| Alabama | No year count stated for ALBGC; three completed projects per classification requested. HBLB Limited and Roofers: at least one year of a local contractor business license. HBLB Unlimited: exam instead of documented experience | ALBGC: trade portion of the exam waived with written certification from the original state; Business and Law exam never waived. HBLB: Skills section exempt only; Business and Law exam still required | Qualifying party (ALBGC); qualifying representative (HBLB) | August 14, 2026 |
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| Alaska | None stated; the base General Contractor registration is a company level filing with no exam | No waiver; out of state licensees complete the full Alaska registration process from scratch | None for the base General Contractor registration; Residential Contractor Endorsement holder for residential work; Electrical Administrator or Mechanical Administrator for those trades | August 31, 2026 |
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| Arizona | Four years of practical or management trade experience, at least two of them within the last ten years; training can replace no more than two years | Trade exam can be waived case by case for an active comparable out of state license; the Statutes and Rules or Business Management exam is never waived | Qualifying party | August 25, 2026 |
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| Arkansas | Commercial: five years in the major classification requested (one year for most specialty classifications). Residential Builder: four years | Reciprocity waives only the Business and Law exam; the full Arkansas application is still required, and trade classifications still need the separate trade agency's requirements | Qualifying party | August 9, 2026 |
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| California | Four years at journey level or higher within the past ten years; up to three years can be replaced by education, at least one year must be hands on | Trade exam may be waived at CSLB's discretion for reciprocity applicants with five years of active licensure; the Law and Business exam is never waived | Responsible Managing Officer (RMO) if an owner, partner, officer, or member; Responsible Managing Employee (RME) if a bona fide employee with no ownership stake | August 7, 2026 |
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| Colorado | No state GC requirement; Master Electrician 10000 hours over at least five years; Master Plumber 8500 hours, five full time years; Denver Class A seven years | Journeyman Electrician reciprocity needs a current certificate earned by state exam and held at least one year; Master Electrician is by endorsement case by case; plumbing endorsement without a new exam is typical where exam, code base and class match but is a board judgment call; no GC waiver exists | Responsible individual (Master Electrician or Master Plumber), trades only; no GC qualifier exists | August 8, 2026 |
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| Connecticut | Registrations need no experience; unlimited trade contractor exam needs 2 years as a licensed unlimited journeyperson, or 12,000 hours on the job plus 720 classroom hours (E-1) or 576 classroom hours (P-1 and S-1) | Section 20-333a permits a trade exam waiver only if the applicant's home state grants Connecticut license holders an equivalent license without exam, rarely satisfied; out of state experience counts toward exam hours but does not replace the exam; a NASCLA card gives no shortcut | Contractor of record (licensed individual, trades only); no company license or qualifying agent | August 23, 2026 |
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| Delaware | None for GC; Master Plumber and Master HVACR seven years under a licensed master or two years after an apprenticeship; Master Electrician six years full time or four years under a master plus a two year credential | No GC reciprocity; Maryland or New Jersey electricians need no additional experience documentation while other states must show five years of practice after licensure; plumbers from Connecticut, Iowa or Maryland need no experience proof, the reduced list needs seven years as a master | No confirmed qualifying agent; trade boards license individuals only (Master Electrician, Master Plumber, Master HVACR) | August 6, 2026 |
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| Florida | Four years documented construction experience for Certified General, at least one year supervisory; up to three years substitutable by military service or college credit | NASCLA holders are excused from Contract Administration and Project Management but still take the Florida Business and Finance exam and attest to a Florida Building Code exam; 10 year endorsement applicants skip the NASCLA exam but Division I and Roofing must complete a 2 hour Florida Building Code course | Qualifying agent (qualifying individual) | August 4, 2026 |
