Tree work is the most dangerous trade in the country by a wide margin, and the insurance market knows it. Federal labor data puts the fatality rate for tree trimmers and pruners at roughly 110 per 100,000 workers, about 30 times the all-industry average of 3.4 to 3.8. That one number explains everything about tree service insurance: why workers’ comp for climbers runs $8 to $15 per $100 of payroll before adjustments, why general liability policies carry height limits and tree-work exclusions, and why customers who don’t check a plumber’s insurance will check yours.
What the state requires is a different question. Most states don’t license tree care at all, so they don’t set an insurance minimum either. The ones that do (New Jersey, Oregon, Maine, Hawaii, Washington, Maryland, Louisiana, California) attach it to an arborist license, a tree expert license or contractor registration. This guide covers all 50 states and DC: the state-set minimums, the workers’ comp thresholds that matter for a crew of three, and the coverage a tree company actually needs. Checked against licensing agencies and rules, current as of November 2026.
Quick answer: 9 states tie an insurance or bond requirement to tree work through a license or registration, from Maine’s $150,000 / $300,000 to New Jersey’s $1,000,000 plus workers’ comp. 3 more (Connecticut, Rhode Island, Minnesota) license or register tree companies without setting an insurance minimum. 38 states plus DC set nothing, and the market fills the gap: $1,000,000 per occurrence / $2,000,000 aggregate, tree-work-specific, is what utilities, municipalities and HOAs require. Workers’ comp is mandatory from the first hire in most states, and California requires it for every C-49 licensee with no exemption.
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Why Tree Insurance Is Different
Three things set tree service apart from every other trade on the insurance side:
- The injury rate. Falls, struck-bys and electrocutions make tree work the deadliest job category tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, ahead of logging, roofing and fishing by most measures. Workers’ comp carriers price that in: NCCI class code 0106 (tree pruning, spraying, repairing, all operations and drivers) typically runs $8 to $15 per $100 of payroll before your experience modifier, and far more after a claim.
- The exclusions. A general liability policy sold to a “landscaper” often excludes work above a certain height, work near power lines, or tree removal entirely. A tree company that buys the cheap landscaping policy can find out at claim time that the chainsaw work wasn’t covered.
- The property exposure. One misjudged drop can put a trunk through a roof, a car or a neighbor’s fence. Property damage coverage matters more than in most trades, and so does the “care, custody and control” exclusion for the property you’re working on.
Against that backdrop, the state minimums below are floors, not targets. Even New Jersey’s $1,000,000 is the lowest number a utility or municipality will accept.
States With a Tree-Specific Insurance or Bond Requirement
The 9 states where a tree-related license or registration carries an insurance or bond requirement, plus the 3 that license tree work without one. BI is bodily injury, PD is property damage, CSL is combined single limit.
| State | Insurance / Bond Tied to the Credential | Credential |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $1,000,000 general liability + workers’ comp | Board of Tree Experts registration; LTE/LTCO on staff |
| Oregon | $500,000 liability + $20,000 bond (LCB) | Or CCB: $300,000 + $20,000 bond |
| Maine | $150,000 per occurrence / $300,000 aggregate | Arborist license insurance affidavit |
| Hawaii | $100,000 / $300,000 BI + $50,000 PD | C-27b Tree Trimming and Removal license |
| Washington | $200,000 / $50,000 or $250,000 CSL + $15,000 bond | L&I specialty contractor registration |
| Maryland | Liability and PD in the amount DNR sets; WC certificate | Licensed Tree Expert |
| Louisiana | Proof of GL and WC (no published minimum) | LDAF Arborist license |
| California | $25,000 bond; workers’ comp mandatory (no exemption) | C-49 Tree and Palm license |
| Alaska | $20,000 PD; $50,000 / $100,000 BI + $10,000 bond | Contractor registration (construction-related work) |
| Connecticut | None set | DEEP arborist license + business registration |
| Rhode Island | None set ($500,000 if CRB-registered) | DEM arborist license |
| Minnesota | None set | MDA Tree Care Registry (free, annual) |
In Arizona, Nevada, Virginia, Idaho, North Dakota, Alaska and Vermont, tree work isn’t licensed on its own but gets pulled into contractor licensing when it’s sold as part of a landscaping or construction job or crosses a dollar threshold, and those licenses have their own bonds and insurance rules (see the state blocks).
