STATE LICENSE
RequiredLouisiana Department of Agriculture and F…
Under R.S. 3:3804, no one may receive fees for, advertise, or solicit work in a regulated horticulture profession without a license (or a licensed employee or supervisor). The Landscape Horticulturist license covers bed preparation, plant and sod installation, pruning, fertilizing, and landscape maintenance; the exam costs $150, the license $125 a year, and every license expires January 31. Irrigation needs a separate Landscape Irrigation Contractor license plus a State Plumbing Board water supply protection specialist endorsement before connecting to a water supply; tree removal needs an Arborist license.
Two more layers: applying pesticides or herbicides for hire by ground requires an LDAF Ground Owner Operator license and certified commercial applicators, and non-residential projects of $50,000 or more also need an LSLBC classification such as Landscaping, Grading, and Beautification. Landscaping is exempt from the LSLBC Home Improvement registration, so residential yard projects do not trigger that band.
The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.
Horticulture licensing is state-level (LDAF); parishes and cities collect occupational license taxes and keep their own backflow-device ordinances, which R.S. 3:3816(6) expressly preserves. Arborist regulation is preempted from local ordinance (R.S. 3:3804(E)). For $50,000+ non-residential projects, the LSLBC permit gate applies: Louisiana runs on parishes, not counties, and every parish or municipal permit desk is bound by R.S. 37:2160(B): it may not issue a building permit to anyone without an active LSLBC license in the classification that matches the scope, and it must collect a board-form exemption affidavit from owner-builders (§ 2160(C)). LSLBC staff may audit local permit lists monthly (§ 2160(A)). Beyond the state license, a contractor owes only local occupational license taxes, inspection permit fees, and any local competency license for mechanical, plumbing, or electrical contractors (R.S. 37:2156(N), electrical added by Act 757 of 2026); state law preempts local examination authority over LSLBC licensees (§ 2160(D)).
The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every Louisiana 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.
LDAF says yard work — cutting lawns, edging, hand-weeding beds — needs no license. Planting, sod, pruning, fertilizing, and maintenance of nursery stock do.
All Horticulture Commission licenses expire January 31 each year.
Landscaping is expressly exempt from LSLBC Home Improvement registration, so residential landscape jobs never need that $7,500 registration.
A practical sequence for a new landscaping contractor in Louisiana. 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.
Civil penalty per violation when no prior violation has been found by the Commission.
Higher per-violation civil penalties after one, then two or more, prior adjudications, plus hearing costs.
Non-residential landscape projects of $50,000+ without an LSLBC classification are unlicensed 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.
| County · City | Permit office | Portal |
|---|---|---|
| Caddo Parish Shreveport | City of Shreveport — Permits & Inspections Division ↗ Unincorporated: Caddo Parish Commission — Public Works, Engineering ↗ | My Government Online ↗ |
| Calcasieu Parish Lake Charles | City of Lake Charles — Permit Center ↗ Unincorporated: Calcasieu Parish Police Jury — Division of Planning and Development ↗ | MGO Connect ↗ |
| East Baton Rouge Parish Baton Rouge (consolidated gov.) | City of Baton Rouge / Parish of East Baton Rouge — Permits & Inspections Division ↗ | MyGovernmentOnline (MGO Connect) ↗ |
| Lafayette Parish Lafayette (consolidated gov.) | Lafayette Consolidated Government — Development & Planning, Permitting Division ↗ | MGO Connect ↗ |
| Orleans Parish New Orleans (consolidated gov.) | City of New Orleans — Department of Safety and Permits (One Stop Shop) ↗ | One Stop App ↗ |
| Terrebonne Parish Houma (consolidated gov.) | Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government — Planning & Zoning, Permits Division ↗ | MGO Connect ↗ |
Every fact in this file was checked against these official sources on October 2026.
Pending verification: Whether R.S. 3:3816(1)'s mowing/edging/hand-weeding exemption (written for work 'under the direction and responsibility of the owner' and not for commercial establishments) covers a mowing business serving commercial properties — LDAF's page describes yard work as unregulated without that qualifier · Liability insurance minimum for the Landscape Horticulturist license itself (only the irrigation contractor minimum was confirmed) · Arborist license fees and exam details (not reviewed) · Local registration or competency-license requirements in Jefferson Parish, Caddo Parish/Shreveport, and Lafayette Consolidated Government were not reviewed on those governments' sites
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.