Home / General contractor
8 states · each from the state source · checked 2026-10-20
General contractor license requirements by state
Who issues the building credential, the levels, the hours and years, the exam, the fees and the reciprocity partners, read from each state's licensing board page or statute. The shortest stated path to the top credential here is Massachusetts at 3 years; the longest is Florida at 4 years.
- 1States covered 8
- 2Shortest stated path Massachusetts, 3 years
- 3Longest stated path Florida, 4 years
- 4Name partner states 0 of 8
All 8 states compared
| State | Top credential | Time to top | Classroom | Exam | Partners |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | HIC Home Improvement Contractor registration | registration | — | No | — |
| Massachusetts | CSL-U Unrestricted Construction Supervisor | 3 years | — | Yes | — |
| Rhode Island | REG Contractor registration | registration | 5 h | No | — |
| California | B B General Building Contractor | 4 years | — | Yes | — |
| Florida | CGC Certified General Contractor | 4 years | — | Yes | — |
| Pennsylvania | HICPA Home Improvement Contractor registration | registration | — | No | — |
| North Carolina | UNL Unlimited license | time not stated | — | Yes | — |
| Michigan | MA Maintenance and Alteration Contractor | time not stated | 60 h | Yes | — |
What the numbers show
3 of the 8 states state a minimum time to their top general contractor credential. Massachusetts is shortest at 3 years and Florida longest at 4 years. 5 of 8 require an exam for at least one level.
No state here names reciprocity partners for this trade on the pages read; some review out-of-state licenses case by case. Connecticut and Rhode Island and Pennsylvania use a registration rather than a skills license.
New England on this page: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island. Large states: California, Florida, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Michigan.
Published fees
Only some sources print dollar amounts. Where they do, the chart sums the application, exam and license fees listed for the highest level that shows any.
How to read a state page
Each state page lists the levels in order, the experience each one needs (as hours or years, and whether the time counts from the start of the trade or from the previous license), classroom hours, the exam, the fees the source prints, and reciprocity. Where a source gives hours, the page converts them to full-time years at 2,000 hours a year, the convention Georgia's licensing board prints on its form. Nothing is filled in from other sites: if a board page does not print a fee, the state page says so.
Guides: how long each state takes · how the exams work · reciprocity. Other trades: Electrician · Plumber · HVAC · .
General information from the state sources on 2026-10-20, not legal advice. The board is the authority; confirm before applying.