A state by state look at which contractor boards publish reciprocity, endorsement or exam waiver arrangements, checked against each board's own pages on October 16, 2026.
A contractor license from one state does not carry over to another state on its own. Many boards will waive the trade exam for a contractor licensed in a partner state, and a few license by endorsement, but you still apply, still pay, and still meet the board's financial, insurance and business law rules.
At a glance
- Louisiana's board ended its state by state agreements on October 23, 2024 and now accepts a passed trade exam from any state, with no waivers, exemptions or grandfathering behind it.
- Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi, Arkansas and Florida each publish their own partner list, and the lists do not match from one board to the next.
- Maryland's Home Improvement Commission, Michigan's residential builder FAQ and Hawaii's contractor board FAQ say they have no reciprocity; for Oregon, Washington and Idaho the boards publish no contractor route I could confirm, so confirm with the board.
- Nearly every waiver in this guide covers the trade exam or the experience requirement only. The business and law exam, the application and the financial and insurance rules still apply.
- Checked against 25 state licensing boards' own pages and rules on October 16, 2026.
Reciprocity, endorsement and an exam waiver
Boards use three words for related ideas. Reciprocity means two boards have agreed to recognize each other's testing, so the receiving board accepts an exam you already passed. Endorsement means the receiving board reviews your out of state license against its own standards and decides whether to license you on that record. An exam waiver is narrower: the board excuses one exam, usually the trade exam, and leaves everything else in place.
Boards do not use these words the same way. Florida's statute treats reciprocity as one kind of certification by endorsement, and Utah says it has no reciprocity and licenses by endorsement instead. Read what each board offers, not the label.
Under all three you are applying for a new license in the new state. Nevada's board says endorsement waives "the state specific trade examination requirement and the experience certification process requirement" while the Nevada Business and Law exam is still required, and Maryland's Home Improvement Commission requires its license of every contractor who does home improvement work in Maryland, even one who holds another state's license. For the general process, see our guide to getting a contractor license in another state, and for the national exam route see which states accept the NASCLA exam. See our contractor license overview for the basics.
State by state: who accepts what
The table shows the arrangement each board publishes. Two letter codes are postal abbreviations. The notes below give the conditions, and every page was read on October 16, 2026.
Pick your state above to see its details, or show all 25 states.
| State | Published arrangement | Who or what the board names |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | Trade exam waiver | AL, AR, LA, MS, NC, OH, SC, WV |
| Georgia | Reciprocity, GC and Residential Basic | GC: LA, MS. Res. Basic: LA, MS; confirm SC |
| North Carolina | Exam waiver, no full reciprocity | SC, TN, LA, GA, MS, AL, FL; VA and AR added 2025 |
| South Carolina | Technical exam waiver | AL, GA, LA, MS, NC, OH, TN, TX, UT, NASCLA |
| Alabama | Reciprocity, trade exam waived | AR, MS, LA, TN, NC |
| Louisiana | Accepts a passed trade exam from any state | Letter dated October 23, 2024 |
| Mississippi | Reciprocity, trade exam waived | AL, AR, CA, FL, GA, NC, OH, SC, TN |
| Arizona | Confirm with the registrar | Whether an out of state exam can be waived |
| Nevada | Licensure by endorsement | 12 states on the equivalency chart |
| Utah | Endorsement, no reciprocity | Equivalent license held at least 1 year |
| Oregon | Confirm with the board | No out of state route on the CCB license page |
| California | Reciprocity with trade exam waiver | AZ, LA, MS, NV, NC; 5 years licensed |
| Florida | Reciprocity and endorsement | Reciprocity: LA, MS, NC. Also a 10 year route |
| Texas | Reciprocity, A/C and electricians | A/C: GA and SC. Electricians: see TDLR |
| Virginia | Exam waivers | NC building classes; OH law exam |
| Arkansas | Reciprocity | AL, LA, MS, NC, TN |
| Ohio | Specialty trades, by written agreement | Confirm the state list with the board |
| West Virginia | Statute allows it at the board's discretion | No state list found; confirm with the board |
| New Mexico | NASCLA exam waiver | No general reciprocity found; confirm with the board |
| Washington | Confirm with the board for contractors | Electrician agreement with Oregon only |
| Idaho | Confirm with the board | Code 54-5213 covers local licenses, not out of state |
| Maryland | None | The Commission says it offers no reciprocity |
| Michigan | None for residential builders | LARA FAQ: no reciprocal agreements |
| Hawaii | None | Board FAQ dated July 9, 2018 says none |
| Oklahoma | No state general contractor license | Electrical reciprocity needs a written agreement |
The Southeast agreement states
Each state's own list governs an application to that state, because boards do not always agree with each other.
