Do tree services need a license in Pennsylvania? State and local rules explained

Updated November 10, 2026 · KeystoneProGuide editorial team

Does Pennsylvania license tree services?

No state licence for tree work appears on the state's own lists. The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry says the Commonwealth has no licensure or certification requirements for most construction contractors or their employees. The exceptions it names are manufactured housing installers, crane operators, asbestos and lead removal contractors, and home improvement contractors, who register with the Attorney General. Tree work is not among them.

That does not mean no rules apply. Depending on the job, a tree company may need to register as a home improvement contractor, hold a pesticide licence, carry a spotted lanternfly permit, notify Pennsylvania One Call before grinding, and get a permit from your town. Each is set out below.

Does a tree service have to register as a home improvement contractor?

The state's guidance leaves it open. Under the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act, anyone who offers or performs home improvements must register with the Office of Attorney General, unless they do less than $5,000 of such work a year. The Attorney General's questions and answers define a home improvement as work over $500 done "in connection with land or a portion of the land adjacent to a private residence", and the list of such work includes "removal".

The same list includes "landscaping work (other than work performed under the Plant Pest Act)", and the questions and answers say landscapers whose work is limited to services under that act need not register. Neither passage mentions trees, pruning or stumps. The state's contractor search does list "Tree services" among its types of work, but it notes that the field is new and its data is limited.

In practice:

• If a company registers, its number, PA followed by digits, must appear on its ads, estimates and contracts, and you can check it on the Attorney General's contractor search or at 1-888-520-6680.
• Where the law applies, a contract over $500 must be in writing, signed by both sides, and must state the work, the dates, the total price and your three-day right to cancel.
• If a company tells you it does not need to register, the Attorney General's hotline can answer the question for your job.

Who needs a licence to spray or inject trees?

Anyone who does it for you. The Department of Agriculture says a commercial applicator licence is needed to use pesticides on the property of another. The applicator must pass a core exam and at least one category exam, and the department's list of categories includes "Ornamental and shade trees". The applicator must also work for a company with a pesticide business licence, which the department says requires at least one certified applicator and a certificate of insurance naming the department. A company may instead train employees as registered pesticide technicians under a certified applicator.

So if a quote includes insecticide injections for ash trees, spraying for lanternflies or any other chemical treatment, ask for the business licence. The department offers a lookup of licensed businesses by county.

What does the spotted lanternfly quarantine require?

A permit for the company, and care from everyone. The Department of Agriculture says "All residents and businesses must comply" with the quarantine, which regulates moving items that may carry the insect, including "Logs, stumps, or any tree parts", firewood and landscaping waste. Penn State Extension says every business working in the quarantine that moves regulated articles, vehicles or equipment within or out of it must hold a permit, and that its managers must take a permit course and train their staff. Businesses that produce mulch or firewood need a separate compliance agreement. If a crew will haul away your wood and brush, it is fair to ask whether it holds the permit.

Who trims trees near power lines?

The utility, for its own lines. A Public Utility Commission regulation requires every electric distribution company to run a program to keep vegetation clear of its overhead lines, on a statewide minimum cycle of 4 to 8 years. The wire from the pole to your house is different: PECO says it does not do non-emergency trimming around that service wire and will disconnect it, at no charge, so you or a contractor can work safely. Penn State Extension says that under federal rules and national standards only specially trained line clearance tree trimmers may prune near lines carrying more than 750 volts.

Do you have to call 811 before stump grinding?

The rule covers powered equipment that disturbs the earth, and the crew should make the call. Pennsylvania One Call says that if you plan to disturb the earth with powered equipment, Act 287 obligates you to notify the utilities, whatever the depth. The Public Utility Commission says the call must be made at least three business days before digging. One Call's homeowner page does not name stump grinding, but it does say a hired excavator should make its own call and that you can ask to see its eleven-digit One Call serial number.

What can your town require?

More than the state. Penn State Extension says shade tree commissions are charged with protecting the trees along a community's streets and in its parks, and it says Pennsylvania's municipal law makes the adjoining property owner responsible for the cost of removing a street tree. If an owner does not remove a high-risk tree after notice, Penn State says the municipality may remove it, bill the owner and place a lien on the property if the bill is not paid. Town codes differ a great deal: each county guide quotes one local tree ordinance, and the Department of Labor and Industry says some municipalities have their own contractor requirements that only the municipality can tell you about. Ask your township or borough office before a removal.

What is different in Philadelphia?

The city controls street trees. Philadelphia Parks & Recreation says the city has jurisdiction over street trees although the property owner owns them, and that "major pruning or removing" one needs a permit. Trees in yards and alleys are the owner's responsibility. The city's zoning code adds tree preservation and replacement rules for development and site clearing on larger lots, but says those rules do not apply to site clearing on a lot whose main use is a single-family or two-family home. The details are in the Philadelphia guide.

What should you check before you sign?

Registration and licences are a starting point. Insurance, credentials and the contract matter as much, and they are covered in how to choose a tree service. Businesses that serve your area are on the tree services directory page.

Sources

1. Contractor Licensing, Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry
2. Frequently Asked Questions: Home Improvement Contractor Registration, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
3. Home Improvement Contractor Search, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
4. Pesticide Applicators, Registered Technicians, and Certification Exams, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
5. Pesticide Application Businesses, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
6. How You Can Comply with the Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine Regulations, Penn State Extension
7. Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine and Permitting, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
8. 52 Pa. Code 57.198. Inspection and maintenance standards, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania Code)
9. Tree Trimming Assistance, PECO
10. Pruning Landscape Trees, Penn State Extension
11. FAQs Homeowners, Pennsylvania One Call System
12. PA One Call - 811, Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission
13. Dealing with Tree Risk: Tips for Municipal Shade Tree Commissions, Penn State Extension
14. Street tree frequently asked questions, City of Philadelphia, Parks & Recreation
15. The Philadelphia Code, Section 14-705, Landscape and Trees, City of Philadelphia (The Philadelphia Code)