Renewing NC landscape, pesticide and irrigation licenses
When do North Carolina landscaping licenses renew, and how many CE hours do they need?
- List every license and category the company holds
- Put each renewal date in one shared calendar
- Book landscape CE hours before July 31
- Spread pesticide credits across the five-year cycle
- Book irrigation CE hours before December 31
- Keep certificates for at least two years
- Renew the LLC annual report by April 15
Three licenses, three renewal clocks
The landscape license renews by July 31. The irrigation license renews by December 31. The pesticide license runs on a five-year certification with a yearly fee.
None of the three boards talks to the others. A company holding all three licenses tracks three dates and three sets of education hours. The table below puts them side by side.
Add the state's own business filing to the same calendar. The LLC annual report is due April 15, covered in annual reports and state taxes.
| License | Renewal due | Education | Late or lapse cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscape contractor | July 31 each year | 7 hours a year | $25 late, $100 reinstatement |
| Pesticide, Category L | $75 each year, 5-year certification | 10 credits per 5 years | Ask NCDA&CS |
| Irrigation contractor | December 31 each year | 10 hours a year | $250 reinstatement |
July 31The landscape contractor license renews annually, with seven hours of continuing education earned between August 1 and July 31. — NC Landscape Contractors' Licensing Board, retrieved 2026-09-27
Landscape license renewal and the seven-hour rule
Landscape contractors complete seven hours of board-approved education each year. At least three are technical landscape credits and two are business credits.
The hours count from August 1 to July 31. Proof goes in with the renewal. Keep the documentation for two years after you renew, because the board can ask for it.
The renewal fee is $100. Miss the July 31 postmark and a $25 late fee applies. A license that lapses costs $100 to reinstate.
7 hoursOf the seven annual landscape CE hours, three must be landscape technical credits and two must be business credits, with records kept for two years. — NC Landscape Contractors' Licensing Board FAQ, retrieved 2026-09-27
$100 renewalThe landscape board charges $100 to renew, a $25 late fee if not postmarked by July 31, and $100 to reinstate. — NC Landscape Contractors' Licensing Board FAQ, retrieved 2026-09-27
Pesticide recertification over five years
A Commercial Ground Applicator certifies for five years. Category L needs 10 credits in that time, and the license fee of $75 is paid every year.
Other categories carry their own totals. Category A, Aquatic, needs 6 credits over five years. Hold more than one category and each one's credits must be earned over at least two years of the cycle.
Questions go to the division's credit desk at NCPesticideCredit@ncagr.gov. The exams you would sit to start again are in the pesticide license guide.
10 creditsCategory L requires 10 credits and Category A requires 6 credits during the five-year recertification period. — NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, retrieved 2026-09-27
Irrigation license renewal by December 31
Irrigation contractors need 10 hours of education a year. At least six are irrigation credits and four are business credits.
Renewal is due by December 31. The board charges a late fee after that date. A suspended license costs $250 to reinstate once the missing hours are done.
The bond has to stay in force the whole time you hold the license. A cancelled bond is its own problem, covered in bonds and insurance.
December 31Irrigation contractors need 10 credit hours a year, at least six irrigation and four business, and renewal is due by December 31. — NC Irrigation Contractors' Licensing Board FAQ, retrieved 2026-09-27
Keep the business itself in good standing
The licenses assume the company still exists. An LLC files its annual report with the Secretary of State by April 15 each year.
The report costs $200 on paper or $203 online. It is due every year after the year the LLC was created. Your license renewals ask for the business name the state has on file, so keep the two in step.
If you trade as an LLC, the landscape board's company license renews alongside yours. See the landscape license guide for how the company license works.
April 15A North Carolina LLC annual report is due April 15 each year after the year of creation, at $200 on paper or $203 online. — North Carolina Secretary of State, retrieved 2026-09-27
Questions
Can I carry extra landscape CE hours into the next year?
The board counts seven hours per renewal year, earned between August 1 and July 31, and submitted with that year's renewal. Ask the board before assuming extra hours roll forward.
What happens if my landscape license lapses?
A renewal not postmarked by July 31 draws a $25 late fee. A license that has to be reinstated costs $100, for either an individual or a corporate license.
Who do I ask about pesticide credits?
The NCDA&CS Pesticide Section handles recertification questions at NCPesticideCredit@ncagr.gov or 984-236-4575, and runs the credit records for each license category.