Tennessee. The Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors names Alabama, Arkansas (commercial and residential building only), Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina (commercial only) and West Virginia, each with covered license types. You must be actively licensed in the listed state, the license you want must require a trade exam, and the other board completes a License Verification form. Home improvement and limited electrician or plumber licenses are not covered, and contractor applicants still take the Tennessee Business and Law exam (see the Tennessee Business and Law exam guide). Georgia does not appear on the current page, which shows no update date. Full guide: Tennessee contractor license reciprocity.
Georgia. The State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors says in its FAQ that Georgia offers reciprocity for Unlimited Commercial General Contractors with Louisiana and Mississippi, and for Residential Basic Contractors with Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina. The Residential and Commercial application guides name only Louisiana and Mississippi for a current, equivalent license obtained by examination, so confirm South Carolina with the board before you rely on it. The minimums for any listed state: the license was obtained by passing the necessary exams in your state, you are a resident of or your business was chartered in that state, and the license has been active at least 3 years with no disciplinary actions based on law violation. Reciprocity does not skip Georgia's Business and Law exam: General Contractor Division rule 553-2-.13 requires passage of the Georgia Business and Law examination and issues the license at the sole discretion of the division. The trade divisions offer none. The Electrical division says Georgia does not currently offer reciprocity (effective May 2026), the plumbers' FAQ says there is none with any other state, Conditioned Air says it is not offered, and Low Voltage says it has no active agreements, with the North Carolina agreement paused effective November 26, 2024. Other boards list Georgia as a partner, and South Carolina's chart notes that Georgia no longer accepts South Carolina waiver applicants, which is one more reason to confirm South Carolina with the Georgia board. The FAQ shows no revision date; the FAQ, the guides and the rules (current through rules filed through September 17, 2026) were read October 16, 2026. See Georgia contractor license reciprocity and the Georgia Business and Law exam guide.
North Carolina. The NC Licensing Board for General Contractors says in its FAQ that it does not have full reciprocity with any other state. Its examination waiver agreements are with South Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, and its Spring 2025 newsletter announced new agreements with Virginia (residential and building) and Arkansas (building, residential, highway, public utility and several specialty classifications). The other board completes the Examination Waiver form in the full North Carolina application, and the qualifier must pass the NC Business and Law exam. Separately, G.S. 87-15.1 lets the board, in its discretion, license out of state general contractors without a written exam when the other state acts similarly and the qualifications are equal. See North Carolina contractor license reciprocity.
South Carolina. The Contractors' Licensing Board publishes a technical exam waiver chart, revised May 2026, listing Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Reading PA, Tennessee, Texas and Utah (older Utah exams only), plus Carolina AGC and the NASCLA building and electrical exams. Your license must be in good standing, a license obtained by waiver or grandfathering does not qualify, and a listed state with an unlisted classification does not qualify. Every applicant passes the "Business Management and Law for Commercial Contractors" exam. See South Carolina contractor license reciprocity and the South Carolina Business and Law exam guide.
Alabama. The Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors lists Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee and North Carolina. You must hold a license in good standing in a comparable classification, and the trade portion may be waived on written certification from that state. The business law portion is not waived, the qualifier must be the same individual who qualifies the license in the other state, and the application must be on file 30 days. See Alabama contractor license reciprocity.
Louisiana. In a letter dated October 23, 2024, the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors said that if an applicant passed a required test in another state, with no waivers, exemptions or grandfathering in effect, the board will accept that exam for the equivalent classification. All other requirements still apply, and the letter says previous agreements are null and void. The Reciprocity Request form has the other board verify status, discipline and who passed the trade exam. See Louisiana contractor license reciprocity and the Louisiana Business and Law exam guide.
Mississippi. The Mississippi State Board of Contractors waives a trade exam only, varies each agreement by classification, and requires every applicant to take the Mississippi Business and Law exam. Its page lists conditions board by board, such as California waiving commercial building only and Tennessee waiving all exams, the only listed state waiving mechanical and plumbing. Discipline free periods run one, three or five years. The page says Mississippi and Louisiana no longer maintain a reciprocity agreement, although Mississippi still accepts Louisiana exam scores. See the Mississippi certificate of responsibility guide.
The West and Southwest
Arizona. Arizona law requires an examination on building, safety, health and lien laws and the registrar's rules (A.R.S. 32-1122). Whether an applicant licensed in another state can have an exam waived is a question for the registrar. I could not open the administrative rule on examinations (A.A.C. R4-9-106) to confirm its wording or current date, so confirm with the registrar whether an out of state exam can be waived.
