Home / Starting a business / Starting a landscaping business
Starting a landscaping business in California: license, permits and truck lettering
Short answerIn California, landscape construction over the CSLB threshold needs a C-27 license; maintenance-only gardening doesn't. Either way you need a business license, insurance, and once the truck and trailer pass 10,001 lbs, a USDOT number and Motor Carrier Permit. Licensed contractors put the business name and license number on the truck.
The checklist, in order
- Decide: maintenance or constructionMowing, trimming and cleanup don't need a license. Installing irrigation, hardscape, planting or anything over the CSLB contract threshold needs a C-27.
- C-27 licenseFour years of journeyman experience or equivalent, two exams, bond and insurance.
- City business licenseEvery city you work in may want one.
- InsuranceGeneral liability, workers' comp if you have employees, commercial auto.
- Truck and trailerAdd up GVWR of truck plus trailer. Over 10,001 lbs: USDOT number and a California Motor Carrier Permit with CA number.
- Letter the truckBusiness name and CSLB license number, 3/4 inch minimum, on the commercially registered truck. Add USDOT and CA if over the weight line.
What goes on the truck
| Business name | As on the license |
|---|---|
| License | CSLB Lic# 1098765 |
| USDOT (if over 10,001 lbs) | USDOT 1234567 |
| CA number (if over) | CA 123456 |
Both sides, contrasting color, readable from 50 feet in daylight. Two inch numbers is the standard; the rule is legibility, not a fixed height.
Related questions
Do gardeners need a CSLB license?
Not for maintenance. Construction-type work over the threshold does.
Does my trailer push me over 10,001 lbs?
Usually. A half-ton pickup and a tandem-axle trailer is typically 14,000 to 17,000 combined.
Checked September 2026 against FMCSA, California DMV, CHP, CSLB and BHGS requirements. A plain-English summary, not legal advice; fees and insurance minimums change, so confirm with the agency before filing.