FILE · LANDSCAPING x NORTH DAKOTAPermit Stack Specs Ledger Cost Timeline Checklist Local Offices FAQ

LANDSCAPING x NORTH DAKOTA

Landscaping contractor requirements in North Dakota.

Landscape construction that improves real property — retaining walls, patios, grading, irrigation — falls within the contractor definition in N.D.C.C. § 43-07-01, so jobs over $4,000 require a Secretary of State Class A–D license with liability insurance and WSI coverage. There is no landscaping classification or exam.

Lawn and turf weed or insect control for hire is regulated under the pesticide control chapter, N.D.C.C. 4.1-33: a commercial applicator may not use any pesticide without certification, which NDSU Extension issues after core and category exams ($100 for one category, $25 each additional), and the applicant must show $100,000 in financial responsibility. Employees applying non-restricted products under a certified applicator's direct supervision are exempt.

STATE LICENSE

ConditionalNorth Dakota Secretary of State — Contrac…

STATUTE

N.D.C.C. § 43-07-02 (contractor license); §§ 4.1-33-07, 4.1-33-10 (commercial pesticide applicators)

RENEWAL

SOS annual (March 1) · pesticide every 3 years (April 1)Pesticide recertification by board-approved seminar or exam

VERIFIED

October 2026Official sources

FILE · LANDSCAPING x NORTH DAKOTA

Compliance Dossier

Public

File

October 2026

STATE AUTHORITYNorth Dakota Secretary of State — Contractor Licensing

STATUTE / CODEN.D.C.C. § 43-07-02 (contractor license); §§ 4.1-33-07, 4.1-33-10 (commercial pesticide applicators)

SCOPEStatewide · North Dakota

RENEWALSOS annual (March 1) · pesticide every 3 years (April 1)

CONTINUING ED.Pesticide recertification by board-approved seminar or exam

LOCAL OFFICES2 counties on file

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FILE LANDSCAPINGSCOPE STATEWIDE · NORTH DAKOTATYPE VERIFIED RULE FILE

VERIFIED October 2026STATUS PUBLIC REFERENCE

What this file settlesThe North Dakota rules for landscaping contractors, verified against official sources.

LICENSE TRUTH

North Dakota has no landscaping license, but landscape construction jobs over $4,000 need the Secretary of State contractor license, and applying any pesticide for hire needs commercial applicator certification.

STATE ↔ LOCAL

Pesticide certification is statewide (NDSU Extension issues it; the Agriculture Commissioner enforces). The contractor license is statewide on jobs over $4,000; permits for retaining walls, fences, and irrigation connections are local.

EVERY CLAIM SOURCED

Each requirement below carries its citation and official source. Facts we could not confirm are listed as pending — never asserted.

§ 01 · Permit Stack

How landscaping work is governed in North Dakota.

The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.

STATE — THE LICENSE

Secretary of State (N.D.C.C. 43-07)

CLASS A–D LICENSE OVER $4,000/JOBLIABILITY INSURANCE CERTWSI COVERAGE

STATE — PESTICIDES

Agriculture Commissioner · NDSU Extension (N.D.C.C. 4.1-33)

COMMERCIAL APPLICATOR CERT$100,000 FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

LOCAL — WHERE YOU WORK

City / county

PERMITS FOR WALLS / FENCES / IRRIGATIONANY CITY LICENSE

Read it bottom-up.

The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every North Dakota county on file.

Source · North Dakota Secretary of State — Contractor LicensingLast verified · October 2026

§ 02 · Specs Ledger

Every requirement, with a number on it.

Each row names the issuing authority, cost, timeline, citation, and status behind the requirement — verified against the official source.

RequirementIssued byCostTimeCitationStatus

State Contractor License (Class A–D)Landscape construction jobs over $4,000

Secretary of State

$100 (D) – $450 (A)

Expires March 1 each year

N.D.C.C. §§ 43-07-02(1), 43-07-07

REQUIRED

Certificate of Liability InsuranceSame name as the license; Secretary of State listed as certificate holder

Carrier

Market premium

With application and each renewal

N.D.C.C. §§ 43-07-04(1), 43-07-10(1)

REQUIRED

Workforce Safety & Insurance CoverageWSI certificate of payment if ND-resident employees; otherwise a WSI letter of good standing

ND WSI

By payroll

With application

N.D.C.C. § 43-07-04(1)

REQUIRED

Business Name RegistrationCorporation/LLC registration, trade name, or fictitious partnership name as applicable

Secretary of State

SOS filing fee

Before applying

N.D.C.C. § 43-07-04(3)(b)–(g)

CONDITIONAL

Building PermitContractor must give the permit official its state license number

City / county

Set locally

Per project

N.D.C.C. § 43-07-24

CONDITIONAL

Commercial Pesticide Applicator CertificateCore + category exams; required to use any pesticide for hire

NDSU Extension

$100 (1 category) + $25 each added

Renew every 3 years, April 1

N.D.C.C. §§ 4.1-33-07, 4.1-33-08

CONDITIONAL

Pesticide Financial Responsibility$100,000 via liability policy, bond, or attested net assets

Carrier / bank / CPA

Market premium

Before certification

N.D.C.C. § 4.1-33-10

CONDITIONAL

§ 03 · Year-One Cost

What it costs to start landscaping in North Dakota.

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.

Year-one ledger

North Dakota · Landscaping

SOS contractor licenseClass D – Class A, for jobs over $4,000$100–$450

Pesticide certificationSingle category (NDSU fee schedule)$100

Each additional categoryNDSU fee schedule$25

Financial responsibility$100,000 coverageMarket premium

Year-one floor$100–$450 SOS license + $100 pesticide certification if spraying

Excludes tools, vehicle purchase, payroll, and marketing.

