Georgia licenses residential and general contractors at the state level through the State Licensing Board for Residential and Commercial General Contractors, under the Georgia Secretary of State.
Requirements checked against the State Licensing Board for Residential and Commercial General Contractors (Georgia Secretary of State) published requirements on September 29, 2026.
| Licensing board | State Licensing Board for Residential and Commercial General Contractors (Georgia Secretary of State Licensing Division, Macon); renamed by SB 503 effective July 1 2024 |
|---|---|
| License required when | Combined labor and materials exceeding 2500 dollars |
| What the state calls the qualifier | qualifying agent |
| NASCLA exam accepted | yes |
| Reciprocity and endorsement | Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee (commercial); Mississippi, South Carolina, Louisiana (residential); new North Carolina and Tennessee applications paused |
| Exam waivers | 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 |
| Experience required | 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 |
| Application and exam fees | Exam application 200 dollars plus a 10 dollar processing fee; exam fees Business and Law 60 dollars, Residential Basic 72, Residential Light Commercial 72, NASCLA 106 |
| Renewal | Renewal 100 dollars every two years, expiring June 30 of even numbered years; late renewal 200 dollars |
| Time to license | Complete applications reviewed within 20 business days; deficiency letters restart the clock; one to three months realistic in practice |
| Bond and financial requirements | Commercial General unlimited 150000 dollars net worth, Limited Tier 25000; Commercial General and Residential Light Commercial 500000 dollars general liability, Residential Basic 300000, all plus workers compensation |
| Penalty for unlicensed work | Contract for licensable work is unenforceable by the unlicensed contractor; no fine stated |
| Time to replace a qualifier | 180 days after the sole qualifying agent's disaffiliation (O.C.G.A. 43-41-9(e)(1) as amended by SB 503, effective July 1, 2024); owner or officer notice to the board within 45 days (Rule 553-11-.02) |
| Companies one qualifier may qualify | No numeric cap; each business must independently meet financial and insurance criteria |
Facts checked on July 14, 2026.
Each line was checked against the state board’s published requirements on the date shown. Not stated means the board material we reviewed did not state it, so we do not guess. Boards change rules; confirm the current figure with the board before you file.
A state license is required before bidding or contracting on work over $2,500, and a contract signed above that line by an unlicensed contractor is unenforceable under Georgia law. License classes run from Residential Basic and Residential Light Commercial up to General Contractor, with a Limited Tier general contractor license capped at $1,000,000 per contract. The specialty trades, electrical, plumbing, conditioned air, low voltage, and utility work, are licensed separately by the State Construction Industry Licensing Board.
A company holds its license through a qualifying agent, a licensed individual with final approval authority over the company's construction work and business matters.
Georgia requires a Qualifying Agent for all licensed contractor entities.
Yes, a Georgia license is required once combined labor and materials on a job exceed 2,500 dollars. The State Licensing Board for Residential and Commercial General Contractors, under the Georgia Secretary of State's Licensing Division, issues the license. Each licensed business must have at least one qualifying agent, a licensed individual who qualifies the company.
Any prime contractor or subcontractor doing work where combined labor and materials exceed 2,500 dollars must hold the appropriate Georgia license. This threshold has been in force since July 1, 2008 (O.C.G.A. 43-41-17). A contract for licensable work entered into without a valid license cannot be enforced by the unlicensed contractor. This threshold is far lower than in neighboring states: Tennessee's trigger is 25,000 dollars, so a small Georgia remodel or repair job should never be assumed exempt the way it might be elsewhere.
Georgia uses three main license classifications: Residential Basic Contractor, Residential Light Commercial Contractor, and Commercial General Contractor. Commercial General Contractor is further split into an unlimited tier and a Limited Tier, capped at 1 million dollars per project (Rule 553-4-.05(8), checked September 29, 2026, Georgia Rules and Regulations). The rule limits the Limited Tier to any contract of no more than one million dollars. Outside that cap, whether Georgia sets any other per license dollar ceiling is not stated in the board materials reviewed for this page; confirm that point directly with the board.
