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                                                             Exhibit 10(iii)A(1)

                             STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
                            FOR NONEMPLOYEE DIRECTORS




         THIS  AGREEMENT,  made as of the 5th day of  January,  2000 (the "Grant
Date"),  between National Service Industries,  Inc., a Delaware corporation (the
"Company"), and Name (the "Optionee").

         WHEREAS, the Company has adopted the National Service Industries,  Inc.
1992  Nonemployee  Directors' Stock Option Plan (the "Plan") in order to provide
additional  incentive to nonemployee  directors to exert maximum efforts for the
success of the Company; and

         WHEREAS, pursuant to the terms of the Plan, the Optionee is entitled to
the option grant provided herein.

         NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereto agree as follows:

         1.       Grant of Option.

                  1.1 The Company  hereby  grants to the  Optionee the right and
option (the "Option") to purchase all or any part of an aggregate of 1,500 whole
Shares subject to, and in accordance with, the terms and conditions set forth in
this Agreement.

                  1.2 The Option is not  intended to qualify as an Incentive
Stock Option within the meaning of Section 422A of the Code.

                  1.3 This  Agreement  shall be  construed  in  accordance  and
consistent  with, and subject to, the provisions of the Plan (the  provisions of
which are incorporated  herein by reference) and, except as otherwise  expressly
set forth herein,  the  capitalized  terms used in this Agreement shall have the
same definitions as set forth in the Plan.

         2.       Purchase Price.

                  The price at which the Optionee shall be entitled to purchase
Shares upon the exercise of the Option shall be $27.6875 per Share.

         3.       Duration of Option.

                  The  Option  shall be  exercisable  to the  extent  and in the
manner  provided  herein for a period of ten (10) years from the Grant Date (the
"Exercise Term");  provided,  however, that the Option may be earlier terminated
as provided in Section 6 hereof.

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                                                            Exihibit 10(iii)A(1)

         4.       Exercisability of Option.

                  Unless  otherwise  provided in this Agreement or the Plan, the
Option shall  entitle the Optionee to purchase,  in whole at any time or in part
from time to time,  the shares covered by the option after the expiration of one
(1) year from the Grant Date.

         5.       Manner of Exercise and Payment.

                  5.1 Subject to the terms and  conditions of this Agreement and
the Plan,  the Option may be  exercised  by  delivery  of written  notice to the
Company,  at its principal  executive  office.  Such notice shall state that the
Optionee is electing to exercise  the Option and the number of Shares in respect
of which the  Option  is being  exercised  and shall be signed by the  person or
persons  exercising the Option.  If requested,  such person or persons shall (i)
deliver this Agreement to the Secretary of the Company who shall endorse thereon
a notation of such exercise and (ii) provide  satisfactory proof as to the right
of such person or persons to exercise the Option.

                  5.2 The notice of exercise  described  in Section 5.1 shall be
accompanied  by the full  purchase  price for the Shares in respect of which the
Option is being  exercised,  in cash, by check or by transferring  Shares to the
Company  having a Fair Market  value on the day  preceding  the date of exercise
equal to the cash amount for which such Shares are substituted.

                  5.3 Upon  receipt of notice of exercise  and full  payment for
the Shares in respect of which the Option is being exercised, the Company shall,
subject to  Section  12 of the Plan,  take such  action as may be  necessary  to
effect the  transfer  to the  Optionee  of the number of Shares as to which such
exercise was effective.

                  5.4 The  Optionee  shall not be deemed to be the holder of, or
to have any of the rights of a holder with respect to, any Shares subject to the
Option until (i) the Option shall have been  exercised  pursuant to the terms of
this  Agreement and the Optionee shall have paid the full purchase price for the
number of Shares in respect of which the Option was exercised,  (ii) the Company
shall  have  issued and  delivered  the  Shares to the  Optionee,  and (iii) the
Optionee's  name shall have been entered as a stockholder of record on the books
of the  Company,  whereupon  the  Optionee  shall  have  full  voting  and other
ownership rights with respect to such Shares.

         6.       Termination of Service.

                  6.1  Termination  for Cause.  If the  Optionee's  service as a
Director  terminates for Cause, the Option shall  immediately  terminate in full
and no rights hereunder may be exercised.

                  6.2 Other Termination of Service. If the Optionee's service as
a Director is terminated  for any reason other than for Cause,  the Option shall


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                                                             Exhibit 10(iii)A(1)

continue to be exercisable in whole or in part (to the extent exercisable on the
date of such  termination)  at any time within three (3) years after the date of
such termination,  but in no event after the expiration of the Exercise Term. In
the event of the  Optionee's  death,  the Option  shall be  exercisable,  to the
extent provided in the Plan and this Agreement, by the legatee or legatees under
his will, or by his personal  representatives or distributees and such person or
persons shall be substituted for the Optionee each time the Optionee is referred
to herein.