Workers’ Comp for Tree Crews
For a tree company, workers’ comp is the policy that decides whether you stay in business after a bad day. Most states require it from the first employee. These are the exceptions, and note that tree service is usually classed as non-construction, so where a state has a lower construction threshold, the higher general threshold often applies to you:
| State | Workers’ Comp Kicks In At | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 5 | Applies to tree services |
| Mississippi | 5 | Applies to tree services |
| Missouri | 5 (non-construction) | Tree service usually non-construction |
| Tennessee | 5 (non-construction) | Tree service usually non-construction |
| Florida | 4 (non-construction) | Confirm your class code |
| South Carolina | 4 | — |
| Arkansas | 3 | — |
| Georgia | 3 | — |
| Michigan | 3 (or 1 at 35+ hrs/wk, 13 weeks) | — |
| New Mexico | 3 | — |
| North Carolina | 3 | — |
| Virginia | 3 | — |
| Wisconsin | 3 (or $500 payroll/quarter) | — |
| Kansas | Payroll over $20,000/yr | — |
| Texas | Optional | Non-subscribers lose legal defenses |
| South Dakota | Not mandatory | Utilities and cities require it |
California is the strictest: C-49 Tree and Palm is one of the CSLB classifications that can’t claim the no-employees workers’ comp exemption at all, so even a one-person C-49 licensee carries a policy. New Jersey requires it for every registered tree care business. And wherever it’s optional, the economics are the same: a climber who falls without coverage becomes a lawsuit with no cap.
Two ways tree companies keep the premium survivable: classify ground crew and drivers correctly (code 0106 is for the climbing and aerial work; office and sales staff belong in cheaper codes), and keep the experience modifier down with documented ANSI Z133 safety practices, because the mod can double or halve your rate.
The Coverage a Tree Company Needs
- General liability: $1,000,000 per occurrence / $2,000,000 aggregate, written for tree service specifically. Read the exclusions for height, proximity to power lines, and tree removal. Add completed operations.
- Workers’ comp: See above. Non-negotiable for anyone leaving the ground.
- Commercial auto: Bucket trucks, chip trucks and trailers need commercial policies; personal auto won’t cover a chipper in tow.
- Inland marine (equipment): Chippers, stump grinders, aerial lifts and saws aren’t covered by general liability or auto when they’re stolen or damaged. Equipment floaters cover them on the truck and on the job.
- Pollution liability: Fuel spills and herbicide or pesticide applications can trigger the pollution exclusion in a standard GL policy. Plant health care companies need it.
- Umbrella: Utility and municipal contracts often require $2,000,000 to $5,000,000; an umbrella over GL and auto is the cheap way to get there.
- Line clearance: Work within 10 feet of energized lines requires qualified line-clearance arborists under OSHA 1910.269, and utilities require proof of that training along with the insurance.
Recent Changes
If you only read one section: California gave tree work its own license class (C-49) with mandatory workers’ comp, Oregon’s landscape bond rose to $20,000 in January 2026, and New Jersey now enforces annual safety-training filings for registered tree businesses.
California: the C-49 Tree and Palm classification (2024)
The CSLB replaced the old C-61/D-49 Tree Service limited specialty with a full C-49 Tree and Palm classification in 2024. Licensees carry the $25,000 bond and, because C-49 is excluded from the workers’ comp exemption, every licensee carries workers’ comp regardless of employee count.
Oregon: LCB bond to $20,000 (January 1, 2026)
Landscape contracting businesses now post a $20,000 bond ($15,000 for probationary licenses), with the $500,000 liability requirement unchanged.
New Jersey: safety filings and renewals
Registered tree care businesses must submit equipment-safety training documentation by January 31 each year and a fresh certificate of insurance at every biennial renewal. The Board has been rejecting renewals without them.
