- Renew within 90 days before the certificate expires. Contractors with two clean years can renew for two years.
Do you need a state license in Delaware?
Delaware licenses some landscaping work at the state level and leaves the rest alone. Which side of that line a job falls on decides whether you need the state license.
Steps to get licensed in Delaware
- Get your Delaware business license from the Division of Revenue.
- Apply for a Contractor Registration Certificate on Delaware One Stop before work begins.
- Pay the fee: $200 a year for private construction.
Experience and other requirements
Experience. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
The license to apply for. Contractor Registration Certificate.
Delaware landscaping exams
Trade exam. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Business and law exam. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
What it costs in Delaware
The board lists 3 fees along the way. These are the state's own numbers. Insurance, any bond, exam prep and your business registration come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| One year registration, private construction | $200 |
| One year registration, public construction | $300 |
| One year registration, public and private | $500 |
Insurance and bond
Insurance. You give your workers' compensation policy for Delaware when you apply.
Bond. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Renewal and licenses from other states
Renewal. Renew within 90 days before the certificate expires. Contractors with two clean years can renew for two years.
Reciprocity. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Good to know in Delaware
- You also need a Delaware business license from the Division of Revenue.
After you are licensed
The license lets you take the work. Getting the work is the next job.
- Register the business. If you work under a name other than your own, register it where your state asks (often the Secretary of State, sometimes the county), and keep the name the same on your license, your truck and your invoices.
- Claim your Google Business Profile. It is the listing people see when they search for a landscaper near them. Fill in your service area, hours and real photos of your work.
- Put up a website that shows the license. Customers look for it before they call. Koira builds a contractor website for you and keeps it current.
- See where you stand. The free Koira report checks how your business shows up in search and on maps against shops near you.
Where this comes from
Every fact on this page comes from the Delaware Department of Labor, Office of Contractor Registration and the official pages below, checked October 9, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm with the board before you file.
More for your trade: how landscaping companies run on Koira.