Tree work rules in Louisiana

Louisiana requires an arborist license from the Horticulture Commission of its Department of Agriculture and Forestry to remove, prune, trim, cable or fertilize trees for a fee. A separate utility arborist license covers work along utility rights of way.¹

Ask your city or county government whether removing a tree needs a permit where you live.

If a tree is touching the power line to your house, keep clear and call your utility first. Clearing the line is the utility's job, and a tree company can't start until it's done.

Louisiana keeps work 10 feet from overhead lines. To work closer, notify the line owner at least 48 hours ahead, not counting weekends and holidays, and agree on safety arrangements first.²

Louisiana's one-call law doesn't name stump or root removal, though it covers any powered, mechanical or manual earth movement. Call 811 before a stump is ground or dug out, and the one-call center can say whether your job needs a locate.^3-4

In Louisiana the owner-operator of a business that applies pesticides for a fee needs a license from the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, and its ground applicators must be certified or directly supervised. Ornamental trees fall under category 3, Ornamental and Turf Pest Control.^5-6