Do You Need an Arborist License in North Dakota?

Last updated: August 24, 2026

North Dakota issues no arborist license — no board, no exam, no background check. Pesticide certification runs through NDSU Extension rather than a licensing agency. The obligation that actually reaches a tree business here is workers compensation, and it works differently from most states: WSI is the sole provider, private insurers may not underwrite it at all, and coverage must be in place for seasonal and occasional workers before they begin working.

What North Dakota Actually Requires

• No arborist license — North Dakota issues none; no exam, experience requirement or background check for tree work; ISA certification is voluntary.
• Pesticide certification through NDSU Extension if you apply pesticides — the Pesticide Certification and Training Program rather than a conventional licensing board.
• ★ Workers compensation from WSI if you have employees. WSI is the sole provider and regulator of workers compensation in the state.
• ★ No private market: North Dakota law does not allow private insurers to underwrite workers compensation in North Dakota.
• ★ Everyone counts: with limited exceptions, all employers must insure all employees including full-time, part-time, seasonal and occasional workers.
• ★ Before they start: coverage must be secured before employees begin working.
• A trade classification — WSI’s classification manual carries classifications covering tree trimming, pruning, repairing and fumigating.

What It Costs

Item	Cost	Notes
State arborist license	Does not exist	No fee, exam or background check for tree work
Pesticide certification	See NDSU Extension	Administered by the Extension program, not a licensing board
Workers compensation	WSI premium	Sole provider — no private market to compare. Priced on payroll and trade classification
Who must be covered	Everyone	Full-time, part-time, seasonal and occasional — before they begin working
General liability insurance	Not a licensing condition	Separate from WSI, and not required by any state credential here
North Dakota LLC	$135	Registration, domestic and foreign

Cover the Seasonal Help Before Their First Day — There Is No Private Market

North Dakota asks almost nothing of a tree business at the licensing counter and quite a lot the moment you hire anyone.

There is no arborist license, no board and no exam. If you apply pesticides, certification runs through the NDSU Extension Pesticide Certification and Training Program — a university extension rather than a regulator, which puts North Dakota alongside South Carolina (Clemson) and Indiana (Purdue) in where you go to get credentialed.

The substantive obligation is workers compensation, and it is structured unlike most states. WSI is the sole provider and regulator, and North Dakota law does not allow private insurers to underwrite workers compensation in North Dakota. So there is no shopping, no broker comparison and no cheaper carrier. You enroll with WSI or you are uninsured. North Dakota joins Ohio, Washington and Wyoming in this monopolistic model.

Two details in the coverage rule matter more to a tree service than to most trades.

First, who counts: with limited exceptions, employers must insure all employees including full-time, part-time, seasonal and occasional workers. Tree work is seasonal and storm-driven by nature. The groundman you bring on for two weeks after a windstorm, the neighbor’s kid dragging brush on a Saturday, the friend who helps with a big removal — all of that is the language the statute is written to catch. There is no small-crew or short-duration exemption to lean on.

Second, when: coverage must be secured before employees begin working. Not by the end of the pay period, not once the job is invoiced. That is a sequencing rule, and it is the one most likely to be broken by a small operator scaling up quickly for a busy week.

Your premium reflects the trade, not a flat rate. WSI’s classification manual carries classifications covering tree trimming, pruning, repairing and fumigating, and the rate attached to that classification is applied to your payroll. Tree work is not classified alongside office work for good reason, so budget the premium as a real cost of adding a crew member rather than an afterthought.

And note what is not required. No state credential here conditions your general liability cover — the policy that answers for the customer’s roof rather than your groundman’s back. WSI covers your workers. It does nothing for the shed you drop a limb through. Those are two separate purchases, and only one of them is compulsory in North Dakota.

How to Get Licensed, In Order

1. Stop looking for an arborist license — North Dakota issues none.
2. If you will apply pesticides, start with NDSU Extension rather than searching for a licensing board.
3. Enroll with WSI before you hire anyone — coverage must be in place before employees begin working.
4. Count seasonal and occasional help as employees, because the statute does.
5. Check your WSI classification covers the tree work you actually do, and budget the premium against payroll.
6. Buy general liability separately — WSI covers workers, not the customer’s property.
7. Register the business entity — $135 registration.

Staying Licensed

There is no arborist license to renew, so what runs continuously in North Dakota is the WSI account. Premiums track payroll and trade classification, which means a busy season raises the bill rather than leaving it flat, and every new hire — including seasonal and occasional help — has to be covered before they begin working. Because private insurers may not underwrite workers compensation here, there is no alternative to fall back on if a payment lapses. If you hold pesticide certification through NDSU Extension, that renews on its own cycle. And your general liability policy is entirely voluntary, so it is a date you set for yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does North Dakota require an arborist license?

No. North Dakota issues no arborist license and has no arborist board, so cutting, pruning and removing trees needs no state credential, exam or background check. ISA certification is voluntary. Pesticide certification and training is administered through the NDSU Extension Pesticide Certification and Training Program.

Can I buy workers compensation from a private insurer in North Dakota?

No. WSI is the sole provider and regulator of workers compensation in the state, and North Dakota law does not allow private insurers to underwrite workers compensation in North Dakota. There is no market to shop — coverage comes from WSI or not at all.

Do seasonal tree crew need workers compensation in North Dakota?

Yes. With limited exceptions, North Dakota’s workers compensation law requires all employers to insure all employees — including full-time, part-time, seasonal and occasional workers — before employees begin working. For a tree service that brings on help for a storm cleanup or a busy fall, coverage has to be in place before the first day, not after.

How is tree work classified for workers compensation in North Dakota?

WSI’s classification manual carries classifications covering tree trimming, pruning, repairing and fumigating. Your premium is driven by that classification and your payroll, so the rate reflects the risk of the trade rather than being a flat business charge.

Tree work sits alongside our full guide to starting a landscaping business in North Dakota, and the wider guide to starting a business in North Dakota.

Sources

Source	What It Covers
North Dakota WSI — coverage requirements	That WSI is the sole provider and regulator, that North Dakota law does not allow private insurers to underwrite workers compensation, and that all employers must insure all employees including full-time, part-time, seasonal and occasional workers before they begin working
North Dakota WSI — classification manual	The classifications covering tree trimming, pruning, repairing and fumigating
ND Department of Agriculture — pesticide applicator and dealer certification	That pesticide certification and training is administered through the NDSU Extension Pesticide Certification and Training Program
ND Secretary of State — LLC fees	The $135 registration fee for a domestic LLC