STATE LICENSE
ConditionalMaryland Home Improvement Commission (MHI…
Unlike most states, Maryland's Home Improvement law expressly includes landscaping, fences, driveways, decks and porches in 'home improvement' (Bus. Reg. § 8-101). A landscaper contracting with a homeowner for work on residential property needs an MHIC contractor license, $500,000 general liability, and Guaranty Fund participation.
Two Department of Agriculture layers sit on top. Applying pesticides for hire requires an annual MDA pesticide business license and a certified applicator (Category 3 — Ornamental or Turf). Applying fertilizer to non-agricultural turf for hire requires MDA professional fertilizer applicator certification ($100 a year) and an annual business license expiring December 31, plus an Annual Fertilizer Application Report by March 1.
The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.
MHIC and MDA credentials are statewide; counties issue permits for regulated site work (grading, retaining walls) and may restrict pesticide use — Montgomery County limits lawns, playgrounds and childcare facilities to organic or minimum-risk products.
The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every Maryland 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.
Bus. Reg. § 8-302.1 now requires at least $500,000 of general liability for applicants and licensees. MHIC's requirements page still shows the older $50,000 figure — the statute controls.
Each 2-year renewal is $281.25 per place of business (COMAR 09.08.07.02) plus the $175 Guaranty Fund assessment.
No payment may be taken before the contract is signed, and the deposit at signing may not exceed one-third of the contract price (Bus. Reg. § 8-617).
A practical sequence for a new landscaping contractor in Maryland. 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 or offering to act as a contractor, or selling home improvements, without an MHIC license is a misdemeanor.
The Commission may fine any violator — licensed or not — per violation, weighing seriousness, good faith, history, harm and assets.
Taking payment before signing, or a deposit above one-third, violates the title; where no greater penalty applies it is a misdemeanor.
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: PSI exam fee for the MHIC contractor exam (set by the testing service; not published on labor.maryland.gov) · MHIC's financial-solvency guideline amounts (MHIC states the standard qualitatively: assets, liabilities, credit report, net worth) · Agriculture Article section number for the professional fertilizer applicator certification and its civil penalties (amounts confirmed on the MDA program page only) · Fertilizer business license fee amount · Montgomery County Code chapter, exemptions and penalties for its lawn pesticide law · Whether pure commercial-property landscaping (outside MHIC's residential scope) carries any state license apart from MDA credentials
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.