applicator, Ornamental and turf pest control (18 AAC 90.300)	None found (state level)	None found (state level)	12 AAC 21.370; AS 08.18.011; 18 AAC 90.300
Arizona	Partial. ROC R-21/C-21/CR-21 Hardscaping and Irrigation Systems (not planting). Threshold: license unless under $1,000 and other handyman conditions. Gardeners doing maintenance exempt.	Pest Management Division ornamental and turf certification plus pest management business license	Inside ROC R-21/C-21 license	None found (state level); tree maintenance by gardeners exempt from ROC	A.A.C. R4-9-104; A.R.S. 32-1121; A.R.S. 3-3614
Arkansas	Yes. Residential specialty “Landscaping, irrigation, lawn sprinklers, and streams” over $2,000; commercial specialty at $50,000+; Plant Board Nursery Landscape Contractor license for any planting for pay. Exam: yes (residential).	State Plant Board Classification 4 (Ornamental, Tree and Turf) and 5 (Weed Control)	Contractor specialty (no standalone license)	None found (state level); tree pest work under Classification 4	Residential law; Commercial rules; Plant Board
California	Yes. CSLB C-27 Landscaping Contractor. Threshold: under $1,000 total, no permit and no employees is exempt (since 1/1/2025). Exam: yes.	DPR Qualified Applicator, Category B Landscape Maintenance; Maintenance Gardener business license for occasional use	Inside C-27 scope	CSLB C-49 Tree and Palm Contractor	CSLB C-27; B&P 7048; DPR
Colorado	None (state level). No state contractor licensing program.	CDA Commercial Applicator license with a Qualified Supervisor in Category 206 Turf and/or 207 Ornamental	None found (state level)	None found (state level)	CDA categories; CDA FAQ
Connecticut	Partial. DCP Home Improvement Contractor registration names landscaping. Threshold: residential jobs over $200. Exam: no.	DEEP supervisory certification, Category 3A Ornamental and Turf	Yes. Irrigation contractor/journeyman license (backflow and low-voltage wiring)	Yes. DEEP Arborist license	CGS ch. 400; CGS ch. 393; CGS ch. 451
Delaware	None (state level). Division of Revenue contractor business (tax) license; not a competency license. Threshold: not confirmed.	DDA Pesticide Business License, Category 03 Ornamental and Turf, with a certified applicator	None found (state level)	None found (state level)	30 Del. C. ch. 25; DDA business licenses
District of Columbia	Partial. DLCP Home Improvement Contractor license (driveways, fences, decks; landscaping not named). Threshold: $300+. Exam: no.	DOEE Ornamental and Turf category: (a) exterior ornamentals, (b) lawns and turf	None found (district level)	None found (district level)	16 DCMR 899; 20 DCMR 2301
Florida	None (state level). Landscaping is not a contractor category in F.S. 489.105; county and city licenses are common.	FDACS Lawn and Ornamental category under the structural pest control act (Ch. 482); separate urban fertilizer certification	None found (state level)	None found (state level)	F.S. 489.105; F.S. 482.021; F.S. 482.1562
Georgia	None (state level). Residential/general contractor law (O.C.G.A. 43-41) does not name landscaping.	GDA Category 24 Ornamental and Turf plus a Pesticide Contractor License for the business	No state license found (not confirmed)	None found (state level)	GDA categories; GDA contractors; O.C.G.A. 43-41-2
Hawaii	Yes. DCCA C-27 Landscaping contractor. Threshold: over $1,500 labor and materials, or any job needing a permit. Exam: yes (Parts I and II).	HDOA Category 3 Ornamental and turf; certification tied to restricted-use pesticides	C-37b Irrigation and lawn sprinkler systems contractor	C-27b Tree trimming and removal contractor	DCCA classifications; HRS 444-2; HAR 4-66-56
Idaho	Partial. DOPL contractor registration, type “400 Landscaping/Sprinklers”. Threshold: $2,000. Exam: no (registration only).	ISDA Professional Applicator, Ornamental Pest (OP) category plus core	Registers as contractor type 400	None found (state level)	DOPL FAQ; Idaho Code 54-5205; ISDA categories
Illinois	None (state level). Home Repair and Remodeling Act expressly excludes landscaping.	IDOA Commercial Applicator or Operator, Ornamental (3.1) and Turf (3.2); general or restricted use for hire	Yes. IDPH Irrigation Contractor registration	None found (state level)	225 ILCS 320/2.5; 815 ILCS 513/10; IDOA
Indiana	None (state level).	OISC Category 3a Ornamental, 3b Turf (3b also covers fertilizer for hire); Pesticide Business License	No state license found (plumbing law not checked)	None found (state level)	OISC
Iowa	Partial. DIAL contractor registration (Iowa Code 91C) covers sprinklers, concrete patios, private walks, fences and grading, not planting. Threshold: $2,000 a year in earnings. Exam: no.	IDALS Category 3 Ornamental and Turf (3OT, 3T, 3O subcategories)	Registers under Iowa Code 91C	None found (state level)	871 IAC 23.82; Iowa Code 91C.1; 21 IAC 45
Kansas	None (state level). Contractor licensing is local.	KDA Category 3: 3A Ornamental, 3B Turf, 3C Interior; Pesticide Business License plus certified applicator	None found (state level)	None found (state level)	K.S.A. 2-2440; K.A.R. 4-13-3
