North Dakota Landscaping Contractor License Requirements (2026)

North Dakota has no stand-alone statewide landscape-contractor trade license. A landscaper acting as a contractor on a construction, repair, alteration, or improvement job whose cost, value, or price exceeds $4,000 needs a Secretary of State contractor license. Routine services that do not make the business a “contractor” under chapter 43-07 should be evaluated separately rather than assumed to be licensed. Pesticide work is also conditional: a person applying restricted-use pesticides for compensation must be commercially certified, while a person applying general-use pesticides for compensation must be commercially certified or work under the direct supervision of a commercially certified applicator. Ornamental & Turf Pest Control is the relevant category for products used to maintain ornamental trees, shrubs, flowers, and turf. Local authorities still control project permits, zoning, irrigation/cross-connection approvals, inspections, and local business requirements.

Regulatory Body

North Dakota Secretary of State, NDSU Extension Pesticide Program, and local authorities (ND SOS / NDSU / Local AHJ) administers the credential or scope-specific rules discussed here under North Dakota Century Code chapter 43-07 and chapter 4.1-33. Whether that pathway applies depends on the work scope and conditions explained below. The Secretary of State licenses contractors statewide. NDSU Extension administers pesticide applicator certification under the North Dakota Pesticide Act, with NDDA enforcing pesticide requirements. Local authorities separately administer permits, inspections, zoning, irrigation/cross-connection approvals, and local business requirements.

Official portal: https://www.sos.nd.gov/business/licensing-registration/contractors
Address: North Dakota Secretary of State, 600 E Boulevard Ave, Dept 108, Bismarck, ND 58505
Phone: (701) 328-2900

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must be at least 18 years old. Applicants must provide a Social Security Number. The contractor program licenses nonresident contractors as well as in-state businesses. A nonresident pesticide applicant must designate an agent for service of process as required by the pesticide statute.

Good moral character

The contractor registrar may act on false or misleading information, directly relevant unrehabilitated offenses, or dishonest/fraudulent contractor conduct. Pesticide certification may be denied, suspended, or revoked for violations of the Pesticide Act and related rules.

Background investigation

The contractor registrar may require criminal-history information when appropriate or necessary. The cited pesticide sources focus on examination, classification, financial responsibility, and compliance rather than a routine criminal-background check.

Experience and Education

No fixed number of years of experience is set out in the cited sources for this credential; instead, the controlling requirement is The contractor program requires a sworn statement of experience and qualifications but publishes no statewide landscaping hour or apprenticeship threshold. A commercial pesticide applicant needs the monitored core and appropriate category examination(s), financial responsibility, and certification fee; Ornamental & Turf is the relevant landscape category..

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

FirstStop contractor application, liability certificate, and WSI documentation when the contractor license is required
Commercial pesticide core and applicable category examination documentation
$100,000 commercial-applicator financial-responsibility documentation unless an exemption applies
Commercial and public pesticide-application records, made within 24 hours and retained as required

Education substitution

NDSU identifies recertification training or reexamination for pesticide certificates. The cited sources do not state a landscape-construction education substitution.

Exam Requirements

Testing provider or authority: North Dakota State University Extension Pesticide Program or its designee for pesticide certification; no statewide landscaping trade exam is listed.. The following examination requirements cover the pathways described in this guide; follow each part's classification, waiver, and local-scope conditions. Unpublished format details do not remove an examination requirement:

Commercial applicator core examination — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score: confirm in the current candidate bulletin
Ornamental & Turf Pest Control category examination, when that is the work scope — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score: confirm in the current candidate bulletin

Examination fee: The current contractor initial fee is $100–$450 by class. Pesticide law permits a reasonable examination fee set by the board; confirm the current NDSU fee and category requirements before registering.

Retake policy: NDSU states that an expired category can be renewed by passing a monitored exam. The cited current sources do not establish a statewide 14-day wait or fixed retake fee.

Insurance and Bonds

This credential carries no state-level surety bond requirement under the cited sources. Individual jobs may still trigger a permit or public-works bond, which should be verified before bidding.