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| Georgia | Residential Basic two years; Residential Light Commercial and Commercial General four years of construction experience (or a bachelor's degree plus one year), Commercial General needing at least two years as a general contractor | An applicant holding an active NASCLA accredited license for three or more years is excused from the general contractor trade exam but must still take the Georgia Business and Law exam; the named reciprocity routes require a license active for the past three years and free of discipline, with new North Carolina and Tennessee reciprocity applications paused | Qualifying agent | July 14, 2026 |
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| Hawaii | 4 years of supervisory experience within the past 10 years in the specific classification, documented with at least 3 notarized experience certificates plus a Project List | No waiver; every applicant must meet Hawaii's own exam, experience and financial requirements; out of state license experience can count toward the experience requirement when properly certified | Responsible Managing Employee (RME); the RME sits the exam and carries the personal qualification | August 13, 2026 |
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| Idaho | No fixed years for the Public Works license; none for basic registration; applicants seeking a class above their history must document similar projects | No waiver for the Public Works license; an out of state contractor applies and meets Idaho requirements from scratch; basic registration has no exam to waive | Qualified Individual (Public Works license only); basic registration has no qualifier | August 11, 2026 |
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| Illinois | No state GC requirement; plumbing exam requires 4 years as an Illinois licensed apprentice plumber or an approved plumbing course plus 2 years of high school; roofing qualifying party must be actively engaged in the business, no years stated | Roofing: no waiver, full process required. Plumbing: exam waived only if the home state's requirements are substantially equal and a reciprocal agreement exists; without an agreement the applicant must still pass the Illinois exam | Qualifying party (roofing, licensed through IDFPR) | August 10, 2026 |
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| Indiana | None for general contracting; state Plumbing Contractor four years; Indianapolis electrical six years; Indianapolis HVAC five years | State plumbing: an out of state license plus four years of experience replaces the Indiana apprenticeship but the PROV exam is still required, an experience bridge rather than an exam waiver | State plumbing: an officer or employee holding a valid plumbing contractor license, designated in the application and named in the corporation's license | August 5, 2026 |
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| Iowa | None for 91C registration; Master electrician needs at least one year as a licensed Class A or Class B journeyman; PMSB hour thresholds not published | Plumbing: South Dakota journeyperson and master licenses earned by written exam skip the Iowa written exam (plumbing only, not mechanical); electrical reciprocity details vary by classification and state | Master of record (PMSB trades: plumbing, mechanical, HVAC refrigeration, sheet metal, hydronic); no qualifier for general registration | August 26, 2026 |
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| Kansas | None. Qualifying route is a passing ICC exam (75 percent) or, for some specialty classes, a relevant bachelor's degree or industry certification such as NICET. | No interstate waiver. Every out of state applicant must test and apply fresh in the Kansas jurisdiction where they will work. In state electricians licensed in one Kansas county or city are excused from retesting in another. | Named qualifying individual on each local license (an owner or full time employee); Kansas has no statewide general contractor qualifier | August 12, 2026 |
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| Kentucky | Master Electrician: 16,000 hours since age sixteen plus exam. Master Plumber: journeyman license held 2 years within past 5 years. Master HVAC: 2 years holding a journeyman license. | Electrical reciprocity application for licensees of Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia requires copy of active out of state license, letter of good standing, application, fee, photo, driver's license. Confirm current details with DHBC before relying on an exam waiver. No reciprocity stated for plumbing or HVAC. | Designated master license holder on the company trade license (master electrician, master plumber, or master HVAC contractor); no general contractor qualifier | August 15, 2026 |
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| Louisiana | None documented for Commercial, Residential, or Home Improvement (secondary sources; not confirmed on an official LSLBC page). Plumbing is the exception with hour requirements. | Trade exam passed in any state is accepted if it matches the Louisiana classification and was passed without waiver, exemption, or grandfathering. NASCLA satisfies the commercial trade exam. The Louisiana Business and Law exam is never waived. | Qualifying party (La. R.S. 37:2156.1: the applicant designates a qualifying party who is the contractor's legal representative before the board) | September 1, 2026 |