Kentucky	None (state level).	KDA Category 3 Ornamental, Turf and Lawn Care (also covers weed-and-feed)	None (not in state plumbing law)	None found (state level)	302 KAR 26:020; KRS 318.010
Louisiana	Yes. LDAF Landscape Horticulturist license (any fee); LSLBC Landscaping, Grading and Beautification for commercial jobs $50,000+. Exam: yes.	LDAF Category 3 Ornamental and Turf; $25,000 bond or equal insurance for the business	Yes. LDAF Landscape Irrigation Contractor license	Yes. LDAF Arborist and Utility Arborist licenses	R.S. 3:3804; LDAF; LSLBC
Maine	None (state level).	Board of Pesticides Control Category III: 3A Outdoor Ornamentals, 3B Turf; spray contracting firm license for multi-applicator firms	None found (state level)	None (state arborist licensing repealed)	01-026 CMR ch. 31; 10 MRSA §1487
Maryland	Partial. MHIC Home Improvement license names landscaping (residential only). Threshold: none. Exam: yes.	MDA 3(a) Ornamental, 3(c) Turf; separate Professional Fertilizer Applicator certification	None found (state level)	Yes. DNR Licensed Tree Expert	BR §8-101; COMAR 15.05.01.08; NR §5-417
Massachusetts	None (state level). HIC registration not required for routine landscaping, patios, driveways or fencing.	MDAR 3(a) Shade Trees and Ornamentals, 3(b) Turf; Applicator License for non-certified for-hire general-use work	None found (state level)	None found (state level)	333 CMR 10.03; 333 CMR 10.06; OCABR HIC
Michigan	None (state level). Maintenance and alteration trades list concrete and excavation but not landscaping.	MDARD Category 3A Turf, 3B Ornamental (reversed from most states)	None found (state level)	None found (state level)	MCL 339.2404; R 285.636.3
Minnesota	None (state level). Residential contractor license does not list landscaping.	MDA Commercial Applicator, Category E Turf and Ornamentals; custom fertilizer application licensed separately	None found (state level)	Mandatory MDA tree care company registration ($25, no exam)	Minn. Stat. 18B.33; 18G.07; MDA
Mississippi	Yes. MDAC Landscape Horticulturist license (any fee); MSBOC Landscaping, Grading and Beautification for commercial jobs $50,000+. Exam: yes.	MDAC Professional Services: horticultural pest control and horticultural weed control licenses	MSBOC Irrigation Systems classification (commercial $50,000+)	Yes. MDAC Tree Surgery license	MDAC; MSBOC
Missouri	None (state level). No state landscape or general contractor license.	MDA Certified Commercial Applicator, Category 3 Ornamental and Turf	None found (state level)	None found (state level)	2 CSR 70-25
Montana	None (landscape-specific). Construction Contractor License (since 1/1/2026) for firms with employees; landscaping not named. Threshold: $2,500.	MDA Commercial Applicator, (3) Ornamental and Turf; $30,000 minimum liability insurance	None found (state level)	None found (state level)	MCA 37-45-201; MDA
Nebraska	None (landscape-specific). NDOL contractor registration for construction; landscaping not named. Threshold: $5,000 a year. Exam: no.	NDA Commercial Applicator, Category 04 Ornamental and Turf	None found (state level)	None found (state level)	NDA; Neb. Rev. Stat. 48-2104
Nevada	Yes. NSCB C-10 Landscape Contracting. Threshold: under $1,000 with no permit is exempt. Exam: yes (trade plus business and law).	NDA pest control license, Limited Landscape and Weeds categories	Inside C-10 scope	None (state level); tree planting and care inside C-10	NAC 624.280; NSCB; NAC 555.280
New Hampshire	None (state level).	Commercial applicator registration: G1 Shade and Ornamental, G2 Turf; for-hire insurance minimums	None found (state level)	None found (state level)	RSA 430:33; Pes 302.01
New Jersey	Partial. Home Improvement Contractor registration names landscaping (residential only). Threshold: none. Exam: no.	DEP Category 3A Ornamental, 3B Turf; separate ProFACT fertilizer certification	Yes. Certified Landscape Irrigation Contractor plus business permit	Yes. Licensed Tree Expert / Tree Care Operator	N.J.A.C. 13:45A-17.2; NJ DCA; Board of Tree Experts
New Mexico	Partial. No landscaping classification; hardscape and irrigation need CID GS-4, GS-16 or MM-1. Handyman cap $7,200 a year.	NMDA Commercial Applicator 3A (insecticides/fungicides) and 3B (herbicides), ornamental and turf	Inside CID MM-1 plumbing (potable-water sprinklers)	None found (state level)	14.6.6 NMAC; NMSA 60-13-3; NMDA
New York	None (state level). Local licensing (for example NYC and several counties) not covered here.	DEC certification 3A Ornamentals, Shade Trees and Turf or 3B Turf; business registration	None found (state level)	None found (state level)	DEC categories; DEC business
North Carolina	Yes. NC Landscape Contractors’ Licensing Board license. Threshold: $30,000 per job site in 12 months. Exam: yes.	NCDA&CS Commercial Ground Applicator, Category L Ornamental and Turf	Yes. NC Irrigation Contractors’ Licensing Board license	None identified; arboriculture exempt from the landscape license	G.S. 89D; NCLCLB exemptions; NCICLB