State-by-State Breakdown
Every state and DC: any tree-specific license or registration, the insurance or bond attached to it, local rules that matter, and the workers’ comp threshold. Red chips in the jump bar are states with a state-set insurance or bond requirement; amber chips license tree work without one.
Jump to your state
Alabama No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
Workers’ comp: Required at five or more employees.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Alaska Contractor Registration
Issuing Agency: Alaska Division of Corporations, Business & Professional Licensing
What applies: Tree removal tied to construction or land clearing can fall under Alaska’s contractor registration, which carries a $10,000 specialty bond and statutory liability minimums of $20,000 property damage and $50,000 / $100,000 bodily injury. Pure pruning and plant health care don’t.
Workers’ comp: Required from the first employee.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Arizona No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
Contractor rule: Tree work sold as part of a landscaping contract of $1,000 or more falls under the ROC’s landscaping classification (C-21 / R-21), which carries a license bond.
Workers’ comp: Required from the first employee.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Arkansas No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
Workers’ comp: Required at three or more employees.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
California C-49 License + $25K Bond
Issuing Agency: Contractors State License Board (C-49 Tree and Palm)
What you need: Tree and palm trimming, removal and related work of $1,000 or more needs a CSLB license, since 2024 as the stand-alone C-49 Tree and Palm classification (replacing the old C-61/D-49 limited specialty). The license carries a $25,000 contractor bond. The CSLB doesn’t set a liability insurance minimum except for LLC licensees ($1,000,000+).
Workers’ comp: C-49 is one of the classifications that can’t claim the no-employees exemption, so every C-49 licensee must carry workers’ comp now, not just from 2028.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Colorado No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
Local: Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins and other cities license tree contractors and typically require $1,000,000 in liability coverage to get the city license.
Workers’ comp: Required from the first employee.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Connecticut Arborist License (No Insurance Rule)
Issuing Agency: Connecticut DEEP Pesticide Management Program
What you need: Anyone advertising or contracting to improve the condition of trees (pruning, feeding, bracing, treating pests) needs a DEEP arborist license (written plus oral exam), and arborist businesses register under the pesticide business registration ($240 a year). The licensing rules don’t set an insurance minimum.
Workers’ comp: Required from the first employee.
Tree removal that doesn’t involve pruning or treatment sits outside the arborist definition, so confirm your scope with DEEP.
Delaware No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
Business license: A $75 state business license and gross receipts tax; non-resident contractors bond 6% of contracts over $20,000.
Workers’ comp: Required from the first employee.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
District of Columbia No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
Tree permits: DC’s Urban Forestry Division requires permits to remove Special Trees (44 inches circumference and up) and Heritage Trees, with steep fees and fines; contractors are expected to carry liability coverage to pull them.
Workers’ comp: Required from the first employee.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Florida No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
Local: Many Florida counties and cities license tree trimmers (Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach) and require $300,000 to $1,000,000 in liability coverage plus workers’ comp or exemption.
Workers’ comp: Required at four or more employees for non-construction businesses, which is how tree service is usually classed; confirm your class code.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Georgia No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
Workers’ comp: Required at three or more employees.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Hawaii C-27b License + Insurance
Issuing Agency: Hawaii Contractors License Board
What you need: Tree trimming and removal over $1,500 (or any permit work) requires the C-27b Tree Trimming and Removal specialty license. Hawaii contractors carry liability insurance of $100,000 per person / $300,000 per occurrence bodily injury and $50,000 property damage, proven at each renewal (HAR 16-77-55).
Workers’ comp: Required from the first employee.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Idaho No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
Contractor rule: Tree removal as part of a construction project over $2,000 falls under contractor registration ($300,000 liability).
Workers’ comp: Required from the first employee.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Illinois No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
Local: Chicago and many suburbs license tree contractors and require insurance certificates for parkway tree work.
Workers’ comp: Required from the first employee.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Indiana No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
Workers’ comp: Required from the first employee.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Iowa No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
Registration: Tree companies earning $2,000 or more a year in construction-type work register with the state ($50); out-of-state contractors file a $25,000 bond.
