Louisiana Contractor License Reciprocity After the 2024 Change

Louisiana accepts a trade exam you passed in any other state, so there is no short partner list you have to appear on. Under a letter the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors dated October 23, 2024, a passing score on a required test elsewhere is accepted for an equivalent classification when no waiver, exemption or grandfathering sits behind it, and every other requirement for a Louisiana contractor license still applies.

At a glance

• The board's October 23, 2024 letter accepts a passed trade exam from any other state, "with no waivers, exemptions, or grandfathering," and says the change makes all previous agreements "null and void."
• Reciprocity here waives the trade exam only. The Louisiana Business and Law requirement, the financial statement, qualifying party approval and the background investigation still apply.
• You fill in Section A of the board's Reciprocity Request form, your other board completes Section B, and you upload the returned form with a commercial or residential application.
• Going the other way, the Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Arkansas, California, Nevada and Florida boards still name Louisiana on their own pages. Mississippi's page says its agreement with Louisiana ended but it still accepts Louisiana exam scores.

Checked against the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors and ten other state boards on October 16, 2026.

What the October 2024 letter changed

The letter comes from the board's Executive Director to state regulatory agencies, and it took effect immediately. If an applicant, licensee or registrant holds a classification that requires a test in another state, and passed that test with no waivers, exemptions or grandfathering in effect, the board accepts the passing exam for reciprocity. The exam is accepted for the classification the board chooses, and it must be equivalent in nature. All other requirements for licensure must be met, including the investigation of all violations or pending violations. The board says the change makes previous agreements null and void.

Read plainly, that means three things:

• Louisiana no longer works from a list of agreement states. The question is whether you passed a comparable exam.
• A license that came without an exam carries no waiver, because the letter excludes grandfathering. Confirm with the board whether you must sit the Louisiana trade exam.
• The board decides which Louisiana classification your exam matches.

The national route is separate. The board's application also asks about NASCLA credit for Building Construction, Residential Construction or Electrical, and our guide to the states that accept the NASCLA exam covers it. For the basics, see our contractor license overview, and for the general process see getting a contractor license in another state.

How the Reciprocity Request form works

The board's Reciprocity page offers the 2024 letter and the Reciprocity Request form (revised September 9, 2025). The form is for waiving required trade exams, and both new applicants and existing licensees adding a qualifier or a classification use it.

1. You complete Section A only: your name, address, phone, email and a contact name.
2. You send the form to the licensing board in the state where you hold the license.
3. That board completes Section B: license number, issuance and expiration dates, status, any disciplinary action and the classifications held.
4. Section B also names each person who passed the trade exam, with the classification, date passed, exam developer and score. If no exam was taken, the other board explains why.
5. The board signs the form and returns it to you, and you upload it with your Louisiana application.

The application instructions (revised November 21, 2025) describe the form for commercial or residential license requests. The application asks whether you are requesting reciprocity, and a yes answer prompts the upload. It words the question as "requesting reciprocity with a state with which Louisiana has a reciprocal agreement," even though the 2024 letter voided prior agreements, so ask the board how it applies that question to you. The instructions do not describe it for home improvement registrations or mold remediation, so confirm that route with the board at licensing@lslbc.gov.

What reciprocity changes and what it leaves in place

The last row matters for some trades. The board's classification list marks certain classifications, such as plumbing, mold remediation and landscaping, as credential classifications, and its application instructions require a copy of the credential in lieu of a trade exam.

What an out of state contractor still has to do

Pick commercial or residential. The board's brochure says commercial projects of "$50,000 or more" need a licensed commercial contractor. It says residential construction or home improvement of "$50,000 or more", or any project requiring structural work, needs a licensed Residential Building Contractor, and its home improvement registration line reads "exceeding $7,500 but not in excess of $50,000." Act 757 (La. R.S. 37:2150.1) words the edges differently: "at least seven thousand five hundred dollars but less than fifty thousand dollars" for home improvement, "fifty thousand dollars or more" for commercial work and a new residential structure, and "seven thousand five hundred dollars or more" for improvements to an existing residential structure. Because the sources word both the $50,000 and the $7,500 edges differently, confirm with the board for a job priced right at either number. A commercial license does not allow you to build a single residential home. See residential versus commercial licensing.

