Which States Count for Georgia Contractor License Reciprocity

Georgia's State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors lists reciprocity for Commercial General Contractors with Louisiana and Mississippi, and for Residential Basic contractors with Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina. For electrical, plumbing and conditioned air contractors, the divisions of the Construction Industry Licensing Board say they offer no reciprocity right now, so an out of state licensee applies by exam.

Start with the Georgia contractor license basics and our contractor license guide, then see which door your out of state license opens. Georgia's list is short, it has conditions, and it does not replace the Georgia business and law test or the financial paperwork. The national picture is on our reciprocity by state hub.

At a glance

• General contractor board: Commercial General Contractor reciprocity with Louisiana and Mississippi; Residential Basic with Louisiana and Mississippi, and the FAQ also names South Carolina (confirm with the board).
• The board's minimums: a license earned by exam, residency or a business chartered in that state, and 3 active years with no discipline for law violations.
• Electrical, plumbing and conditioned air: each division's FAQ says Georgia does not offer reciprocity at this time.
• Checked against the Georgia Secretary of State licensing board pages and Georgia Administrative Code on October 14, 2026.

Which Georgia license you are asking about

Georgia does not run one reciprocity program. The State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors handles Commercial General Contractors, Residential Basic, Residential Light Commercial and the Limited Tier. The State Construction Industry Licensing Board has separate divisions for electrical, plumbing, conditioned air, low voltage and utility contractors, and each answers on its own FAQ.

The table shows what each board's pages say, read on October 14, 2026. Georgia's FAQs carry no revision date, so a later change will not show here.

The Light Commercial and Limited Tier rows say "none listed" because the FAQ names states only for Unlimited Commercial General Contractors and Residential Basic, and the how-to guides show a reciprocity application only for those two. The FAQ adds that you apply by reciprocity if Georgia has an agreement with your state, and otherwise by exam.

The general contractor board: Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina

The board's FAQ gives three minimums for reciprocity with any listed state. Your license must have been obtained by passing the necessary exams in your state. You must be a resident of, or your business must have been chartered in, the state where you hold your license. And your license must have been active for a minimum of 3 years with no disciplinary actions based on law violation.

The rule behind the Commercial General Contractor path is Georgia Rule 553-2-.13. It covers a person who holds a license in a state or territory that has entered into a reciprocal agreement with the board and division. The applicant files the board's application and a non-refundable fee, shows a license substantially equivalent to Georgia's current criteria including a successful exam, complies with the board's laws, rules and policies and with the state requirements to transact business in Georgia, and passes the Georgia Business and Law examination. Issuing the license is at the sole discretion of the division, which may deny it or approve it with conditions. Our Georgia Business and Law exam guide covers that test.

One inconsistency matters before you plan around South Carolina. The FAQ lists South Carolina for Residential Basic. But the Residential Basic reciprocity section of the board's residential how-to guide says that if you hold a current, equivalent license in Louisiana or Mississippi obtained by examination, you may apply by reciprocity. It does not name South Carolina. Confirm South Carolina with the board before you pay for anything.

What an out of state licensee still must do in Georgia

Reciprocity in Georgia shortens the exam path. It does not skip the application. For Commercial General Contractors, the individual checklist includes general liability insurance, workers' compensation insurance if applicable, an employment affidavit, a net worth affirmation or financial documents, project experience, and a license verification with the exam dates of the individual who passed. For Residential Basic, the checklist includes a verification of license, general liability insurance, a net worth affirmation, a line of credit and a surety bond with power of attorney.

The FAQ states the financial floor. Residential Basic requires $25,000 in net worth and $300,000 per occurrence in general liability insurance. A Commercial General Contractor requires $150,000 in net worth and $500,000 per occurrence. Workers' compensation insurance is required only if you have 3 or more employees.

Individual or qualifying agent is the other decision. The FAQ says an individual contractor may only perform work in his or her name or under a DBA or sole proprietorship, not affiliated with a registered business organization. A qualifying agent performs work on behalf of a business registered with the Georgia Corporations Division, and any such company that intends to perform work in Georgia must have at least one licensed qualifying agent. The board publishes separate reciprocity checklists for each, and the qualifying agent checklist asks for a Letter of Authority from the Corporations Division and an employment affidavit. See our Georgia qualifying agent guide.

