Utah · Landscaping licensing · official-source guide
Utah licenses this trade at state level. The Division of Professional Licensing issues the S330 Landscape and Recreation Contractor specialty classification under the Utah Construction Trades Licensing Act, and work on a building worth $7,000 or more triggers it. The headline requirements are a 25 hour pre-licensure course and general liability coverage of $1,000,000 per incident and $2,000,000 total.
Verified against agency sources on 2026-10-12. Rules and fees change; confirm with the named authority before relying on this guide.
Landscaping is licensed by the state of Utah, not by the city. The Division of Professional Licensing, part of the Utah Department of Commerce, administers contractor licensing under the Utah Construction Trades Licensing Act. The Division takes applications at 160 E 300 S in Salt Lake City and by mail at PO Box 146741. Utah licenses contractors by classification, and the classification decides what work you may contract for. The Division says it plainly on its own application form: the classification identifies the work you can do, and the scope of practice for each trade classification sits in Utah Administrative Rule R156-55a-301c through 301al. The classification a company doing planting, grading, hardscaping and recreation work holds is S330, which the Division lists as Landscape and Recreation Contractor. It is a specialty trade classification rather than a general one. One license can carry up to three specialty classifications, selected on the same application. Utah cities still issue business licenses and still pull the permits, but no Utah city issues the contractor license itself. That split matters when you bid. The state license is what makes your company legal to contract for the work anywhere in Utah. The city business license is what makes you legal to operate inside that city boundary. Most crews need both. When a homeowner in Sandy or Ogden asks for your license number, the number they want is the state one issued by the Division.
S330 Landscape and Recreation Contractor appears on the Division of Professional Licensing contractor application in the specialty trade classification list, alongside S310 Foundation, Excavation, and Demolition Contractor, S260 Asphalt and Concrete Contractor, and S230 Masonry, Siding, Stucco, Glass, and Rain Gutter Contractor. Those neighbors are the ones to study, because a landscaping job that grows a retaining wall, a driveway apron or a sitting wall can cross into work another classification covers. Utah forbids acting beyond the scope of the license held, so the honest move is to read the rule scopes before you sign, then either add a classification or subcontract to someone who holds it. The application lets you select up to three specialty classifications, which is how a design and build company covers planting, hardscape and excavation on one license. One classification cannot be combined with others at all: R101 Residential and Small Commercial Non-Structural Remodel and Repair is a stand-alone classification that may not be held with any other. There is also S700 Limited Scope Contractor, where you submit a written explanation of the scope you want, and the Division tells applicants to first check the existing scopes in rule to see whether the work is already covered or already exempt. For a landscaping company, the practical reading is this. Hold S330 for the core work. Check the rule scope before you add water features, structures, outdoor kitchens or sport courts to your service list. Add the second or third classification before you advertise the service, not after.
Utah draws the licensing line with a dollar figure. Section 58-55-305 of the Utah Code exempts a person doing alteration, repair, remodeling, addition to or improvement of a building with a contracted or agreed value of less than $7,000, counting both labor and materials, and counting every change or addition to the agreed work. Above that figure, the exemption is gone and the contractor license applies. Below it, a second rule kicks in. If the total value of the project is greater than $3,000, the person must file a one-time affirmation with the Division that they carry public liability insurance in the amounts and form set by Division rule, plus workers compensation insurance if applicable. That filing is the registration the Division lists on its fee schedule as the handyman exemption registration. The Division charges $45.00 to register and $45.00 to renew, and it states that continuing education is not required for handyman exemption renewal. The pre-registration checklist asks for liability coverage of at least $1,000,000 per incident and $2,000,000 aggregate, a workers compensation certificate or a coverage waiver from the Utah Labor Commission, entity and DBA registration with the Utah Division of Corporations, and payment of any outstanding citations. Two other exemptions in the same statute touch this trade. Work incidental to the construction and repair of irrigation and drainage ditches of regularly constituted irrigation districts, and construction and repair relating to farming and agriculture, sit outside the chapter. So do owners, lessees and their regularly employed wage staff maintaining their own property.
