Idaho registers general contractors instead of licensing them.
Requirements checked against the Idaho Contractors Board, Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses published requirements on September 29, 2026.
| Licensing board | Two systems inside DOPL: the Idaho Contractors Board handles basic registration; the Public Works Contractors License Board issues the Public Works Contractor license |
|---|---|
| License required when | Registration required for private construction work of $2,000 or more in labor and materials; Public Works license required to bid any state or local government project |
| What the state calls the qualifier | Qualified Individual (Public Works license only); basic registration has no qualifier |
| NASCLA exam accepted | partial (Idaho Electrical Board appears on the NASCLA Electrical Exam list; not accepted for the Public Works Contractor license or basic registration) |
| Reciprocity and endorsement | None for the Public Works license; journeyman electrical reciprocity with Colorado, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming; journeyman plumbing with Montana, Oregon, Washington (trade lists from secondary sources) |
| Exam waivers | 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 |
| Experience required | No fixed years for the Public Works license; none for basic registration; applicants seeking a class above their history must document similar projects |
| Application and exam fees | Basic registration $120 initial (fee schedule effective July 1, 2026) with a $60 annual option; Public Works application fee not stated |
| Renewal | Registration renews at $120 biennial or $60 annual, transitioning from annual to biennial on a phased schedule since late 2025; Public Works renewal fee not stated |
| Time to license | No published processing timeline for the Public Works license; $100 expedite fee available |
| Bond and financial requirements | Public Works license class is set by net worth and working capital, from Class D ($10,000 net worth, $3,000 working capital) up to Unlimited ($1,000,000 net worth, $600,000 working capital, no bid limit) |
| Penalty for unlicensed work | Unlawful to bid a public works project without a license of the proper class; no penalty amount stated |
| Time to replace a qualifier | License remains in force 90 days from the date of written notice that the Qualified Individual left |
| Companies one qualifier may qualify | No cap found in the rule text or DOPL FAQ; an open question for DOPL |
Facts checked on August 11, 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.
The Idaho Contractors Board, part of the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, requires registration for construction work unless the total contract price for labor, materials, and all other items is under $2,000, and that exemption does not apply when a small job is part of a larger project. Registration is not a competency license: there is no exam, no experience requirement, and no qualifying party designation at the state level. Electrical, plumbing, and HVAC work is licensed separately through DOPL trade programs, and contractors bidding public works need a separate Public Works Contractors License.
Idaho requires no license for ordinary private contracting, only paperwork based registration through the Idaho Contractors Board (DOPL). A Public Works Contractor license, issued by DOPL under IDAPA 24.39.50, is required only to bid on government projects and requires a named Qualified Individual who passes a PSI exam and meets class based net worth and working capital thresholds.
Idaho runs two entirely separate systems that should not be blended. The first is basic contractor registration, which covers ordinary private construction work and has no exam, no experience requirement, and no financial test; it is a paperwork and insurance registration (Idaho contractor registration FAQ). The second is the Public Works Contractor license, required only for contractors who want to bid on state or local government construction projects. This second system is the one built around a state exam, a named Qualified Individual, and license classes tied to net worth and working capital (Idaho DOPL public works contractors and IDAPA 24.39.50, the Public Works Contractors License Board rules). Idaho does not work the same way as states such as Georgia or Tennessee for ordinary private commercial work. Idaho runs an exam based qualifier style system only for contractors pursuing public works contracts.
There are no classifications and no monetary tiers for basic registration; it is pass or fail, business level only. Requirements are a general liability policy of not less than $300,000 single limit covering the applicant's construction operations, and either proof of workers compensation coverage or a statement explaining why it is not required (Idaho contractor registration FAQ). No exam, no verified experience, and no personal or business financial statement is required. A surety bond is not required by the state, though an individual homeowner may require one at their own expense. Registration runs for 12 months from the applicant's next birthday and renews annually, and the Board has been transitioning to biennial renewal on a phased schedule starting in late 2025 (Idaho contractor registration FAQ). As of the fee schedule effective July 1, 2026, initial registration and biennial renewal are both $120 for individual and business applicants, with a $60 annual option (Idaho Contractors Board; Idaho contractor registration FAQ). This registration is exempt for contractors already licensed in electrical, plumbing, or HVAC when working strictly inside that trade's scope.