The Construction Industry Licensing Board divisions

Georgia Administrative Code Rule 121-2-.03, Statewide License by Reciprocity, is the framework for the trade divisions. The rule site showed it current through filings of September 17, 2026, and its history shows renumbering from Rule 121-2-.05 effective March 19, 2025. In plain terms:

• The divisions may enter formal written agreements with other state licensing boards to offer licenses by endorsement or reciprocity.
• A Conditioned Air Contractor, Electrical Contractor, Low Voltage Contractor, Master Plumber, Journeyman Plumber or Utility Manager license may be issued on an application, the fee, and evidence of a current out of state license in an appropriate classification granted after the applicant passed an examination conducted by a qualifying board, plus proof of the prerequisite experience.
• The other board's exam and requirements must be substantially equal to Georgia's, provided a similar privilege is offered to persons licensed under the Georgia board.
• A division may deny a license if the applicant appears to be circumventing Georgia law by first becoming licensed elsewhere, or has been disciplined where licensed. A license held under grandfather provisions without a qualifying exam does not qualify.

Electrical contractors. The Board of Electrical Contractors FAQ says Georgia does not currently offer licensure by reciprocity at this time, effective May 2026. The division's how-to guide, read the same day, still carries a Non-Restricted reciprocity application for a current license with no violations obtained by exam from Alabama, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina or Tennessee. The two pages do not agree. The FAQ is the newer statement, so plan on the exam route and ask the division in writing before relying on the guide. See our Georgia electrician license guide.

Plumbers. The Division of Master and Journeyman Plumbers FAQ answers flatly: Georgia does not have reciprocity with any other states for Master or Journeyman Plumbers. See our Georgia plumbing license guide.

Conditioned air. The Board of Conditioned Air FAQ says reciprocity with other states is not offered at this time. See our Georgia HVAC license guide.

The reverse direction: does the other state honor a Georgia license?

Each state decides for itself, and several publish a list that names Georgia. Everything below is what each board's own page says, read on October 14, 2026.

• South Carolina. The Residential Builders Commission names Georgia among its exam waiver states. The license must be current, obtained by examination and held for one year or longer, and the Business Management and Law exam still applies. The Contractor's Licensing Board's waiver document, last revised in February 2019, also lists Georgia, but only for the Georgia Unrestricted Electrical exam and the Unrestricted Conditioned Air exam (if passed after June 30, 1980), not Georgia's general contractor or residential exams. It says its agreements waive only the technical portion of the exam. Licenses earned by grandfathering or by waiver do not qualify, and the Georgia license must be in good standing. See our South Carolina reciprocity guide.
• Mississippi. The Mississippi board's reciprocity page lists the Georgia Board of Residential and General Contractors, requiring a current license for one year, that you took the exam, and no discipline in the last 3 years. Reciprocity waives a trade exam only, and every applicant takes the Mississippi Business and Law exam.
• North Carolina. The North Carolina general contractor board says it has no full reciprocity with any state and has examination waiver agreements with South Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida; waiver users still pass the North Carolina Business and Law exam. The state's electrical board has a Georgia page describing a reciprocal agreement for Georgia Unlimited licensees, which sits uneasily next to Georgia's May 2026 statement. See our North Carolina reciprocity guide.
• Tennessee. The Tennessee board's contractor page lists trade exam waivers with Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina and West Virginia, and does not name Georgia. Its February 19, 2026 webinar slides had listed Georgia for electrical only, so treat Georgia as not current and ask the board. See our Tennessee reciprocity guide.
• Louisiana. An October 23, 2024 notice from the Louisiana board says it will accept a passing exam taken in any other state, with no waivers, exemptions or grandfathering in effect, and that the change renders previous agreements null and void. All other requirements for licensure must still be met. See our Louisiana reciprocity guide.
• Alabama. The Alabama general contractor board lists Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and Tennessee. Georgia is not named. See our Alabama reciprocity guide.