Workers’ comp: Required from the first employee.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Kansas No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
Workers’ comp: Required once payroll exceeds $20,000 a year.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Kentucky No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
Workers’ comp: Required from the first employee.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Louisiana Arborist License + Insurance Proof
Issuing Agency: Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (Horticulture Commission)
What you need: Working on trees for a fee requires an LDAF Arborist license (exam $150, license $125 a year), or a Utility Arborist license for line clearance. Licensees must show proof of current general liability and, if they have employees, workers’ comp insurance. The state doesn’t publish a dollar minimum.
Workers’ comp: Required from the first employee.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Maine Arborist License: $150K / $300K
Issuing Agency: Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (Arborist Program)
What you need: Maine licenses arborists, and licensees sign an insurance affidavit swearing they carry liability coverage of at least $150,000 per occurrence and $300,000 general aggregate (Chapter 751, Section 5) whenever they perform arboriculture.
Workers’ comp: Required from the first employee.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Maryland Tree Expert License + Insurance
Issuing Agency: Maryland DNR Forest Service (Licensed Tree Expert)
What you need: No one may engage in the business of a tree expert without a DNR Licensed Tree Expert license: two years of college plus one year of experience or three years of experience, a 140-question exam (70% per domain), and a $30 fee. Licensees must carry liability and property damage insurance in the amount DNR requires at licensing, and either certify they have no employees or file a workers’ comp certificate.
Employees working under a licensee don’t need their own license, but the licensee reports the workers’ comp coverage of every company operating under it.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Massachusetts No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
Voluntary: Massachusetts Certified Arborist is a credential, not a license. Utility and municipal contracts typically require $1,000,000 / $2,000,000 and tree-specific coverage.
Workers’ comp: Required from the first employee.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Michigan No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
Workers’ comp: Required at three or more employees (or one at 35+ hours a week for 13 weeks).
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Minnesota Tree Care Registry (No Insurance Rule)
Issuing Agency: Minnesota Department of Agriculture (Tree Care Registry)
What you need: Anyone paid to trim, prune, remove or treat trees in Minnesota must register with the Department of Agriculture’s Tree Care Registry each year. Registration is free and sets no insurance minimum, but it’s a public list that cities and customers check.
Workers’ comp: Required from the first employee.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Mississippi No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
Workers’ comp: Required at five or more employees.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Missouri No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
Workers’ comp: Required at five or more employees for non-construction businesses.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Montana No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
Registration: Tree companies with employees register as construction contractors ($70) and carry workers’ comp; many customers ask for the Independent Contractor Exemption Certificate from solo operators.
Workers’ comp: Required from the first employee.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Nebraska No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
Registration: Contractors doing business in Nebraska register with the Department of Labor ($40 a year) and keep a workers’ comp certificate on file if they have employees. Nebraska also licenses commercial arborists who apply pesticides.
Workers’ comp: Required from the first employee.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Nevada No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
Contractor rule: Tree work inside a landscaping contract of $1,000 or more falls under the NSCB landscape classification (C-10), with a bond set by the board.
Workers’ comp: Required from the first employee.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
New Hampshire No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
Workers’ comp: Required from the first employee.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
New Jersey Registration: $1M GL + WC
Issuing Agency: New Jersey Board of Tree Experts
What you need: Every tree care business registers with the Board of Tree Experts (renewed every two years), employs at least one full-time Licensed Tree Expert or Licensed Tree Care Operator, and carries at least $1,000,000 in general liability insurance plus workers’ comp for employees (or Board-approved self-insurance). A new certificate of insurance goes to the Board at each renewal.
Safety: Registered businesses file a written safety policy within 90 days and submit equipment-safety training records by January 31 every year.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
New Mexico No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
Workers’ comp: Required at three or more employees.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
New York No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
Local: New York has no state arborist license, but Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester counties license tree or home improvement contractors with their own insurance minimums (Nassau’s home improvement license requires $250,000 / $500,000 bodily injury and $100,000 property damage), and NYC Parks requires insurance for street tree work permits.