Sourcesle.utah.gov 1commerce.utah.gov 2commerce.utah.gov 3commerce.utah.gov 4
The Division of Professional Licensing publishes one fee schedule for every profession it regulates, and the contractor rows are short. A contractor primary classification costs $175.00 to apply and $128.00 to renew. Replacing or changing the qualifier on an existing license costs $50.00. An ownership list or change costs $20.00, and an ownership status report costs $20.00. A corporation conversion fee is $35.00. Continuing education course approval, which matters to providers rather than to you, is $40.00. The contractor rows carry fee code EL-01, which the schedule defines as a $1.00 e-library surcharge. The handyman exemption registration is $45.00 to apply and $45.00 to renew. If you also pursue the landscape architect license, that is a separate profession with separate fees: $110.00 to apply and $63.00 to renew, carrying fee codes LA-01, a $30.00 landscape architect exam record fee, and EE-01, a $10.00 education and enforcement fund charge. The Division also charges $20.00 for a verification of licensure and $12.00 per case for a disciplinary action file or order. All fees are non-refundable, and the Division warns applicants to check that they selected the right application before paying. Online payments add a processing charge: a small flat fee for transactions under $100, and up to three percent for transactions of $100 or more. Fees and application requirements change, so pull the current application from the Division website rather than reusing a saved copy or a competitor's checklist.
Sourcescommerce.utah.gov
The insurance minimum is the requirement most likely to stop an application. The Division of Professional Licensing posted new contractor licensing requirements effective April 20, 2026 that apply to all contractors, with updated insurance minimums of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate. The specialty contractor application page states the same figures as a condition of applying: a general liability insurance certificate with minimum required coverage of $1,000,000 for each incident and $2,000,000 in total, with the Division listed as certificate holder. The contractor application adds that the coverage must cover all your scope of work for the license, for the entire duration of active licensure, in compliance with Utah Administrative Rule R156-55a-302d. At renewal the Division wants a current certificate of insurance as a PDF with the certificate holder shown as DOPL, 160 E 300 S, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84111. Workers compensation runs on a switch. If the applicant has no employees and does not intend to hire, it submits a Workers Compensation Coverage Waiver from the Utah Labor Commission, and must notify the Division in writing before any work is performed if it later hires. If the applicant has employees, or owner-workers holding less than eight percent ownership, it submits a workers compensation certificate, a Workforce Services unemployment insurance registration number and a Utah State Tax Commission withholding tax account number, or a signed contract with an approved Professional Employer Organization. A seasonal landscaping crew makes this a live question every spring.
Sourcescommerce.utah.gov 1commerce.utah.gov 2commerce.utah.gov 3commerce.utah.gov 4
Utah front loads a classroom requirement. The Division of Professional Licensing tells specialty contractor applicants they must already have completed a pre-license course from Associated Builders and Contractors Inc, the Utah Home Builders Association, or Associated General Contractors of Utah before applying. Specialty contractors require a 25 hour pre-licensure course. General contractors in the E100, R100 and B100 classifications, plus plumbing and electrical contractors, require a 30 hour course, which the application breaks out as the 25 hour minimum plus a 5 hour business and law course when applying for a general classification. Applicants who took the course before October 1, 2019 do not need the extra five hours. The application lists alternatives to the course for the qualifier: being the current qualifier on an active and unrestricted Utah contractor license, holding an accredited two or four year degree in construction management, or holding an active and unrestricted Utah professional engineer license. Experience is the part people over prepare for. The application puts the experience requirement under a heading that reads general classifications only, and says directly that if you are applying for specialty classifications alone, you do not need to complete that section. General classification qualifiers must have at least two years of paid construction experience, documented by self certification of at least 4,000 hours, prior qualifier history, a construction management degree, a Utah professional engineer license, or a passed NASCLA commercial general building examination. An S330 applicant is not asked for that documentation.
