Louisiana splits landscape licensing between LDAF and the LSLBC. Here is who issues the horticulturist, irrigation and architect licenses and when the $50,000 contractor line applies.
Louisiana does not have one landscape license. The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF), through its Horticulture Commission, licenses the person who does the planting, the person who installs irrigation and the person who draws the plans. A separate agency, the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors (LSLBC), licenses the company once a commercial job passes $50,000. Knowing which agency owns which job keeps you from paying for a license you do not need or skipping one you do.
At a glance
- LDAF issues the landscape horticulturist, landscape irrigation contractor and landscape architect licenses. All expire every January 31.
- The horticulturist and irrigation contractor exams each carry a $150 exam fee and a 70 percent passing score.
- Irrigation contractors must hold a water supply protection specialist endorsement from the State Plumbing Board before they connect to a water supply.
- LSLBC classification L.2, Landscaping, Grading, and Beautification, requires LDAF licensure and applies to commercial work over $50,000, labor and materials.
- Mowing, edging and hand weeding need no state license.
Who Issues What in Louisiana Landscaping
Think of Louisiana landscape licensing as two layers. The first layer is personal and comes from LDAF under Louisiana Revised Statutes 3:3808. The second layer is a company contractor license from the LSLBC, and it only applies when the contract value crosses the board's thresholds.
| License | Issued by | Exam | Annual cycle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscape horticulturist | LDAF Horticulture Commission | $150 exam fee, 70 percent to pass | Expires January 31 |
| Landscape irrigation contractor | LDAF Horticulture Commission | $150 exam fee, 70 percent to pass | Expires January 31 |
| Landscape architect | LDAF Horticulture Commission | National LARE, then the Louisiana LLAE ($200, or $100 to retake) | Expires January 31 |
| Commercial contractor license, L.2 classification | LSLBC | Credential classification that requires LDAF licensure | Set by the board |
Fees are set by the board or testing vendor and can change. Verify the current amount with the provider before you pay.
Work You Can Do Without a State License
The LSU AgCenter lists a short set of tasks that need no state landscape license: mowing, edging and hand weeding. Hedge trimming and tree pruning are also allowed without a license when the work is not on commercial property and the owner directs it. Pruning is limited to a branch two inches or less in diameter and within ten feet of ground level.
Once you are paid a fee for bed preparation, planting, sod installation, plant selection advice or fertilizing, you are past that line. That work calls for the landscape horticulturist license.
Landscape Horticulturist License
The landscape horticulturist license covers recommending and carrying out beautification with nursery stock. LDAF lists bed preparation, plant and sod installation, pruning, fertilizing, maintenance and operating a nursery as the work it covers. It does not let you charge for landscape design. You may draw plans that show where nursery stock goes, but the drawing must carry your name, the title Landscape Horticulturist and your license number, and R.S. 3:3808 bars a fee for those drawings. Paid design belongs to a landscape architect.
The process runs in this order:
- Submit the application to LDAF and pay the $150 exam fee.
- Sit the exam within 60 days of submitting the application.
- Score 70 percent or higher.
- Pay the $125 initial license fee.
- Renew by January 31 every year.
LDAF gives the annual license fee range as $125 to $175, so confirm the amount for your license type when you renew.
Landscape Irrigation Contractor License
Louisiana treats irrigation as its own license. R.S. 3:3808 and LDAF place constructing, installing, connecting, repairing, maintaining, improving or altering any part of a landscape irrigation system, including its wiring, under the landscape irrigation contractor license. The holder must also pull any permits the local governing authority requires.
The irrigation license comes with conditions the horticulturist license does not have:
| Requirement | What LDAF lists |
|---|---|
| Exam | $150 exam fee, 70 percent to pass, taken within 60 days of applying |
| License fee | $125 initial and $125 annual |
| Insurance | Certificate of liability insurance at $25,000 per person for bodily injury and $50,000 per person for property damage |
| Continuing education | A seminar every three years |
| Water supply endorsement | Water supply protection specialist endorsement from the State Plumbing Board before connecting to a public or private water supply |
| Contract | Written contract with the property owner stating the services and the payment amount |
The statute also sets a boundary. An irrigation contractor may not do electrical or plumbing work outside the irrigation scope, although licensed electricians and plumbers may still do the work needed to keep a system running. Holders of the irrigation license do not need a plumber's license to earn the water supply endorsement.
Fees are set by the board or testing vendor and can change. Verify the current amount with the provider before you pay.