For Florida and any state not shown, we found no published statement naming Georgia. Confirm with the board.

Steps for an out of state licensee

1. Identify the exact Georgia license type you need: Commercial General Contractor, Residential Basic, Residential Light Commercial, Limited Tier, or a trade division.
2. Compare it to the first table. Only Unlimited Commercial General Contractor and Residential Basic have a listed reciprocity route.
3. Check your home license against the three minimums: earned by exam, resident or chartered in that state, and 3 active years with no discipline for law violations.
4. Request the license verification your checklist names from your home board. For general contractors it must show the exam dates of the person who passed.
5. Decide whether you apply as an individual or as a qualifying agent for a company registered with the Georgia Corporations Division, and gather that checklist.
6. Create a GOALS account, select the license type and submit the application with the insurance, financial and experience documents. The board states it no longer accepts paper applications.
7. After approval, schedule and pass the Georgia Business and Law examination, which the general contractor reciprocity rule requires.
8. If your state is not listed, apply by exam. The FAQ names PSI as the testing vendor and says exam approval letters are valid for one year.

Frequently asked questions

Does Georgia have reciprocity with Alabama, Tennessee or North Carolina? The general contractor board's FAQ does not list any of them. Alabama, Tennessee and North Carolina appear on the electrical how-to guide, but the electrical FAQ says Georgia does not currently offer reciprocity, effective May 2026. Confirm with the board.

Does reciprocity let me skip the Georgia exam? For a Commercial General Contractor, no. Rule 553-2-.13 requires passage of the Georgia Business and Law examination. For Residential Basic, confirm with the board whether the same applies.

How long must I have held my home state license? The FAQ requires 3 active years with no disciplinary actions based on law violation. Other boards set their own periods for Georgia licensees.

Can I work in Georgia while my application is pending? Plan on no. The electrical how-to guide says you may not legally perform services until you hold an active license. Ask the board about other license types.

When reciprocity does not fit

Sometimes the license cannot move by reciprocity, or the person cannot sit and pass the exam in time. A company can still be licensed through a qualifying agent who already holds the license and qualifies the company as an owner or a full time W-2 employee who supervises the work. Our contractor qualifier services fit that situation, and you can read how a qualifying agent works or hire a qualifying agent directly. We also arrange licensing services in all 50 states, and our guide to getting a contractor license in another state covers the general process for a second state.

Check the list before you pay a fee

Reciprocity lists change, and Georgia's own pages disagree with each other on electrical. Before you pay for an application, confirm your license type and home state with the board in writing. If you would like a second set of eyes on the route, call The Licensing Company at 615-219-2110 or start at Hire a Qualifying Agent. Marshall Schofield and Jeremiah Jaskulski, both licensed general contractors and master tradesmen, built this company on exactly these questions.

Sources

All sources retrieved October 14, 2026. Document dates are shown in the link names.

• Georgia Secretary of State, Residential and Commercial General Contractors FAQ
• Georgia Secretary of State, How-To Guide: Commercial General Contractors
• Georgia Secretary of State, How To Guide: Residential Contractors
• Georgia Secretary of State, State Licensing Board for Residential and Commercial General Contractors
• Georgia Rule 553-2-.13, General Contractor Division Applicants Seeking Licensure by Reciprocity
• Georgia Rule 121-2-.03, Statewide License by Reciprocity
• Georgia Board of Electrical Contractors FAQ
• Georgia How-To Guide: Electrical Contractors
• Georgia Division of Master and Journeyman Plumbers FAQ
• Georgia Board of Conditioned Air FAQ
• Georgia Board of Low Voltage Contractors FAQ
• South Carolina Residential Builders Commission, exam waiver information
• South Carolina Contractor's Licensing Board, Reciprocity/Waiver Agreements (Rev. 02/2019)
• Mississippi State Board of Contractors, Reciprocity
• NC Licensing Board for General Contractors, FAQ for Contractors
• NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors, Georgia Reciprocity
• Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors, Contractor license page
• Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors, webinar slides of February 19, 2026
• Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, Louisiana Examination Reciprocity notice of October 23, 2024
• Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors, apply page