About This Guide
Why We Built a State-by-State Contractor Licensing Guide
There is no federal contractor license. Every one of the 50 states runs its own system — its own dollar threshold for when a license kicks in, its own exam vendor (often PSI, sometimes a state-run alternative), its own bond amount, its own renewal clock. A handful of states don't license general contractors at all and push the question down to the city or county instead. None of it lines up: a state that makes you sit a tough two-part exam might not require continuing education at all, and a state with no statewide license can still fine you into the ground for unpermitted work at the local level.
Most of what shows up when you search a specific state's requirement is either a law-firm blog optimized to sell a consultation, or a bootcamp's landing page optimized to sell a course. Neither is trying to just answer the question. We built a plain reference instead — every state gets its own page with the license classification, the exam structure, the bond figure, and the renewal cycle, sourced and dated, with nothing to buy.
Who this is for
A general contractor moving into a second state and needing to know if NASCLA reciprocity applies before paying for a fresh exam. A specialty tradesperson (electrical, plumbing, HVAC, roofing) trying to figure out whether their state licenses their trade separately from the general contractor classification. Anyone who wants the actual threshold number, not a marketing page that talks around it.
The limits of what we do
We are not a bar-admitted law practice and we hold no relationship with any state board — we can't file paperwork on your behalf or speak for a board's interpretation of its own rule. What we do is track down the primary source for each state's current requirement and cite it plainly, including on the states where our confidence in the figure is only medium.
Sourcing, Not Summarizing
Every state page names the actual licensing board and, where we found one, the specific statute or rule number behind the figure — not a paraphrase of someone else's summary.
Confidence Is Marked, Not Assumed
A figure we found on the board's own site reads differently from one we could only confirm secondhand. We label which is which on every state page instead of presenting both the same way.
Thresholds Move Every Year
Dollar thresholds, exam vendors, and CE hour requirements get amended by state legislatures on their own schedule. Nothing here is a substitute for the board's current published rule.
Found an Outdated Figure?
Send it over. A threshold or exam requirement that's changed since we last checked gets corrected, not left stale.
Licensing requirements change and vary by locality within a state. Always verify current requirements with your state's contractor licensing board before applying. This page is an independent informational reference — it is not legal advice, and ContractorLicense.org is not a government agency and is not affiliated with any state licensing board.
Don't Guess on a Threshold Number
Send us your trade, your state, and roughly what the job is worth — we'll tell you whether you're actually required to hold a license before you bid it.