How can I tell if my landscaper is licensed in Maryland?
Ask the landscaper for their Maryland Department of Agriculture — Maryland Horticulture License license number, then verify it at the board's public lookup. The license must be Active, the class must include Tree Expert License / Horticulture License, and there must be no open disciplinary actions. Groundcheck (earthmove.io/trust) does this in under 90 seconds and cross-checks court, OSHA, and BBB records simultaneously.
Confirming a landscaper's license in Maryland is a 3-step process. First, get the license number from the contractor — every legitimate landscaper working in Maryland should have one and should give it on request. If they refuse or hedge, walk away. Second, plug it into the Maryland Department of Agriculture — Maryland Horticulture License public lookup at https://mda.maryland.gov/plants-pests/Pages/horticulture.aspx. Third, verify three fields on the lookup result: license status (must read "Active"), expiration date (must be in the future), and disciplinary history (must be clean).
What classification matters: Tree Expert License / Horticulture License. Maryland landscapers working under any other classification are not authorized for the installs and maintains lawns, planting, hardscapes, irrigation, retaining walls, and outdoor lighting on residential and commercial properties you're hiring them for. Confirm the license covers the type of work being performed.
Red flags that the license isn't legitimate or the landscaper is misrepresenting: the license number doesn't return a result, the lookup returns a different name or business than you were given, the status is "Suspended" or "Inactive," the license is in another contractor's name (the landscaper is using someone else's license — illegal in every state), or the disciplinary history shows multiple open complaints.
What if the landscaper won't share their license number? In Maryland, every licensed landscaper is required to display the license number on all advertising, business cards, contracts, and vehicles. If they can't or won't provide it, they're either unlicensed or hiding something.
The fast path: run a free Groundcheck at earthmove.io/trust. Enter the contractor name and Maryland as the state. Groundcheck queries Maryland Department of Agriculture — Maryland Horticulture License, the Secretary of State, federal court records, OSHA inspection history, and BBB complaints, then returns a single sourced verdict. The contractor is never notified.
Detailed Maryland landscaper licensing rules: earthmove.io/trust/license/landscaper/maryland.
Verify a Maryland landscaper now
Free Groundcheck cross-references Maryland Department of Agriculture — Maryland Horticulture License licensing with court records, OSHA history, and BBB complaints. Under 90 seconds. The contractor is never notified.