There are eight license classes: D, C, CC, B, A, AA, AAA, and Unlimited. Class sets the maximum single bid a licensee can take on a public works project, and class is set by the company's net worth and working capital, not by an exam score alone (IDAPA 24.39.50.111, table 111.01, and Idaho public works contractor licensing). The current table, confirmed on DOPL's own pwc-licensing page: Unlimited requires $1,000,000 net worth and $600,000 working capital with no bid limit; AAA requires $600,000 and $200,000 with a $5,000,000 bid limit; AA requires $450,000 and $150,000 with a $3,000,000 bid limit; A requires $300,000 and $100,000 with a $1,250,000 bid limit; B requires $150,000 and $50,000 with a $600,000 bid limit; CC requires $75,000 and $25,000 with a $400,000 bid limit; C requires $25,000 and $7,500 with a $200,000 bid limit; D requires $10,000 net worth and $3,000 working capital (Idaho public works contractor licensing, checked 2026-08-11; financial thresholds also appear in IDAPA 24.39.50.111). Class D does not appear in DOPL's separate downloadable fact sheet PDF, still dated 01/30/2025, but it is fully documented on the DOPL licensing page itself and in the adopted rule. A licensee may hold only one class of license at a time, and when a new class is issued the old one is void (IDAPA 24.39.50.100.05). There are also four types of Public Works Contractor license defining scope of work rather than dollar size: Heavy Construction, Highway Construction, Building Construction, and Specialty Construction (DOPL fact sheet 01/30/2025; Idaho public works contractor licensing).
Basic contractor registration has no qualifying individual concept; it is issued to the business, tied to its listed principals, members, partners, and shareholders (Idaho contractor registration FAQ). The Public Works Contractor license runs on a named qualifier: IDAPA 24.39.50.010.06 defines the Qualified Individual as "the person qualifying by examination as to the experience and knowledge required by Section 54-1910(a), Idaho Code." For a partnership, corporation, or LLC, the exam may be taken by the managing officer or a staff member; a sole proprietor takes it personally (DOPL's PWC exam guidance, corroborated by the Qualified Individual definition in IDAPA 24.39.50.010.06). A cap on how many companies one Qualified Individual may simultaneously qualify is not stated in the current rule text (IDAPA 24.39.50, sections 000 through 400) or in the Idaho public works contractor FAQs; confirm this directly with DOPL before relying on it.
The current adopted rule (IDAPA 24.39.50.100.04.b, effective 7-1-24) requires that written notice that the Qualified Individual has ceased to be connected with the contractor be provided to the Administrator. Cornell Law School's Legal Information Institute codification of that same rule section states the contractor's license remains in force for ninety days from the date of that notice. Confirm the exact current window directly with DOPL before relying on it. Separately, for basic contractor registration, any change in business organization or ownership structure requires filing for a new license within 60 days of the change, with a 30 day written notice window that allows continued operation while the new application is reviewed (IDAPA 24.39.50.200.01; this section applies broadly to public works and construction manager licensees undergoing an ownership or entity change).
Basic contractor registration has no exam. The Public Works Contractor license requires a written exam. DOPL's own Public Works exam page, current as of 2026-08-11, states exams are offered through PSI, scheduled online at the PSI Idaho contractor exam portal. That same current DOPL page states applicants are required to take and pass the exam before applying for licensure. DOPL's own separate fact sheet PDF, still dated 01/30/2025 and unrevised, describes a different order: apply first, wait for approval, then be emailed by DOPL to schedule an in person exam at one of its three Idaho offices. These two official DOPL sources currently contradict each other on sequencing (Idaho public works contractor exams, compared with the DOPL Public Works Contractor Licensing Fact Sheet dated 01/30/2025). Confirm the current order directly with DOPL before paying any fee or scheduling an exam. The passing score is 70%, and the exam covers Idaho's public works statutes and rules plus DOPL's Contractor's Business and Law Reference Manual, which must be printed and placed in a three ring binder for the open book portions (DOPL Public Works Contractor Licensing Fact Sheet 01/30/2025). If an applicant fails, the rule allows a second attempt, and a further failure requires a waiting period set by the Administrator before retesting, with all sections required to be retaken (IDAPA 24.39.50.100.06). Idaho's electrical, plumbing, and HVAC trades run separate exams through DOPL; confirm the current vendor for each trade directly with the board before relying on it.
NASCLA's own participating agency page for the Accredited Commercial General Building Contractor exam (NASCLA commercial exam participating states) does not list Idaho, so NASCLA acceptance is not stated for Idaho's Public Works Contractor license or its basic contractor registration. NASCLA's own participating agency page for the Electrical Exam (NASCLA electrical exam participating states) does list "Idaho Electrical Board, Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses," so Idaho participates in NASCLA only on the electrical trade side, not for the general Public Works Contractor credential. Confirm any NASCLA transfer credit directly with DOPL before relying on it; a NASCLA card is relevant in Idaho only on the electrical trade side.
