Contractor licensing boards by state: who licenses what, and where it starts

How to read this table

Every row names the state agency that sits at the center of contractor licensing, then the dollar line where a license or registration first applies, then the trades with their own state boards, then the pesticide regulator where we hold one. The numbers are the agencies' own, read in October 2026. Where a cell says "Check the agency", we could not confirm that detail from the data we hold, so go to the linked agency.

Two words carry a lot of weight. A license usually means an exam, experience and often a bond. A registration usually means a filing, a fee and proof of insurance. Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Iowa, Idaho, Nebraska and Washington use some form of registration for general work. Look at which word the state uses before you plan the effort.

Contractor licensing agencies in all 50 states

This table covers the contractor side. It leaves out city licensing, which is its own layer, and the business license or tax registration every state also asks for. Open the state page from the first column for the rest.

Three kinds of state, by how they draw the line

Reading the table down, the states fall into three groups.

• A dollar line, with a license or registration above it. This is the largest group, and the lines run from $200 in Connecticut for residential home improvement, through $500 for Rhode Island's casual exemption and South Carolina's specialty contractors, to $7,500 for Louisiana's home improvement registration $25,000 for Tennessee's contractor license and $40,000 for North Carolina's general contractor license.
• A license or registration with no dollar line. Alaska, Delaware, Washington and Nebraska reach general work of any size. Massachusetts applies to existing owner-occupied one to four unit homes, whatever the price.
• Trades only, with general work left to cities and counties. Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, New Hampshire, Ohio for residential work, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming have no general contractor license in our data. Kansas has only a roofing registration, and Oklahoma adds a roofing registration to its trade licenses. The work is still regulated, only closer to the job site.

The traps: numbers that look alike and are not

A $1,000 figure appears in several rows, and it means different things. In Virginia, a single contract over $1,000 puts a contractor in Class C, and Class C is the smallest license class. Under Va. Code § 54.1-1100, Class B starts at $30,000 per contract or $250,000 in a year, and Class A at $150,000 per contract or $1 million in a year. In Nevada, NRS 624.031 exempts repair or maintenance under $1,000, but the exemption is lost for plumbing, electrical, refrigeration, heating or air-conditioning work, for anything needing a building permit, and when the job is part of a larger project of $500 or more.

North Dakota's line is higher. Its Secretary of State says a license is required once a job exceeds $4,000, and the classes then run by the size of one job: Class D up to $100,000, Class C up to $300,000, Class B up to $500,000, and Class A over $500,000. South Carolina has two tracks. Under S.C. Code § 40-59-20, a residential builder is defined at a cost over $5,000, and a residential specialty contractor at undertakings over $500. West Virginia sets $5,000 for residential and $25,000 for commercial work, and its definition under § 30-42-3 leaves out people who perform landscaping or painting services.

Thresholds also count labor and materials together, and they are measured per job, per year or per project depending on the state. Splitting a job to stay under the line is called out as a violation by several agencies, including Hawaii, Nevada and California. Treat the figure as an edge, not a plan.

What an unlicensed job can cost you

Under Fla. Stat. § 489.128, a contract signed by an unlicensed contractor cannot be enforced by that contractor. Kansas says an unregistered roofer cannot use its courts to collect. Rhode Island and West Virginia require the registration or license number in advertising, and West Virginia also requires it on signed contracts. These are examples, not a full penalty list. Ask the agency what it does to unlicensed operators in your state.

If you work in more than one state

A license from one state rarely carries over. Massachusetts says on Mass.gov that it does not recognize out-of-state contractor licenses. Plan to apply in each state where you take jobs, and expect different exams, bonds and insurance. Check whether you must register as a foreign business, and see our contractor license guide for the general steps. Cities add a layer too, and in states such as Colorado, Missouri and Texas the city is the main licensing body for general work.

What to check before you bid

1. Open the agency link in the table and read the current threshold and its exemptions.
2. Search the agency's license lookup for your own business and for any subcontractor you plan to hire.
3. Call the city or county building office. The state table does not replace it.
4. Confirm the insurance, bond and workers' comp the license requires. See business insurance for contractors.
5. Put your license or registration number on your website, estimates and vehicles where the state requires it.

Once you hold a license, make it visible and findable. A web page that lists your state license number and the areas you serve is an owned asset, and our custom websites are built with that kind of detail in mind.

Frequently asked questions