West Virginia Coverage, Tax Registration & Exam Logistics
Before a West Virginia license issues, a contractor must show workers' compensation and unemployment coverage and register with the State Tax Department. This chapter reviews those prerequisites, the ProV exam format, and license maintenance.
Coverage prerequisites: workers' compensation and unemployment
Before the Contractor Licensing Board issues a license, an applicant must show that it is in good standing with the state's coverage and tax systems: workers' compensation coverage for its employees, unemployment compensation registration with WorkForce West Virginia, and compliance with the Division of Labor's wage and hour requirements. These prerequisites ensure a licensed contractor is meeting its obligations to workers before it takes on public-facing construction work.
Business Registration Certificate from the State Tax Department
A West Virginia contractor must obtain a Business Registration Certificate from the West Virginia State Tax Department before doing business, and must be in good standing on state taxes to receive and keep a contractor license. Registering with the Tax Department ties the contractor into the state's tax system and is a routine condition of licensure that candidates should expect to see referenced.
The open-book ProV exam and license maintenance
Remember West Virginia's exam facts: the Contractor Licensing Act exam is 90 questions, 180 minutes, open book, 70% to pass, administered by ProV since September 1, 2024, with a separate trade exam for the classification. A license may list multiple qualifying individuals but no backup qualifiers. The license number must appear on all bids, contracts, and advertisements, and the license is renewed on the board's cycle — keeping coverage and tax registration current is a condition of renewal.
State-specific details
State exam facts
- State regulator
- West Virginia Contractor Licensing Board, Division of Labor
- Exam vendor
- ProV
- Passing score
- 70%
- Scored questions
- 90
- Time limit
- 180 minutes
Does West Virginia require a state contractor license?
Yes. The West Virginia Contractor Licensing Board (within the Division of Labor) licenses contractors under the Contractor Licensing Act, WV Code Chapter 30, Article 42 (recodified from the former Chapter 21, Article 11 by 2021 HB2006). A license is required at the $2,500 threshold (§30-42-3/§30-42-6).
What is on the West Virginia contractor exam?
The Contractor Licensing Act exam is 90 questions, 180 minutes, open book, and requires 70% to pass. It is delivered by ProV (since September 1, 2024). Multiple qualifiers may be listed on a license, but no backup qualifiers are allowed.
What must a West Virginia contractor show before licensing?
Pre-license requirements include workers' compensation coverage, unemployment compensation, and a Business Registration Certificate from the State Tax Department. The license number must appear on all bids, contracts, and advertisements (§30-42-6, §30-42-12).