For complete information on these regulations, check with your state licensure board's Web site. There you'll also find updates to this information. For instance, according to the Wisconsin state government Web site, the Department of Safety and Professional Services' authority to require Building Contractor Registrations ended effective July 2, 2013. North Carolina is reported to be currently considering a law that would make a landscape contractor license a requirement (it is now optional).

In states that don't demand licenses, local licenses may be required.

For the states that require licenses if a project exceeds a specific dollar amount - those amounts are:

Alabama - $10,000 (residential)
$50,000 (commercial)

Arkansas – $20,000

Arizona - $750

Oregon - $500

South Carolina - $200 (residential)
$5,000 (commercial)

Minnesota's requirements apply if your company's gross receipts are over $15,000 in a calendar year.
Virginia issues three types of contractor's licenses. Class A is for projects for $70,000 or more or projects totaling $500,000 or more over a one-year period, and your company must have a net worth of at least $45,000. Class B is for projects for $7,500 to $69,999 or projects totaling $150,000 to $499,999 over a one-year period. Class C is for projects for $1,000 to $7,499 or projects totaling less than $150,000 over a one-year period.

In states that only have general building or general specialty designations, not all landscape operations necessarily fall under those designations. Check with your state's licensing agency.

Regardless of whether or not a building contractor or landscape contractor license is required, some states require them for other landscape-related operations such as irrigation installation.