Georgia licenses the business organization through a qualifying agent, and every licensed business must employ at least one currently licensed individual contractor serving in that role. O.C.G.A. 43-41-9 and the surrounding administrative rules permit a qualifying agent to serve more than one business organization at a time, provided each business independently meets the licensure criteria, including its own financial and insurance filings. No numeric cap on the number of companies a qualifying agent may serve is stated in the board materials reviewed for this page. Confirm the current rule directly with the board before relying on it for an unusual case.
This is a detail worth confirming carefully, since two sources disagree. When a business loses its only qualifying agent, it has 180 days from the end of that agent's affiliation to bring on a new qualifying agent and file a licensure application under that person (O.C.G.A. 43-41-9, as amended by Senate Bill 503, effective July 1, 2024, which changed the window from 120 days to 180 days). The board's administrative Rule 553-11-.02 still shows the earlier 120 day figure and a 45 day notice window, but the statute controls where the two conflict, so the current requirement is 180 days. The business must still notify the board promptly when the qualifying agent leaves.
Senate Bill 503 ended Georgia's exam exemption window, so every applicant must now pass the required exam; prior licensure no longer qualifies as a substitute (Georgia Rules and Regulations, chapter 553-2). The exam has two parts: a trade knowledge portion and a Georgia Business and Law, or Supplemental, portion. Both are delivered by PSI, the board's contracted testing vendor, through its candidate site at PSI Georgia contractor exam portal (PSI confirmed as the active vendor, checked September 29, 2026, PSI Exams). The passing score is 70 percent on each part. A failed part may be retaken within a year; a third attempt requires waiting a full calendar year before sitting again (Georgia Rules and Regulations, chapter 553-3). According to the Georgia contractor board fee schedule ([Georgia Secretary of State](https://sos.ga.gov/sites/default/files/forms/49%20Reference%20-%20Fee%20Schedule.pdf), checked September 29, 2026), the application fee schedule is: exam application 200 dollars plus a 10 dollar processing fee; exam fees are 60 dollars for Business and Law, 72 dollars for Residential Basic, 72 dollars for Residential Light Commercial, and 106 dollars for NASCLA.
Georgia accepts the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors as the trade exam component for Commercial General Contractor, for both the unlimited and Limited Tier paths. NASCLA's list of participating state agencies names Georgia among roughly seventeen participating states, alongside Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, the US Virgin Islands, and West Virginia (checked September 29, 2026, NASCLA). This exam satisfies the trade knowledge half only; every applicant still separately sits the Georgia Business and Law exam through PSI. Georgia is one of the states where The Licensing Company has confirmed core NASCLA status, along with Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
Every Georgia general contractor track exam, Residential Basic, Residential Light Commercial, the NASCLA Commercial General Building Contractor trade exam, and the Business and Law exam, is delivered by PSI under one Candidate Information Bulletin for the State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors. As of the July 14, 2026 reading, the bulletin had not been relabeled for the SB 503 name change to Commercial General Contractors. This section covers those four exams only. Exam specifics for Georgia's separate trades overlay board are not stated in the board materials reviewed for this page; confirm separately before relying on this section for a trade only license.
Scheduled through PSI the same way as the other three exams below. 50 questions, 120 minutes, passing score 70 percent (35 of 50 correct), open book. The exam covers nine content areas: Licensing Requirements (5 items), Estimating and Bidding (7), Business Organization and Financial Management (7), Tax Laws (5), Labor Laws (5), Project Management and Lien Law (6), Contracts (6), Risk Management (4), and Environmental and Safety (5), for 50 items total. The one approved reference is the Georgia NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management, published by the Georgia State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors, 3rd Edition, available through NASCLA store. Once a candidate passes this exam, it satisfies the Business and Law requirement for every other Residential or General Contractor license; it does not need to be retaken for a second classification.
80 questions, 200 minutes, passing score 70 percent (56 of 80 correct), open book. Content areas: Sitework, Footings and Foundation (8), Concrete and Concrete Reinforcement (8), Masonry (5), Carpentry (16), Roofing (8), General Code and Construction Knowledge (18), Associated Trades (10), and OSHA Safety (7), for 80 items total.
90 questions, 230 minutes, passing score 70 percent (63 of 90 correct), open book. Content areas: Sitework, Footings and Foundation (8), Concrete and Concrete Reinforcement (8), Metals (5), Masonry (6), Carpentry (16), Roofing (10), General Code and Construction Knowledge (20), Associated Trades (10), and OSHA Safety (7), for 90 items total.