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| Maine | Master Electrician: roughly 12,000 or more work hours plus exam. Master Plumber: one year (2,000 hours) as journeyman or four years (8,000 hours) as trainee. Master fuel technician: at least 4 years licensed, 2 at Journeyman. | Master Electrician reciprocity requires a sworn application, proof of home state licensure, having passed that state's own written exam, and at least six years as an electrician. Plumber reciprocity is granted case by case when the home state's standards are at least equivalent and reciprocate back. No GC exam exists to waive. | None; Maine licenses the individual tradesperson (master electrician, master plumber), not the company | August 18, 2026 |
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| Maryland | MHIC Contractor: at least two years of experience in home improvement, construction, or related education. | MHIC: no waiver, every applicant sits Maryland's own exam. Master Electrician written exam waived for licensed masters from West Virginia (2 years minimum), Virginia or Washington DC, Delaware (5 years minimum); no journeyperson waiver. HVACR waiver contingent on equivalency including matching experience years. | MHIC qualifying individual (a sole proprietor, partner, officer, or full time employee who holds the MHIC license); trades use a master electrician, master plumber, or master HVACR license holder | August 17, 2026 |
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| Massachusetts | 3 years (roughly 4,500 hours or 36 months full time equivalent) within the past 10 years for the CSL; none for HIC | No waiver; out of state applicants should expect to sit the Massachusetts CSL exam | None for general contracting (CSL is a personal credential); electrical uses Licensee of Record (LOR); plumbing uses licensee on record | August 30, 2026 |
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| Michigan | None; 60 hours of LARA approved prelicensure education plus the state exam | No waiver; out of state applicants complete the same 60 hour course and PSI exam (out of state experience can only be credited toward exam eligibility) | Qualifying officer | August 21, 2026 |
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| Minnesota | None; no experience or education prerequisite to sit the exam or hold the license | No waiver; an out of state licensee must pass Minnesota's own DLI exam and complete the full application | Qualifying person | August 16, 2026 |
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| Mississippi | No blanket years requirement; proof of three completed projects in the classification plus three reference letters (one from a bank, two from construction contacts) | Reciprocity waives trade exams only, scope varies by partner state; every applicant must still pass the Mississippi Law and Business Management exam | Qualifying party (owner, officer or responsible managing employee with W2 or pay stub proof) | August 19, 2026 |
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| Missouri | Statewide electrical: 12000 practical hours standard, or 10000 hours plus apprenticeship certificate, 8000 hours plus associate's degree, 4000 supervising hours plus electrical engineering degree, or a local license held 6 of the previous 8 years; Kansas City: evidence of relevant experience | No exam waiver stated; OSEC reciprocity is an informal request driven process (FAQ answer is Maybe); none found for local general contractor or trade licenses | Kansas City: designated supervisor (full time qualified supervisor per licensed trade); statewide electrical: the licensed electrical contractor who represents the firm | August 24, 2026 |
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| Montana | None for the general Construction Contractor License; trade licenses require experience (journeyman plumber 5 years and 7500 hours, journeyman electrician 8000 hours or an approved apprenticeship) | No general contractor exam exists to waive; a journeyman plumber from one of the four reciprocity states who passed both the written and practical exam there can skip the Montana journeyman exam but must still formally apply for licensure by reciprocity | None; Montana has no qualifying individual model for the general construction contractor license, only officers, managers, or members listed on the application for a background check style review | August 22, 2026 |
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| Nebraska | None for state registration; journeyman electrician needs four years (8,000 hours); electrical contractor needs a four year electrical engineering degree plus one year as a licensed journeyman, or one year as a licensed journeyman, or five years of planning and supervisory experience | No state GC exam exists; Omaha may grant a reciprocal license on proof of an exam passed and a valid license held elsewhere, subject to its Building Board of Review at a quarterly hearing; state electrical reciprocity requires 75 percent or better on the original exam and one year in good standing, and a lapsed reciprocated license must be re earned by exam | None at the state level (a business simply registers itself); Omaha requires one licensed person per company, and the State Electrical Division requires a designated licensed master electrician or contractor for each electrical contracting business | September 4, 2026 |
