STATE LICENSE
ConditionalArizona Registrar of Contractors (AZ ROC)
A.R.S. § 32-1121(A)(16) removes from the entire contractor chapter any person who functions as a gardener by performing lawn, garden, shrub and tree maintenance. That is a genuine, unconditional carve-out: mowing, pruning and planting crews are outside the Registrar's jurisdiction no matter what they charge. The moment the crew builds something, the exemption stops.
Construction landscaping is CR-21 Hardscaping and Irrigation Systems — renamed from Landscaping and Irrigation Systems by rulemaking effective November 5, 2017. Its scope includes non-loadbearing concrete, uncovered patios and walkways in brick, stone, pavers or gravel, wooden decks no higher than 29 inches, decorative garden walls and fences to six feet, retaining walls to three feet, low voltage landscape lighting, water features and irrigation systems including backflow prevention devices. It expressly excludes new electrical service panels, gas or plumbing lines, concrete driveways, pool deck coatings, load bearing walls and perimeter fencing. Herbicide use is governed separately by the Office of Pest Management under A.R.S. § 3-3613.
The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.
Two preemptions shape the local layer. A.R.S. § 32-1101.01 stops cities and counties from requiring their own contractor license, and A.R.S. § 3-3602(B) declares pest management a matter of statewide concern so no county, city or town may add its own pesticide rules. What is left is permits and tax. Retaining walls, drainage, outdoor structures and backflow connections are permitted by Phoenix Planning and Development, Tucson Planning and Development Services or Maricopa County Planning and Development, each of which collects the A.R.S. § 32-1169 license-number statement. Landscape construction income is contracting income for transaction privilege tax; pure maintenance is not prime contracting.
The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every Arizona 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 September 2026. Local permit fees vary by project and jurisdiction — the basis is stated where a flat number does not exist.
Unlike the $1,000 casual-or-minor exemption, A.R.S. § 32-1121(A)(16) simply removes gardeners from the chapter. The limit is the activity, not the price.
Rulemaking effective November 5, 2017 reclassified existing CR-21 Landscaping and Irrigation Systems licenses as CR-21 Hardscaping and Irrigation Systems. Older guides still use the former name.
The landscaper herbicide exemption fails if you use restricted-use or danger-labeled products, sterilants or preemergents, operate as a primary weed management service, exceed five gallons of mixed herbicide or 25 pounds of nonliquid herbicide per day at a location, treat schools or childcare facilities, or apply without performing maintenance at the same time.
A practical sequence for a new landscaping contractor in Arizona. 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.
Hardscape, irrigation or wall construction for hire past the gardener exemption is unlicensed contracting.
A first offense draws a written notice of correction; later offenses carry escalating civil penalties.
Engaging in the business of pest management without an Office of Pest Management business license, where no exemption applies.
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 September 2026.
Pending verification: The number of continuing education units an Office of Pest Management certified applicator must earn per cycle — the Department publishes the course-approval framework but not the hour count on the pages reviewed · Whether tree removal as distinct from tree maintenance stays inside the gardener exemption
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.