Contractor Licensing by State

Compare contractor licensing across 51 jurisdictions: 36 require state contractor licensing; 15 rely on county or municipal rules. Compiled from state licensing boards and NASCLA across 20 trade categories, last reviewed January 2026. See our methodology.

State trade breadth vs local-rule states

Arizona leads statewide trade coverage (20 trades) , while Texas leads specialty listings among jurisdictions without a statewide GC license (8 trades). Pair both ranking tables before treating any state as simply strict or loose.

Most state-licensed trades

# State Trades
1 Arizona 20
2 California 20
3 Florida 20
4 Hawaii 20
5 Nevada 20
6 Oregon 20
7 Washington 19
8 Alabama 18
9 District of Columbia 18
10 Louisiana 18
11 Massachusetts 18
12 New Mexico 18

Specialty trades in local-rule states

Jurisdictions without a statewide general contractor license.

# State Specialty trades
1 Texas 8
2 Idaho 6
3 Wisconsin 6
4 Colorado 5
5 Missouri 5
6 New York 5
7 Ohio 5
8 Pennsylvania 5
9 Illinois 4
10 Iowa 4
11 Nebraska 4
12 South Dakota 4

States with State Contractor Licensing (36)

Alabama
18 trades licensed · Alabama Licensing Board for
AL
Alaska
16 trades licensed · Alaska Division of Corporations,
AK
Arizona
20 trades licensed · Arizona Registrar of Contractors
AZ
Arkansas
15 trades licensed · Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board
AR
California
20 trades licensed · California Contractors State License
CA
Connecticut
17 trades licensed · Connecticut Department of Consumer
CT
Delaware
12 trades licensed · Delaware Division of Revenue
DE
District of Columbia
18 trades licensed · DC Department of Consumer
DC
Florida
20 trades licensed · Florida Department of Business
FL
Georgia
15 trades licensed · Georgia State Licensing Board
GA
Hawaii
20 trades licensed · Hawaii DCCA Contractors License
HI
Kentucky
14 trades licensed · Kentucky Department of Housing,
KY
Louisiana
18 trades licensed · Louisiana State Licensing Board
LA
Maine
14 trades licensed · Maine Office of Professional
ME
Maryland
16 trades licensed · Maryland Home Improvement Commission
MD
Massachusetts
18 trades licensed · Massachusetts Office of Consumer
MA
Michigan
16 trades licensed · Michigan Department of Licensing
MI
Minnesota
15 trades licensed · Minnesota Department of Labor
MN
Mississippi
16 trades licensed · Mississippi State Board of
MS
Montana
12 trades licensed · Montana Department of Labor
MT
Nevada
20 trades licensed · Nevada State Contractors Board
NV
New Hampshire
14 trades licensed · New Hampshire Division of
NH
New Jersey
17 trades licensed · New Jersey Division of
NJ
New Mexico
18 trades licensed · New Mexico Regulation and
NM
North Carolina
18 trades licensed · North Carolina Licensing Board
NC
North Dakota
10 trades licensed · North Dakota Secretary of
ND
Oklahoma
15 trades licensed · Oklahoma Construction Industries Board
OK
Oregon
20 trades licensed · Oregon Construction Contractors Board
OR
Rhode Island
16 trades licensed · Rhode Island Contractors' Registration
RI
South Carolina
17 trades licensed · South Carolina Contractors' Licensing
SC
Tennessee
17 trades licensed · Tennessee Board for Licensing
TN
Utah
17 trades licensed · Utah Division of Professional
UT
Vermont
13 trades licensed · Vermont Secretary of State
VT
Virginia
18 trades licensed · Virginia Board for Contractors
VA
Washington
19 trades licensed · Washington State Department of
WA
West Virginia
13 trades licensed · West Virginia Division of
WV

States Without State General Contractor License (15)

These states handle contractor regulation at the county or municipal level, or only license specific specialty trades. Always check local requirements.

Colorado
No state GC license · 5 specialty trades licensed
CO
Idaho
No state GC license · 6 specialty trades licensed
ID
Illinois
No state GC license · 4 specialty trades licensed
IL
Indiana
No state GC license · 3 specialty trades licensed
IN
Iowa
No state GC license · 4 specialty trades licensed
IA
Kansas
No state GC license · 3 specialty trades licensed
KS
Missouri
No state GC license · 5 specialty trades licensed
MO
Nebraska
No state GC license · 4 specialty trades licensed
NE
New York
No state GC license · 5 specialty trades licensed
NY
Ohio
No state GC license · 5 specialty trades licensed
OH
Pennsylvania
No state GC license · 5 specialty trades licensed
PA
South Dakota
No state GC license · 4 specialty trades licensed
SD
Texas
No state GC license · 8 specialty trades licensed
TX
Wisconsin
No state GC license · 6 specialty trades licensed
WI
Wyoming
No state GC license · 3 specialty trades licensed
WY

State directory FAQ

Which state licenses the most contractor trades at the state level?
Arizona leads among state-licensing jurisdictions with 20 trades in this directory. Counts reflect trade categories tracked here, not every specialty permit a city may issue.
Which states rely on local rules instead of a statewide general contractor license?
15 jurisdictions in this directory do not require a statewide general contractor license. Texas still lists 8 specialty trades with state rules. Always check county and city requirements.
Does a high trade count mean stricter contractor rules everywhere?
No. Trade count measures how many categories carry a state license row. Bond dollars, exams, and local permits vary by trade and city. Open a state page for the board link and trade list.
How many jurisdictions does this hub cover?
This directory covers 51 jurisdictions: 36 with statewide contractor licensing and 15 without a statewide general contractor license, compiled from state boards and NASCLA across 20 trade categories.

Important: Even in states without a statewide contractor license, individual cities and counties often require registration. Always check with your local building department in addition to the state licensing board.