DOPL's own December 2025 scheduling notice states there is a staggered transition to PSI effective October 1, 2025. New applicants who apply on or after that date create a DOPL customer account at Idaho DOPL online services, then register and pay directly with PSI at the PSI Idaho contractor exam portal before submitting a licensing application. Applicants who already held an active DOPL approval letter issued before the transition instead call DOPL's exam scheduling line at (208) 332-8983 and sit for an in person, DOPL proctored exam at one of DOPL's three regional offices: Boise, Blackfoot, or Coeur d'Alene (DOPL "Exams" scheduling page, PWC Exam Bulletin December 2025). Confirm which path applies to a given applicant; do not assume PSI applies to everyone. The four exams below are the Public Works Contractor exam and the three trade Contractor exams, the license levels a Qualifying Agent is placed against. Idaho also runs separate, lower stakes Journeyman and Specialty Journeyman exams under each trade board, briefly noted at the end of each trade's section.
Vendor and scheduling: PSI, through the PSI Idaho contractor exam portal, online 24 hours a day or by phone at (855) 340-3713. The PSI bulletin itself, effective 7/9/2026, describes a DOPL application and approval step coming first, with PSI scheduling only after PSI accepts the application. This conflicts with DOPL's own live pwc-exams page, checked 2026-08-11, which states applicants must take and pass the exam before applying for licensure, the reverse order. Confirm the current sequencing directly with DOPL before relying on either source.
Questions and time: 100 questions, 240 minutes.
Passing score: 70%.
Open or closed book: open book.
What it covers: the exam is drawn entirely from the DOPL Contractor's Business and Law Reference Manual, broken into 13 numbered sections in the content outline. Sections 5, 6, and 7 are the heaviest at 20 items each, Section 10 carries 10 items, Sections 8 and 9 carry 7 and 8 items, Section 11 carries 5, and Sections 1 through 4, 12, and 13 carry 1 to 2 items each, totaling 100. The bulletin identifies topics only by manual section number, not by subject name, so which named topic, such as bonding or licensing classes, lives in which numbered section is not stated in the bulletin.
Approved references: the DOPL Contractor's Business and Law Reference Manual only, described by the bulletin as available online through a DOPL link. No edition or year is named for this manual anywhere in the bulletin; the reference is the current manual as posted by DOPL, not a specific dated edition. No other materials, including commentaries or handbooks, are allowed.
Tabbing and highlighting: pre exam highlighting, underlining, and permanent indexing are permitted. No writing is allowed once the exam starts. Loose papers and temporary markers such as Post its are strictly prohibited and will be confiscated. The manual itself must be printed, hole punched, and placed into a three ring binder before test day; a candidate caught writing in the reference or holding unauthorized material has the binder seized and is reported to the Division.
Where to test: PSI centers at Boise (Westgate Plaza), Lewiston (Lewis Clark State College), Moscow (University of Idaho), Twin Falls (College of Southern Idaho), and Idaho Falls (College of Eastern Idaho), plus a Spokane Valley, Washington center. The bulletin also says the exam can be scheduled in Washington, Oregon, Wyoming, or Nevada by searching a zip code, and a candidate can request testing in a state not listed. No remote or online proctoring option is mentioned anywhere in the bulletin; the exam is computer administered at a physical test center only.
Retake rules and fees: $75 per attempt, non refundable and non transferable, and the fee is valid for one year from the date of payment. PSI's own bulletin states a candidate who fails may retake the exam as many times as needed, paying a new fee each time. This differs from the licensing side limit at IDAPA 24.39.50.100.06, which allows a second attempt and then requires a DOPL set waiting period before a further retest, with all sections retaken. PSI itself does not cap attempts, but Idaho's own public works licensing rule does gate retries after a second failure.
Vendor and scheduling: same PSI portal and phone line as above, same application first, then PSI scheduling process.
Questions and time: 100 questions, 240 minutes.
Passing score: 70%.
Open or closed book: open book.
What it covers: the same DOPL Contractor's Business and Law Reference Manual, same 13 section outline and same item weighting as the Public Works Contractor exam above, Sections 5 through 7 heaviest.
Approved references: the DOPL Contractor's Business and Law Reference Manual only, no other materials permitted.