Landscape Architect License
If you sell design plans, grading and drainage plans, irrigation plans or planting plans for a fee, you need the landscape architect license. The path is the national Landscape Architect Registration Examination (LARE) through CLARB, followed by the Louisiana Landscape Architect Examination (LLAE). LDAF lists the LLAE at $200, or $100 for a retake, and the annual license fee at $125. Landscape architects complete 8 hours of continuing education each year, and up to 4 extra hours can carry over.
Arborists and Pesticide Applicators
Two neighboring credentials catch landscape crews by surprise. R.S. 3:3808 requires an arborist license for anyone who advertises or practices removing trees or parts of trees, prolonging tree life or improving tree appearance. Utility arborists have their own license under the same statute. Separately, applying pesticides to other people's landscapes for a fee calls for a pesticide applicator license and commercial applicator certification through LDAF. These are outside the scope of the horticulturist license, so a crew that fertilizes and sprays needs to check both.
Where the LSLBC Contractor License Comes In
The LDAF licenses are personal credentials. The LSLBC license belongs to the company. The board requires a commercial license for projects valued at $50,000 or more, labor and materials included, and LDAF's own landscape page points landscapers to the LSLBC for projects of $50,000 or more that are not in a home.
LSLBC classification L.2, Landscaping, Grading, and Beautification, is a credential classification. The board's classification list says it requires Louisiana Department of Agriculture licensure and refers to landscaping, irrigation and finish grading. It is a subclassification of Building Construction, Highway, Street and Bridge Construction, Heavy Construction, and Municipal and Public Works Construction. In practice, a landscaper bidding commercial work above the threshold needs the LDAF credential first and the company license second. For the full picture of how the LSLBC license is issued and qualified, see our Louisiana contractor license guide and the Louisiana Act 757 changes.
Exam Logistics and Renewal
LDAF ended testing at its district offices on October 15, 2025. Since November 2025, in-person testing happens at the Baton Rouge main office, and remote testing is available through an online vendor that charges an additional fee. Every license expires on January 31, and holders must present the license to Commission agents on demand.
Why a Landscape Business Often Needs a Qualifier
Owners usually start as the crew lead who holds the horticulturist license. Growth changes the math. A company that bids commercial work needs the LSLBC company license, and that license has to be qualified by a person with the right credential who is employed by the company. When the owner cannot or does not want to hold that role, the answer is a full-time W-2 qualifying agent who qualifies the company with the board. You can read how that role works on our qualifying agent explainer.
The LDAF licenses stay personal. A qualifying agent does not hold the horticulturist or irrigation license on behalf of your crew, and every person who performs licensed work needs their own LDAF credential. The company license and the personal credentials work together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a license to do lawn care in Louisiana? Mowing, edging and hand weeding need no state license. Planting, bed preparation and sod installation for a fee call for the landscape horticulturist license.
Who licenses irrigation work? LDAF's Horticulture Commission issues the landscape irrigation contractor license. You also need the State Plumbing Board's water supply protection specialist endorsement before you connect to a water supply.
Does the LSLBC license my landscaping company? Only when the job reaches the board's thresholds, which are $50,000 for commercial work including labor and materials. The L.2 classification requires LDAF licensure first.
How much does it cost to get a company licensed with a qualifier? It varies with the state, the classifications and how many licenses are involved. See consultation options for a conversation about your situation.
Can I use the same license in another state? Landscape licenses are state specific. Check the board in each state where you plan to work.
Talk to Us About Your Louisiana Landscaping Company
Jeremiah Jaskulski and Marshall Schofield built The Licensing Company around one problem: good trade businesses stall because the licensed person is missing. If your company needs a qualifier, start at Hire a Qualifying Agent, or review the state by state licensing library to see where else you can grow.
Sources
- Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Nursery and Landscape Licensing, retrieved 2026-10-17
- Louisiana Revised Statutes 3:3808, Terms and conditions of licenses and permits, retrieved 2026-10-17
- LSLBC Exams and Classifications, retrieved 2026-10-17
- LSLBC Types of Licenses, retrieved 2026-10-17
- LSU AgCenter, Licenses and Certifications Related to Landscape Horticulture Work, retrieved 2026-10-17
Disclaimer: This article is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice, licensing guidance, or an offer of services. Licensing requirements vary by jurisdiction. For specific compliance questions, contact The Licensing Company for a confidential consultation.