North Dakota	None (landscape-specific). SOS contractor license (Class A to D) for jobs over $4,000; landscaping not named.	Commercial applicator certification, Ornamental and Turf; $100,000 financial responsibility	None; plumbing license only to connect backflow preventers to the main supply	None found (state level)	NDCC 43-07; ND Plumbing Board; NDDA
Ohio	None (state level). OCILB licenses only electrical, HVAC, plumbing, hydronics and refrigeration.	ODA Category 8 Turf, 6a Ornamental, 6c Ornamental Weed; pesticide business license plus insurance	None found (state level)	None found (state level)	ODA application; OCILB
Oklahoma	None (state level). CIB licenses electrical, mechanical, plumbing and roofing only.	ODAFF Category 3a Ornamental and Turf Outdoor; business license per category	None found (state level)	None found (state level)	ODAFF; CIB
Oregon	Yes. LCB Landscape Contracting Business license plus Landscape Construction Professional. Threshold: none (maintenance unregulated). Exam: yes.	ODA Commercial Applicator, Ornamental and Turf (herbicide; insecticide-fungicide) plus Operator license	Inside LCB license (“Irrigation and Backflow Only” phase available)	Tree planting needs LCB; removal under LCB or CCB	LCB; ORS 671.540; ODA
Pennsylvania	Partial. HICPA registration (Attorney General) for residential jobs over $500; PDA Plant Merchant certification for landscape contractors. Exam: no.	PDA Category 07 Lawn and Turf; 06 Ornamental and Shade Trees	None found (state level)	None found (state level)	PDA Plant Merchant; 7 Pa. Code 128.42; PA AG
Rhode Island	Partial. CRLB contractor registration covers hardscape “appurtenances” (patios, walks, fences, walls); planting not named. Threshold: $500.	DEM Category 3B Custom Grounds; 3A Shade Tree (Arborist)	Yes. Master/Journeyperson Irrigator license	Yes. DEM Arborist license	R.I. Gen. Laws 5-65-1; 5-20-8; 250-RICR-40-15-2
South Carolina	None (state level). No landscape or irrigation class at the contractor or residential builder boards.	DPR (Clemson) Category 3 Ornamental and Turf, required even for general-use pesticides	None found (state level)	None found (state level)	S.C. Code 40-11; Clemson DPR
South Dakota	None (state level).	DANR Commercial Applicator, Ornamental and Turf Pest Control	None found (state level)	None found (state level)	SDCL 38-21-17; ARSD 12:56:04:04
Tennessee	Partial. Contractor license BC-29 Landscaping for prime contracts $25,000+; Home Improvement license $3,000 to $24,999 in 9 counties. Exam: business and law only.	TDA Horticulture Lawn and Turf (HLT) license, C03 certification; pest control charter	BC-33 Irrigation classification ($25,000+)	S-Tree Trimming classification; no arborist license	TN classifications; TN contractor license; TDA
Texas	None (state level). No state general contractor or home improvement license.	TDA Structural Pest Control Service, Lawn and Ornamental and Weed Control categories	Yes. TCEQ Licensed Irrigator (also Technician, Inspector)	None (state level); tree pest treatment under SPCS Lawn and Ornamental	Occ. Code 1903; Occ. Code 1951; TCEQ
Utah	Yes. DOPL S330 Landscape and Recreation Contractor. Threshold: $7,000. Exam: no (25-hour course).	UDAF Commercial Applicator, Ornamental and Turf, plus business license	Inside S330 scope	None; tree and stump removal exempt from contractor licensing	Utah Code 58-55-305; R156-55a-301; R68-7-7
Vermont	None (state level). Residential contractor registration (over $10,000) expressly exempts landscaping.	VAAFM 3A Ornamental and Shade Tree, 3B Turf; applicator must work for a licensed company	None found (state level)	None found (state level)	26 V.S.A. ch. 106; VAAFM
Virginia	Partial. DPOR contractor license with Landscape Service Contracting (grading, landscape walls, timbers); planting not named. Threshold: over $1,000. Exam: yes.	VDACS 3a Ornamental, 3b Turf; separate Certified Fertilizer Applicator	DPOR Landscape Irrigation Contracting specialty (over $1,000)	None found (state level)	Va. Code 54.1-1100; 18VAC50-22-30; 2VAC5-405-20
Washington	Yes. L&I contractor registration, Landscaping specialty. Threshold: under $500 casual work exempt. Exam: no.	WSDA Commercial Applicator/Operator, Insect and disease control and Weed control classifications	L&I Irrigation sprinkler systems specialty; pumpless residential sprinklers inside Landscaping	L&I Tree removal specialty registration; no arborist license	WAC 296-200A-016; RCW 18.27.090; WAC 16-228-1545
West Virginia	None (state level). Contractor Licensing Act expressly excludes landscaping.	WVDA Commercial Applicator, Ornamental and Turf (61CSR12A)	None found (not confirmed)	None found (not confirmed)	W. Va. Code 30-42-3; 61CSR12A
Wisconsin	None (state level). ATCP 110 home improvement rule covers landscaping contracts but creates no license.	DATCP Individual Commercial Applicator, category 3.0 Turf and Landscape, plus business license	None found (state level)	None found (state level)	ATCP 29.25; DATCP; ATCP 110.01
Wyoming	None (state level). Contractor licensing is municipal.	WDA Commercial Applicator, Category 903 Ornamental and Turf (A weed, B insect, C disease)	None found (not confirmed)	None found (not confirmed)	Wyo. rules ch. 28 §3; §5

