Continuing Education

Basic requirements

If you have been actively licensed for six (6) years or more, you are required to report eight (8) hours.
If you have been actively licensed for less than six (6) years, you are required to report sixteen (16) hours.

Information for licensees

Reporting Requirements

Licensees are required to report continuing education hours (CEH) every two years to remain in active status. If you have had a landscape construction professional license for 6 years or more, you only need to report 8 hours every two years. If you have had a landscape construction professional license for less than 6 years, you need to report 16 hours every two years. Your renewal form will show your initial date of license. If you need to know this information before you receive your renewal form, please call the LCB office.

If your LCP license number ends in an odd number, you are required to submit CEH at your renewal time in odd numbered years (2021, 2023, etc.).

If your LCP license number ends in an even number, you are required to submit CEH at your renewal time in even numbered years (2020, 2022, etc.).

Approved Course Listings

Approved Courses

Courses/Classes

Approved course listings, both face to face and online are available on the LCB website. Some are one-time offerings, but many are offered ongoing. Pre-approved course providers will issue a certificate of completion which shows you attended the course and are granted the approved number of CEH. You do NOT need to send the certificate into the Board office unless you are selected for the CEH audit. Questions about dates and fees associated to courses should be directed to the course provider listed.

If you attend a class or course that is not on the approved course list, you may still request CEH for post-approval consideration by filling out and submitting an individual class approval form. All post-approval requests must include a course/class outline or agenda and evidence of course/class completion.

Volunteer

Volunteer work may qualify for CEH credit. Volunteer work is awarded on a three to one ratio. That means that for every three hours of qualifying volunteer work, one hour of credit will be awarded. There is a maximum CEH credit allowed for volunteering that cannot exceed 4 hours in a two-year period. This means in your two-year renewal cycle, you may only receive 4 continuing education hours (this is 12 hours of volunteer work) from approved volunteer work.

The volunteer activity must be directly related to the landscape construction industry, such as, but not limited to:

serving on industry related boards, commissions or committees; or
providing a not-for-profit service to local or state entities for the enhancement and preservation of the environment to natural resources through landscape planning, installation and maintenance.

Volunteer work means you did not receive compensation of any kind for this work. Compensation means payment made in the form of money, goods or services (this includes bartering).

If you wish to receive continuing education credit for volunteer work or teaching fill out the volunteer/teaching approval request form.

College Courses

Licensees can earn CEH credit for college courses or educational programs from recognized colleges or universities.

CEH is granted based on 10 CEH for every quarter course credit or 15 CEH for every semester course credit. For example, a three-hour course from a community college on a term system would earn 30 hours of CEH.

Licensees audited would need to supply an official transcript to verify course completion as acceptable documentation. Courses from accredited colleges that meet subject matter requirements are considered pre-approved.

Teaching & Presenting

Licensees who have at least 5-years landscape related experience can earn CEH for by teaching and presenting landscape related topics. Licensees must prepare an outline of the course, present for a least 50 minutes, and keep a record of attendance. Up to one-half of the biennial CEH requirement can be earned by teaching/presenting.

To earn CEH credit for teaching or presenting, complete the volunteer/teaching approval request form. The form needs to be signed by a supervisor or official of the agency, college or university to qualify for credit. Credit can be earned for the presentation time (1 hour of CEH for 50 minutes of instruction). Two (2) hours of preparation and research time for every hour of presentation time can be granted if the licensee hasn’t requested preparation time for the course in the past or has made substantial changes to the course.

Reporting at Renewal

Approximately 60 days before your renewal date the LCB will mail your renewal form. If this is the year you are required to submit your CEH, you will find a chart on your renewal form to report CEH. Please list the courses you have attended within the two-year period prior to the expiration date of your license. Please do NOT submit any of your certificates with your renewal form. You will only be required to submit your certificates if you are selected for the monthly CEH audit.

If the CEH chart on your renewal form is incomplete or does not show that you met CEH requirements, your renewal will not be processed.

If you have not completed the required hours then you may consider the following options:

Complete the CEH requirement before the expiration date of your license
There are lists of pre-approved courses; both face-to-face and online options. You can also obtain CEH credit for volunteer or teaching. Once you have met the CEH requirement, submit your renewal form with the CEH table completed.
Request to change the status of the license to “inactive”
You still pay the license fee but do not have to meet the CEH requirement until you request to change back to “active”. You will find a box on your renewal form that you may request “inactive” status. If a business depends upon your license to operate, this will automatically suspend the business license unless you also change the business license to “inactive” status at the same time. You will need to complete the inactive request form for the business. When you want to reinstate your individual license to “active” status, you will need to submit a change of status form and submit your CEH documentation. There is a fee to change either license back to active status.
Allow the license to expire
This decision affects any business that is depending on your individual license for the business license and will be suspended. To reinstate the LCP license to active status (note: a license can only be expired two years before it is considered lapsed and no longer able to renew), you will need to meet the CEH requirements, pay the late fees and license fees. The associated business will need to pay a reinstatement fee to go from suspended to active.

Failure to comply with CEH reporting requirements could result in a Notice of Civil Penalty being issued for and your license will not be renewed until you are in compliance.

Audit Process

If you are selected for the monthly audit, you will receive written notification with a request to submit documentation verifying you have met the CEH requirement. AT THAT TIME please submit evidence of course completion or other documentation. Please do NOT send in any documentation until you are asked to do so.

Licensees are required to maintain records of CEH completion. The board does not receive or maintain these records.

If you do not meet the CEH requirement during the audit process, you may be assessed a civil penalty and your license will be suspended until you are in compliance.

Information for CEH Providers

Information for Course Providers

Please use the program approval request form to submit your courses/classes for pre-approval to the LCB at least 30 days beore the course/class is to be held. All requests for course/class approval follow guidelines for course providers and include a course/class outline and sample completion certificate.