There is a Utah contractor Business and Law exam, and the Division of Professional Licensing names the classifications that require it: B100 General Building Contractor, E100 General Engineering Contractor, H100 HVAC Contractor, R100 Residential and Small Commercial Contractor, E200 General Electrical Contractor, E201 Residential Electrical Contractor, P200 General Plumbing Contractor and P201 Residential Plumbing Contractor. S330 Landscape and Recreation Contractor is not on that list. The contractor application carries the Business and Law exam under the qualifier affidavit for general classifications, with alternatives for anyone previously identified as a qualifier on a Utah contractor license before May 9, 2017 or as a general classification qualifier at any time. Some classifications do carry their own trade exam or certification. H100 requires the HVAC written trade exam plus a Rocky Mountain Gas Association certification or an equivalent, or an active master plumber credential, along with documented HVAC employment. S370 Fire Suppression Systems requires a federally approved apprenticeship or two years under a certified sprinkler fitter, plus the STAR Fire Sprinkler fitting Mastery examination from the National Inspection Testing and Certification Corporation or a Division approved equivalent. S510 Elevator Contractor requires the qualifier's Utah elevator mechanic license. The Division states that these classification specific requirements cannot be waived when applying by endorsement. For a landscaping company, the planning consequence is simple. Budget for the 25 hour course, the insurance, the entity paperwork and the fee, and do not budget months for exam prep you will not need unless you add a general classification later.
Contracting licenses in Utah expire on November 30 of odd years, so the whole trade renews on the same two year clock. The Division of Professional Licensing emails renewal notices to the address on file at least 60 days before expiration, and says licensees are responsible for keeping that email address current. Renewal runs through the My License One platform and requires a UtahID account, and the Division warns that contractor renewals cannot be completed on a mobile device. Continuing education for contractors is 6 hours, 3 of which must be taught live, and a live webinar counts. Each course applies to all of your contracting licenses, so a company holding three specialty classifications does not multiply the hours. The Division does not add hours manually; the education provider submits them, and you check your own total by entering your full license number, including the suffix, in the courses taken box on the contracting page. Renewal also requires that your business entity is current with the Division of Corporations and Commercial Code, an active liability insurance certificate naming DOPL as certificate holder at 160 E 300 S, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84111, and current workers compensation treatment for employees or owner-workers holding less than eight percent ownership. The handyman exemption registration renews at $45.00 and the Division states that continuing education is not required for it. Landscape architects run on a different calendar entirely, renewing May 31 of even years with 16 hours of continuing education.
Sourcescommerce.utah.gov 1commerce.utah.gov 2commerce.utah.gov 3commerce.utah.gov 4
Utah has a route in for out of state companies, and it is tighter than a simple license swap. The Division of Professional Licensing calls it endorsement. If you are currently licensed as a contractor in a state, territory or district of the United States, in a jurisdiction the Division has determined equivalent to Utah, and you have at least one year of experience with that license, you may apply by endorsement. The application asks whether you have held a license outside Utah with a similar scope of practice to the license you are applying for, for at least one year. Three ownership and personnel conditions follow. At least 50 percent of the ownership proposed for the Utah license must be the same as the ownership of the license used for endorsement. No more than 50 percent of the company ownership may have changed within the last year. The proposed qualifier for the Utah license must be the same as the qualifier on the license used for endorsement. You submit official verification of the out of state license that includes ownership and qualifier information, on top of everything a standard applicant submits. One limit is stated twice on the application and worth repeating: classification specific requirements, such as a trade exam or a held individual license, cannot be waived when applying by endorsement. The Division publishes the approved jurisdictions, so check the list before you promise a Utah start date to a customer.
