Do Landscapers Need a License in Alabama? What to Check

Updated 2026-10-27 · VettedLandscapers editorial

Yes, for certain jobs. In Alabama, a business that designs landscapes, installs plants, does tree surgery, or sprays lawns, shrubs and trees for pests or weeds for a fee needs a Horticulture Professional Services license from the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI). Each type of work is its own license category. Separately, only people licensed by a state board can call themselves landscape architects, and cities such as Birmingham require a business license from anyone providing services inside city limits.

The four state license categories

State law defines horticultural work as receiving fees for landscaping and setting of plants. ADAI's Pesticide Management program issues the licenses and splits the work into four horticulture categories. A company can hold one or several.

Category (ADAI code)	What it covers
Landscape Design (LD)	Planning where landscape plants go and how they are managed, including design work with a drawing and plant specifications. The state rules call this a Landscape Horticulturist.
Setting of Landscape Plants (SLP)	The actual planting of landscape plants. The rules call this a Landscape Planter.
Tree Surgery (TS)	Cavity filling or repair, bracing, cabling and wound treatment of shrubs and trees.
Ornamental and Turf Pest Control (OTPS)	Preventing, controlling or wiping out pests on ornamental plants, shade trees and turf.

A few rules apply to all four:

The license is issued to the business. The business must have a certified operator who has passed the state exam for the category.
It costs $175 a year and runs from October 1 to September 30.
State law requires the permit before a business does this work or even advertises it.
Doing or advertising the work without a permit is a misdemeanor, with fines of $25 to $500.

State law calls it a permit, and ADAI's website calls it a license, so you may hear either word.

Mowing, spraying and weed control

Mowing is not one of the four categories. But many lawn companies also spray. Alabama's professional services law covers "weed control work," which includes being paid to spray plants that grow where they are not wanted. A company that applies weed killer or insect control to your lawn or shrubs for a fee should hold the OTPS license.

Watch for one detail. A related certification, OTPC, is for people such as golf course or city maintenance employees. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) says applicators certified in OTPC cannot charge a fee for services. So a company you pay to spray should have OTPS. You can compare lawn care companies in our directory.

If a pesticide job goes wrong, ADAI can investigate pesticide misuse, drift and illegal applicators. It says it has no authority over pricing, payment disputes, non-pesticide services or property damage disputes. Those are usually civil matters.

Tree work

Tree Surgery is its own category. Under state law it includes cavity filling or repair, bracing, cabling and wound treatment. The same law says tree surgery does not include pruning, feeding, budding or grafting. Ask any tree company which ADAI categories it holds and how they match your job. Browse tree service companies.

Landscape designer or landscape architect?

They are not the same. Alabama law makes it unlawful to practice landscape architecture, or to use the title "landscape architect," without a license under the state's landscape architecture law. The Alabama Board of Examiners of Landscape Architects issues those licenses, and its website has a search for registered landscape architects.

That law does not require the architect license for nurserymen or landscape contractors who design, plan and arrange plantings. So a landscape company can draw your planting plan. For paid design work like that, ADAI's Landscape Design (LD) category applies. The company just cannot call itself a landscape architect without the board license. See landscape design companies.

City business licenses

Cities license businesses too. The City of Birmingham says any person or business that wants to provide services within city limits must register with the city, and the license must be obtained before business starts. If you live outside Birmingham, ask your own city what it requires.

How to check a landscaper's license

We did not find a public online search for ADAI's horticulture business licenses. These steps still help:

Ask for the license and categories. Get the business name on the license and which categories it holds: LD, SLP, TS or OTPS.
Look up the applicator. If the company sprays, ask for its certified applicator's name. ADAI's Pesticide Applicator Search covers applicators licensed or certified in Alabama. You can search by name, county, certification expiration date or permit number.
Call ADAI. Its professional services page lists (334) 240-7269 for horticulture questions.
Check the nursery dealer list. ACES says a landscaper who buys plants to set or provide to customers needs a Nursery Dealer Certificate. ADAI posts a county-by-county list of nursery dealers.
Look at the truck. State rules say vehicles used for this work must show the permit holder's name in letters at least three inches tall.

What our listings show

Across our directory, which covers Alabama and nearby states, we've read 133 landscaping company websites so far (October 2026). 28 say they are licensed and 25 say they are insured. We have not verified licenses for our listings; listings show what each business's own website says. If a website says "licensed," ask which license it means: a city business license, an ADAI license, or both. Read how we list businesses, or browse landscapers in Birmingham.

Hiring checklist

ADAI license: Match the categories to your job: design (LD), planting (SLP), tree surgery (TS), spraying (OTPS).
Certified operator: Ask who it is. State rules say this person must be in charge of the office and actually take part in running it.
Certificate of insurance: Ask for proof of liability coverage. The state's insurance rule covers termite and other structural pest control licenses, but it does not list the landscape or lawn categories.
Written estimate: Get plants, sizes, quantities, materials, labor, cleanup, timing and any plant warranty in writing.
Chemicals: Ask what products will be used, who will apply them and whether that person is certified.
City license: Ask for the business license for your city.
Titles: If someone says "landscape architect," check the board's search.
Payment terms: Put the payment schedule in writing. ADAI says it has no authority over payment or property damage disputes.

Rules change, and this guide is general information, not legal advice. Before you hire, confirm current requirements with ADAI's Professional Services program.