File the financial statement. The brochure says commercial and residential applications must include a financial statement showing a minimum of $50,000 net worth, current within 12 months. Louisiana law (La. R.S. 37:2156.1) requires it on the board's form, signed by an accountant, bookkeeper or CPA, or a CPA prepared statement attached.

Insurance for residential, home improvement and mold remediation. Both general liability and workers' compensation are required, with no exceptions or exemptions, and the insurance agent submits the certificates. The board's July 13, 2026 memorandum says that effective August 1, 2026 (Act 757 of 2026) these applicants and licensees must maintain at least $500,000 in liability insurance or qualifying liability protection through an authorized trust fund. Certificates are not required for commercial applicants. The board's FAQ, checklist and brochure still show the older $100,000 general liability figure, while the board's July 13, 2026 memo and Act 757 set $500,000 effective August 1, 2026. See our Louisiana Act 757 guide for the other 2026 changes.

Take the Louisiana Business and Law. The board's next steps sheet says reciprocity applicants must complete it, and the qualifying party takes it in the Contractor Licensing Portal after approval. The board's page on what happens after you apply describes a 50 question test of 30 to 45 minutes with a score of 70 or above to pass, while other board pages call it the online Business and Law course, so follow your portal. See our Louisiana Business and Law guide.

Name a qualifying party. The board defines a qualifying party as a natural person designated by the contractor to represent it in complying with the licensing law. That person holds the exam scores and is not the license owner unless a sole proprietor. The FAQ lists who may serve: a sole proprietor, a partner, an LLC member or manager, a corporate incorporator, stockholder or officer, or a full time employee who signs an affidavit with the employer. The board uses the IRS meaning of full time: an average of 30 hours a week or 130 hours a month, with a W2 from the company. A license needs a qualifying party for Business and Law and for each classification. If one leaves, Act 757 says the board "shall be notified within thirty days," the board's FAQ says to notify it in writing within 30 days, and a replacement is due within 60 days.

Register the business. LLCs, corporations and limited partnerships, including out of state companies, give their Louisiana Secretary of State registration status and charter number, and the checklist requires good standing. Fees are nonrefundable.

Sit the trade exam if it is not waived. Louisiana trade exams moved to PSI effective August 5, 2025, and the board's testing page says to read the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin before test day. An exam or administrative fee applies for each classification and for Business and Law, and the board pages I read do not list the amounts, so confirm them with the board.

Which boards still list Louisiana

Louisiana's letter governs what Louisiana accepts. Every other board publishes its own list, and this table shows what each page said on October 16, 2026. Our contractor license reciprocity by state hub compares more states.

Notes on the table:

• Tennessee: The waiver matches Tennessee classes BC-A, BC-B, CE and CMC and covers the trade exam only. See Tennessee contractor license reciprocity.
• Georgia: The FAQ lists Louisiana for Unlimited Commercial General Contractors and Residential Basic, and shows no revision date. Its minimum requirements are that your license was obtained by passing the necessary exams, that you are a resident of or your business was chartered in the state where you hold your license, and that the license has been active at least 3 years with no disciplinary action based on law violation. Georgia Rule 553-2-.13(f) also requires passage of the Georgia Business and Law examination for general contractor reciprocity. Georgia's electrical, plumbing, conditioned air and low voltage divisions say they offer no reciprocity. See Georgia contractor license reciprocity.
• Alabama: The qualified individual must be the same person qualified for the Louisiana license, and the application must be on file 30 days.
• Mississippi: The board's page says it and Louisiana no longer maintain a reciprocity agreement but it will continue to recognize Louisiana exam scores. See our Mississippi qualifying party guide.
• North Carolina: The other board completes the Examination Waiver form in the application. See North Carolina contractor license reciprocity.
• South Carolina: The chart requires a license in good standing in the state that administered the exam. See South Carolina contractor license reciprocity.
• California: Louisiana Commercial Building and Residential Building both map to California's B General Building, and the General Building waiver requires the NASCLA Commercial Building exam and five years or more as a Louisiana General Builder.
• Nevada: The page shows no last updated date, only an author line of February 11, 2025.
• Florida: Form CILB 32 (effective July 2024) requires proof the license was obtained by exam and a $350 fee. A general contractor applicant from Louisiana or Mississippi must show at least one year of new construction experience on a structure four stories or taller.