Nevada. The Nevada State Contractors Board says licensure by endorsement waives "the state specific trade examination requirement and the experience certification process requirement" for applicants licensed in states it deems substantially equivalent. You need an active license in the endorsing state, with the same qualified individual, for the past four years and no discipline or pending action, and your qualified individual must pass the Nevada Business and Law exam. The equivalency chart (page timestamp February 11, 2025) covers twelve states, including Alabama, California, Florida and Tennessee. A passed NASCLA Commercial General Building exam waives the trade exam for a general building classification.
Utah. The Division of Professional Licensing says Utah does not have reciprocity and licenses by endorsement. Its endorsement map (last updated September 21, 2020) requires an equivalent license held at least one year in good standing, with at least 50 percent of the proposed ownership matching the license used and no more than 50 percent changed in the past year. The 25 hour pre licensure course, financial responsibility and insurance still apply.
Oregon. The Construction Contractors Board lists three ways for the responsible managing individual to qualify: the 16 hour pre license training plus the Oregon exam, the NASCLA commercial exam plus the Oregon exam, or continuous association with an Oregon license number since before July 1, 2000. None credits another state's license and the page lists no reciprocity, so confirm with the board.
California. The Contractors State License Board names Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada and North Carolina. You must have held an active license in good standing in one of them for the previous five years, in a classification on CSLB's Reciprocal Classifications List, and your home board completes a Request for Verification of License. CSLB may waive the trade portion of the exam but keeps the right to require it, and you still take the business and law portion. The General Building entries differ: Louisiana and North Carolina require the NASCLA Commercial Building exam outright, while Mississippi's entry reads "NASCLA Commercial Building exam and/or the Mississippi Commercial Building exam" plus 5 years of a Mississippi Commercial Builder license.
New Mexico. Under 14.6.3.8(G)(2)(f) NMAC, the bureau chief may waive the state specific trade exam for a qualifying party who passed the NASCLA accredited general construction, electrical or electrical journeyman exam. I found no general contractor reciprocity list in the rule, so confirm with the board. See New Mexico contractor licensing.
Washington, Idaho and Hawaii. For Washington, I found no contractor reciprocity page; the Department of Labor and Industries publishes an agreement with Oregon, effective August 17, 2020, that covers Washington general journey level and master (01) electricians and Oregon General Supervising Electrician (S) licenses obtained by exam, and no other electrical specialties. Idaho Code 54-5213 is titled Reciprocal registration, but it concerns contractors holding a local government license issued under an ordinance adopted before January 1, 2007; it is not an out of state route, and I found no out of state route for Idaho. Confirm with the board for both. Hawaii's Contractors License Board FAQ, dated July 9, 2018, says there are no reciprocity agreements.
Florida, Texas, Virginia and the rest
Florida. Florida Statute 489.115(3) gives four routes: an equivalent exam, a license from a state with substantially equivalent criteria, reciprocity with a state that has an agreement with the board, and a license held at least 10 years in another state. The Construction Industry Licensing Board's list names Louisiana, North Carolina and Mississippi for general, building and residential licenses. Form CILB 32 (effective July 2024) requires the Florida Business and Finance exam, verification that the license was obtained by exam with no revocation, suspension or probation in the past 5 years, and, for general contractors from Louisiana or Mississippi, a year of new construction experience on a structure four stories or taller. See the Florida Business and Finance exam guide.
Texas. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation publishes reciprocity by trade. For air conditioning and refrigeration, a current Georgia Class II Conditioned Air unrestricted license qualifies for a Class A license, and listed South Carolina licenses map to Texas classes (a South Carolina heating license does not qualify). You must have held the out of state license at least one year. TDLR's June 5, 2026 announcement adds Ohio to its master electrician reciprocity. I found no general contractor reciprocity there; confirm plumbing with its separate board.
Virginia. The Board for Contractors lists three exam waiver agreements: North Carolina residential building, North Carolina commercial building, and an Ohio and Virginia law exam waiver. It lists no separate licensing agreements, and 18VAC50-22-70 lets a firm originally licensed in a reciprocal agreement state, or one with substantially equivalent criteria, obtain a license under that agreement's terms.
Arkansas. The reciprocal form (revised March 2025) names Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and North Carolina, with listed classifications only for North Carolina. A new Arkansas application is still required.
Ohio. Ohio's Construction Industry Licensing Board covers specialty trades, not general contractors. Ohio Revised Code 4740.08 (effective December 29, 2023) lets the board issue a license without examination to someone licensed in another state only when a written reciprocity agreement between the states exists and the other state extends similar reciprocity to Ohio licensees. I could not open a current board page listing the partner states and trades, so confirm that list with the board.
West Virginia. W.Va. Code 30-42-18 lets the Contractor Licensing Board, to the extent other states act similarly, grant licenses of the same or equivalent classification without a written exam once satisfied the qualifications are equal. It is discretionary and names no states, so confirm with the board.
