Georgia Contractor Licensing & Classifications
Georgia licenses contractors through a state board and tiers them by scope and financial strength. This chapter covers who issues the license, the residential and general classifications, and the net-worth, insurance, age, and examination requirements.
The State Licensing Board and O.C.G.A. Title 43, Chapter 41
General and residential contractors in Georgia are licensed by the State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors, which operates under the Secretary of State. Its authority comes from O.C.G.A. Title 43, Chapter 41. The board sets qualification standards, administers the business/law and trade examinations, issues licenses, and disciplines contractors. A Georgia contractor answers to this statewide board rather than to a patchwork of county boards.
Classifications and their financial requirements
Georgia tiers building contractors by scope. Residential-Basic is limited to detached one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses and requires $300,000 general liability. Residential-Light-Commercial broadens the scope and requires $500,000 general liability. The unlimited General Contractor classification has essentially unlimited building scope and requires a minimum net worth of $150,000 plus $500,000 general liability. The General Contractor Limited Tier requires only $25,000 net worth but caps any single contract at $1,000,000. Applicants must be at least 21 years old and meet the experience standard for the classification.
Examinations and re-test rules
Licensure requires passing a Business and Law examination plus a trade/technical examination. For the General Contractor and GC Limited Tier classifications, the NASCLA Accredited Commercial General Building Contractor exam satisfies the trade portion. Under board policy, a candidate who fails either the business/law or trade exam twice must wait one year before re-testing that exam. NASCLA alone does not grant a Georgia license; the Georgia Business and Law exam and the financial and insurance requirements must also be met.