Oregon Landscape Contractor License Requirements (2026)

Oregon’s Landscape Contractors Board separately licenses Landscape Construction Professionals (LCPs) and Landscape Contracting Businesses (LCBs). An LCB must have an LCP owner or employee supervising the landscaping operation; unlicensed employees may work under that supervision. The current standard LCP statute requires 24 months of landscape-business employment in the preceding ten years, or 12 months plus one year of related accredited training, followed by an examination. Effective January 1, 2026, standard LCBs must carry a $20,000 bond ($15,000 for probationary license holders) and at least $500,000 liability insurance. A business applying pesticides to others’ property has separate ODA Commercial Pesticide Operator requirements.

Regulatory Body

Oregon Construction Contractors Board (CCB) administers and enforces this credential under the authority of Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 701; OAR Chapter 812 (CCB administrative rules). The CCB licenses all construction contractors in Oregon, sets pre-license training and exam standards, holds bond and insurance filings, and adjudicates contractor disputes through its Dispute Resolution Services program.

Official portal: https://www.oregon.gov/ccb/
Address: 201 High Street SE, Suite 600, Salem, OR 97301
Phone: (503) 378-4621

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must be at least 18 years old. Applicants must provide a Social Security Number. No residency requirement.

Good moral character

LCB reviews fitness, including prior license discipline.

Background investigation

Required disclosure on the LCB application.

Experience and Education

Plan to substantiate 2 years of ORS 671.570 requires, within the preceding ten years, 24 months of employment with a landscape contracting business, or 12 months plus one full year of related accredited-school training; Board rules may permit other equivalent education and experience. with hard records. Payroll, tax, project logs, and supervisor verification are what the board relies on when it reviews the claim.

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

Current LCB application documentation supporting employment and/or related education

Education substitution

One full year of related accredited-school training may be paired with 12 months of landscape-business employment under ORS 671.570.

Exam Requirements

Testing provider or authority: LCB offers PSI testing and, for eligible traditional applicants, an approved Clackamas Community College SBDC prep-course/Standard Phase examination option.. 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:

LCB Landscape Construction Professional exam — installation, irrigation, hardscape, plant ID, business law — 130 questions, 240 minutes, passing score 70%

Examination fee: Use the current LCB candidate bulletin or approved-course information for examination fees.

Retake policy: Use the current LCB examination instructions.

Insurance and Bonds

A contractor license surety bond of $20,000, on the CCB's prescribed form, is a precondition to issuance.

General liability

LCB requires minimum $500,000 commercial general liability for the licensed business.

Workers' compensation

Mandatory under ORS 656 for any employer with one or more employees.

Additional financial requirements

Not required for LCB.

Fee Schedule

Fee	Amount
Application	No separate amount recorded; confirm in the fee guidance
Initial license	No separate amount recorded; confirm in the fee guidance
Renewal (every 2 years)	No separate amount recorded; confirm in the fee guidance

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 Oregon landscaping.

Renewal and Continuing Education

Expect to renew the Oregon Landscape Contracting Business (LCB) + Landscape Construction Professional (LCP) every 2 years. The cited materials name no distinct statewide fee for renewal. Maintain the bond, liability insurance, and workers’ compensation when applicable; use LCB’s current renewal schedule and fee table.

Continuing education: Use the current LCB renewal and continuing-education requirements for the license phase held.

Downloadable Asset

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

Download the PDF roadmap →

Reciprocity

Oregon does not accept the NASCLA Accredited Examination for this classification.

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

No formal reciprocity. The LCB exam and bond are required of all applicants regardless of out-of-state credentials.

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 Oregon's requirements against the bordering jurisdictions before committing to an application:

California Landscaping License Requirements — California Class C-27 — Landscaping Contractor
Idaho Landscaping License Requirements — Idaho Contractor Registration for Landscaping + ISDA Pesticide Rules
Nevada Landscaping License Requirements — Nevada C-10 Landscape Contractor License Requirements
Washington Landscaping License Requirements — Washington Specialty Contractor Registration — Landscaping

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

Document standard LCP eligibility. Use the current LCB application to document 24 months of landscape-business employment in the prior 10 years, or 12 months plus one year of related accredited training.
Submit LCB application as a Landscape Construction Professional (LCP). Individual certification.
Pass the required LCP examination. Use the current LCB exam instructions; eligible traditional applicants may use PSI or the approved SBDC Standard Phase route.
Register Oregon business entity as a Landscape Contracting Business (LCB-LCB). Separate business license.
File the current surety bond. Effective January 1, 2026, LCB identifies a $20,000 bond for standard businesses and $15,000 for probationary license holders.
Secure $500,000 CGL liability insurance. Required by LCB.
Use the ODA operator path for pesticide services. A business applying pesticides to others’ property needs a Commercial Pesticide Operator license, insurance, and the applicable licensed commercial pesticide applicator.
Enroll workers compensation. Mandatory for any W-2 employee.

Application Checklist

The items below are the ones worth confirming before the application is filed with CCB:

Current LCB documentation of standard LCP eligibility
LCB Landscape Construction Professional (LCP) individual certification
Required LCP examination through the current LCB-approved route
LCB Landscape Contracting Business (LCB-LCB) license
$20,000 surety bond
$500,000 CGL liability insurance
Workers compensation coverage
ODA Commercial Pesticide Operator and applicable applicator licensing if applying pesticides to others’ property

Common Filing Mistakes

Based on the board's own instructions and the sources cited here, the problems below are what most often stall a Oregon Landscaping application.

Confusing the LCP and LCB roles

The LCP supervises landscaping work; the LCB contracts with the consumer and carries the business compliance items.

Using the old bond schedule

LCB’s 2026 standard bond is $20,000, with a $15,000 probationary amount.

Assuming PSI is the only testing route

Eligible traditional applicants can use the LCB-approved SBDC Standard Phase course/exam option.

Offering pesticide services without the ODA business path

An operator applying pesticides to others’ property needs a Commercial Pesticide Operator license and applicable licensed applicator.

Skipping local project approvals

Confirm local permits, irrigation, and site requirements for the actual project.

Study and Reference Materials

What follows are the regulator-cited and commonly used preparation references for this trade. They appear here for convenience only; CLR takes no compensation for them.

Oregon LCB examination information — Oregon Landscape Contractors Board. Current candidate bulletin, PSI option, and approved SBDC Standard Phase option.
ODA pesticide licensing requirements — Oregon Department of Agriculture. Commercial operator and applicator requirements for pesticide services.

Other Oregon Trade Licenses

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the LCB really separate from the CCB?

Yes. The Oregon Landscape Contractors Board (LCB) is a completely separate agency from the Construction Contractors Board (CCB). Landscapers do NOT need a CCB license — they need an LCB license under ORS 671.

What is the difference between LCP and LCB?

An LCP is the individual who supervises landscaping work. An LCB is the business that contracts for work and carries the bond, liability insurance, and workers’ compensation when applicable.

Does every worker need an LCP?

No. Oregon requires an LCP to supervise the LCB’s landscaping operation; unlicensed employees may work under that supervision.

Is the bond really $20,000?

Yes. ORS 671.690 sets the LCB bond at $20,000. This is separate from any CCB bond.

What are the 2026 bond amounts?

LCB identifies $20,000 for standard businesses and $15,000 for probationary license holders.

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.