Lawn care in Florida: licenses, fertilizer and weed killer
Mowing and trimming need no state license, as far as the state’s license list shows. Fertilizer and weed or bug killer are different: in Florida, applying them for pay takes a state certificate or license.
Does it need a license in Florida?
It depends on what goes on your lawn.
| The job | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Mowing, trimming, planting, raking | No state license, as far as the state’s license list shows |
| Spreading fertilizer | An FDACS fertilizer certificate, unless the worker uses only your fertilizer and your equipment |
| Weed killer, bug spray or “weed and feed” on the lawn | A licensed pest control company |
| Installing a sprinkler system | A plumbing license (CFC or RF) or an irrigation specialty license (IS) |
Yard care. Brevard County, for example, lists “Landscaping and Yard Care with no irrigation or sprinkler” among its “unregulated specialty trades”. Ask your city or county about local business rules.
Fertilizer. Since January 1, 2014, anyone who applies fertilizer for pay to a yard they don’t own must be certified by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). The certificate lasts four years. A yard worker who uses only your fertilizer and your equipment doesn’t need it.
Weed and bug killer. The fertilizer certificate doesn’t cover pesticides, not even fertilizer-and-pesticide mixes like “weed and feed”. Spraying lawns or plants for pests for pay is pest control. It takes a pest control business licensed by FDACS, with a certified operator in charge for that kind of work. One of those categories is “lawn and ornamental”: pests of lawns, shrubs, trees and other plants.
Landscape maintenance certificate. Workers with this limited FDACS certificate may treat weeds in beds, driveways, walkways and patios, and treat pests on ornamental plants. They may use only handheld or backpack sprayers, never power equipment, and no pesticide at all on the lawn itself.
Sprinklers. Irrigation systems are part of what a plumbing contractor’s license covers, and the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) also issues an Irrigation Specialty Contractor license (IS).
How to check
- Fertilizer: ask to see the worker’s FDACS fertilizer certification and check the date. It expires four years after it’s issued.
- Pest control company: find it in the Pest Control Business Licenses report on the FDACS licensing site, or call FDACS at 1-800-435-7352.
- On your lawn: every pest control technician must carry an FDACS ID card and show it when you ask. Technicians must be employees of the licensed company, not independent contractors.
- Sprinkler installer: look up the license on myfloridalicense.com, the DBPR’s free license search. Our license guide explains it step by step.
Do you need a permit?
A new sprinkler system may need one. In Charlotte County, for example, a landscaping sprinkler system is on the list of work that needs a permit. Rules differ from place to place, so ask your city or county building department before the work starts.
Before you hire
- Know the summer fertilizer rules. In some places, fertilizer with nitrogen or phosphorus is banned during the summer. In Pinellas County, for example, none may go on lawns or landscaping from June 1 to September 30, and fertilizer must stay 10 feet away from the water’s edge, seawalls and wetlands. Lee County’s 2024 fact sheet describes a similar June 1 to September 30 ban in its unincorporated areas. Ask your city or county what applies where you live.
- Ask who brings the fertilizer. If the worker brings it, ask for the FDACS certificate.
- Ask what they spray. If you ask, a licensed pest control company must tell you the pesticide’s name, its active ingredient and its safety information.
- Look for the sign. When a licensed company applies pesticide to your lawn, it must post a notice where people can see it.
- New sprinklers? Ask for the license number and whether a permit is needed.
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Sources
- Florida Statutes §482.1562: the fertilizer certificate
- Florida Statutes §482.021: definitions, including commercial fertilizer and lawn pest control
- Florida Statutes §482.111: certified operators and their categories
- Florida Statutes §482.091: ID cards for pest control workers
- Florida Statutes §482.156: the landscape maintenance certificate
- Florida Statutes §482.211: yard workers and the owner’s pesticide
- Florida Statutes §482.2265: lawn notices and product information
- FDACS: licensing portal
- Florida DBPR: the professions it licenses
- Florida DBPR: verify a license
- Florida DBPR: what the license codes mean
- Florida Statutes §489.105: irrigation in the plumbing license
- Brevard County: handyman work and unregulated trades
- Charlotte County: permit requirements
- Pinellas County: fertilizer ordinance
- Lee County: Fertilize Smart fact sheet (PDF, 2024)
This page is general information, not legal advice. Rules change and differ from city to city, so check the official links and ask your city or county.