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| Nevada | Four full years within the 15 years before applying at journeyman, foreman, supervisor, or contractor level in the classification requested; waived if the person was a qualified employee in the same classification on another Nevada license within five years or comes in by endorsement; B 7 restricted uses alternate proofs instead | Endorsement waives the Nevada trade exam and the experience certification requirement; the Business and Law exam is never waived; requires an active license with the same qualified individual in the endorsing state for the past four years and no discipline anywhere | Qualified individual (also called qualifying party); may be an owner, officer, member, manager, or employee who is regularly employed by the licensee and actively engaged in the classification | August 27, 2026 |
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| New Hampshire | None for general contracting (no license); journeyman electrician 8,000 hours plus 600 hours of schooling; master electrician a passed journeyman exam plus 2,000 hours as a journeyman (or 10 years licensed elsewhere, or an electrical associate degree or higher); journeyman plumber a four year 8,000 hour apprenticeship; master plumber at least six months as a licensed journeyman | No general contractor exam exists; under universal recognition, endorsement applicants skip resubmitting transcripts, exam results, experience evidence, and reference letters, but must still obtain a New Hampshire license before working in the state | No named term; electrical requires a licensed master electrician who is an officer or employee directly in charge of the business (or a partner); plumbing and fuel gas require an officer, partner, manager, or designee holding an active master plumber or fuel gas license directly in charge of the business affairs | August 20, 2026 |
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| New Jersey | None for HIC or New Home Builder registration; electrical five years hands on (or an approved apprenticeship plus one year, or an electrical engineering degree plus two years); plumbing a four year registered apprenticeship plus one year as a journeyman (or an engineering degree plus one year); HVACR a four year apprenticeship plus one year as a journeyperson (or degree based paths) | No general contractor exam exists; the electrical contractor exam is never waived; plumbing and HVACR consider an out of state license case by case only if that state's standards are equal or comparable and it reciprocates; the one carve out is a journeyman electrician with two years of out of state licensure who can get a Class A journeyman license after a 15 hour NEC course, not a contractor license | None at the general contractor level (business registrations only); electrical uses a qualifier for the business permit (the licensed contractor personally or an officer, partner, or employee holding the license); HVACR uses a bona fide representative who must hold at least one percent equity; plumbing requires the master plumber to personally hold at least 10 percent ownership | July 14, 2026 |
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| New Mexico | Two years (4,000 hours) for GB-2 residential and most specialty codes; four years (8,000 hours) for GB-98, EE-98, MM-98 and related; GB-98 needs four years at foreman level with at least two years commercial; all within the ten years before applying | NASCLA waiver removes only the trade exam for GB-98 or EE-98; the Business and Law exam and all experience and approval requirements still apply | Qualifying Party (QP) | August 28, 2026 |
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| New York | No years stated for DOB General Contractor Registration (requires five year business location history); NYC Master Plumber needs 7 years within the prior 10 with 2 as a registered journeyman | No general waiver; only the Department of State Master Electrician Waiver for electricians municipally licensed before July 15, 1993 doing security or fire alarm work (50 dollars in home jurisdiction, 200 dollars statewide) | No statewide qualifying agent; NYC trades use a responsible representative (Master Electrician) or a licensed master plumber holding at least 51 percent ownership (Master Plumber) | July 14, 2026 |
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| North Carolina | No fixed minimum years published; must be 18, good moral character, financially responsible, registered to do business in NC | Waiver and NASCLA excuse the trade exam only; applicant must still pass the North Carolina Business and Law exam (40 questions, 90 minutes, 70 percent) and meet all application, financial and background requirements | Qualifier (responsible managing employee, owner, officer, or LLC member who passed the exam, engaged at least 20 hours a week) | September 3, 2026 |
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| North Dakota | No fixed years; applicant swears to own experience and qualifications under oath | No exam exists for the general contractor license so there is nothing to waive | No qualifier concept for the general contractor license; license issued to the business on a sworn statement of experience; electrical trade uses a Contracting Master or Master of Record | September 5, 2026 |
