- A $20,000 indemnification bond, or a letter of credit for the same amount.
- Every year.
Do you need a state license in Illinois?
Illinois 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 Illinois
- Get the required insurance and the $20,000 bond or letter of credit.
- Fill out the Irrigation Contractors Application for Registration and the child support certification.
- Register your installing employees.
- Renew every year.
Experience and other requirements
Experience. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
The license to apply for. Irrigation contractor registration (lawn sprinkler systems).
Illinois 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 Illinois
We could not confirm the current fee schedule on an official page. Check with the board before you budget: Illinois Department of Public Health, Plumbing Program.
Insurance and bond
Insurance. General liability of at least $100,000 per occurrence, bodily injury of $300,000 per occurrence, property damage of $50,000, and workers' compensation of $500,000.
Bond. A $20,000 indemnification bond, or a letter of credit for the same amount.
Renewal and licenses from other states
Renewal. Every year.
Reciprocity. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Good to know in Illinois
- Register every employee who installs or supervises installation of lawn sprinkler systems.
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 Illinois Department of Public Health, Plumbing Program 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.