STATE LICENSE
RequiredOregon Landscape Contractors Board (LCB)
Oregon is one of the few states with a dedicated landscape licensing board. 'Landscaping work' under ORS 671.520 covers planting lawns, shrubs, and trees; site prep; water features and drainage; irrigation; and fences, decks, arbors, patios, driveways, walkways, and retaining walls. Doing it for compensation takes two licenses: an exam-based Landscape Construction Professional (LCP) license for the individual and a bonded, insured Landscape Contracting Business license for the company — even a one-person operation needs both.
The business bond rose to $20,000 on January 1, 2026 ($15,000 for probationary licensees), with $500,000 liability insurance. Even the word is regulated: only LCB licensees may call themselves landscapers, and a maintenance-only business may use 'landscape' only in a title that clearly signals maintenance (ORS 671.530).
The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.
Landscape licensing is state-level through the LCB. Local governments handle permits for structural elements such as retaining walls and decks, and pesticide rules are preempted from local regulation (ORS 634.057).
The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every Oregon 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.
From January 1, 2026 every landscape contracting business carries a $20,000 bond; probationary licensees stay at $15,000.
A sole proprietor LCP must also license the business — they are separate legal entities with the board (ORS 671.530(6)).
The PSI exam fee is paid to the vendor on top of the LCB's $200 application and $200 license fees.
A practical sequence for a new landscaping contractor in Oregon. 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.
Operating or holding out as a landscape construction professional or landscape contracting business without a license violates ORS 671.530.
The board may assess civil penalties for any violation of ORS 671.510–671.760 or its rules, plus license suspension or revocation.
An unlicensed landscape contracting business may not file a lien, an LCB claim, or a suit for payment unless licensed at bid and continuously during the work.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Multnomah County Portland | City of Portland — Portland Permitting & Development ↗ Unincorporated: Multnomah County Land Use Planning (Department of Community Services) ↗ | Development Hub PDX (DevHub) ↗ |
| Lane County Eugene | City of Eugene — Planning and Development, Building and Permit Services ↗ Unincorporated: Lane County Public Works — Land Management Division, Building Program ↗ | eBuild |
| Marion County Salem | City of Salem — Permit Application Center (Building and Safety Division) ↗ Unincorporated: Marion County Public Works — Building Inspection ↗ | Permit Application Center Portal |
| Deschutes County Bend | City of Bend — Community Development, Building Safety Division ↗ Unincorporated: Deschutes County Community Development — Building Safety ↗ | Online Permit Center Portal (CityView) |
| Jackson County Medford | City of Medford — Building Safety Department ↗ Unincorporated: Jackson County Development Services — Building Division ↗ | ProjectDox ↗ |
Every fact in this file was checked against these official sources on October 2026.
Pending verification: Landscape contracting business license term (annual vs. biennial) — not stated on retrieved LCB pages · LCP continuing-education hours (set by LCB rule; not confirmed on a retrieved official page) · PSI exam fee for LCP exam sections (set by the vendor) · Current CPI-adjusted dollar cap for the residential-GC landscaping exception in ORS 671.540(1)(h) (statute text shows $2,500, revised by the board every five years)
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.