Landscape Irrigation Contractor State Licensing Guide

Licensing irrigation professionals promotes the protection of public health, safety and general welfare; supports the environmental, economic and social benefits of cultivated landscapes; and helps to ensure the efficient use of water resources.

The Irrigation Association supports only state and provincial licensing initiatives that are embraced by the state’s irrigation industry. The IA recognizes that different forms of licensing may be appropriate for different states and provinces and that one single approach may not work among different states. To view the IA’s position statement on licensing for landscape irrigation professionals, please click here.

For more information about these ongoing initiatives, please contact the IA Government Affairs Department.

What does your state require in order for you to practice irrigation contracting?

Download an infographic featuring a map that illustrates the presence of irrigation contractor licensing requirements across the 50 states.

View a list of states that do not require landscape irrigation contractors to be licensed under either a sole irrigation contracting license or subcategory license.

The following states require you to obtain an irrigation contracting license in order to practice landscape irrigation:

  • Louisiana
  • New Jersey
  • North Carolina
  • Texas

The following states require you to obtain a license that is not solely specific to irrigation, but they do require the use of a license with provisions that govern irrigation contracting. In some states, irrigation contracting is a subcategory license under plumbing or landscape contracting:

  • California
  • Connecticut
  • Oregon
  • Illinois
  • Rhode Island

The following state offers a voluntary license that exempts the licensed individual from local irrigation contracting licenses:

  • Florida

The following states have considered irrigation licensing legislation or regulatory rule makings — efforts supported by the Irrigation Association. State efforts have ranged from the creation of new programs to the renewal of existing programs:

  • Alabama
  • Illinois
  • Massachusetts