General liability

A contractor-license applicant must file a liability-insurance certificate; the cited contractor materials do not publish a statewide contractor-liability dollar minimum or bond. A commercial pesticide applicator must demonstrate and maintain $100,000 financial responsibility through qualifying net assets, a performance bond, general-liability insurance, or a documented exemption.

Workers' compensation

For a contractor license, submit WSI documentation: a certificate of payment for employees residing in North Dakota, or the applicable WSI letter of good standing. Pesticide certification has its own $100,000 financial-responsibility requirement for commercial applicators.

Additional financial requirements

Commercial pesticide applicators may use a notarized financial-institution or CPA letter showing at least $100,000 in net assets as one form of required financial responsibility.

Fee Schedule

Fee	Amount
Application	$100
Initial license	$100
Renewal (every year)	$30

To turn these board fees into a realistic year-one budget — bond premium, liability insurance, and exam prep included — open the cost calculator preloaded for North Dakota landscaping.

Renewal and Continuing Education

Expect to renew the North Dakota Landscaping — Contractor License and Conditional Pesticide Certification every year. Renewal currently costs $30. Contractor renewal is due by March 1. Pesticide certification expires on the first April 1 following two years from issuance and is renewable every three years; do not use the one-year contractor cycle as the pesticide cycle.

Continuing education: Contractor licensing does not list landscape CE. Pesticide certificates renew every three years on April 1 by approved seminar, reexamination, or both if required by the board.

Downloadable Asset

2026 North Dakota Landscaping License Roadmap (PDF) — a printable step-by-step checklist for the application process.

Download the PDF roadmap →

Reciprocity

North Dakota does not accept the NASCLA Accredited Examination for this classification.

Reciprocal State	Accepted Exam	Conditions
No formal bilateral reciprocity agreements identified.

The contractor program does not publish reciprocal landscape licenses. North Dakota may issue pesticide certification without examination to a qualifying nonresident under a substantially similar program, but the out-of-state certificate does not substitute for a North Dakota certificate.

Weighing more than one jurisdiction? The national hub compares published Landscaping license requirements by state — exam, bond, fee, and experience thresholds side by side.

Landscaping Licensing in Neighboring States

Contractors working near a state line, or weighing where to qualify first, should compare North Dakota's requirements against the bordering jurisdictions before committing to an application:

Minnesota Landscaping License Requirements — Minnesota Landscaping Requirements — Scope, Pesticide, Fertilizer and Permit Guide
Montana Landscaping License Requirements — Montana Landscaping Contractor and Pesticide Applicator Guide
South Dakota Landscaping License Requirements — South Dakota Landscaping Requirements — Tax Licensing and Conditional Pesticide Licensure

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

Classify the services offered. Separate routine landscape maintenance from work that makes the business a chapter 43-07 contractor, and separately identify every pesticide application or supervision activity.
Obtain a contractor license when the job exceeds $4,000. For covered construction, repair, alteration, or improvement work, license before acting as a contractor when the cost, value, or price per job exceeds $4,000.
Choose a contractor class and prepare documents. Class D permits jobs up to $100,000, C up to $300,000, B up to $500,000, and A has no job-value limit. File liability and WSI documentation.
Determine pesticide-certification responsibility. For-hire restricted-use pesticide application requires commercial certification. For-hire general-use application requires commercial certification or direct supervision by a commercially certified applicator.
Pass core and applicable category testing. Commercial applicants complete the NDSU monitored core and category examination(s). Use Ornamental & Turf Pest Control for products used on ornamental trees, shrubs, flowers, and turf.
Maintain financial responsibility and records. Commercial applicators maintain $100,000 financial responsibility unless an exemption applies. Keep application and rinsate records as required; the compliance guide says records must be made within 24 hours.
Confirm local approvals and renew. Check permits, zoning, irrigation/cross-connection, site, inspection, and local-business rules with the jurisdiction. Contractor renewal is annual by March 1; pesticide certification is on the statutory April 1 three-year cycle.