Maryland, Michigan and Oklahoma. The Maryland Home Improvement Commission's FAQ says it does not offer reciprocity because each licensee must show knowledge of Maryland law. Michigan's residential builder FAQ says Michigan does not hold reciprocal agreements with any other state. Oklahoma says general contractors are not currently required to have a state license, and its electrical reciprocity requires a written agreement with your state.
Steps to use an out of state license
- Find the board that licenses your classification in the new state.
- Read that board's own list and match your classification, not just the state name.
- Confirm your license qualifies: active, in good standing, obtained by passing an exam, and held as long as the board states.
- Ask your current board to complete the receiving board's verification or waiver form, because boards require their verification form completed by the other board.
- Register for the receiving state's business and law exam, which most waivers leave in place. Our Business and Law exam by state guide links each state we cover, and scheduling a contractor exam explains the vendors.
- File the full application with the financial, insurance and background items.
- Do not start work until the new license issues. Our guide to penalties for unlicensed contracting explains what working early can cost.
Our live exam classes are coming soon on the exam prep tour page.
Frequently asked questions
Can I work in another state on my current license? Not on that license alone. Maryland requires its own license even from contractors holding another state's license, and Nevada's endorsement waives the state specific trade examination and the experience certification, not the Nevada Business and Law exam.
Does reciprocity skip the business and law exam? Usually not. Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, California and Nevada keep a state law or business exam, and Florida requires its Business and Finance exam. Exceptions are narrow, such as the Ohio and Virginia law exam waiver, so check the receiving board.
Why do two boards disagree about whether they have an agreement? Each board publishes its own list on its own schedule. North Carolina and Mississippi list Georgia, Georgia's list does not name North Carolina, and Louisiana ended its agreements in 2024. Follow the receiving board's list.
What if my license was grandfathered? Many boards exclude it. South Carolina and Louisiana say so directly, and Georgia requires a license obtained by passing exams.
Does the NASCLA exam work like reciprocity? It is a separate route that several boards accept in place of their own building exam. See which states accept the NASCLA exam.
When a license cannot move
Sometimes reciprocity does not fit: your classification is not listed, your license was grandfathered, or the exam seat will 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.
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 state with you. Call 615-219-2110 or start at Hire a Qualifying Agent, and see our licensing services in all 50 states.
Sources
- Georgia How To Guide, Residential Contractors (read October 16, 2026)
- Georgia How To Guide, Commercial General Contractors (read October 16, 2026)
All pages were read on October 16, 2026.
- Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors, contractor license page
- Georgia State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors FAQ, with the application guides and division FAQs (read October 16, 2026)
- Georgia Rule 553-2-.13, General Contractor reciprocity (read October 16, 2026)
- North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors, FAQ for Contractors
- North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors, Board Buzz Spring 2025
- North Carolina G.S. 87-15.1, Reciprocity of licensing
- South Carolina Contractors' Licensing Board, Technical Exam Waiver Agreements (revised May 2026)
- South Carolina Contractors' Licensing Board, licensure page
- Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors, Reciprocity
- Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, Examination Reciprocity letter, October 23, 2024
- Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, Reciprocity Request form
- Mississippi State Board of Contractors, Reciprocity
- Arizona Administrative Code, Title 4, Chapter 9 (R4-9-106; could not be opened, confirm with the registrar)
- Arizona Revised Statutes 32-1122
- Nevada State Contractors Board, Licensure by Endorsement
- Utah Division of Professional Licensing, Contracting FAQ
- Utah Division of Professional Licensing, General Contractor application page
- Utah Division of Professional Licensing, Endorsement to Utah: Contractor
- Oregon Construction Contractors Board, CCB license page
- Oregon Building Codes Division, Reciprocal licenses
- California Contractors State License Board, Reciprocity Requirements
- California Contractors State License Board, Reciprocal Classifications List
- Florida Statutes 489.115
- Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board, reciprocity list
- Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board, Form CILB 32
- Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration reciprocity
- Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Ohio electrician reciprocity announcement, June 5, 2026
- Virginia Board for Contractors
- Virginia Administrative Code 18VAC50-22-70
- Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board, Reciprocal Form Instructions (revised March 2025)
- Ohio Revised Code 4740.08, Reciprocity
- West Virginia Code 30-42-18
- New Mexico 14.6.3 NMAC
- Washington Department of Labor and Industries, Oregon and Washington electrician agreement
- Idaho Code 54-5213
- Hawaii Contractors License Board, Contractor FAQ
- Maryland Home Improvement Commission, licensing FAQ
- Michigan LARA, Residential Builders FAQ
- Oklahoma Construction Industries Board, FAQ
Disclaimer: This article is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice, licensing guidance, or an offer of services. Licensing requirements vary by jurisdiction. For specific compliance questions, contact The Licensing Company for a confidential consultation.