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| Ohio | Five years as a tradesperson in the specific trade immediately prior to applying, backed by five consecutive years of tax documents plus one supporting item (permits, journeyman card, apprenticeship certificate, or 40 hours code CE); alternate paths for registered PEs with three years and government inspectors with five years | Reciprocal applicant skips the Ohio exam if home state requirements are substantially equal and recognition is two way; West Virginia applicant must have originally tested (grandfathered licenses disqualified) and still submit 500000 dollar liability insurance and a 25 dollar fee per trade; the Out of State Examination track is not a waiver, exam still required | OCILB licensee whose license and insurance are assigned to a single named contracting company; not a qualifier of record model | August 29, 2026 |
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| Oklahoma | Electrical Unlimited Contractor 12,000 hours including 4,000 hours and two years as licensed unlimited journeyman; plumbing and mechanical contractor tiers need journeyman qualifications plus one additional year | Reciprocity requires a current license that was not grandfathered and has been held at least one year; the board does not state which exam is excused | Not stated | September 2, 2026 |
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| Oregon | Residential and specialty: none; Commercial Level 1: 8 years combined; Commercial Level 2: 4 years, up to 3 satisfied by apprenticeship or construction degree | No GC exam waiver from any state; NASCLA passers are excused from the 16 hour pre license training only and must still pass the Oregon PSI business and law exam | Responsible Managing Individual (RMI) | July 14, 2026 |
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| Pennsylvania | None at the state level; HICPA requires no experience | Not applicable; no state exam exists to waive | None; no qualifying individual concept at the state level | July 14, 2026 |
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| Rhode Island | None for general contractor registration | Not applicable; no GC exam exists to waive, every contractor must register regardless of other licenses | None; registration attaches to the business or individual, no qualifying individual role | July 14, 2026 |
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| South Carolina | CLB: 2 years within the past 5 years in the classification sought (waived for reciprocity or exam waiver applicants); Residential Builders Commission: 1 year under a licensee | Board may waive the technical exam if the applicant passed an essentially equivalent exam in another state; the SC Business Management and Law exam is never waived | Primary Qualifying Party (PQP) | July 14, 2026 |
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| South Dakota | No state GC requirement. Electrical contractor: at least 2 years as a journeyman electrician or 1 year commercial experience as a Class B electrician | Discretionary only. Electrical: reciprocal license granted only if the other state reciprocates and the commission finds qualifications equal South Dakota's. Plumbing: nonresident may register without a new exam only if the other state's regulation is substantially equivalent | No qualifier term; an entity may hold the electrical contractor license directly with an officer or manager submitting the experience evidence; plumbing contractor is defined as a person | July 14, 2026 |
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| Tennessee | Board prefers 3 years of relevant experience; no published statutory year minimum beyond that preference | Waives the trade exam only; applicant must hold the reciprocating state license in good standing as home state, must still pass the Tennessee Business and Law exam, and must complete the full Tennessee application including financials and insurance | Qualifying Agent (QA): owner, officer, or full time employee who takes the exams; a non owner QA files a notarized Power of Attorney; the license belongs to the entity owner | July 14, 2026 |
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| Texas | No GC requirement. ACR contractor: 48 months practical work within the preceding 72 months, or 12 months TDLR technician certification plus 36 months. Master Plumber: 4 years as journeyman, or 1 year plus a DOL approved apprenticeship. Journeyman plumber: 8000 hours | Electrical exam waived only for the named states and only with a passed home state exam, license held at least one year, 12000 supervised hours, and 2 years as journeyman (1 year for Alabama, Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio); outside those states the Texas exam is mandatory. Plumbing reciprocity limited to Louisiana (with gas fitter license) and Arkansas (4 years). ACR exam required for everyone | No GC qualifier. Electrical: licensed Master Electrician employed by or owning the Electrical Contractor. Plumbing: Responsible Master Plumber (RMP) | July 14, 2026 |