Utah writes the prohibition broadly. Section 58-55-501 of the Utah Code makes it unlawful conduct to engage in a construction trade, act as a contractor, or represent oneself as engaged in a construction trade or as acting as a contractor in a trade requiring licensure, unless the person is appropriately licensed or exempted. The same section makes it unlawful to act beyond the scope of the license held, and to hire or employ an unlicensed person to perform work on a project unless that person is a wage employee of a licensee and is not himself required to be licensed. Penalties sit in Section 58-55-503. A person who violates those subsections is guilty of a class A misdemeanor, and so is a person who fails to comply with a citation after it becomes final. The fine schedule for a citation is a fine of up to $1,000 for a first offense, up to $2,000 for a second offense, and up to $2,000 for each day of continued offense after that. The Division may issue a citation, attempt a stipulated settlement, or send you to an adjudicative proceeding. You have 20 calendar days after service to notify the Division in writing that you want a hearing; miss that window and the citation becomes the final order and is not subject to further agency review. Issuance of a citation under Section 58-55-501 is also grounds for immediate suspension of a license, and an unpaid final citation is grounds to deny or refuse to renew one.
Sourcesle.utah.gov 1le.utah.gov 2
Utah protects the title separately from the trade. Section 58-53-501 of the Utah Code makes it unlawful conduct to use the title landscape architect, or any other description, words, letters or abbreviation indicating that the person is a landscape architect, without a license under that chapter. The practice itself is defined in Section 58-53-102 and includes producing a site plan that may cover sprinkler irrigation systems, grading and drainage plans or parking lots, designing retaining walls, raised platforms, decks and walkways incidental to a site plan, and designing covered pavilions, gazebos, restrooms, storage and maintenance facilities or other accessory structures that do not exceed 1,000 square feet. The exemptions in Section 58-53-304 are the part a landscaping contractor should read closely. A person preparing a site plan for a one, two, three or four family residence not exceeding two stories, excluding the basement, is exempt. So is a person designing sprinkler irrigation systems when licensed as a landscape contractor under the Utah Construction Trades Licensing Act. Licensed engineers and architects are exempt, as are unlicensed employees preparing site plans under a landscape architect's supervision. Qualifying for the license takes a bachelor's or master's degree from a program meeting Division criteria, or at least eight years of supervised practical experience, plus passing the required examinations. The fee is $110.00 to apply and $63.00 to renew, with a $30.00 exam record fee, and renewal falls on May 31 of even years with 16 continuing education hours.
Sourcesle.utah.gov 1le.utah.gov 2le.utah.gov 3le.utah.gov 4commerce.utah.gov 5commerce.utah.gov 6
If your crews spray, the contractor license is not the one that covers it. The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food states that to apply pesticides commercially you must obtain a Commercial Pesticide Applicator License and must be employed by a pesticide business that holds a valid Commercial Pesticide Business License. Two licenses, two applications, one agency, and it is not the Division of Professional Licensing. The Department also notes a newer Ornamental and Turf Technician Permit, and warns that the permit does not grant full pesticide applicator privileges and strictly limits the applications you are authorized to make. That distinction is worth getting right before you print a service list. The Department points applicators to the governing law rather than to a summary: the Utah Pesticide Control Act at Utah Code Section 4-14-101 and following, and the Utah Pesticide Control Rule at Utah Administrative Code R68-7. It states that failure to comply violates state law, and that violators face statutory penalties up to $1,000 per violation. Licensing and renewal run through the Department's Agriculture Information Management System, and the Department publishes separate step by step documents for a new Commercial Pesticide Applicator License and for renewing one. For a landscaping company, the practical sequence is to get the business license and the individual applicator licenses in place before the first weed and feed call of the season, and to keep the applicator roster current as seasonal staff turn over.
