Landscaping Business Permit Requirements in Lewiston, ME

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. Maine Revenue Services — Sales Tax Registration

   Required for all businesses selling tangible personal property or taxable services in Maine. Maine charges a 5.5% state sales tax (food and lodging have different rates). Register with Maine Revenue Services online.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online)

   Free

   Immediate (online)

2. Maine Commercial Pesticide Applicator License (Board of Pesticides Control)

   If you apply pesticides or herbicides as part of landscaping services in Maine you must hold a commercial applicator licence from the Maine DACF Board of Pesticides Control. Technicians hold the Commercial Operator licence and work under a licensed Commercial Master; every company, branch office or agency must have at least one Commercial Master. Landscapers typically need categories 3A Outdoor Ornamentals, 3B Turf and 6B General Vegetation Management - weed control on sidewalks, driveways and parking lots requires 6B specifically. A landscaping company other than a sole proprietor with no employees must also hold a Firm licence and file an affidavit of insurance coverage.

   Official government source

   $105 licence/renewal fee for either the Commercial Master or Commercial Operator licence, covering a 3-year term; exams are $10 each (Core, each category, and the Master regulations exam) plus $40 for the Master oral exam. A company also pays $300 for a 3-year Firm licence.·Licences run 3 years, renewable December 31; allow 3-4 weeks after applying for a Master exam date (up to 8 weeks in the March-May peak) and 2-3 weeks for an Operator exam. Masters need 9 recertification credits per 3-year cycle, Operators 6.

   $105 licence/renewal fee for either the Commercial Master or Commercial Operator licence, covering a 3-year term; exams are $10 each (Core, each category, and the Master regulations exam) plus $40 for the Master oral exam. A company also pays $300 for a 3-year Firm licence.

   Licences run 3 years, renewable December 31; allow 3-4 weeks after applying for a Master exam date (up to 8 weeks in the March-May peak) and 2-3 weeks for an Operator exam. Masters need 9 recertification credits per 3-year cycle, Operators 6.

1. City of Lewiston - Selective Business Licensing (City Clerk)

   Lewiston does not require a general business licence or registration, and licensing is run by the City Clerk's Department (207-513-3124), not the Finance Department. The Clerk licenses over 40 specific business types required by Maine statute or city ordinance - among them food service establishments, mobile units and roving diners, massage establishments and therapists, tattoo parlours, lodging houses, flea markets, pawnbrokers, peddlers, second-hand dealers, taxicab companies, junk collectors and adult businesses. Most other trades - cleaning, landscaping, handyman, photography, tutoring, pet sitting, notary, bookkeeping, real estate, insurance, plumbing, electrical and HVAC contracting - are not licensed by the City at all. Most licensed types require inspection by the Fire, Code (Health) or Police departments before issue.

   Official government source

   Fees are published per category in the City's Business License Applications Fees, Penalties and Inspection and Approval Schedule - for example food service establishment $150-$575 by class and size, mobile unit / roving diner $100, massage establishment $110 application plus $195 licence, tattooing $110 plus $195, second-hand dealer $88, peddler $56 in state. Most businesses pay nothing because they are not a licensed category.·File the application at least seven days before you begin operating, and allow time for any required Fire, Code (Health) or Police inspection

   Fees are published per category in the City's Business License Applications Fees, Penalties and Inspection and Approval Schedule - for example food service establishment $150-$575 by class and size, mobile unit / roving diner $100, massage establishment $110 application plus $195 licence, tattooing $110 plus $195, second-hand dealer $88, peddler $56 in state. Most businesses pay nothing because they are not a licensed category.

   File the application at least seven days before you begin operating, and allow time for any required Fire, Code (Health) or Police inspection

2. No Landscaping Contractor Registration in Maine

   Maine has no state licence or registration for landscaping contractors, and neither Androscoggin County nor the City of Lewiston registers them - Lewiston's published business licence fee schedule covers over 40 categories and contains no landscaping or irrigation line, and Maine counties license no businesses. What does apply: any home improvement contract over $3,000 in labour or materials must be in writing and signed by both parties under Maine's Home Construction Contracts Act (10 MRSA section 1487); a Board of Pesticides Control commercial applicator licence is required to apply pesticides or herbicides for hire; and building, excavation or shoreland permits are needed from Lewiston Planning and Code Enforcement for hardscaping, retaining walls and grading.

   Official government source

   No registration fee - Maine and Lewiston do not register landscaping contractors·No application process; obtain job-specific permits from Planning and Code Enforcement before regulated work

   No registration fee - Maine and Lewiston do not register landscaping contractors

   No application process; obtain job-specific permits from Planning and Code Enforcement before regulated work

Official Sources

• City of Lewiston Finance Department
• Maine Revenue Services — Sales Tax Registration

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