115 questions, 330 minutes, passing score 70 percent (81 of 115 correct), open book. This is the same NASCLA exam accepted across all of Georgia's NASCLA partner states, so a candidate who passes it can send the transcript through NASCLA's National Examination Database at NASCLA exam application portal to any other participating state rather than resitting the trade portion there. Content areas: General Requirements (25 items), Site Construction (15), Concrete (6), Masonry (4), Metals (6), Wood (5), Thermal and Moisture Protection (5), Doors, Windows, and Glazing (4), Finishes (5), Mechanical and Plumbing Systems (6), Electrical Systems (3), and Procurement and Contracting Requirements (31), for 115 items total.
All four exams are administered by computer at a PSI test center, one question per screen, with an untimed tutorial before the clock starts and roughly 1 to 10 unscored experimental questions mixed in that do count against the candidate's time even though they are not scored. Reference material for the open book exams may be highlighted, underlined, and indexed, but must otherwise be unmarked, may carry no loose or attached extra papers, and may only be tabbed with permanent tabs; sticky notes and other temporary tabs are not allowed and must be removed before the exam starts, and the test center will not supply reference copies, so the candidate brings their own. Only a silent, nonprinting, non programmable calculator is allowed; no phones, smartwatches, bulky coats, or other personal items, and anything prohibited found once seated invalidates the results. As of July 14, 2026, Georgia's PSI test centers are in Duluth, Marietta, Macon, and Tifton; the bulletin also allows a candidate to request an out of state PSI center through an out of state testing request. As of the July 14, 2026 reading, the bulletin made no mention of remote or at home proctoring for any of these four exams.
Retake rules run off a one year eligibility window from the date of the Board's exam approval letter (O.C.G.A. 43-41-6(g)). On first approval, a candidate gets 2 attempts within that year to pass both the Business and Law exam and the applicable trade exam; passing one and failing the other only requires retaking the failed one. Failing either exam twice means waiting at least a full year after the last attempt before a third or later sitting is allowed, and if a candidate has to reapply for a new eligibility year after failing, that next year only carries 1 attempt, not 2. Fees quoted in the bulletin as of July 14, 2026: Business and Law Exam 60 dollars; Residential Basic Contractor 72 dollars; Residential or Light Commercial Contractor 72 dollars; General Contractor and General Contractor Limited Tier NASCLA exam 106 dollars. Scheduling runs through PSI once the Board has approved the application, by internet at PSI Georgia contractor exam portal, by phone at (855) 744 0314, by fax, or by standard mail; the Board itself is reached at (478) 207 2440 in Macon for application questions.
Source: PSI Candidate Information Bulletin, State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors, updated April 28, 2025, copyright 2025 by PSI, checked July 14, 2026. PSI's status as the active vendor was checked again September 29, 2026.
Residential Basic requires at least two years of proven experience working as, or for, a residential contractor, including responsibility for at least two completed projects in that category within the two years before applying. Residential Light Commercial requires either a bachelor's degree in engineering, architecture, or a related field plus one year of contractor experience; or four combined years of college coursework and practical construction experience; or four years of total construction experience with at least two of those years as a residential contractor. Commercial General Contractor requires a bachelor's degree in engineering, architecture, construction management, or building construction plus one year of contractor experience; or four combined years of college coursework and experience; or four years of construction related experience with at least two years as a general contractor and at least one year in administration, estimating, drafting, engineering, or project management (Rule 553-4-.01(3)(c), checked September 29, 2026, Georgia Rules and Regulations).
Commercial General Contractor's unlimited tier requires a minimum net worth of 150,000 dollars (Rule 553-4-.01(3)(d)). The Limited Tier, capped at 1 million dollars per project, requires a minimum net worth of 25,000 dollars (Rule 553-4-.05(3)(d)). Both Commercial General Contractor tiers require at least 500,000 dollars in general liability insurance plus workers compensation coverage (Rules 553-4-.01(4) and 553-4-.05(4), checked September 29, 2026). Residential Light Commercial requires the same 500,000 dollar minimum in general liability insurance. Residential Basic requires at least 300,000 dollars in general liability insurance plus workers compensation coverage (Georgia Rules and Regulations, chapter 553-3, checked July 14, 2026).
