Contractor licence for tree work in Mississippi: right of way clearing, snagging and the US$50,000 line

This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. It describes the Mississippi State Board of Contractors (MSBOC) as read on its own pages and in its published copy of the commercial laws and rules on October 9, 2026. A short phrase in quotation marks is the source's own. Tree work done as an arborist, such as pruning and tree care, is not described by any classification on the board's list; arborist licensing in other states is covered by the guide to state arborist licenses.

The two classifications that name trees

The board's classification page says holding a major classification lets the licence holder do all the specialty classifications listed under it, and that an applicant who does not want a major classification may choose any number of specialty classifications. One selection is included in the application fee and each additional selection costs US$100. The page adds that the board decides which work a contractor is qualified to do under a licence, and that other agencies may add requirements.

Classification and where it is listed	What the board's page says
Right of Way Clearing, under Highway, Street and Bridge Construction	A specialty classification that involves the clearing, cutting, transportation and removal of logs, trees and other vegetation from roads, highways, power lines, communication lines and other utilities. It also includes traffic control, signs, striping and guardrails that are not electrical.
Clearing, Grubbing and Snagging, under Building Construction, Highway, Street and Bridge, Heavy Construction, and Municipal and Public Works	A specialty contractor whose primary business includes the ability and expertise to remove and dispose of all trees, brush, shrubs, logs, windfalls, stumps, roots, debris and other obstacles in preparation for excavation of a construction site or other uses.

On the same page, the Landscaping, Grading and Beautification classification is marked Test Required and carries a note to contact the Bureau of Plant Industry for additional requirements. It covers landscaping, hardscaping, planting and groundcover, mowing and trimming, and excludes irrigation. The page does not mark Right of Way Clearing or Clearing, Grubbing and Snagging as Test Required.

When the commercial law applies

Under Mississippi Code section 31-3-1, as the board prints it, a contractor is anyone contracting or undertaking, as prime contractor, subcontractor or sub-subcontractor of any tier, to do any erection, building, construction, reconstruction, demolition, repair, maintenance or related work on a public or private project. The same section lists what the chapter does not apply to. The first item is a contract or undertaking of that kind that is less than US$50,000. Another item is a residential project to be occupied by 50 or fewer families and not more than three stories high.

Section 31-3-21 makes it unlawful for a person without a certificate of responsibility to submit a bid, enter a contract or otherwise engage in the business of a contractor as the chapter defines it. It says a person who knowingly and willfully submits a bid without a certificate of responsibility number is guilty of a misdemeanor, with a fine of not more than US$1,000, imprisonment of not more than six months, or both. A bid over US$50,000 must show the contractor's certificate number on the outside of the envelope or container. Section 31-3-21 also lets the board, after notice and a hearing, issue an order of abatement and a civil penalty of not more than three percent of the total contract being performed.

Application, fees and insurance

The board's application page says a new commercial application carries a non-refundable US$400 fee and a residential application carries US$50. Applicants have 180 days to finish the process, after which an incomplete application is destroyed. A qualifying party, who must be an owner, officer or responsible managing employee, takes any required exams. The page says commercial applicants need a reviewed financial statement from a certified public accountant showing a net worth of US$50,000 or more for a major classification, or US$20,000 or more for a specialty classification. It says commercial applicants must show general liability coverage of at least US$300,000 per occurrence or US$600,000 aggregate, that there is no minimum amount for residential applicants, and that an applicant with five or more employees submits proof of workers' compensation coverage.

Section 31-3-17 sets a special privilege licence tax of US$200 on each contractor who applies for a certificate, and lets the board add up to US$100 for each additional classification. Section 31-3-14 adds a US$200 fee for the Construction Education Fund at application and renewal, and exempts a residential builder licensed under chapter 73-59.

Renewal

The board's renewal page says a licence is renewed annually, and that from 2026 the board relies only on email to send renewal notices "approximately 60 days" before the expiration date on the certificate. A licence can be renewed late for up to 180 days after expiry. One that has been expired for more than 180 days cannot be renewed and needs a new application. The board's rules say the failure of the board to notify the holder of the expiration date does not excuse the holder from renewing and paying the annual tax.

The overview of other state boards is on the contractor licences guide, and the guide on checking a company lists where a licence can be looked up.