Getting your Louisiana license verified for another state

Tennessee, Arkansas, Florida and North Carolina each ask the other state's board to verify your license. The board says to open the Contractor Portal, choose Forms and complete the online Verification of License Request. Do not send the other state's blank form, because it will not be accepted. The board prepares its own letter, which reciprocal states accept, and it says to allow 7 to 14 business days. Its page does not list the fee amounts. For Arkansas, submit the Louisiana letter with Arkansas's form, completing only the top portion.

Steps for an out of state contractor

1. Match your work to a Louisiana classification on the board's list and choose commercial or residential.
2. Confirm your other license is active, in good standing and earned by passing an exam.
3. Fill in Section A of the Reciprocity Request form and send it to your licensing board.
4. Start the online application and upload the returned form, financial statement, business documents and any credential.
5. Have your insurance agent submit certificates if you apply for residential, home improvement or mold remediation.
6. Complete qualifying party verification, then the Louisiana Business and Law and any trade exam the board requires.
7. Do not work above the licensing thresholds until the license issues. See penalties for unlicensed contracting.

Our live exam classes are coming soon on the exam prep tour page.

Frequently asked questions

Does Louisiana still have agreements with specific states? The letter says previous agreements are null and void and that the board accepts a passed test from any other state under its conditions. Other boards still name Louisiana, so their lists can differ.

Can I skip the Louisiana Business and Law? No. The board's next steps sheet says reciprocity applicants must complete it, and the letter says all other requirements must be met.

What if my other license was grandfathered? The letter accepts an exam only with no grandfathering in effect. Confirm with the board whether you must sit the Louisiana trade exam.

How long do I have to finish? The application instructions give one year from the date the application is received.

When a license cannot move

Reciprocity does not always fit: your license may have been grandfathered, the classification may not match, or the exam seat may not come before the job does. A company can still be licensed through a qualifying agent who already holds the license and qualifies the company as an owner or full time W-2 employee who supervises the work. Our contractor qualifier services cover that route, and what a qualifying agent is and how to hire a qualifying agent explain how it works. The board's own rules decide who may qualify a company in Louisiana, so confirm the qualifying party details with the board.

Talk it through

Marshall Schofield and Jeremiah Jaskulski, the founders of The Licensing Company, are both licensed general contractors, master electricians, master plumbers and master mechanical, and our team can walk through your classification and your home state with you. Call 615-219-2110 or start at Hire a Qualifying Agent, and see our licensing services in all 50 states.

Sources

All pages were read on October 16, 2026.

• Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, Louisiana Examination Reciprocity letter, October 23, 2024
• Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, Reciprocity Request form, revised 9/09/2025
• Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, Reciprocity page
• Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, Online Application Instructions, revised 11/21/2025
• Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, Licensing Application Questions
• Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, Application next steps, revised 5/15/2023
• Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, What Happens After I Apply
• Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, FAQ
• Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, Checklist of Items Required for Initial License
• Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, Licensing Requirements for Contractors in Louisiana
• Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, Exams/Classifications
• Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, Test Registration and Scheduling
• Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, Verify Your License
• Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, memorandum on statutory changes, July 13, 2026
• Louisiana Legislature, 2026 Regular Session Enrolled Senate Bill 326 (Act 757)
• Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors, Trade Exam Waiver (Reciprocity) form, Rev. 06/2026
• Georgia State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors, FAQ with application guides and division FAQs
• Georgia Rule 553-2-.13, General Contractor reciprocity
• Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors, Reciprocity
• Mississippi State Board of Contractors, Reciprocity
• North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors, FAQ for Contractors
• South Carolina Contractors' Licensing Board, Technical Exam Waiver Agreements, revised 5/2026
• Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board, Reciprocal Form Instructions, revised 3/2025
• California Contractors State License Board, Reciprocity Requirements
• California Contractors State License Board, Reciprocal Classifications List
• Nevada State Contractors Board, Licensure by Endorsement
• Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board, reciprocity list
• Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board, Form CILB 32