There is no national license for tree care, and no federal safety standard written for it either. What a tree company must hold, and what its advertising must say, depends on the state and sometimes the city, and most of the rules were written in answer to complaints after storms. We read these rules in October 2026. Treat this as background rather than legal advice, and check with counsel or the state board before a campaign runs.
Maryland. The tree expert law dates to 1945. Anyone who advertises or performs tree care for hire, removal included, needs a Tree Expert License, and every licensee must display the number on trucks, proposals, contracts and advertisements, as DNR’s license brochure sets out. The ad line itself reads “Licensed Tree Expert No.” or “L.T.E. No.” with the number, unless the ad states that all work is limited to trees 20 feet tall or less (Natural Resources 5-423). A first offense is a misdemeanor with a fine of up to $500. After storms, the Department of Natural Resources warns residents about operators painting fraudulent license numbers on vehicles or calling themselves “bonded and insured”, and points them to its license search. Details are on the Maryland tree service page.
New Jersey. The Tree Expert and Tree Care Operators Licensing Act requires at least one licensed person in every company that hires itself out for tree care and sets minimum liability insurance, and the state board says the act exists to address complaints about unqualified, uninsured or dishonest companies, especially after storms (Board of Tree Experts). Every ad, in any medium, carries the business name followed by “NJTC Registration #” and the number (N.J.A.C. 7:3A-5.3), and trucks carry it at least three inches high on two sides (board checklist). Details are on the New Jersey tree service page.
Minnesota. Advertising tree care or trimming without a Department of Agriculture registration is unlawful (Minn. Stat. 18G.07), and the registration runs to December 31 each year. The MDA registry page tells consumers it does not prove insurance or skill, so a certificate on request still matters. Details are on the Minnesota tree service page.
North Carolina. Pruning and removal sit outside the landscape contractor license, because the exemptions in G.S. 89D-13 name arboriculture, but planting and landscape installs on one site can cross into licensed work. Ads should name the tree work you do and leave out installs you are not licensed for. Details are on the North Carolina tree service page.
California. Since January 1, 2024, tree contractors can be licensed under the C-49 Tree and Palm classification, and every applicant sits a trade exam, because the state wanted tree contractors tested on health and safety. Holders of the older classifications may keep working under them, and incidental pruning by a gardener falls outside the C-49. From January 1, 2025 the minor-work exemption is $1,000, and unlicensed operators relying on it carry an advertising disclosure, according to a CSLB industry bulletin.
The door knock and the three-day rule. A removal sold at the homeowner’s house for $25 or more falls under the FTC’s Cooling-Off Rule (16 CFR 429): the homeowner gets three business days to change their mind, and a cancellation form handed over in duplicate. The rule leaves out one case that matters after storms. If the homeowner made the first contact, the work meets a bona fide immediate personal emergency, and the homeowner hands you a separate, dated and signed statement in their own handwriting describing it and waiving the right to cancel, the three days do not apply. A limb through the bedroom ceiling may qualify; a crew knocking to offer removal of a leaning oak never does, because the homeowner did not start the contact. Maryland’s door-to-door sales law gives its own three days.
Cities. TCIA tells homeowners to ask city hall whether arborists need a local license, since many communities require one. Austin regulates trees from 8 inches in diameter on private property, requires a permit to remove a protected tree of 19 inches or more, and treats listed species from 24 inches as heritage trees.
Safety. OSHA still has no tree care standard. In June 2026 TCIA reported that OSHA’s construction advisory committee had unanimously recommended writing one, and that OSHA frequently relies on ANSI Z133, now in its 2026 edition.
For the marketing, that comes down to four habits. Put the license or registration number wherever your state wants it, which in Maryland and New Jersey means every ad. Say who on the crew holds which credential, and link the directory that proves it. Keep the cancellation form in the truck, and take the emergency waiver only when the homeowner called you and the emergency is real. And keep every claim to something a buyer can check, because the state is telling the buyer to check.
