STATE LICENSE
ConditionalIdaho Contractors Board — Division of Occ…
Landscape construction — hardscape, retaining walls, irrigation systems, grading, and other improvements to real property — is construction under Idaho Code § 54-5203(2), so it requires registration with the Idaho Contractors Board (DOPL) on projects of $2,000 or more: $300,000 single-limit liability insurance, workers' compensation status, and a $120 application fee effective July 1, 2026. Whether routine mowing and garden maintenance counts as construction is not addressed in the statute.
Applying pesticides — including herbicides and fertilizer-pesticide blends — to another person's property for compensation makes you a professional applicator (§ 22-3401), which requires an Idaho State Department of Agriculture license (§ 22-3404(3)): an Ornamental Pest (OP) category exam, financial responsibility, and a $300 license fee. A person using only hand-powered equipment to apply non-restricted pesticides to lawns, ornamental trees, and shrubs, with two or fewer employees applying, who does not hold out as a professional applicator, is exempt (§ 22-3404(8)(a)(ii)).
The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.
Idaho Code § 54-5213(1) bars cities, counties, and other local governments from running their own contractor registration or licensing programs (since January 1, 2007). They still issue building permits, and § 54-5209 requires the permit office to request your Idaho registration number and print it on the face of the permit — or mark it 'no contractor registration provided' for an exempt person — and the permit must be posted at the site. Pesticide licensing is exclusively state: § 22-3426 bars local pesticide ordinances on licensing, training, notification, or application.
The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every Idaho 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.
Hand-powered equipment, non-restricted pesticides, lawns and ornamentals only, two or fewer applying employees, and no holding out as a professional applicator (§ 22-3404(8)(a)(ii)).
§ 22-3426 bars cities and counties from adopting their own pesticide licensing, training, notification, or application rules.
Any wiring, plumbing, or HVAC/gas work belongs to holders of those DOPL licenses or certificates; registration does not cover it.
A practical sequence for a new landscaping contractor in Idaho. 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.
Acting as a contractor without a current registration is a crime.
Operating as a professional applicator without an ISDA license.
Violating the pesticide act or its rules.
Inside city limits, the city office listed here issues the permit; the county office serves unincorporated areas. Every office links to its official page.
| County · City | Permit office | Portal |
|---|---|---|
| Ada County Boise | City of Boise Planning and Development Services — Building Division ↗ Unincorporated: Ada County Development Services — Building Division ↗ | Boise Permitting and Licensing System (Accela Citizen Access) ↗ |
Every fact in this file was checked against these official sources on October 2026.
Pending verification: How DOPL's $120 initial registration fee squares with IDAPA 24.21.01.400, which lists the application (including original registration) at $60 'not to exceed' — presumed to be two aggregated annual fees for a biennial first term ('Annual fees may be aggregated for biennial licensure'), but not confirmed · How DOPL assigns renewal dates during the biennial registration transition begun October 14, 2025 (the Board News FAQ was not retrieved); § 54-5211 allows terms of 24 months to 5 years · Whether routine mowing, pruning, and garden maintenance (not construction) requires contractor registration — no official statement retrieved · Whether landscape irrigation tie-ins and backflow devices require a plumbing certificate (not confirmed in chapter 26 or IDAPA 24.39.20) · Whether the $300 ISDA professional applicator fee covers the full five-year term or is charged per year (IDAPA 02.03.03.280 does not say; the dealer fee is stated per 5-year period)
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.