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Contractor License Requirements

Tennessee Landscaping License Requirements (2026)

Gabriel Giner

By Gabriel Giner, Editor · Source checked 2026-09-04

Tennessee’s contractor license is required before bidding or offering a price for a project of $25,000 or more. TBLC says landscaping subcontractors are not required to hold the contractor license unless they bid directly to the owner; do not confuse CMC-D, which TBLC identifies as Fire Sprinkler, with landscaping. A landscaping business that provides custom pesticide application for a fee has separate Tennessee Department of Agriculture requirements: a pest control charter for each office and appropriately licensed or certified personnel. Local business, zoning, permit, irrigation, and landscape rules may still apply.

Regulatory Body

This license is issued and enforced by Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors — Department of Commerce and Insurance (TBLC) pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated Title 62 Chapter 6 (Contractors Licensing Act of 1994); Rules of the Board Chapter 0680. TBLC licenses general and specialty contractors statewide, sets monetary limits based on CPA-reviewed financial statements, administers the PSI examination program, and conducts disciplinary proceedings under T.C.A. Title 62 Chapter 6.

Eligibility Requirements

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

Good moral character

TBLC reviews fitness, including prior license discipline.

Background investigation

Required disclosure on the application.

Experience and Education

Eligibility here is not measured in years of experience but by No separate statewide landscaping experience path was identified. The TBLC contractor-license requirements apply when the business is directly contracting at the statutory threshold; pesticide work has its own TDA qualifications., per the cited materials.

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

  • Current TBLC or TDA documentation required for the actual service and business role

Exam Requirements

No statewide examination is specified for this pathway. The controlling process is: TBLC requires the Tennessee Business and Law exam for contractor applicants; a trade exam is required only for certain classifications. No landscaping CMC-D trade exam was identified.

Examination fee: Confirm current TBLC examination fees if the planned work requires a contractor license.

Retake policy: Follow the current TBLC or TDA examination instructions applicable to the credential.

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

For pest control charters, TDA states minimum liability coverage of $250,000 per occurrence and $500,000 aggregate. Confirm requirements separately for TBLC contracting and the local project.

Workers' compensation

Workers’ compensation duties are separate from these licensing frameworks; confirm the workforce arrangement with the appropriate Tennessee authority.

Additional financial requirements

A TBLC contractor applicant needs financial information to establish a monetary limit. The TDA pesticide charter requirements are separate.

Fee Schedule

FeeAmount
ApplicationNo separate amount recorded; confirm in the fee guidance
Initial licenseNo 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 Tennessee landscaping.

Renewal and Continuing Education

Expect to renew the Tennessee Landscaping Contractor Requirements — TBLC Threshold + TDA Pesticide Charter every 2 years. The cited materials name no distinct statewide fee for renewal. There is no standalone CMC-D landscaping renewal. Use current TBLC, TDA, and local renewal instructions applicable to the business.

Continuing education: TDA commercial pesticide certification follows a three-year certification cycle with CEU requirements; TBLC/local obligations depend on the actual credential.

Downloadable Asset

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

Download the PDF roadmap →

Reciprocity

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

Reciprocal StateAccepted ExamConditions
No formal bilateral reciprocity agreements identified.

No standalone Tennessee landscaping credential or reciprocity route was identified in the reviewed TBLC/TDA materials.

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

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

  1. Determine the contracting role and price. A TBLC contractor license is required before directly bidding or offering a price for a $25,000-or-more project. Landscaping subcontractors are not required unless they bid directly to the owner.
  2. Use the TBLC path if the threshold applies. Follow TBLC’s current contractor application, financial, Business and Law exam, and monetary-limit requirements for the actual classification.
  3. Determine whether pesticide work is custom application. A business offering custom pesticide application for a fee needs a TDA pest control charter for each office and the required licensed/certified personnel.
  4. Meet pesticide charter requirements. TDA identifies insurance, bond, personnel, and roster requirements; use the current charter application for the services offered.
  5. Confirm local project requirements. Check local business, permit, zoning, irrigation, and site requirements for the actual location.

Application Checklist

The most critical documents or confirmations the applicant should have in hand before filing with TBLC:

Common Filing Mistakes

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

Using CMC-D as a landscaping classification

CMC-D is Fire Sprinkler, not landscaping.

Ignoring the direct-to-owner distinction

TBLC distinguishes landscaping subcontractors from businesses directly bidding to the owner at the $25,000 threshold.

Offering custom pesticide application without the TDA path

TDA requires a charter for each office offering custom pesticide application and appropriately licensed/certified personnel.

Missing TDA coverage or records

TDA publishes charter insurance, bond, personnel, and recordkeeping obligations; use the current rules and application.

Skipping local project controls

Confirm local permits, zoning, irrigation, and site 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.

  • Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors — Contractor — Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance. Use current threshold, classification, financial, exam, and fee requirements when direct contracting requires a license.
  • TDA Certification, Licensing and Charters — Tennessee Department of Agriculture. Use current charter, commercial certification, fee, coverage, and CEU information for custom pesticide applications.

Other Tennessee Trade Licenses

CLR covers other Tennessee trades as well — the published guides below may be more relevant:

Frequently Asked Questions

When is a Tennessee contractor license required for landscaping?

TBLC requires a contractor license before directly bidding or offering a price for a project of $25,000 or more. TBLC states landscaping subcontractors are not required to be licensed unless they bid directly to the owner.

Is CMC-D a landscaping classification?

No. TBLC identifies CMC-D as Fire Sprinkler; this guide does not use it as a landscaping license.

When is a pesticide charter required?

TDA says a company providing or offering custom pesticide application needs a pest control charter for each office, with the required personnel and coverage.

What pesticide category applies to ornamental and turf work?

TDA lists C03 Ornamental and Turf among commercial certification categories. Confirm the correct category and business-license requirements before applying pesticides.

Are local rules relevant?

Yes. Confirm local business, permit, zoning, irrigation, and site requirements for the project location.

Primary Sources

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

  1. Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors
  2. T.C.A. Title 62 Chapter 6 — Contractors Licensing Act
  3. TBLC Rules Chapter 0680
  4. PSI test-taker program directory — search for Tennessee contractor examinations
  5. TDA Pesticide Section

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

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Corrections and presentation updates
  • : Corrected examination detection when format details are unpublished and updated the summary layout and requirements score. Source-check dates are unchanged.
  • : Shared template updated to distinguish unspecified eligibility requirements, retain cost qualifications, and use consistent headings. Source-check dates are unchanged by presentation updates.
  • : 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.