Complete applications are generally reviewed within 20 business days of receipt, in the order received. If an applicant receives a deficiency letter, the 20 day clock restarts once the corrected, complete documentation is received. An incomplete application can be withdrawn if the deficiencies are not resolved within 60 days of the notice (Georgia Secretary of State, checked September 29, 2026). According to the Georgia contractor board fee schedule ([Georgia Secretary of State](https://sos.ga.gov/sites/default/files/forms/49%20Reference%20-%20Fee%20Schedule.pdf)), renewal is 100 dollars every two years, expiring June 30 of even numbered years; late renewal is 200 dollars.
Georgia uses named reciprocity routes rather than blanket reciprocity. For Commercial General Contractor, the reciprocity route is open to applicants holding an active building construction classification license obtained by exam from Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, or Tennessee. For residential contractors, the route is open to applicants from Mississippi, South Carolina, or Louisiana holding an active Residential Builders license obtained by exam. In both cases, the license must have been active for the past three years and free of discipline. Separately, the general contractor trade exam can be waived for an applicant holding an active NASCLA accredited license for three or more years, though the Georgia Business and Law exam is still required. The board's reciprocity application form indicates that Georgia has paused acceptance of new reciprocity applications from North Carolina and Tennessee specifically, checked September 29, 2026 (Georgia Secretary of State). Anyone applying from North Carolina or Tennessee should confirm the status of this pause directly with the board before counting on a fast reciprocity path into Georgia.
Electrical, plumbing, conditioned air or HVAC, low voltage, and utility contracting in Georgia are licensed separately from general contracting, through the Georgia State Construction Industry Licensing Board, which is organized into divisions, one per trade. Electrical licensing splits into Class I, restricted to single phase installations at or under 200 amperes, and Class II, unrestricted. Conditioned air or HVAC splits into Class I, restricted to systems at or under 175,000 BTU of heating and 60,000 BTU of cooling, and Class II, unrestricted. Plumbing has a Journeyman tier working under supervision, a Class I Master tier restricted to single family dwellings and structures under 10,000 square feet, and a Class II Master tier that is unrestricted (Georgia Secretary of State).
New 2026 legislation makes several changes for this board. One year of full time experience is now statutorily defined as 2,000 hours of documented qualifying work. Applicants must submit sworn affidavits and consent to criminal background checks with fingerprinting. The statute names lending, leasing, renting, assigning, or otherwise allowing an unlicensed person or entity to use a license as grounds for disciplinary action. Renewal moves to a biennial cycle with a 31 day late renewal grace period, and continuing education hours can no longer be carried forward from one renewal cycle to the next. Specific new classifications, monetary tiers, or exam vendor changes for this board are not stated in the materials reviewed for this page; much of the rewritten statute is understood to codify standards already found in the board's existing rules rather than create new ones. Anyone who needs only one of these trades is going through a different board than the general contracting board described in the rest of this page, now operating under a materially rewritten statute as of July 2026. Confirm current classification and exam details, including exam vendor, question counts, and fees, directly with the State Construction Industry Licensing Board before relying on this page for a trade only license.
Two things changed since this page was last reviewed. The qualifying agent replacement conflict between statute and rule, flagged in the previous review, is now confirmed as an ongoing conflict rather than a one time gap: both sides were checked again, and neither has changed in fourteen months. This conflict does not affect the general contractor licensing information covered in the rest of this page. The second change is new 2026 legislation affecting the separate trades overlay board, covered in the section below. Every other item on this page, including license classifications and tiers, the 2,500 dollar threshold, experience requirements, exam structure, NASCLA acceptance, financial requirements, and application timelines, was checked and confirmed unchanged.
The State Licensing Board for Residential and Commercial General Contractors licenses residential and commercial general contractors throughout Georgia. The board is organized under the Georgia Secretary of State's Licensing Division, which is based in Macon (Georgia Secretary of State). Specialty trades such as electrical and plumbing contracting are licensed through a separate board.
Official Licensing Authority
All contractor license applications, renewals, and qualifying agent changes must go through this board.
We place a licensed qualifying agent with your company as a full time W-2 employee and prepare the qualifier filing with the State Licensing Board for Residential and Commercial General Contractors (Georgia Secretary of State). Tell us your trade and what you have going on, and pick a time for a discovery call. Or call 615-219-2110.
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