General Contractor License Reciprocity by State (2026)
NASCLA accredited examination
General contractors have no compact. What exists instead is the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors: passing it once satisfies the trade exam requirement in every participating state.
- Covers:
- Commercial general building contractors.
- Governing body:
- National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies (NASCLA)
What to know before you rely on it
- A NASCLA passing score is a portable credential, not a licence. You still file an application in every state.
- It waives the trade examination only — experience, financial statements, insurance, bonding and background checks all still apply.
- Some states also require their own business-and-law exam or a supplemental state module on top of the NASCLA score.
- Several of the largest construction markets — including Texas, New York and Illinois, where licensing sits with cities rather than the state — are outside the NASCLA framework.
- Agencies join and revise how they use the exam, so the participating list changes.
Jurisdictions where NASCLA accredited examination is active (17)
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia
Verify this first: Confirm your destination is still on NASCLA's participating agency list and check what else its board requires.
NASCLA — participating state agencies ↗State-by-state reciprocity notes
12 of 51 states have a published reciprocity note in our dataset. For the remaining states, the note is not published — check both state boards before you move. Bids and manages construction projects. Most states license contractors through a state board; requirements range from registration to a written exam (e.g. California CSLB).
| State | Reciprocity note | Verify with |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | Trade-exam waiver available to licensees from CA, NV and UT with 5+ years active; AZ Statutes & Rules exam still required | Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) — General Contractor (B / B-1 / KB classifications) ↗ |
| California | Trade exam waiver available to licensees from some states (e.g. AZ, NV, UT) with 5+ years active | California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) — Class B General Building Contractor ↗ |
| Florida | NASCLA-accredited exam accepted for trade parts; trade-exam waivers with some states (e.g. NC, LA, MS) | Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) — Construction Industry Licensing Board, Certified General Contractor (CGC) ↗ |
| Georgia | Reciprocity with LA, MS and SC (residential qualifying agent); Georgia Business & Law exam still required | Georgia State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors (SLBRGC) ↗ |
| Illinois | No state general contractor license — Illinois has no statewide contractor licensing; some municipalities (e.g. Chicago) require local registration | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) ↗ |
| Michigan | No state general contractor license — general contractor licensing is local in Michigan (LARA licenses specified trades only) | Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) ↗ |
| New York | No state general contractor license — NYC DOB licenses general contractors locally; New York home-improvement contractors are covered by consumer-protection law rather than a state license | New York City Department of Buildings (no state-level general contractor license) ↗ |
| North Carolina | Trade-exam waiver with 7 southeastern states (SC, TN, LA, GA, MS, AL, FL); NC Business & Law exam always required | North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors (NCLBGC) ↗ |
| Ohio | No state general contractor license — Ohio does not license general contractors at the state level (OCILB covers specified trades only) | Ohio Department of Commerce ↗ |
| Pennsylvania | No state general contractor license — PA requires Home Improvement Contractor registration with the Office of Attorney General (no exam); some cities (e.g. Philadelphia, Pittsburgh) license locally | Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General — Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act ↗ |
| Texas | No state general contractor license — Texas does not license general contractors at the state level (only specified trades such as electricians, plumbers and HVAC are licensed by TDLR) | Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) ↗ |
| Washington | Registration, not a license — no exam, no experience verification and no CE; L&I requires a $30,000 surety bond (GC, since July 1, 2024) plus general liability insurance; renewed biennially | Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) — Contractor Registration ↗ |
| Alabama | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Alaska | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Arkansas | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Colorado | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Connecticut | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Delaware | check both state boards | board site pending |
| District of Columbia | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Hawaii | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Idaho | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Indiana | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Iowa | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Kansas | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Kentucky | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Louisiana | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Maine | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Maryland | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Massachusetts | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Minnesota | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Mississippi | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Missouri | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Montana | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Nebraska | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Nevada | check both state boards | board site pending |
| New Hampshire | check both state boards | board site pending |
| New Jersey | check both state boards | board site pending |
| New Mexico | check both state boards | board site pending |
| North Dakota | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Oklahoma | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Oregon | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Rhode Island | check both state boards | board site pending |
| South Carolina | check both state boards | board site pending |
| South Dakota | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Tennessee | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Utah | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Vermont | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Virginia | check both state boards | board site pending |
| West Virginia | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Wisconsin | check both state boards | board site pending |
| Wyoming | check both state boards | board site pending |
Frequently asked questions
How does a General Contractor license transfer between states?
General contractors have no compact. What exists instead is the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors: passing it once satisfies the trade exam requirement in every participating state.
Which states participate in NASCLA accredited examination?
National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies (NASCLA) lists 17 jurisdictions where this is active today: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia. Membership changes, so confirm on the official source before you rely on it.
Does NASCLA accredited examination mean I skip the exam entirely?
Not automatically. A NASCLA passing score is a portable credential, not a licence. You still file an application in every state. The only reliable answer for your situation comes from the destination board, so verify before you pay application fees.
Can I transfer my General Contractor license to another state?
In our dataset, 12 states have a published reciprocity note (see the table). For every other state the rule is not published here — check both state boards before moving.
What does reciprocity mean for a license?
Reciprocity lets an already-licensed professional from one state qualify for a license in another state without repeating the full education and exam process. Some states have formal agreements or compacts; others require a state-specific exam or extra coursework even when they accept your license. Many states do not grant a license on reciprocity at all — they grant it by comity or endorsement, meaning you still file an application and meet their requirements.
Why do some states say "check both state boards"?
State reciprocity tables are not consistently published in machine-readable form. When a state has not published an official note in our verified sources, we point you to both boards rather than guess. That is the safest answer for a decision that can affect your eligibility to work.
Does holding a license in one state guarantee a license in another?
No. Every state sets its own licensing law. Even in states with reciprocity or a compact, you typically still file an application, pay a fee, pass a background check and sometimes pass a state-specific exam. Always confirm directly with the destination state board.
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Reciprocity rules and compact membership change frequently and are set by each state legislature and board. “Check both state boards” means the note is not published in our dataset — it is not a negative answer. Mechanism data retrieved 2026-09-13; always verify with both boards before relocating.