Sourcesag.utah.gov
Irrigation is where a landscaping company brushes up against drinking water law. The Utah Division of Drinking Water, inside the Department of Environmental Quality, states that you must hold a Utah Backflow Assembly certification to test backflow assemblies in the state of Utah, and warns that if you intend to repair or install backflow prevention assemblies, additional licensure may be required by the Division of Professional Licensing. Certification runs in three steps: enroll in a backflow assembly tester certification course, register for and pass an exam provided by the American Backflow Prevention Association, then submit the certification application, the fee and evidence of certification to the Division of Drinking Water by email or mail. Recertification requires the exam and the application again; the Division says a recertification course is not required but is still offered and encouraged. The rules behind it are published too. Rule R309-305 covers the cross connection and backflow prevention certification programs and the Cross Connection Control Commission, and Rule R309-105-12 sets cross connection control requirements for public water systems. Utah Code Section 19-4-112 covers precautions for nonpotable water systems, and Utah has adopted the International Plumbing Code with state amendments published through the licensing division. The Division of Drinking Water also runs a searchable database of certified backflow technicians, so a water system or a general contractor can check your name or license number and your expiration status before letting you on a site.
Sourcesdeq.utah.gov 1deq.utah.gov 2
Contractors coming from other states often expect a rule requiring the license number on every ad, truck and estimate. Utah's statute is narrower than that. The vehicle display duty in Section 58-55-501 is written for one group: it is unlawful conduct for a sign installation contractor or a nonelectrical outdoor advertising sign contractor to fail to display the contractor's license number prominently on a vehicle that the contractor uses and that displays the contractor's business name, or to fail to carry a copy of the license in any other vehicle the contractor uses at a job site. That subsection names sign contractors, not landscaping contractors. What does bind you is the representation rule in the same section. Representing yourself as engaged in a construction trade, or as acting as a contractor in a trade requiring licensure, without being licensed or exempt is unlawful conduct, and so is acting beyond the scope of the license you hold. In advertising terms, that means you may describe yourself as a licensed contractor only while the license is active, you may advertise only the classifications on it, and an expired license makes the same sentence a violation. The title rule in Section 58-53-501 is the other trap: do not use landscape architect, or letters or abbreviations implying it, unless you hold that license. Citations under Section 58-55-501 carry fines of up to $1,000, $2,000, or $2,000 a day for continued offenses, and are grounds for immediate suspension.
Utah makes verification easy, which is an argument for putting your license number where buyers can find it. The Division of Professional Licensing links a Verify a License tool from its home page, hosted at secure.utah.gov, and a separate search for disciplinary actions and citations that looks up an entity name, a license number or an individual's name. The Division also publishes a licensee count and a request a list of licensees service, and runs the State Construction Registry and the Lien Recovery Fund from the same site. Three details are worth knowing before a customer calls you about what they found. First, the license is issued to the company, with a named qualifier attached, so a homeowner comparing the name on your estimate with the name on the license will see a mismatch if you contract under an unregistered DBA. The contractor application asks for DBAs and their registration numbers for that reason. Second, the lookup shows expiration status, and contracting licenses all expire November 30 of odd years, so late November is when stale records make a company look unlicensed. Third, a formal paper trail costs money: the Division charges $20.00 for a verification of licensure and $12.00 per case for a disciplinary action file or order. Put the state license number, the classification code and the qualifier name on your estimates and your website. It turns a verification into confirmation instead of a question.
Sourcescommerce.utah.gov 1secure.utah.gov 2commerce.utah.gov 3commerce.utah.gov 4commerce.utah.gov 5
The state license lets you contract. A city business license lets you operate. Salt Lake City runs its business licensing through the Finance Department, and its application process page lists what you bring: a completed online application, payment of licensing fees, any required inspections, registration with the Utah Department of Commerce for your business name, corporation, LLC or partnership, a state sales tax number if applicable, and a federal tax ID number if applicable. The city points applicants to its consolidated fee schedule rather than publishing a single figure, so pull the current schedule before you quote overhead for a new service area. One Salt Lake City rule surprises small landscaping outfits. The city states that under state statute it does not require a business license for a business operated from your home unless the business causes an impact to your neighborhood, and it asks home based operators to contact the licensing office to find out whether their type of business needs one. You can still obtain a license voluntarily, in which case the city wants a completed and signed Home Occupation form uploaded with the online application. Treat each city separately. A crew working Salt Lake City, Sandy, West Valley City and Provo in one week is dealing with four licensing offices, four fee schedules and four sets of permit counters, while the contractor license behind all of it stays the same single state license from the Division of Professional Licensing.