Northeast: state notes

Connecticut

Connecticut’s Home Improvement Contractor registration names “patios, landscaping, fences” and driveways on residential property when a job tops $200, but excludes tree or shrub cutting and stump grinding (CGS 20-419). Tree work for hire needs a DEEP arborist license (CGS 23-61b), and the irrigation license under CGS chapter 393 covers backflow connections and low-voltage sprinkler wiring only. For lawn pesticides the category is 3A Ornamental and Turf; 3B is golf courses.

Maine

Maine has no state landscape, irrigation or tree license, and its old arborist licensing chapter is repealed (32 MRSA ch. 29). For-hire applicators need a Board of Pesticides Control license in Category III, with 3A Outdoor Ornamentals and 3B Turf (01-026 CMR ch. 31). Home construction contracts over $3,000 must be in writing (10 MRSA §1487), a contract rule rather than a registration.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts has no landscape license. The state consumer affairs office lists routine landscaping, patios, driveways and fencing as not requiring Home Improvement Contractor registration, while exterior retaining walls do (OCABR). Non-certified applicators who use general-use pesticides for hire need an Applicator License (333 CMR 10.06), and the categories are 3(a) Shade Trees and Ornamentals and 3(b) Turf (333 CMR 10.03).

New Hampshire

New Hampshire has no state landscape license. RSA 430:33 requires a certificate of registration for any commercial pesticide application, and Pes 302.01 sets G1 Shade and Ornamental and G2 Turf categories. For-hire applicants must carry ground-application insurance of at least $50,000/$100,000 bodily injury and $50,000 property damage (Pes 302.03).

New Jersey

New Jersey’s Home Improvement Contractor registration has no dollar floor, and its rule names landscaping, patios, fences and driveways (N.J.A.C. 13:45A-17.2). Irrigation is separate: NJ DCA states that the HIC registration does not apply, and firms need a landscape irrigation business permit employing a certified contractor. Tree care companies need at least one licensed tree expert or tree care operator (Board of Tree Experts), and lawn fertilizer professionals need ProFACT certification.

New York

New York has no state landscape or home improvement license; counties and New York City license contractors locally, which this table does not cover. DEC requires certification to apply any pesticide commercially, and every business location must register and carry at least $1,000,000 per occurrence of general liability coverage (DEC). The Neighbor Notification Law adds 48-hour notice for some lawn applications in counties that adopted it.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania’s Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act (73 P.S. 517.2) requires Attorney General registration for residential jobs over $500 and excludes landscapers certified by the Department of Agriculture, except for driveways, patios, walkways, retaining walls, pools, fountains, lighting and drainage. PDA treats landscape contractors as nursery dealers who need Plant Merchant certification ($40 a year). Lawn pesticide categories are 07 Lawn and Turf and 06 Ornamental and Shade Trees (7 Pa. Code 128.42).

Rhode Island

Rhode Island’s contractor registration covers hardscape “appurtenances” such as patios, walkways, fencing, driveways and retaining walls (R.I. Gen. Laws 5-65-1); plain planting is not named. Irrigation needs a master irrigator license (5-20-8), and pruning, trimming or spraying trees for hire needs a DEM arborist license, which requires the state exam plus ISA certification or equivalent (2-19-1). Lawn pesticide work is Category 3B Custom Grounds (250-RICR-40-15-2).

