Starting a tree service: licences and registrations by country

This page describes what government pages say. It is not legal or tax advice, and it is not a checklist for your business. Rules differ by state, province and trade, and they change.

United States

There is no single US tree licence. A few states license tree work themselves, and some cover it inside a general contractor licence. Many states do neither.

California

California licenses tree work as contracting. The state Contractors State License Board (CSLB) says anyone who contracts for work valued at US$1,000 or more in combined labor and materials, or who uses employee labor, or whose project needs a building permit, must hold a current license. See the CSLB page on what kind of contractor you need.

The classification changed on January 1, 2024. A CSLB industry bulletin dated November 13, 2023 says the board will no longer accept applications for the C-61/D-49 Tree Service limited specialty classification. It replaced it with C-49 Tree and Palm. CSLB defines a Tree and Palm contractor as one who plants, maintains and removes trees and palms, including pruning, stump grinding and tree, palm or limb guying.

Applicants for C-49 must sit a trade examination, whatever other license classes they hold.
A contractor who held C-61/D-49 issued before January 1, 2024 may keep working under it.
CSLB regards the C-49 and C-61/D-49 as the same kind of work. The C-49 wording adds palms.

The full notice is in the CSLB Tree and Palm bulletin.

Maryland

The Department of Natural Resources says a person may not engage in the work or business of a tree expert without a license issued by the Department. Its brochure says the law covers anyone advertising or performing tree care for hire, removal included. Work on trees under 20 feet tall is listed as an exemption. An employee working under the supervision of a licensed tree expert may not be required to hold their own license. To qualify for the exam, the brochure lists age 18 plus either two years of college in a forestry-related field and one year under a licensed tree expert, or three years of supervised work under a licensed tree expert. Proof of insurance is required before the license is issued. The brochure also says unlicensed tree care for hire is subject to criminal prosecution. Sources: the Maryland tree expert page and the licensed tree expert brochure.

New Jersey

New Jersey registers businesses as well as people. The Board of Tree Experts says every business providing tree care services for hire in New Jersey must register with the Board every two years as a condition of doing business there. That includes businesses based outside the state that do tree work in it.

The business must have at least one licensed individual working full time.
It must keep at least US$1,000,000 of general liability insurance, or a letter of credit for that amount from a bank.
Its registration number must be shown at least three inches high on two sides of each vehicle.
Within 90 days of registering it must have a written safety policy.

The Board lists civil penalties of up to US$1,000 for a first violation of operating without registration. Individuals can hold a Tree Care Operator license, which the Board says covers pruning, removal and stump grinding. See the Board page for businesses.

Connecticut

The state environmental agency says an arborist license is required for persons advertising, soliciting or contracting to do arboriculture in Connecticut. The license is category 3D under the commercial pesticide supervisor certification. The exam has a tree identification part with an 80 percent pass mark, then a practical part. Details are on the Connecticut arborist license page.

Federal tax ID

The IRS describes an EIN as a federal tax ID number for businesses, tax-exempt organizations and other entities. It says you can get one for free directly from the IRS. Whether a given business needs one is a question for the IRS. See the IRS employer ID numbers page.

Canada

Business registration and workers compensation are provincial. Tax is federal.

The Canada Revenue Agency says to register for a business number and program accounts as the federal starting point. See the CRA business registration page, which is not a licence page.
CRA says a business that does not exceed CA$30,000 over four consecutive calendar quarters is a small supplier. Exceeding CA$30,000 in a single calendar quarter ends small supplier status. See the CRA GST/HST registration page.
In Ontario, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board says WSIB coverage is not mandatory for every business, and the Act lists which industries need it. In construction, it says people who own or run a business, with or without employees, must register, with some exceptions. Whether tree work falls in that group is a question for the WSIB. Details are on the WSIB registration page and the construction coverage page.

United Kingdom

GOV.UK says a sole trader can start trading straight away without registering. It also says you must register for Self Assessment as a sole trader if you earn more than £1,000 in a tax year. See set up as a sole trader.

Moving waste is its own rule. In England, GOV.UK says you must register with the Environment Agency if your business transports waste, which it calls being a carrier. Registration is usually free if you only transport waste you produce yourself. Otherwise it costs £191.02. An upper tier registration renews every three years at £130.25, and a lower tier registration does not renew. The page does not name tree work either way, so whether a given job counts as waste you produce is a question for the Environment Agency. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own registers. Details are on the GOV.UK page register or renew as a waste carrier.

Australia

The Australian Government business site says it is free to register for an ABN through the Australian Business Register. An ABN is a unique 11-digit number that identifies your business to the government, other businesses and the public. See the ABN registration page.

The same site says you must register for GST if your business turns over AU$75,000 or more in a 12-month period. Details are on the tax registration page.

The Australian pages linked here do not name a national tree licence. Licences and permits for business activities are looked up state by state, and workers compensation rules differ by state and territory.

New Zealand

Inland Revenue says you must register for GST if you carry out a taxable activity and your turnover was at least NZ$60,000 in the previous 12 months or you expect it will be. It also says you do not have to register for GST just because you start a business. See registering for GST.

The New Zealand Business Number (NZBN) page says companies and other organisations are assigned one automatically. Sole traders, partnerships, trusts and charities can apply online. See applying for an NZBN.

At a glance

Country	Tax number	Sales tax line
United States	EIN from the IRS	Not stated
Canada	Business number	CA$30,000 small supplier limit
United Kingdom	Self Assessment above £1,000	See the GOV.UK VAT page
Australia	ABN, free	GST at AU$75,000 turnover
New Zealand	NZBN	GST at NZ$60,000 turnover

For what each country asks of workers, see the guide on certifications by country.