Sourcesslc.gov
These are common details other guides publish about Utah, but we could not verify them from the agency source. Confirm them directly before relying on them.
Yes, above a dollar threshold. The Division of Professional Licensing issues the S330 Landscape and Recreation Contractor specialty classification under the Utah Construction Trades Licensing Act. Utah Code Section 58-55-305 exempts work on a building with a contracted or agreed value of less than $7,000, labor and materials included, so jobs at or above that figure need the license.
S330, which the Division lists on its contractor application as Landscape and Recreation Contractor, in the specialty trade classification group. The scopes of practice are set in Utah Administrative Rule R156-55a-301c through 301al. Hardscape and excavation work can reach into other classifications such as S310 or S260, and the application lets one license carry up to three specialty classifications.
The Division names the classifications that require the Utah contractor Business and Law exam: B100, E100, H100, R100, E200, E201, P200 and P201. S330 is not among them. Some other specialty classifications carry their own trade exam or certification, including S370 fire suppression and S510 elevator work, and those requirements cannot be waived by endorsement.
The contractor application puts the experience requirement under a heading reading general classifications only, and states that applicants for specialty classifications alone do not complete that section. General classification qualifiers need two years of paid construction experience, shown by self certification of at least 4,000 hours or by one of the listed alternatives such as a construction management degree.
A general liability certificate with at least $1,000,000 for each incident and $2,000,000 in total, with DOPL listed as certificate holder. The Division posted those minimums as new requirements effective April 20, 2026 for all contractors. The contractor application adds that coverage must cover your full scope of work for the entire duration of active licensure under Rule R156-55a-302d.
The fee schedule lists a contractor primary classification at $175.00 to apply and $128.00 to renew, carrying a $1.00 e-library surcharge. Replacing or changing a qualifier is $50.00, and an ownership list or change is $20.00. Fees are non-refundable, and online payments add a small flat charge under $100 or up to three percent at $100 or more.
Contracting licenses expire on November 30 of odd years. The Division emails renewal notices to the address on file at least 60 days ahead and renews through My License One with a UtahID. Continuing education is 6 hours, 3 of them taught live, and a live webinar counts. One set of courses applies to all of your contracting classifications.
Possibly, by endorsement. You need a current license in a jurisdiction the Division has determined equivalent, plus at least one year of experience with it. At least 50 percent of the proposed Utah ownership must match the other license, no more than 50 percent of ownership may have changed in the last year, and the qualifier must be the same person.
Section 58-55-501 makes unlicensed contracting, and representing yourself as a contractor in a trade requiring licensure, unlawful conduct. Section 58-55-503 makes that a class A misdemeanor. Citation fines run up to $1,000 for a first offense, up to $2,000 for a second, and up to $2,000 for each day of a continued offense, with 20 calendar days to request a hearing.
Not for the exempt work. Utah Code Section 58-53-304 exempts preparing a site plan for a one to four family residence not exceeding two stories, and exempts designing sprinkler irrigation systems when you are licensed as a landscape contractor under the construction trades chapter. Section 58-53-501 still bars using the title landscape architect without that separate license.
The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food requires a Commercial Pesticide Applicator License, and requires that you be employed by a business holding a Commercial Pesticide Business License. The newer Ornamental and Turf Technician Permit does not grant full applicator privileges and limits authorized applications. The governing law is the Utah Pesticide Control Act and Rule R68-7, with penalties up to $1,000 per violation.
The Utah Division of Drinking Water. It states you must hold a Utah Backflow Assembly certification to test backflow assemblies in Utah, and that repairing or installing them may require additional licensure from the Division of Professional Licensing. Certification means a course, an American Backflow Prevention Association exam, then an application with fee and proof of certification. Rules R309-305 and R309-105-12 govern the program.
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