Vermont

Vermont’s residential contractor registration applies to jobs over $10,000 but expressly exempts landscaping (26 V.S.A. 5502). Using pesticides on the lands of others, including lawn and tree care, requires commercial applicator certification in 3A Ornamental and Shade Tree or 3B Turf, and applicators must be affiliated with a licensed company.

South Atlantic and DC: state notes

Delaware

Delaware requires a Division of Revenue contractor business license (30 Del. C. 2502), which is a tax registration rather than a competency test; whether pure lawn maintenance falls under it was not confirmed. Lawn and ornamental pesticide firms need a DDA Pesticide Business License in Category 03 with a certified applicator, and the license expires on December 31 or when the company’s liability insurance lapses.

District of Columbia

The District’s Home Improvement Contractor license applies to residential contracts of $300 or more and names driveways, fences, garages, porches, decks and pools, but not landscaping (16 DCMR 899.1). Pesticide categories in 20 DCMR 2301 split ornamental and turf into exterior ornamental plants and lawns and turf. DC findings come from DCMR text because the licensing agency’s own pages blocked access.

Florida

Florida has no state landscaping license: landscaping is not among the contractor categories in F.S. 489.105, and county or city licenses often fill the gap. The state regulates chemicals instead. Lawn and ornamental pest control is a category under the structural pest control act (F.S. 482.021); the limited landscape maintenance certificate allows bed and hardscape herbicides but not turf (482.156); and anyone applying commercial fertilizer to an urban landscape needs a limited fertilizer certification (482.1562).

Georgia

Georgia’s residential and general contractor law (O.C.G.A. 43-41-2, unofficial copy) does not mention landscaping, irrigation, fences or patios, so there is no state landscape license. The Department of Agriculture requires both a Pesticide Contractor License for the business and an applicator certified in Category 24 Ornamental and Turf to apply any pesticide, general or restricted use, to another’s property for a fee. No state irrigation license was found, and a claim that controller wiring needs a low-voltage license could not be confirmed on a primary source.

Maryland

Maryland’s MHIC license covers home improvement, and BR §8-101 lists landscaping, driveways, fences, decks and porches on land next to a residence; there is no dollar floor, and the minimum liability coverage is now $500,000 (BR §8-302.1). Lawn fertilizer for hire needs a separate MDA Professional Fertilizer Applicator certification (Ag. §8-803.4), and tree work needs a DNR Tree Expert license (NR §5-417). Maryland’s turf pesticide category is 3(c), not 3(b) (COMAR 15.05.01.08).

North Carolina

North Carolina licenses landscape contractors through a dedicated board (G.S. 89D), covering planting, lawns, drainage, low-voltage lighting, garden pools, retaining walls, walks and patios. The license applies once contracts at a job site reach $30,000 in 12 months, and the statute bars local governments from requiring a license for landscaping below that line (G.S. 89D-13). Mowing, lawn care and arboriculture are exempt; irrigation has its own licensing board, and lawn pesticides need a Category L commercial applicator license.

South Carolina

South Carolina’s contractor classifications (S.C. Code 40-11-410) and residential specialty trades contain no landscaping or irrigation class. Lawn pesticide work for hire needs a Category 3 Ornamental and Turf applicator license from Clemson’s Department of Pesticide Regulation even for general-use products, though Category 3 firms need no separate pesticide business license (DPR FAQ).

Virginia

Virginia requires a DPOR contractor license for work over $1,000 (Va. Code 54.1-1100). The Landscape Service Contracting specialty covers excavation, clearing, grading, landscaping retaining walls and timbers, and Landscape Irrigation Contracting covers sprinklers; planting and mowing are not named in any classification (18VAC50-22-30). Contractor-applicators who apply fertilizer must use a certified fertilizer applicator (2VAC5-405-20).

West Virginia

West Virginia’s Contractor Licensing Act says a contractor does not include “a person who performs landscaping or painting services” (W. Va. Code 30-42-3(d), as printed in 2026 SB 65), and other contracting is licensed from $5,000 residential or $25,000 commercial. Whether hardscape such as retaining walls counts as exempt landscaping is not defined. Pesticide applicators use the Ornamental and Turf category in 61CSR12A; the state code site blocked access, so irrigation and tree findings are unconfirmed.

South Central: state notes

Alabama

Alabama licenses landscaping through its agriculture department, not a contractor board. Ala. Code 2-28-1 defines horticultural work as “receiving fees for landscaping and setting of plants,” and 2-28-4 requires an annual permit before doing or soliciting it; each license type needs a certified operator who passed the commissioner’s exam (2-28-2). The general contractor law (Ala. Code 34-8-1) reaches site work and other improvements of $100,000 or more and does not name landscaping.