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| Utah | 4000 hours (about two years) paid construction experience; substitutes: 2 years as a Utah qualifier, a construction management degree, an active Utah PE license, or a passing NASCLA score | Endorsement applicants must still pass the Utah Business and Law exam and meet bonding and insurance; Utah has had no separate GC trade exam since May 2019 so there is no trade exam to waive | Qualifier; must be paid for at least 12 hours per week (or 20 percent of operating hours if the company runs under 50 hours a week); owner qualifiers hold at least 20 percent, officers or managers take W2 wages | July 14, 2026 |
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| Vermont | Residential registration: none. Electrical master: 2 years as a licensed journeyman or 16000 hours; electrical journeyman: 8000 hours plus 576 classroom hours or 12000 hours; plumbing master: 12 months as journeyman or 14000 hours; plumbing journeyman: 4000 hours plus 144 classroom hours (trade figures from secondary sites) | Electrical reciprocal license for a master or journeyman in good standing at least one year; requires a certified letter from the issuing state, a copy of the license, the fee, and a notarized application; the board material does not spell out which exam is excused; no reciprocity for plumbing or the residential registration | No qualifying individual system for general or residential work; an electrical business must have a master electrician (owner, officer, or employee) associated with the work | July 14, 2026 |
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| Virginia | 5 years for Class A, 3 years for Class B, 1 year for Class C, in the classification or specialty | Only the named exam is waived (RBC or CBC trade exam for North Carolina licensees, business and law exam for Ohio licensees); a complete Virginia application, verification of licensure from the other state board, and the experience and financial review still apply | Qualified individual (the firm also names a designated employee who carries the business and law exam credit at Class A and B) | July 14, 2026 |
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| Washington | None for general or specialty contractor registration (electrical journeyman needs 8000 trainee hours, master needs 4 years as a journeyman, plumber journey level needs 8000 hours) | Nothing to waive for general or specialty registration since it has no exam or experience test; for electrical, an Oregon General Journeyman can transfer without retaking the trade exam if the original license came from a state approved apprenticeship of at least 8000 hours and 576 classroom hours | None for general or specialty contractor registration (registration is issued to the business entity); electrical contractors need a certified electrical administrator or master electrician, plumbing contractors a designated plumber | July 14, 2026 |
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| West Virginia | No years of experience stated for a firm's classification; the qualifier must be a real employee or manager and pass the exams (separately, the State Fire Marshal's individual journeyman electrician license needs 1 year and master electrician 2 years) | The trade exam may be waived for the named state and classification pairs at the board's discretion (the statute says the board may grant it); the applicant must still pass West Virginia's own Contractor Licensing Act exam | Qualifier (the license is held by a person on behalf of a business entity); must be responsible management or a full time employee working at least 30 hours a week for that firm | July 14, 2026 |
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| Wisconsin | None; the only requirement is a 12 hour approved initial qualifier course in dwelling construction taken within one year before applying (the separate HVAC Qualifier needs at least 1,000 hours per year for 4 years or 4 years of education plus an exam) | Nothing to waive for the Dwelling Contractor Qualifier (no exam and no reciprocity provision found); an Iowa or New Hampshire journeyman electrician license issued by exam and held at least one year can be recognized without retesting, any other state's electrician must test in Wisconsin | Dwelling Contractor Qualifier (individual credential paired with the business's Dwelling Contractor certification) | July 14, 2026 |
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| Wyoming | No statewide requirement; by city, Cheyenne Class A 7 years, Class B 5 years, Class C 3 years; Casper Class I 8 years; Jackson Class A 8 years and Class B 4 years | Electrical only: a reciprocal applicant avoids testing from scratch but needs an original license by examination held at least one year in good standing, NERA verification, and 16 hours of continuing education (8 code specific) within three years; reciprocity may be used exactly once, a lapsed reciprocated license cannot be reciprocated again; no state to state waiver exists for general contracting | Qualified supervisor (local licenses), master for plumbing and mechanical trades, master of record for a state Electrical Contractor license | July 14, 2026 |
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