STATE LICENSE
RequiredAlabama Department of Agriculture and Ind…
Alabama is unusual: Code of Ala. § 2-28-1(3) defines 'horticultural and floricultural work' as receiving fees for landscaping and setting of plants, and § 2-28-4 requires an annual permit before anyone performs or solicits it. The Department issues a Horticulture Professional Services License ($175 a year) to businesses with a certified operator in Landscape Design (LD), Setting of Landscape Plants (SLP), Tree Surgery (TS), or Ornamental & Turf Pest Control (OTPS). Spraying lawns and ornamentals for hire falls in OTPS, and weed control for fees is itself licensed professional work.
Maintenance is treated differently. No horticulture license category covers mowing alone, tree surgery by definition excludes pruning, and § 34-8-7(a)(7) exempts routine landscape maintenance — cutting grass, trimming bushes, pine straw and mulch, pressure washing — from the General Contractors Board. Commercial landscaping or irrigation undertakings of $100,000 or more need a GC Board specialty classification; the board's application flags Landscaping as a classification that requires a certification card and lists the Department of Agriculture among the card issuers.
The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.
The horticulture license is state-issued and the same in every city. Locally, Huntsville requires landscaping contractors to be certified by the appropriate state board and to buy permits for their trade, and Mobile's contractor guide says the city requires licensing to bid on certain landscaping work, including contracts involving pesticide application. Every city levies its own business license under Code of Ala. § 11-51-90 et seq.; structural elements such as retaining walls follow local building-permit rules.
The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every Alabama county on file.
Each row names the issuing authority, cost, timeline, citation, and status behind the requirement — verified against the official source.
Published fees from the issuing authorities, as of October 2026. Local permit fees vary by project and jurisdiction — the basis is stated where a flat number does not exist.
Setting plants for a fee needs the horticulture license. No license category covers mowing alone, and routine landscape maintenance is exempt from the GC Board.
Alabama's tree surgery category is cavity work, bracing, cabling, and wound treatment — pruning, feeding, budding, and grafting are excluded by statute.
Installing backflow prevention devices is plumbing work for a certified master's company; testing a device without removing it requires no plumbing certificate.
A practical sequence for a new landscaping contractor in Alabama. Actual agency processing times are noted in the ledger above.
Each item names the issuing authority, cycle, and citation.
Statutory consequences with their citations — not estimates, not “commonly cited” guesses.
Performing or soliciting landscaping, plant-setting, tree surgery, or ornamental pest control for fees without a permit is a misdemeanor.
Installing backflow devices without plumbing certification violates the plumbing chapter.
Landscape or irrigation undertakings of $100,000 or more without a GC Board license are unlicensed general contracting.
Inside city limits, the city office listed here issues the permit; the county office serves unincorporated areas. Every office links to its official page.
Every fact in this file was checked against these official sources on October 2026.
Pending verification: Whether hardscape or landscape improvements over $10,000 at a residence also require a Home Builders Licensure Board license · Recertification or continuing-education requirements for horticulture certified operators · The ADAI-hosted Rule 80-10-9 text is a 2012 supplement; current Administrative Code text may differ
General information, not legal advice. Always confirm requirements, deadlines, and forms with the issuing authority before filing or contracting.
Store licenses, permits, policies, and renewal dates in one place.