STATE LICENSE
RequiredMississippi Department of Agriculture and…
Under the Regulation of Professional Services Law (Miss. Code Ann. §§ 69-19-1 to -11), the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce's Bureau of Plant Industry licenses persons receiving fees for landscaping and setting plants. No one may advertise, solicit, bid, or take fees for that work without the Landscape Horticulturist license. MDAC charges no license fee; applicants qualify by education or by one year's experience with a licensed operator within the past two years, pass the exam, and post a $1,000 surety bond. Licenses run three years.
Irrigation installation and lawn maintenance (mowing, fertilizing) need no landscape license, but applying herbicides for hire — even when not billed separately — requires a weed control license and a company license with a $2,500 bond. Commercial landscape contracts of $50,000 or more also need an MSBOC certificate in Landscaping, Grading and Beautification or Irrigation Systems.
The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.
Landscape and weed control licensing is statewide through MDAC's Bureau of Plant Industry; local governments add permits only where their codes require them (for example for walls or grading).
The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every Mississippi 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.
In Mississippi, setting plants for a fee requires the MDAC Landscape Horticulturist license — at any job size.
Irrigation installation and lawn maintenance such as mowing and fertilizing need no landscape license.
A lawn company applying herbicides to property it does not own needs a weed control license even if it doesn't charge separately for spraying.
A practical sequence for a new landscaping contractor in Mississippi. 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 professional services covered by Miss. Code §§ 69-19-1 to -11, including landscaping and weed control, without securing a license.
MDAC may suspend for up to 30 days and, after a hearing, deny, suspend, or cancel a license for causes including negligent work, failing to correct substandard work, or failing to renew the bond.
Violating the Pesticide Application Law or its rules — including herbicide application without required credentials.
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: Bond trigger: MDAC's web page says a $1,000 bond is required for license issuance, while Rule 407.02–.03 exempts landscapers who don't guarantee work or contract for future service — both are reported, the rule is cited · Landscape Horticulturist exam fee and format (the page lists no fee; one MDAC search result described a two-part exam) · Statutory text of Miss. Code §§ 69-19-1 to -11 itself (cited through MDAC rules and notices; the code text was not retrieved) · Currency of the MDAC compilation of § 69-23-135, marked 'current through 3/27/2018' · Tree surgeon licensing requirements for tree removal or trimming (a separate MDAC program, not researched)
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.