Landscaping Business Permit Requirements in Denver, CO

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC/corporation. Free from the IRS, obtained instantly online.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. Colorado Sales Tax License

   Required if a landscaping business makes retail sales of tangible goods such as plants, sod, mulch or hardscape materials. Colorado does not tax services, so landscape labour by itself is not taxable, though materials sold or installed under a taxable contract can be. Issued by the Colorado Department of Revenue; the state license covers state and state-collected local taxes only, so home-rule cities such as Denver require their own separate license.

   Official government source

   $16 for the two-year license period when applying January–June of an even year, prorated to $12, $8 or $4 later in the cycle, plus a one-time refundable $50 deposit for a new account ($66 total for a first location); the deposit is refunded once $50 in state sales tax has been remitted·Immediate when filed online through MyBizColorado or Revenue Online

   $16 for the two-year license period when applying January–June of an even year, prorated to $12, $8 or $4 later in the cycle, plus a one-time refundable $50 deposit for a new account ($66 total for a first location); the deposit is refunded once $50 in state sales tax has been remitted

   Immediate when filed online through MyBizColorado or Revenue Online

2. Colorado Secretary of State — LLC Registration (Articles of Organization)

   Registering a legal entity is optional for a sole-proprietor landscaper but common for liability protection. File Articles of Organization for an LLC online with the Colorado Secretary of State; Colorado requires this document to be filed online (no paper option). Every registered entity must then file a Periodic Report each year to stay in good standing. A sole proprietor operating under a business name instead files a Statement of Trade Name.

   Official government source

   $50 to file Articles of Organization online, plus $25 for the Periodic Report due every year (a $50 late penalty applies if it is filed late). Statement of Trade Name for a sole proprietorship is $20.·Immediate — the Secretary of State files online documents in real time once payment is confirmed

   $50 to file Articles of Organization online, plus $25 for the Periodic Report due every year (a $50 late penalty applies if it is filed late). Statement of Trade Name for a sole proprietorship is $20.

   Immediate — the Secretary of State files online documents in real time once payment is confirmed

3. Colorado Department of Agriculture — Pesticide Applicator Licensing

   Required if a landscaping business applies pesticides, herbicides or restricted-use chemicals on customer property. The business itself must hold a Commercial Applicator license from the Colorado Department of Agriculture, and individuals must hold a Qualified Supervisor or Certified Operator license, each requiring the general exam plus a category exam for every type of application performed.

   Official government source

   $350 Commercial Applicator business license, plus $100 for each individual Qualified Supervisor or Certified Operator license. Exam fees are charged separately by the testing agency.·Exams must be passed before the individual application is submitted; CDA does not publish a standard processing time.

   $350 Commercial Applicator business license, plus $100 for each individual Qualified Supervisor or Certified Operator license. Exam fees are charged separately by the testing agency.

   Exams must be passed before the individual application is submitted; CDA does not publish a standard processing time.

4. Denver Contractor License (if performing construction work)

   Colorado has no statewide general contractor license, and DORA does not license general or landscape contractors. If your landscaping business performs construction work in Denver (hardscaping, retaining walls, irrigation, drainage), Community Planning and Development issues the contractor license — typically a Specialty Class D or Residential Class C license. You must first hold, or employ someone who holds, a Denver supervisor certificate. Denver does not accept or reciprocate contractor licenses from other counties or states.

   Official government source

   $250 for a Class A, B, C, D or mechanical contractor license (renewed every 3 years), plus $60 for the required supervisor certificate (also renewed every 3 years)·Supervisor certificate must be obtained first; apply and pay online through Denver e-permits once the application is approved

   $250 for a Class A, B, C, D or mechanical contractor license (renewed every 3 years), plus $60 for the required supervisor certificate (also renewed every 3 years)

   Supervisor certificate must be obtained first; apply and pay online through Denver e-permits once the application is approved

1. Denver: No General Business License, but a Tree Service License May Apply

   Denver has no blanket business license. Its Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (formerly Excise and Licenses) issues only the roughly 68 categories in its published license directory, and 'landscaping' is not one of them. Two Denver licenses do commonly catch landscapers, though. It is unlawful to engage in the business of, or take compensation for, cutting, trimming, pruning or removing trees in Denver without a tree service license; that license is issued to an individual in the ownership or employment of the company, and if that licensee leaves, the company has 30 days to name a new one or it is no longer licensed. Separately, construction work such as retaining walls or hardscaping requires a Denver contractor license from Community Planning and Development.

   Official government source

   There is no general Denver business license fee. Denver does not publish the tree service license fee on its license pages; it is charged in Denver's Online Permitting and Licensing Center. A contractor license, if the work requires one, is $250 for a three-year term plus $60 for the required supervisor certificate.·No general business license to wait for. The Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection publishes current application processing times on its website; contractor license applications submitted online take roughly 14-20 business days to review.

   There is no general Denver business license fee. Denver does not publish the tree service license fee on its license pages; it is charged in Denver's Online Permitting and Licensing Center. A contractor license, if the work requires one, is $250 for a three-year term plus $60 for the required supervisor certificate.

   No general business license to wait for. The Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection publishes current application processing times on its website; contractor license applications submitted online take roughly 14-20 business days to review.

2. Denver Building and Zoning Permits for Landscape Structures

   Landscaping work in Denver that involves structures needs permits from Community Planning and Development, and Denver's threshold is far lower than the common four-foot rule of thumb: only walls shorter than 12 inches are exempt, and only fences shorter than four feet. All fences and walls of any height require a permit if the property is in a historic district, is an individually designated landmark, or fronts a designated parkway. A sewer use and drainage permit may also be required if the property is in a floodplain or you are digging within two feet of the sewer line. Grading that alters drainage, pergolas and irrigation connections to potable water have their own review requirements - research the property before quoting the job.

   Official government source

   Denver charges a zoning construction permit fee by valuation of work ($10 up to $500; $25 for $501-$2,000; $35 plus $0.50 per $1,000 for $2,001-$50,000) and, where a building permit is required, a separate building permit fee ($20 up to $500; $35 for $501-$2,000; $35 for the first $2,000 plus $8 per additional $1,000 to $25,000), with plan review adding 50% of the permit fee above $2,000. A forestry review, if triggered, is $65 per qualifying zone lot.·Denver does not publish fixed processing times; it publishes an Average Plan Review Times dashboard updated daily, showing estimated days to complete by review discipline and project category. Permits are issued electronically through the city's e-permits system.

   Denver charges a zoning construction permit fee by valuation of work ($10 up to $500; $25 for $501-$2,000; $35 plus $0.50 per $1,000 for $2,001-$50,000) and, where a building permit is required, a separate building permit fee ($20 up to $500; $35 for $501-$2,000; $35 for the first $2,000 plus $8 per additional $1,000 to $25,000), with plan review adding 50% of the permit fee above $2,000. A forestry review, if triggered, is $65 per qualifying zone lot.

   Denver does not publish fixed processing times; it publishes an Average Plan Review Times dashboard updated daily, showing estimated days to complete by review discipline and project category. Permits are issued electronically through the city's e-permits system.

Official Sources

• Denver Excise & Licenses
• Colorado Dept of Agriculture: Pesticide Applicators
• Colorado Secretary of State: Business Registration

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