Workers’ comp: Required from the first employee.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
North Carolina No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
Workers’ comp: Required at three or more employees.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
North Dakota No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
Contractor rule: Jobs over $4,000 need a state contractor license, which requires proof of liability insurance.
Workers’ comp: Required from the first employee.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Ohio No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
Local: Many Ohio cities require tree contractor registration with a bond ($5,000 to $25,000) and insurance for right-of-way work.
Workers’ comp: Required from the first employee.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Oklahoma No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
Workers’ comp: Required from the first employee.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Oregon LCB: $500K + $20K Bond
Issuing Agency: Oregon Landscape Contractors Board
What you need: Tree work sold with landscaping, planting or other landscape services runs through the Landscape Contractors Board: a landscape contracting business license with $500,000 in liability insurance (LCB as certificate holder), a $20,000 bond ($15,000 probationary) since January 1, 2026, and workers’ comp for employees. Stand-alone removal and pruning can instead fall under CCB registration (residential specialty: $20,000 bond, $300,000 liability).
Workers’ comp: Required from the first employee.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Pennsylvania No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
HICPA: Tree work on homes counts as home improvement, so companies doing $5,000 or more a year register with the Attorney General and carry $50,000 bodily injury and $50,000 property damage coverage.
Workers’ comp: Required from the first employee.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Rhode Island Arborist License (No Insurance Rule)
Issuing Agency: Rhode Island DEM (Arborist Licensing)
What you need: Anyone who works alone on a tree job for pay needs a DEM arborist license (exam, 70% to pass, $25), and multi-person crews need at least one licensed arborist monitoring the others. The arborist rules don’t set an insurance minimum, but tree companies that also register with the Contractors’ Registration Board carry $500,000 in liability coverage.
Workers’ comp: Required from the first employee.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
South Carolina No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
Workers’ comp: Required at four or more employees.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
South Dakota No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
Workers’ comp: Not mandatory under state law, but utilities and municipalities require it.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Tennessee No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
Workers’ comp: Required at five or more employees for non-construction businesses.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Texas No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
Local: Several Texas cities (Austin, San Antonio, Houston) require tree contractor registration or permits with insurance certificates for protected trees.
Workers’ comp: Optional for private employers, but utilities, municipalities and most commercial customers require it, and a non-subscriber loses common-law defenses if a climber is hurt.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Utah No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
Workers’ comp: Required from the first employee.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Vermont No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
Registration: Residential contracts of $10,000 or more fall under contractor registration with $1,000,000 / $2,000,000 in liability coverage; a big removal job can cross that line.
Workers’ comp: Required from the first employee.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Virginia No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
Contractor rule: Tree work sold inside a landscaping or construction contract over $1,000 needs a DPOR contractor license.
Workers’ comp: Required at three or more employees.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Washington L&I Registration: $15K Bond + Insurance
Issuing Agency: Washington Department of Labor & Industries
What you need: Tree removal, stump grinding and most tree work done for others is contractor work in Washington, so companies register with L&I as specialty contractors: a $15,000 bond and $200,000 public liability plus $50,000 property damage coverage (or $250,000 combined). Pruning-only arborists should confirm their scope with L&I.
Workers’ comp: Required from the first employee.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
West Virginia No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
Workers’ comp: Required from the first employee.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Wisconsin No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
Workers’ comp: Required at three or more employees.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Wyoming No State Minimum
State minimum: None. There’s no state tree care license, so no insurance or bond requirement comes with one. Customers, HOAs, utilities and municipalities set the number, and $1,000,000 per occurrence is the usual ask.
Workers’ comp: Required from the first employee.
Spraying: Plant health care (insecticides, fungicides, injections) needs a state pesticide applicator license and business license, which usually require proof of liability insurance.
Checked November 2026 against the agencies and rules linked in each block. Maryland and Louisiana require insurance without publishing a dollar minimum, so confirm the amount when you apply. Local requirements (Denver, Chicago, Florida counties, Long Island, Texas cities) are noted where they matter but change often.