Tabbing and highlighting: identical rule to the Public Works exam above: pre exam highlighting and tabbing allowed, no writing during the session, manual printed and bound in a three ring binder beforehand.
Where to test: the same PSI center list as the Public Works Contractor exam. No remote proctoring option is mentioned in the bulletin.
Retake rules and fees: $75 per attempt under the same non refundable, one year validity, unlimited retake with a new fee policy described above. Idaho's separate Journeyman Electrician and Master Electrician exams run on different terms: 100 questions each, 270 minutes, passing score 70% for Journeyman and 75% for Master, content drawn from the 2020 or 2023 NFPA 70 National Electrical Code (ISBN 9781455922970 or 9781455929368) plus the 2023 Ugly's Electrical References (ISBN 9781284275919) as required references, with Ferm's Fast Finder Index and Tom Henry's Key Word Index listed as optional, not required, references. This differs from the exam's own bulletin structure prior to the PSI transition and should not be confused with the Contractor level exam above.
Vendor and scheduling: same PSI portal and phone line as above.
Questions and time: 100 questions, 240 minutes.
Passing score: 75%.
Open or closed book: open book.
What it covers: unlike the Public Works and Electrical Contractor exams, this one blends two sources. Ninety two items come from the DOPL Contractor's Business and Law Reference Manual across the same 13 sections, and 8 items are a plumbing sizing exercise worked from schematics provided during the exam itself, not from the code book. A separate, code based Plumbing Specialty Contractor exam (Appliance/Water Pump) also exists at 100 questions, 75%, 240 minutes, but it is entirely manual based across all 13 sections with no sizing exercise; the two contractor level exams are not identical in makeup.
Approved references: the DOPL Contractor's Business and Law Reference Manual, plus either the 2015 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC), ISBN 9781938936647, or the 2017 Idaho State Plumbing Code (2017 ISPC), ISBN 9781938936951. Only one code book is required; either edition is accepted.
Tabbing and highlighting: same rule as above: pre exam highlighting and tabbing permitted, no writing during the session, three ring binder required for the printed manual.
Where to test: the same PSI center list as the Public Works Contractor exam. No remote proctoring option is mentioned in the bulletin.
Retake rules and fees: $75 per attempt, same non refundable, one year validity, and unlimited retake with a new fee policy as above. The current PSI bulletin lists the separate Plumbing Journeyman exam at 70% passing, while DOPL's own earlier in person bulletin dated July 1, 2023 listed Plumbing Journeyman at 75% passing. Which figure currently governs that journeyman exam is not stated in the board materials reviewed for this page; it does not affect the Contractor exam passing score of 75% confirmed in the current PSI bulletin. Confirm the Journeyman passing score directly with the board before relying on it.
Vendor and scheduling: same PSI portal and phone line as above.
Questions and time: 100 questions, 240 minutes.
Passing score: 70%.
Open or closed book: open book.
What it covers: entirely the DOPL Contractor's Business and Law Reference Manual, same 13 section outline and same item weighting pattern as the Public Works and Electrical Contractor exams, Sections 5 through 7 heaviest at 20 items each.
Approved references: the DOPL Contractor's Business and Law Reference Manual only. The separate HVAC Journeyman exam is code based rather than manual based: 100 questions, 240 minutes, 70% passing, drawn from the 2018 International Mechanical Code (ISBN 9781609837433) and the 2018 International Fuel Gas Code (ISBN 9781609837419) by chapter, and a shorter HVAC Specialty Journeyman exam runs 50 questions, 120 minutes, 70% passing, drawn from the Fuel Gas Code chapters only.
Tabbing and highlighting: same rule as above: pre exam highlighting and tabbing permitted, no writing during the session, manual printed and bound in a three ring binder beforehand.
Where to test: the same PSI center list as the Public Works Contractor exam. No remote proctoring option is mentioned in the bulletin.
Retake rules and fees: $75 per attempt, same non refundable, one year validity, and unlimited retake with a new fee policy as above.
Basic registration: none, no experience test, no financial statement. Public Works Contractor license: a fixed years of experience requirement is not stated in the board materials reviewed for this page, but the financial statement bar rises sharply with class. Class C and D applicants can submit the administrator's own balance sheet form, information no older than six months, or a QuickBooks export, or a CPA or licensed public accountant prepared statement, nothing older than 12 months. Class B and CC require a compiled financial statement with an accountant's report, no older than 12 months. Class A, AA, AAA, and Unlimited require a reviewed or audited financial statement with an accountant's report, no older than 12 months (DOPL Public Works Contractor Licensing Fact Sheet 01/30/2025; IDAPA 24.39.50.100.03). A parent company's financials may qualify a subsidiary only if the statement names the company and is accompanied by a guarantor letter (fact sheet 01/30/2025). Applicants seeking a higher class than their history supports must document having actually performed projects of similar scope and character (IDAPA 24.39.50.100.02).