         7.       Effect of Change in Control.

                  Notwithstanding  anything  contained in this  Agreement to the
contrary,  in the event of a Change in  Control,  (i) the  Option  shall  become
immediately  and fully  exercisable,  and (ii) the Optionee will be permitted to
surrender for cancellation  within sixty (60) days after such Change in Control,
the Option or any portion of the Option to the extent not yet  exercised and the
Optionee  shall be entitled to receive  immediately  a cash payment in an amount
equal to the excess, if any, of (A) the greater of (x) the Fair Market value, on
the date  preceding  the date of the  surrender,  of the  Shares  subject to the
Option or portion of the Option  surrendered  or (y) the  Adjusted  Fair  Market
Value  of  the  Shares  subject  to the  Option  or the  portion  of the  Option
surrendered,  over (B) the  aggregate  purchase  price for such Shares under the
Option; provided,  however, that if the Option was granted within six (6) months
prior to the Change in Control,  the Optionee shall be entitled to surrender for
cancellation  the Option or any portion of the Option  during the sixty (60) day
period  following  the  expiration  of six (6) months from the Grant Date and to
receive  the  amount   described  above  with  respect  to  such  surrender  for
cancellation.

         8.       Nontransferability.

                  The Option shall not be transferable  other than by will or by
the laws of descent and distribution.  During the lifetime of the Optionee,  the
Option shall be exercisable only by the Optionee.

         9.       No Right to Continuing Service.

                  Nothing in this  Agreement or the Plan shall be interpreted or
construed to confer upon the Optionee any right with respect to  continuance  of
service as a director  of the  Company,  nor shall  this  Agreement  or the Plan
interfere in any way with the right of the Company to terminate  the  Optionee's
service as a director at any time.

         10.      Adjustments.

                  In the event of a Change in  Capitalization,  the Board  shall
make appropriate adjustments to the number and class of Shares or other stock or
securities subject to the Option and the purchase price for such Shares or other
stock or securities. The Board's adjustment shall be made in accordance with the


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                                                             Exhibit 10(iii)A(1)

provisions of Section 7 of the Plan and shall be effective  and final,  binding,
and conclusive for all purposes of the Plan and this Agreement.

         11.      Terminating Events.

                  Subject to Section 7 hereof,  upon the  effective  date of (i)
the liquidation or dissolution of the Company or (ii) a merger or  consolidation
of the  Company  (a  "Transaction"),  the  Option  shall  continue  in effect in
accordance  with its terms and the  Optionee  shall be  entitled  to  receive in
respect of all Shares  subject to the Option,  upon exercise of the Option,  the
same  number  and  kind  of  stock,   securities,   cash,  property,   or  other
consideration  that  each  holder of  Shares  was  entitled  to  receive  in the
Transaction.

         12.      Optionee Bound by the Plan.

                  The Optionee hereby acknowledges receipt of a copy of the Plan
and agrees to be bound by all the terms and provisions thereof.

         13.      Modification of Agreement.

                  This  Agreement  may  be  modified,   amended,   suspended  or
terminated,  and any terms or  conditions  may be waived,  but only by a written
instrument executed by the parties hereto.

         14.      Severability.

                  Should any  provision of this  Agreement be held by a court of
competent  jurisdiction  to be  unenforceable  or invalid  for any  reason,  the
remaining provisions of this Agreement shall not be affected by such holding and
shall continue in full force in accordance with their terms.

         15.      Governing Law.

                  The validity, interpretation,  construction and performance of
this  Agreement  shall be governed by the laws of the State of Delaware  without
giving effect to the conflicts of laws principles thereof.

         16.      Successors in Interest.

                  This  Agreement  shall  inure to the benefit of and be binding
upon each successor to the Company. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of
the Optionee's legal representatives.  All obligations imposed upon the Optionee
and all rights  granted to the  Company  under  this  Agreement  shall be final,
binding and conclusive upon the Optionee's heirs, executors,  administrators and
successors.

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                                                             Exhibit 10(iii)A(1)


         17.      Resolution of Disputes.

                  Any dispute or  disagreement  which may arise  under,  or as a
result  of,  or in any  way  relate  to,  the  interpretation,  construction  or
application   of  this  Agreement   shall  be  determined  by  the  Board.   Any
determination  made  hereunder  shall be final,  binding,  and conclusive on the
Optionee and the Company for all purposes.



ATTEST:                                        NATIONAL SERVICE INDUSTRIES, INC.



___________________________________         By:_________________________________
          Secretary                             James S. Balloun
                                                Chairman, President and
                                                Chief Executive Officer



                                               _________________________________
                                                Optionee: Name