What Customers and Utilities Require
- Utilities: $1,000,000 to $5,000,000 in liability, workers’ comp with a waiver of subrogation, the utility named as additional insured, and proof of line-clearance qualification. Expect an annual audit of certificates.
- Municipalities and parks departments: Street and park tree permits almost always require a certificate of insurance naming the city, typically $1,000,000 per occurrence.
- HOAs and property managers: $1,000,000 GL and workers’ comp are standard vendor requirements, and many now ask for a certificate before every job, not just once a year.
- Homeowners: Consumer guides from every state forestry agency tell homeowners to ask for a certificate of insurance before hiring a tree company. The ones who don’t ask are the ones who end up suing.
Running a Tree Service
- Licensing first: Tree and arborist license requirements by state covers the licenses these insurance rules attach to.
- Spraying and plant health care: Lawn care pesticide license by state covers the applicator licenses every tree company that sprays or injects needs.
- Neighboring trades: Landscaping license requirements by state for companies that do both.
- Comp costs: Workers’ comp rate changes by state and OSHA penalty amounts for what a bad year costs.
- Storm work: After a storm, every job is urgent and every customer wants a certificate. Have it ready to text from the truck.
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FAQ
How much insurance does a tree service need?
Legally, most states set no minimum because they don’t license tree care. Where they do, the floors are New Jersey $1,000,000 general liability plus workers’ comp, Oregon $500,000 plus a $20,000 bond, Maine $150,000 per occurrence / $300,000 aggregate, Hawaii $100,000 / $300,000 bodily injury plus $50,000 property damage, and Washington $200,000 / $50,000 plus a $15,000 bond. In practice, utilities, cities and HOAs require $1,000,000 per occurrence / $2,000,000 aggregate written specifically for tree work.
Which states require insurance for tree services?
New Jersey, Oregon, Maine, Hawaii, Washington, Maryland, Louisiana, California (a $25,000 bond and mandatory workers’ comp with the C-49 license) and Alaska tie insurance or a bond to a tree-related license or registration. Connecticut, Rhode Island and Minnesota license or register tree companies without setting an insurance minimum. The other 38 states and DC set nothing at the state level.
Does a tree service need workers’ comp with no employees?
In California, yes: C-49 Tree and Palm licensees can’t claim the no-employees exemption. Elsewhere it starts with your first hire in most states, at three employees in Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Wisconsin, Arkansas, New Mexico and Michigan, four in South Carolina and Florida (non-construction), and five in Alabama, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. Texas lets private employers opt out, though utilities and cities require it anyway.
Why is tree service insurance so expensive?
Because tree work is the deadliest trade tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with a fatality rate around 110 per 100,000 workers, roughly 30 times the all-industry average. Workers’ comp for climbers (NCCI code 0106) typically runs $8 to $15 per $100 of payroll before your experience modifier, and general liability carriers add height, power-line and removal exclusions unless the policy is written for tree work.
Does a landscaping insurance policy cover tree removal?
Often not. Landscaping policies commonly exclude work above a set height, work near power lines, or tree removal altogether. A tree company should buy general liability written for tree service and read the exclusions before the first removal job.
What insurance do utilities require for line clearance work?
Typically $1,000,000 to $5,000,000 in liability (often met with an umbrella), workers’ comp with a waiver of subrogation, the utility named as additional insured, and proof that crews are qualified line-clearance arborists under OSHA 1910.269. Certificates are audited annually.
Bottom Line
If you run a tree company in New Jersey, Oregon, Maine, Hawaii, Washington, Maryland, Louisiana, California or Alaska, the state has set an insurance or bond floor and tied it to your license or registration. Everywhere else, the state is silent and the market isn’t: $1,000,000 in tree-specific general liability, commercial auto, equipment coverage, and workers’ comp from the first climber.
Buy the policy written for tree work, not the landscaping policy with a tree exclusion. In this trade, the certificate of insurance is the first thing a utility, a city or a careful homeowner asks for, and the claim that tests it is a matter of when, not if.