NOTE

Mowing vs. building

Construction that improves real property is contracting; routine maintenance may not be — see unverified.

NOTE

Supervised crew exemption

Employees applying non-restricted pesticides under the direct supervision of a certified applicator need no certificate unless the label requires one (§ 4.1-33-16(1)).

NOTE

$100,000 financial responsibility

Commercial applicator certificates issue only with proof of $100,000 in financial responsibility; a lapse means immediate suspension.

§ 04 · Path to First Job

From day zero to first inspection.

A practical sequence for a new landscaping contractor in North Dakota. Actual agency processing times are noted in the ledger above.

STEP 1

Bind liability insurance + WSI

Carrier / WSI

STEP 2

SOS contractor license (jobs > $4,000)

Secretary of State — $100–$450

STEP 3

Pass core + category pesticide exams

NDSU Extension — $100

STEP 4

File $100,000 financial responsibility

NDSU Extension / Ag Commissioner

STEP 5

Renew contractor license March 1; pesticide every 3 years

SOS / NDSU Extension

§ 05 · Compliance Checklist

Check them off.

Each item names the issuing authority, cycle, and citation.

License before the $4,000 job

No contracting on any job over $4,000 — and no lawsuit to collect — without a state contractor license.

STATEESSENTIALN.D.C.C. § 43-07-02(1)

Secretary of StateIssuing authority

Match the class to the job

Hold a class whose single-project limit covers the contract value; public bids must enclose the license.

STATESCOPEN.D.C.C. §§ 43-07-07(1), 43-07-12

YouIssuing authority

Certify before you spray

A commercial applicator may not purchase, use, or supervise the use of a pesticide without certification.

STATEPESTICIDEN.D.C.C. § 4.1-33-07(1)

NDSU ExtensionIssuing authority

Keep $100,000 responsibility

Maintain the liability policy, bond, or net assets; the commissioner suspends certificates that lapse.

INSURANCEPESTICIDEN.D.C.C. § 4.1-33-10(1)

CarrierIssuing authority

Keep application records

Commercial applicators keep and submit pesticide application records as the chapter requires.

STATERECORDSN.D.C.C. § 4.1-33-14

ApplicatorIssuing authority

§ 06 · Enforcement

What the law does about unlicensed landscaping work.

Statutory consequences with their citations — not estimates, not “commonly cited” guesses.

N.D.C.C. § 43-07-02(2)Statute

Unlicensed contracting

Acting as a contractor without a license is a crime, and the Secretary of State may also assess a civil penalty that must be paid before a license issues.

ConsequenceClass A misdemeanor; civil penalty up to 3× the license fee

N.D.C.C. § 4.1-33-20(1), (4)Statute

Pesticide violations

Knowingly violating the pesticide chapter, including applying for hire without certification.

ConsequenceClass A misdemeanor; civil penalty up to $5,000 per violation

N.D.C.C. § 4.1-33-20(5)Statute

Certificate action

After a hearing, the commissioner may deny, suspend, revoke, or modify a certification for violations.

ConsequenceLoss of certification

§ 07 · Local Offices

Where the permit is filed, county by county.

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
Burleigh County Bismarck	City of Bismarck Community Development — Building Inspections Division ↗ Unincorporated: Burleigh County Building/Planning/Zoning Department ↗	eTRAKiT ↗
Cass County Fargo	City of Fargo Inspections Department ↗ Unincorporated: Cass County Planning Office ↗	Fargo License and Permit Portal ↗

§ 08 · North Dakota FAQ

Questions landscaping contractors ask about North Dakota.

Q01Do landscapers need a license in North Dakota?+

There is no landscaping license. Landscape construction jobs over $4,000 need the Secretary of State contractor license, and applying pesticides for hire needs commercial applicator certification.

Q02Do I need certification to spray lawns?+

Yes. Under N.D.C.C. § 4.1-33-07 a commercial applicator may not use any pesticide without certification from NDSU Extension, plus $100,000 in financial responsibility (§ 4.1-33-10). Crew members applying non-restricted products under a certified applicator's direct supervision are exempt.

Q03Is there a small-job exemption in North Dakota?+

Yes, in effect. N.D.C.C. § 43-07-02(1) requires the state contractor license only when the cost, value, or price per job exceeds $4,000. Below that you need no Secretary of State license, though separate trade licenses (electrical, plumbing, pesticide) apply at any job size.

§ 09 · Sources

Primary authorities, not secondary summaries.

Every fact in this file was checked against these official sources on October 2026.

Pending verification: Whether the Secretary of State treats routine lawn mowing and garden maintenance (as opposed to landscape construction) as contracting under ch. 43-07 — no official statement found · Current name and number of the ornamental and turf pesticide category under board rule · Exact provisions of S.B. 2086 (2025) as enacted — the codified chapter was used, but the session law was not compared line by line · Minimum dollar amount of the liability insurance the Secretary of State requires for a ch. 43-07 contractor license — neither the statute nor the SOS page states one, and no SOS administrative rule setting an amount was found

General information, not legal advice. Always confirm requirements, deadlines, and forms with the issuing authority before filing or contracting.

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Landscaping contractor requirements in North Dakota.

How landscaping work is governed in North Dakota.

Read it bottom-up.

Every requirement, with a number on it.

What it costs to start landscaping in North Dakota.

From day zero to first inspection.

Check them off.

What the law does about unlicensed landscaping work.

Unlicensed contracting

Pesticide violations

Certificate action

Where the permit is filed, county by county.

Questions landscaping contractors ask about North Dakota.

Primary authorities, not secondary summaries.

OFFICIAL SOURCES

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ADJACENT FILES

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