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                                                             EXHIBIT 10(iii) A38


                       NONQUALIFIED STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT




         THIS AGREEMENT, made as of the 23rd day of September, 1997 (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.
Long-Term Achievement Incentive Plan (the "Plan") in order to provide additional
incentive to certain officers and key employees of the Company and its
Subsidiaries; and

         WHEREAS, the Optionee performs services for one of the Subsidiaries;
and

         WHEREAS, the Committee responsible for administration of the Plan has
determined to grant the Option to the Optionee as 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
(Amount) 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 422 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 $44.3125 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.

         4.       Exercisability of Option.

                  Unless otherwise provided in this Agreement or the Plan, the
Option shall


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entitle the Optionee to purchase, in whole at any time or in part from time to
time, (Para), and each such right of purchase shall be cumulative and shall
continue, unless sooner exercised or terminated as herein provided during the
remaining period of the Exercise Term.

         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 by the Committee, 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 17 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 Employment.

                  6.1      In General.

                  If the employment of the Optionee with the Company and its
Subsidiaries shall terminate for any reason, other than for the reasons set
forth in Section 6.2 below, the Optionee's right to exercise any then
outstanding Options (whether or not vested) shall terminate immediately upon
termination of employment.



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                  6.2      Termination of Employment Due to Death, Disability,
                           Retirement or Change in Control.

                           If the Optionee's termination of employment is due to
death, Disability or Retirement (termination of employment on or after age 65),
or within two (2) years following a Change in Control, the Option shall continue
to be exercisable (to the extent the Option was vested and exercisable on the
date of the Optionee's termination of employment) at any time within three (3)
years after the date of such termination of employment, 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 (A) a Permitted Transferee (as defined in Section 8 below), if any,
or such persons that have acquired Optionee's rights by will or the laws of
descent and distribution, or (B) if no such person in (A) exists, by the
Optionee's estate or a representative of the Optionee's estate.

         7.       Effect of Change in Control.

                  Notwithstanding anything contained to the contrary in this
Agreement, 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 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 portion thereof 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 and the Optionee may be subject to liability under Section 16(b) of the
Exchange Act, the Optionee shall be entitled to surrender the Option, or any
portion of the Option, for cancellation 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.       Transferability.

                  The Option shall not be transferable other than by will or by
the laws of descent and distribution. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Option
may be transferred, in whole or in part, without consideration, by written
instrument signed by the Optionee, to any members of the immediate family of the
Optionee (i.e., spouse, children and grandchildren), any trusts for the benefit
of such family members or any partnerships whose only partners are such family
members (the "Permitted Transferees"). Appropriate evidence of any such transfer
to the Permitted Transferees shall be delivered to the Company at its principal
executive office. If all or part of the Option is transferred to a Permitted
Transferee, the Permitted Transferee's rights hereunder shall be subject to the
same restrictions and limitations with respect to the Option as the Optionee.
During the lifetime of the Optionee, the Option shall be exercisable only by the
Optionee, or if applicable, by the Permitted Transferees.



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         9.       No Right to Continued Employment.

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

         10.      Adjustments.

                  In the event of a Change in Capitalization, the Committee may
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 Committee's adjustment shall be made in accordance with
the provisions of Section 11 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.      Withholding of Taxes.

                  The Company shall have the right to deduct from any
distribution of cash to the Optionee an amount equal to the federal, state and
local income taxes and other amounts as may be required by law to be withheld
(the "Withholding Taxes") with respect to the Option. If the Optionee is
entitled to receive Shares upon exercise of the Option, the Optionee shall pay
the Withholding Taxes to the Company in cash prior to the issuance of such
Shares. In satisfaction of the Withholding Taxes, the Optionee may make a
written election (the "Tax Election"), which may be accepted or rejected in the
discretion of the Committee, to have withheld a portion of the Shares issuable
to him or her upon exercise of the Option, having an aggregate Fair Market Value
equal to the Withholding Taxes, provided that, if the Optionee may be subject to
liability under Section l6(b) of the Exchange Act, the election must comply with
the requirements applicable to Share transactions by such Optionees.

         13.      Employee 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.


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         14.      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.

         15.      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.

         16.      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.

         17.      Successors in Interest.

                  This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding
upon each successor corporation. 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, Permitted
Transferees, administrators and successors.

         18.      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 Committee. Any
determination made hereunder shall be final, binding and conclusive on the
Optionee and the Company for all purposes.

         19.      Shareholder Approval.

                  The effectiveness of this Agreement and of the grant of the
Option pursuant hereto is subject to the approval of the Plan by the
stockholders of the Company in accordance with the terms of the Plan.


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ATTEST:                                       NATIONAL SERVICE INDUSTRIES, INC.




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



                                                 -------------------------------
                                                   Name of Optionee: (Name)