Contractor licensing

Contractor License Requirements by State (2026)

General-contractor licensing in the United States is not national — it is set state by state, and the rules differ far more than most trades realize. About 23 states require you to pass a state-level general-contractor exam before you can be licensed; roughly 15 more license contractors only by registration, bond, or project value with no exam; and about 13 have no state-level GC license at all, so you are licensed by your city or county or only for individual trades like electrical or plumbing. This page compares the general (building) contractor requirements for all 50 states plus the District of Columbia — whether a state license and exam are required, who administers the exam, whether the state recognizes the multi-state NASCLA exam, the dollar threshold that triggers a license, and bonding — and links each exam state to free PrepPass practice.

Tier key. State exam = a state-level GC license with a required written exam (23 states); Register/bond = the state registers, bonds, or value-caps contractors with no exam (15); Local only = no state GC license, so you license through a city/county or by trade (13). “NASCLA?” shows whether the state is an official NASCLA participating jurisdiction; recognition varies by state and never waives the state’s own business-and-law exam. Thresholds and bonds shown are the general-contractor case.

How to get a contractor license: the general steps

Because the rules differ so much, the first step is figuring out which of the three systems your state uses. From there the path is broadly the same:

1. 1
   Find out if your state licenses general contractors at all

   This is the step most guides skip. In 23 states you need a state license and must pass an exam; in about 15 you only register or post a bond; and in about 13 there is no state GC license — your city or county licenses you, or only individual trades are regulated. Start with your state's row above.

2. 2
   Meet the experience and financial requirements

   Most exam states require documented construction experience (often 2–4 years) and proof of financial responsibility — a net-worth or working-capital figure, a surety bond, or general-liability insurance. Many also require a qualifying individual (RME/RMI/qualifier) to hold the exam credential.

3. 3
   Pass the state exam(s)

   In exam states the license usually has two pieces: a Business & Law exam and a trade/technical exam. Providers are typically PSI or Prov, with exceptions (Florida uses Professional Testing, Arizona uses GMetrix, Utah and West Virginia use ProV, Minnesota runs its own exam). Several states accept the multi-state NASCLA exam for the trade portion.

4. 4
   Apply, bond, and insure

   Submit your application, exam results, background check, proof of insurance, and (where required) a surety bond to the licensing board. Registration-only states skip the exam but still require the bond, insurance, and registration fee.

5. 5
   Check local permits and renew

   Even in no-state-license states you almost always need local registration and permits. Keep the license active with any continuing education and periodic renewal your state requires.

Frequently asked questions

Sources & methodology

Each state was classified against its official licensing board, statute, or administrative code during our 2026 research pass. For the 23exam states, the board, exam, threshold, and bonding figures trace to the state board (for example the CSLB in California, the CILB/DBPR in Florida, the NCLBGC in North Carolina, and DPOR in Virginia). The NASCLA column is derived from NASCLA’s official list of participating jurisdictions. Where a specific figure could not be confirmed against an official source, the cell reads “varies” or “—” rather than showing an invented number — we do not publish figures we could not source. Contractor rules change frequently (thresholds, providers, and even whether a state licenses GCs at all); confirm the current requirements with your state board before relying on them.

Preparing for a state exam? Try a free PrepPass contractor practice test — free practice questions for every state that runs a real general-contractor exam, plus the multi-state NASCLA exam.