A processing timeline from submission to license issuance is not stated in the board materials reviewed for this page (Idaho public works contractor licensing, Idaho public works contractor FAQs). Renewal applications must be filed by the last working day of the month the license expires, with one allowable extension of up to 60 days, and a $100 expedite fee is available to accelerate review of an application (IDAPA 24.39.50.100.01). Confirm current issuance speed directly with DOPL before relying on a specific timeframe.
For basic contractor registration there is nothing to waive, since there is no exam to begin with. Idaho does run narrow trade level reciprocity: licensed journeyman electricians from Colorado, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming can apply for reciprocal Idaho electrical licensure with proof of at least one year holding a current license plus four years of schooling and on the job training, and licensed journeyman plumbers from Montana, Oregon, and Washington have a similar reciprocal path for plumbing. Confirm the current state list directly with DOPL before relying on it.
Electrical contracting is licensed separately by DOPL's Electrical Board under its own statute. An individual electrical contractor applicant needs 2,000 hours of work experience as a licensed journeyman and an active Idaho master electrician license; a business entity applicant must employ a licensed master electrician, or a journeyman with 2,000 hours logged (Idaho electrical program exams and the Electrical Contractor Application). The contractor exam runs 100 questions over 240 minutes, passing score 70%, exam fee $75, non refundable. After passing, the contractor must carry $300,000 liability insurance and workers compensation unless exempt, and pay a $125 license fee (same source). Applications expire one year after filing if not completed.
Plumbing runs through DOPL's State Plumbing Board. An applicant applies online and pays a $22.50 application fee, then has one year to pass the licensing exam once approved (Idaho plumbing program exams and the Plumbing Contractor Application Instructions). Advancing to a Plumbing Contractor license requires holding an active journeyman license for at least two and a half years, 30 months, passing a business and law exam, and documenting work history. After passing, the plumbing contractor must post a $2,000 compliance bond (IDAPA 24.39.20.100.03; Idaho Code 54-2606) and pay a $147 initial license fee (dopl.idaho.gov/plb/ fee table).
HVAC runs through DOPL's Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Board.
The most significant change is procedural, not financial. DOPL's current Public Works exam page now states that applicants must take and pass the PSI exam before applying for a Public Works Contractor license, reversing the order previously described on this page, apply and get approved first, then schedule the exam (Idaho public works contractor exams, checked 2026-08-11). DOPL's own downloadable fact sheet PDF, still dated 01/30/2025 and unchanged in content, still describes the old order: apply and get approved, then DOPL emails you to schedule the exam at one of its three offices. These two official DOPL sources currently contradict each other on sequencing. Confirm the current order directly with DOPL before applying for licensure or paying any exam fee.
Idaho IDAPA 24.39.50 Table 111.01 and Idaho Code 54-1904 (statute text) set the financial requirement for a Public Works license: class is set by net worth and working capital, from Class D ($10,000 net worth, $3,000 working capital) up to Unlimited ($1,000,000 net worth, $600,000 working capital, no bid limit).
NASCLA acceptance was checked directly against NASCLA's own participating agency pages for each exam. Idaho does not appear on the Commercial Exam participating agency list, and the Idaho Electrical Board does appear on the Electrical Exam participating agency list.
The 90 day rule allowing a license to remain in force after a Qualified Individual's departure notice is confirmed through Cornell Law School's Legal Information Institute codification of IDAPA 24.39.50.100. Confirm this window directly with DOPL before relying on it for a specific transition.
The following items are not stated in the board materials reviewed for this page: the cap on how many companies one Qualified Individual may simultaneously qualify, the application to issuance processing timeline, general Public Works reciprocity with other states, the specific electrical and plumbing journeyman reciprocity state lists, and whether the Plumbing Journeyman passing score is 70% or 75%. Confirm each of these directly with DOPL before relying on them.
For private construction work of $2,000 or more in labor and materials, the Idaho Contractors Board, part of the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), handles registration (Idaho contractor registration FAQ and Idaho Contractors Board). This is a five member board, four contractors and one public member, appointed by the governor. Electrical, plumbing, and HVAC trades are licensed separately, each through its own DOPL 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 Idaho Contractors Board, Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses. 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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