Landscaping Business Permit Requirements in Grand Forks, ND

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. North Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner — Sales and Use Tax Permit

   Required for any business selling taxable goods or services in North Dakota. The state sales tax rate is 5% for most retail sales, and cities and counties may levy additional local sales and use taxes that vary by location — check the Tax Commissioner’s local tax rate listings for your address. Apply for the permit in ND TAP, the state’s Taxpayer Access Point.

   Official government source

   Free·Apply through ND TAP at least 30 days before you open for business, as the Tax Commissioner advises.

   Free

   Apply through ND TAP at least 30 days before you open for business, as the Tax Commissioner advises.

2. North Dakota Commercial Pesticide Applicator Certification

   If you apply pesticides or herbicides as part of landscaping services in North Dakota you must be certified as a commercial applicator. Certification and training are administered by the NDSU Extension Pesticide Certification and Training Program, with licensing and registration handled by the ND Department of Agriculture Pesticide and Fertilizer Division. Under NDCC 4.1-33-10 a commercial applicator must also maintain $100,000 in financial responsibility through a bond, insurance, or net assets — an obligation that is easy to miss and applies before you may operate.

   Official government source

   Fees are set by the board rather than fixed in statute; confirm the current exam and license amounts with NDSU Extension or the ND Department of Agriculture (701-328-1500). Budget separately for the $100,000 financial responsibility requirement.·2–4 weeks

   Fees are set by the board rather than fixed in statute; confirm the current exam and license amounts with NDSU Extension or the ND Department of Agriculture (701-328-1500). Budget separately for the $100,000 financial responsibility requirement.

   2–4 weeks

1. Grand Forks Business License (only if your business type is on the city's licensed list)

   Grand Forks does NOT have a general business license for most businesses. The city requires a license only for specific categories: alcohol sales, body art/tattoo facilities and artists, food establishments (bakeries, grocery/retail meat, restaurants, mobile food vendors, concession stands), childcare facilities, hotels/motels, taxi/towing operators, retail tobacco dealers, and a few other regulated categories. Building-trade licenses (electrician, plumber, mechanical installer, etc.) are issued separately by the Building Inspections Department. Check the city's license list for your specific business type before assuming a license is required.

   Official government source

   Varies by license category - see the city's fee schedule; most businesses need no city license at all·1–3 weeks (only if your business type requires a license)

   Varies by license category - see the city's fee schedule; most businesses need no city license at all

   1–3 weeks (only if your business type requires a license)

2. City of Grand Forks Trade Contractor License

   Grand Forks has no landscaping or irrigation contractor registration, and Grand Forks County does not license contractors. The city Department of Building Safety licenses specific building trades — Building Contractor, Electrical Contractor, Excavator, Mechanical Installer, Plumber, Sign Hanger and Moving Contractor — and each of those requires a North Dakota Secretary of State contractor license plus a $5,000 license and permit bond payable to the city. A landscaper needs one of these only if the work falls into that trade; excavation and lawn sprinkler work are handled through the Building Safety Excavation Permit and Lawn Sprinkler Permit request forms.

   Official government source

   Annual city license fees by trade: Building Contractor $65, Excavator $120 (plus a $500 deposit refunded three years after the final project), Sign Hanger $120, Master Mechanical Installer $170, Master Plumber $170, Electrical Contractor $170. No city license fee applies if none of these trades is involved.·1–3 weeks

   Annual city license fees by trade: Building Contractor $65, Excavator $120 (plus a $500 deposit refunded three years after the final project), Sign Hanger $120, Master Mechanical Installer $170, Master Plumber $170, Electrical Contractor $170. No city license fee applies if none of these trades is involved.

   1–3 weeks

Official Sources

• City of Grand Forks City Finance Office
• North Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner — Sales Tax Permit

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