Landscaping Business Permit Requirements in Indianapolis, IN

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. Indiana Department of Revenue — Registered Retail Merchant Certificate

   Required for all businesses selling tangible personal property at retail in Indiana. Indiana charges a flat 7% state sales tax with no additional local sales tax. Register online via INBiz.

   Official government source

   $25 one-time registration fee·Immediate (online via INBiz)

   $25 one-time registration fee

   Immediate (online via INBiz)

2. Office of Indiana State Chemist — Commercial Pesticide Applicator and Business Licenses

   If you apply pesticides or herbicides as part of landscaping services in Indiana, you must be licensed by the Office of Indiana State Chemist (OISC) at Purdue University — not by a state department of agriculture, which does not administer this program. The individual applying pesticides for hire holds a For Hire Pesticide Applicator License in the relevant category, and the business holds a Pesticide Business License, which requires a certificate of insurance with the application. Licenses expire and are renewable annually on December 31.

   Official government source

   $45 per year for the Pesticide Business License and $45 per year for each individual For Hire Pesticide Applicator License. Exam fees are charged separately by the testing provider.·OISC publishes no processing time. Certification exams must be passed before a credential is issued, and every license expires December 31 regardless of issue date, so allow for exam scheduling.

   $45 per year for the Pesticide Business License and $45 per year for each individual For Hire Pesticide Applicator License. Exam fees are charged separately by the testing provider.

   OISC publishes no processing time. Certification exams must be passed before a credential is issued, and every license expires December 31 regardless of issue date, so allow for exam scheduling.

1. Indianapolis Department of Business and Neighborhood Services — Business License

   Indianapolis (Marion County) has no general business license and no product called a 'Commercial Zoning Certificate.' DBNS licenses only specific business types by ordinance (e.g., massage establishments $177, kennels/pet shops/stables $200, hotels, pawnbrokers). Most business types listed here do not require any Indianapolis business license — check DBNS's Business Licenses list for your specific type.

   Official government source

   N/A for most business types; specific licensed types have individual fees (e.g., $177–$200)·N/A

   N/A for most business types; specific licensed types have individual fees (e.g., $177–$200)

   N/A

2. Marion County / Indianapolis Contractor Registration

   Indianapolis (DBNS) licenses general, electrical, heating-and-cooling, wrecking, and plumbing contractors — there is no separate landscaping or irrigation contractor registration. Landscaping-only work generally needs no city contractor license; irrigation work tied into plumbing connections may require a licensed plumbing contractor.

   Official government source

   N/A for landscaping-only work·1–3 weeks

   N/A for landscaping-only work

   1–3 weeks

Official Sources

• Indianapolis Department of Business and Neighborhood Services
• Indiana Department of Revenue — Registered Retail Merchant Certificate

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