Landscaping Business Permit Requirements in Des Moines, IA

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC or corporation. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. Iowa Department of Revenue — Sales Tax Permit

   Required for businesses selling taxable goods or services in Iowa. The state rate is 6%, and local option sales tax of up to 1% may apply. Iowa taxes about 75 enumerated services, so check whether your service is taxable before assuming you need a permit. Register with the Iowa Department of Revenue online.

   Official government source

   Free — no fee to register for a sales tax permit·Register online through GovConnectIowa, the state's tax portal

   Free — no fee to register for a sales tax permit

   Register online through GovConnectIowa, the state's tax portal

2. Iowa Commercial Pesticide Applicator Certification

   A landscaper who applies pesticides or herbicides as part of the service must be certified as a commercial applicator by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship's Pesticide Bureau, passing a written exam in each category worked. The individual applicator is certified; the landscaping business that employs applicators is separately licensed as a pesticide application company. Use the non-www address - the www version drops the path and lands on the department homepage.

   Official government source

   $75 for a three-year commercial applicator certification (Iowa Code section 206.5), plus an annual pesticide application company license of up to $25 (section 206.6)·Certification issues once the category exams are passed; allow a few weeks for testing and processing

   $75 for a three-year commercial applicator certification (Iowa Code section 206.5), plus an annual pesticide application company license of up to $25 (section 206.6)

   Certification issues once the category exams are passed; allow a few weeks for testing and processing

1. No Des Moines General Business License Required

   Des Moines has no general or blanket business license, and the Development Services Department does not issue one. The City Clerk's Office licenses only specific regulated activities - alcohol, tobacco, transient merchants, mobile food vendors, peddlers, pawnbrokers, theaters, coin-operated machines, solid waste haulers and similar categories. Most businesses need nothing from the Clerk. What a commercial tenant does need is a Certificate of Occupancy for the space, issued by the Permit and Development Center, and home-based businesses go through home occupation review with Zoning Enforcement.

   Official government source

   Nothing - there is no such license. A commercial Certificate of Occupancy is $51.50·Not applicable

   Nothing - there is no such license. A commercial Certificate of Occupancy is $51.50

   Not applicable

2. Iowa Contractor Registration (DIAL) — not a city or county registration

   Des Moines and Polk County do not run a contractor registration program; the Permit and Development Center issues construction permits and sign erector licenses only. Landscaping and irrigation contractors earning at least $2,000 a year from construction work must instead register with the state, through the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing. Registrants need an Iowa unemployment insurance number, and those with employees must carry workers' compensation coverage and a $25,000 bond.

   Official government source

   $50 application fee (state registration)·Register online with DIAL before working; the registration must be renewed every year

   $50 application fee (state registration)

   Register online with DIAL before working; the registration must be renewed every year

Official Sources

• City of Des Moines Development Services Department
• Iowa Department of Revenue — Sales Tax Permit

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