- Plan for a trade exam.
- Renew with the required continuing education hours.
Do you need a state license in Texas?
Texas 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.
Texas license types for landscaping work
Texas splits the work into 2 licenses. Pick the one that matches the jobs you take, since working outside its scope is the same as working without one.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Landscape Irrigator | Selling, designing, installing, maintaining and repairing irrigation systems |
| Irrigation Technician | Works under a licensed irrigator when connecting a system to a water supply |
Steps to get licensed in Texas
- Take the basic landscape irrigation training course from an approved provider.
- Apply to TCEQ and pass the exam with 70 percent on each section.
- Get your irrigator seal and carry it with your license.
- Renew with continuing education.
Experience and other requirements
Experience. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
The license to apply for. Landscape Irrigator license.
Texas landscaping exams
Trade exam. Complete the required training course, then pass the exam with at least 70 percent on each section.
Business and law exam. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
What it costs in Texas
We could not confirm the current fee schedule on an official page. Check with the board before you budget: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Landscape Irrigation Program.
Insurance and bond
Insurance. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Bond. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Renewal and licenses from other states
Renewal. Renew with the required continuing education hours.
Reciprocity. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Good to know in Texas
- Licensed irrigators must have their seal and license with them when working.
- Complaints about unlicensed irrigators can go to municipal and justice of the peace courts, and police can write tickets.
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 Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Landscape Irrigation 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.