Arkansas

Arkansas covers landscaping three ways. The Residential Contractors Committee lists “Landscaping, irrigation, lawn sprinklers, and streams” as a home improvement specialty needed above $2,000, and commercial rules list landscaping specialties for jobs of $50,000 or more. The State Plant Board separately requires a Nursery Landscape Contractor license for anyone planting nursery stock for pay, and its Pest Control Section licenses lawn spraying under the same law as structural pest control (ADA).

Kentucky

Kentucky has no state landscape or home improvement license. Its Category 3 Ornamental, Turf and Lawn Care covers pesticides and “impregnated fertilizer” (weed-and-feed) on lawns and ornamentals, and it absorbed the former golf course, interior plantscape and sports turf categories (302 KAR 26:020). Lawn irrigation is not part of the state plumbing definition (KRS 318.010); backflow connections were not checked.

Louisiana

Louisiana’s Horticulture Commission licenses landscape horticulturists, arborists, utility arborists and landscape irrigation contractors (R.S. 3:3804); a license is needed for any fee, though LDAF says routine mowing, edging and hand-weeding are not regulated. Commercial projects of $50,000 or more also need the LSLBC Landscaping, Grading and Beautification classification, which excludes hardscaping. The state home improvement license exempts anyone who works only in landscaping (R.S. 37:2157).

Mississippi

Mississippi requires an MDAC Landscape Horticulturist license for anyone who advertises or receives fees for “landscaping and setting of plants,” plus a separate Tree Surgery license for tree work. Commercial contracts of $50,000 or more also need MSBOC classifications such as Landscaping, Grading and Beautification (hardscape, planting, mowing and trimming, but not irrigation) or Irrigation Systems. Lawn pesticide work runs through MDAC’s Professional Services law, with separate pest control and weed control licenses.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma’s Construction Industries Board licenses electrical, mechanical, plumbing and roofing trades, not landscaping. ODAFF Category 3a covers lawns, ornamental trees and shrubs, parks and golf courses; commercial applicators must show at least $50,000/$100,000 bodily injury and $50,000 property damage coverage, and the business license is $100 per category, capped at $500 a year.

Tennessee

Tennessee requires a contractor license for prime contracts of $25,000 or more, with BC-29 Landscaping, BC-33 Irrigation and specialty classes for hardscapes, retaining walls and tree trimming; none of these has a trade exam. In nine counties, including Davidson, Shelby, Knox and Hamilton, a Home Improvement license covers residential jobs of $3,000 to $24,999 and names landscaping. Lawn pesticide firms need a TDA pest control charter with a $10,000 surety bond and a licensee certified in C03.

Texas

Texas has no state contractor or home improvement license, so landscape installation is unlicensed at state level. Two exceptions matter. Selling, designing, installing or repairing irrigation systems needs a TCEQ license, and unlicensed installation is a Class C misdemeanor (Occ. Code 1903). For-hire weed control and tree, shrub and lawn pest work near homes and businesses is “structural pest control” under Occ. Code 1951, licensed by the Structural Pest Control Service.

Midwest: state notes

Illinois

Illinois has no landscape license, and its Home Repair and Remodeling Act says the definition “does not include … landscaping” (815 ILCS 513/10). Lawn sprinkler contractors must register annually with IDPH, carry a $20,000 bond or letter of credit, employ someone who passed an approved sprinkler course, and have a licensed plumber inspect each system (225 ILCS 320/2.5). The Department of Agriculture requires a commercial applicator or operator license to apply general-use or restricted-use pesticides for hire, in Ornamental (3.1) or Turf (3.2) (8 Ill. Adm. Code 250.120).

Indiana

Indiana has no state landscape contractor license. OISC requires any business applying restricted-use or general-use pesticides, or fertilizer, to another’s property for hire to hold a Pesticide Business License, liability insurance and at least one certified applicator, and applying fertilizer to turf for hire requires the Category 3b exam. That makes Indiana one of the few states where lawn fertilizing alone triggers a certification.

Iowa

Iowa’s contractor registration (Iowa Code 91C.1) uses a definition of construction from 871 IAC 23.82 that names lawn sprinkler installation, concrete patios, private walks and driveways, fences and grading, but not planting or lawn maintenance. The $2,000 exemption is an annual earnings test, not a per-job threshold. Lawn pesticide work for hire falls under Category 3 Ornamental and Turf (21 IAC 45).

Kansas

Kansas leaves contractor licensing to cities and counties. At state level, K.S.A. 2-2440 makes it unlawful to apply pesticides to another’s property without a Pesticide Business License and a certified commercial applicator in each licensed category, and the business license costs $140 per category. Categories are 3A Ornamental, 3B Turf and 3C Interior Landscape (K.A.R. 4-13-3).

Michigan

Michigan’s maintenance and alteration license lists trades such as carpentry, concrete, excavation, masonry and roofing but not landscaping (MCL 339.2404), so planting and lawn work need no state license; whether a landscaper pouring concrete patios needs the concrete trade license is an open question. MDARD numbers its pesticide categories the other way round from most states: 3A is turf and 3B is ornamental (R 285.636.3).