Application Checklist

The most critical documents or confirmations the applicant should have in hand before filing with ND SOS / NDSU / Local AHJ:

Classify the landscape scope and identify work that is contractor work
License as a contractor before a covered job exceeds $4,000
Select a contractor class for the largest covered job
Prepare liability certificate and WSI documentation
Determine whether pesticide application is restricted-use, general-use, or supervised
Pass NDSU core and Ornamental & Turf category exams when required
Maintain $100,000 commercial-applicator financial responsibility unless exempt
Keep pesticide records and verify local project approvals

Common Filing Mistakes

Working from the cited board instructions, here are the snags most likely to trip up a North Dakota Landscaping filing.

Using “$4,000 or more”

The contractor statute triggers when the cost, value, or price per job exceeds $4,000; it does not say $4,000 or more.

Assuming every landscaping service is contractor work

The contractor requirement follows the statutory construction/repair/alteration/improvement definition. Evaluate routine maintenance separately.

Spraying for hire without the correct certified person

For-hire restricted-use work requires commercial certification. For-hire general-use work requires commercial certification or direct supervision by a commercially certified applicator.

Using the wrong pesticide category

Ornamental & Turf Pest Control covers products used to produce and maintain ornamental trees, shrubs, flowers, and turf. Confirm another category if the work is agricultural, right-of-way, structural, or otherwise different.

Ignoring local project rules

State contractor or pesticide credentials do not replace local zoning, permits, irrigation/cross-connection, inspections, or business requirements.

Study and Reference Materials

The references below are either cited by the board, used during the application, or standard preparation for the trade. They are listed purely for convenience — CLR earns no commission on any of them.

North Dakota contractor licensing — North Dakota Secretary of State. Primary current source for the over-$4,000 threshold, class fees/limits, liability certificate, WSI documentation, and annual renewal.
NDSU pesticide certification guidance — North Dakota State University Extension. Primary current source for core/category examinations, Ornamental & Turf scope, financial responsibility, supervision, recertification, and reciprocity.
North Dakota Pesticide Regulatory Compliance Guide — North Dakota Department of Agriculture. Primary compliance source for for-hire pesticide application, records, financial responsibility, and category scope.

Other North Dakota Trade Licenses

If the Landscaping license is not the right fit, the following published North Dakota trade guides are also covered by CLR:

Frequently Asked Questions

Does North Dakota license landscapers?

There is no standalone statewide landscape-contractor trade license. A business needs a Secretary of State contractor license when it acts as a chapter 43-07 contractor on a job whose cost, value, or price exceeds $4,000.

Does every lawn-maintenance business need a contractor license?

Not automatically. The statute applies to persons acting as contractors in construction, repair, alteration, or improvement work. Classify the actual scope instead of treating routine maintenance as automatically covered.

Do I need pesticide certification to spray lawns or ornamentals for customers?

Yes, unless a permitted supervision arrangement applies. A for-hire restricted-use applicator must be commercially certified; a for-hire general-use applicator must be commercially certified or work under direct supervision of a commercially certified applicator. Ornamental & Turf Pest Control covers ornamental trees, shrubs, flowers, and turf.

What insurance is required for commercial pesticide work?

A commercial applicator must maintain $100,000 financial responsibility through qualifying net assets, a bond, general-liability insurance, or a documented exemption. This is distinct from the contractor program’s required liability certificate.

Do municipalities regulate pesticide applications?

The state pesticide statute generally preempts local pesticide ordinances, except city zoning ordinances. Local governments can still regulate zoning, permits, site work, irrigation/cross-connection, and local business matters.

Primary Sources

Regulatory requirements on this page are drawn from the official board, statute, and exam-provider materials listed below.

Verified 2026-09-04 · Next scheduled review 2026-12-03

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Corrections and presentation updates

2026-09-30: Corrected examination detection when format details are unpublished and updated the summary layout and requirements score. Source-check dates are unchanged.
2026-09-08: Shared template updated to distinguish unspecified eligibility requirements, retain cost qualifications, and use consistent headings. Source-check dates are unchanged by presentation updates.
2026-09-21: Local-only guides now use a compliance-focused structure and terminology instead of implying a statewide license application. Source-check dates are unchanged by this presentation update.