How do I check a landscaper's license in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin does not require a statewide landscaper license. Wisconsin does not separately license landscape contractors at the state level. Landscape architects are licensed by DSPS; pesticide applicators require a DATCP license; residential hardscape work over $1,000 requires Dwelling Contractor certification.

When a state doesn't license a trade at the state level, verification leans on three things: (1) the local city or county building department's licensing or permit registry, (2) Secretary of State entity registration at Wisconsin DFI, and (3) the contractor's public-record history — court judgments, liens, OSHA citations, and BBB complaints.

Step 1: Check whether the city or county where the work will be performed has a local contractor license. In Milwaukee and Madison, many landscapers are required to register with the city building department.

Step 2: Confirm the business is registered with the Wisconsin DFI (https://www.wdfi.org/apps/CorpSearch/) and that the filing status is active or in good standing. A dissolved or administratively revoked entity is a red flag — especially if the same address has a new entity registered.

Step 3: Run a free Groundcheck at earthmove.io/trust. The report pulls entity registration, court judgments, OSHA inspection history, and BBB complaints into one verdict. For unlicensed-at-state-level trades like landscapers in Wisconsin, the public-record history is where the trust signal lives.

The detailed Wisconsin landscaper rules are documented at earthmove.io/trust/license/landscaper/wisconsin.