Minnesota

Minnesota requires a commercial applicator license to apply any pesticide for hire (Minn. Stat. 18B.33), in Category E Turf and Ornamentals, and licenses custom fertilizer application separately (18C.415). Tree care and tree trimming companies must register with MDA before working (18G.07); it is a registry, not an exam. The residential contractor license (326B.802) does not list landscaping among its special skills.

Missouri

Missouri has no state landscape or general contractor license. Its rules require a certified commercial applicator license for anyone who uses any pesticide “on the lands of another” for a fee, so general-use weed-and-feed applications count, and Category 3 covers ornamental and turf (2 CSR 70-25).

Nebraska

Nebraska requires Department of Labor contractor registration for construction work, with an exemption for anyone earning under $5,000 a year from it (Neb. Rev. Stat. 48-2104), but the law never names landscaping. The Department of Agriculture states that people who apply general-use lawn care pesticides for hire must be certified and licensed as commercial applicators, in Category 04 Ornamental and Turf.

North Dakota

North Dakota licenses contractors (Class A to D) for jobs over $4,000 (NDCC 43-07), but landscaping is not named, so whether pure landscape installation triggers it is unconfirmed. The State Plumbing Board says hooking up sprinkler systems needs no plumbing license, but connecting a backflow preventer to the main water supply does. Commercial pesticide applicators are certified in Ornamental and Turf through the state program and must show $100,000 of financial responsibility (NDSU certification packet).

Ohio

Ohio’s construction licensing board covers only electrical, HVAC, plumbing, hydronics and refrigeration, so landscapers need no state contractor license. ODA’s commercial applicator categories are 8 Turf, 6a Ornamental and 6c Ornamental Weed, and firms applying pesticides to others’ property need a pesticide business license and insurance. Ohio’s fertilizer certification is for agricultural operations only and does not reach lawn care.

South Dakota

South Dakota has no state landscape, irrigation, tree or home improvement license. SDCL 38-21-17 bars anyone from applying pesticides to the lands of another without a commercial applicator license, and ARSD 12:56:04:04 requires certification in ornamental and turf pest control.

Wisconsin

Wisconsin has no landscape license, though its home improvement practices rule names landscaping, patios and fences for contract and disclosure purposes (ATCP 110.01). Anyone who uses any pesticide as a contractor for hire needs an individual commercial applicator license (ATCP 29.25), certified in 3.0 Turf and Landscape, and landscape applications carry registry notice and posting duties.

Mountain West: state notes

Arizona

Arizona’s Registrar of Contractors reclassified the old CR-21 “Landscaping and Irrigation Systems” license as “Hardscaping and Irrigation Systems” (A.A.C. R4-9-104), so the ROC now licenses hardscape, irrigation, water features and low-voltage lighting but not planting. Gardeners doing lawn, garden, shrub and tree maintenance are exempt, and the handyman exemption covers only jobs under $1,000 that need no permit and are advertised as unlicensed (A.R.S. 32-1121). Lawn and ornamental pesticide work for hire falls under the Department of Agriculture’s Pest Management Division, with a business license backed by at least $500,000 of financial security (A.R.S. 3-3614, 3-3615).

Colorado

Colorado has no state contractor licensing program, so landscaping, irrigation and tree work are regulated, if at all, by cities and counties. The state’s lever is pesticides: a business applying pesticides for hire must be licensed by the Department of Agriculture and employ a Qualified Supervisor who passed the core exam plus a category exam (CDA). Category 206 Turf also covers weeds in ornamental beds and xeriscaped or mulched areas.

Idaho

Idaho requires contractor registration, not licensure, and the DOPL application lists “400 Landscaping/Sprinklers” as a contracting type. Casual or minor projects under $2,000 are exempt (Idaho Code 54-5205; the DOPL FAQ phrases it as jobs “exceeding $2000”). ISDA merged its ornamental herbicide and insecticide/fungicide categories into one Ornamental Pest (OP) category in 2024. Idaho’s official sites refused connections, so these pages were read from archived copies.

Montana

Montana replaced its construction contractor registration with a Construction Contractor License on January 1, 2026 (MCA 37-45-201). The definition covers improvements attached to real estate but does not name landscaping, and casual jobs under $2,500 and independent contractors with no employees are exempt (MCA 37-45-104). Anyone in the business of applying pesticides needs a Department of Agriculture license and at least $30,000 of liability insurance.

Nevada

Nevada’s C-10 license covers grading, planting and maintaining lawns and trees, irrigation and drainage, xeriscape, hydroseeding, ponds and arbors, plus walkways up to 200 sq ft, patios up to 400 sq ft, retaining walls up to 3 ft and 24-volt lighting (NAC 624.280). The handyman exemption covers work under $1,000 in labor and materials with no permit. Lawn pesticide work uses the Limited Landscape and Weeds categories (NAC 555.280).

New Mexico

New Mexico’s Construction Industries Division has no landscaping classification (14.6.6 NMAC). Concrete walks and driveways need GS-4, masonry and taller retaining walls need GS-16, and lawn sprinklers on potable water fall under MM-1 plumbing. The handyman exemption caps compensation at $7,200 a year (NMSA 60-13-3), and NMDA defines a commercial applicator as anyone applying any pesticide on someone else’s property for pay, with insurance or a bond required (21.17.50 NMAC).

Utah

Utah’s S330 license covers grading, planting, sprinkler systems, retaining walls, patios, walks, fences and garden lighting, while lawn aeration, fertilizing, dethatching and tree removal need no contractor license (R156-55a-301). Jobs under $7,000 in labor and materials are exempt, and jobs from $3,000 up trigger an insurance affirmation (Utah Code 58-55-305). Licensing requires a 25-hour pre-licensure course but no division exam (58-55-302).

Wyoming

Wyoming has no state contractor licensing; cities such as Cheyenne and Casper license contractors locally. Any pesticide application for compensation needs certification and a commercial applicator license (Wyoming Department of Agriculture rules, ch. 28 §3), in Category 903 with weed, insect and disease subcategories (§5).

Pacific: state notes

Alaska

Alaska treats landscaping as a specialty contractor trade: 12 AAC 21.370 covers grading and filling, hauling topsoil and gravel, drainage and ponds, hydroseeding, and installing grass, shrubs, trees and ornamental plants. Registration under AS 08.18.011 is required to bid or work, with a bond and insurance but no exam. Custom pesticide work needs DEC certification in the ornamental and turf category (18 AAC 90.300).

California

California’s C-27 Landscaping Contractor license, issued by the CSLB after a trade exam, covers planting, hardscape, drainage, irrigation and lighting. Since January 1, 2025, the minor-work exemption covers only jobs under $1,000 for labor, materials and everything else, with no permit and no employees (B&P 7048; CSLB bulletin on AB 2622). Gardeners who spray only occasionally can use DPR’s Maintenance Gardener business license, and tree removal and pruning count as contracting (B&P 7026.1) under the C-49 class.

Hawaii

Hawaii’s C-27 license covers architectural horticulture, tree trimming, gardens and lawns, drainage and sprinklers, rockscaping, ornamental pools, walls, fences and walks, with C-27a (hydro mulching), C-27b (tree trimming and removal) and C-37b (irrigation) as related classes (DCCA). The handyman exemption is $1,500 in labor and materials with no building permit (HRS 444-2(4)), although the DCCA FAQ still shows the older $1,000. Pesticide certification is tied to restricted-use products (HAR 4-66-56); whether general-use lawn spraying for hire needs a license was not confirmed.

Oregon

Oregon’s Landscape Contractors Board licenses anyone who plans or installs lawns, plants, irrigation, drainage, patios, walkways, fences or retaining walls; there is no general dollar threshold. Maintenance such as mowing, pruning and weeding is not regulated (LCB), and maintenance firms may do casual landscape work up to $500 per site per year (ORS 671.540). ODA‘s exemption for general-use pesticides in landscape maintenance is narrow: no advertising, small residential lawns and no powered equipment.

Washington

Washington’s contractor law reaches any improvement to real estate, including tree removal (RCW 18.27.010), and the L&I Landscaping specialty covers installing and maintaining landscape systems, walkways, garden walls and fences up to 6 ft, ponds and residential sprinklers without pumps (WAC 296-200A-016). Only casual jobs under $500 are exempt (RCW 18.27.090), and specialty contractors post a $15,000 bond (RCW 18.27.040). Since January 1, 2026, WSDA licenses ornamental and turf work under broad Insect and disease control and Weed control classifications (WAC 16-228-1545).

Before you bid in another state

Three checks catch most licensing problems before they cost a job:

• Scope and threshold. Confirm whether the state licenses the specific work in your scope (planting, hardscape, irrigation, spraying) and whether the contract value crosses its threshold. Thresholds count labor and materials together in most states, and splitting a job to stay under one is usually barred.
• Pesticide reciprocity. Applicator certification rarely transfers automatically. Expect a reciprocity application at minimum, and check whether the new state uses a different category code for the same work.
• Local layer. City and county business and contractor licenses sit on top of everything in the table, and they are the main requirement in states such as Colorado, Kansas and Wyoming that license contractors locally.

Hardscape is where licensing bites most often, because patio and wall jobs cross dollar thresholds that maintenance never reaches; see what paver patios and retaining walls typically cost. License fees, bonds and required insurance belong in overhead; our guide on how to bid landscaping jobs shows where they go in a price. If you are starting out, how to become a landscaper covers which credentials to get first.

Download the data. The full table, with every primary source and the date each row was verified, is free to reuse with a link back to this page: landscaping license requirements by state, 2026 (CSV).