Roofing Contractor License Requirements by State

There is no national roofing license: each state decides, from a dedicated roofing license in states such as California, Florida and Illinois, to roofing inside a general contractor license, to no state roofing license at all in Texas. What a roofing company needs depends on the state, the kind of building, and in many states the dollar value of the job.

At a glance

• Dedicated roofing licenses: California C-39, Florida roofing contractor, Illinois limited or unlimited roofing, Nevada C-15, Arizona R-42 and C-42.
• Dollar triggers: from any paid job in Illinois to over $2,500 for Alabama residential roofing and $40,000 or more in North Carolina.
• New in 2026: Louisiana requires a Residential Roofing license for residential roofing of $7,500 or more.
• Bonds: $25,000 in California, $10,000 for an Alabama roofer, $10,000 or $25,000 in Illinois.
• No state license: Texas does not license roofing contractors, but its insurance claim rules still apply.

Every figure below was read on the state board, statute or rule site on September 28, 2026, and each state row is linked to its source in the notes and the Sources list. For the licensing rules in all 50 states across every trade, start with how to get a contractor license in each state.

Which States Require a Roofing License?

States regulate roofing in three ways, and knowing which model you are in tells you what to prepare.

1. A dedicated roofing license. The board issues a roofing license or roofing classification: California, Florida, Illinois, Nevada, Arizona, Minnesota, Alabama and Mississippi, and Louisiana since 2026.
2. Roofing inside a broader contractor license. North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee license roofing as a classification of the general contractor license once a job reaches the state's dollar trigger. Oregon and Washington require every contractor, roofers included, to be licensed or registered.
3. No state roofing license. Texas has no statewide roofing license. Georgia has no roofing license either, and its law lets a specialty contractor recognized by the Board work directly for an owner without a residential or general contractor license.

"No state license" never means no rules. Texas still controls insurance paid roofing contracts, and Georgia still licenses larger home projects above its dollar trigger.

Who Licenses Roofers in Each State

The table covers 16 states, each sourced in the notes under it.

State notes

• Alabama: a residential roofer needs a Roofers License when the job exceeds $2,500 (HBLB definitions). An Unlimited Home Builder may roof without it. Commercial roofing of $100,000 or more falls under the general contractor board since October 1, 2024 (ALBGC).
• Arizona: R-42 is residential roofing, C-42 commercial, CR-42 both; KB-2 is Dual Residential and Small Commercial, a general class (R4-9-103, R4-9-104). Jobs under $1,000 are exempt only when no permit is needed and the job is not split (A.R.S. 32-1121).
• California: C-39 needs four years of journey level or higher experience in the class (CSLB experience) and the Law and Business and C-39 trade exams (CSLB study guides). Work under $1,000 in labor and materials is exempt only when it needs no building permit (B&P 7048).
• Florida: a certified roofing contractor works statewide; a registered one works only where it met local licensing (F.S. 489.117). Certification needs age 18 and one of four eligibility routes: four years of trade experience with at least one as a foreman, a baccalaureate in engineering, architecture or building construction plus one year, or one of three combinations of foreman time and accredited college credits, where all junior and community college courses count (F.S. 489.111). The minor work exemption applies only below $2,500 and never covers anyone who advertises as a contractor (F.S. 489.103).
• Florida exams: candidates take the Business and Finance and Roofing exams (DBPR exams); see also the Florida roofing contractor license guide and the Florida general contractor license.
• Georgia: residential licensing starts above $2,500 (O.C.G.A. 43-41-2), but a specialty contractor recognized by the Board may contract directly with an owner for its own trade without that license (O.C.G.A. 43-41-17(f)). The exemption covers work that is predominantly the specialty trade.
• Illinois: Limited covers residential buildings of 8 units or fewer; Unlimited covers residential, commercial and industrial (225 ILCS 335/2). There is no dollar floor: only work on your own property or done without pay is exempt (225 ILCS 335/11). Full guide: Illinois roofing contractor license.
• Louisiana: since January 1, 2026, residential roofing of $7,500 or more needs Residential Roofing or Residential Construction under R.S. 37:2156.4 (LSLBC memo, August 12, 2025); a residence is a building of up to four units (LSLBC memo, July 13, 2026). Commercial roofing of $50,000 or more needs 1.11 Roofing and Sheet Metal, Siding (LSLBC classifications).
• Minnesota: a residential roofer contracting with an owner must hold a residential roofer, remodeler or building contractor license, unless gross annual receipts stay at or under $15,000 under a certificate of exemption (Minn. Stat. 326B.805).
• Mississippi: residential roofing over $10,000 needs a license, and Residential Roofer requires a test; commercial work over $50,000 needs a commercial license (MSBOC FAQ, MSBOC classifications).
• Nevada: C-15a Roofing is a subclassification of C-15 Roofing and Siding (NAC 624.320). Repair or maintenance under $1,000 is exempt only when no permit is required and the work is not part of a larger project (NRS 624.031).
• North Carolina: a general contractor license is required at $40,000 or more (G.S. 87-1), and roofing is one of the Board's specialty classifications (NCLBGC).
• Oregon: anyone who bids or works as a contractor needs a CCB license and endorsement (ORS 701.021). Casual work under $1,000 is exempt, but never for anyone who advertises as a contractor (ORS 701.010).
• South Carolina: a residential roofer registers for jobs over $500, with no exam, and files a $5,000 bond for any job over $5,000 (LLR packet). Commercial work over $10,000 needs a Contractor's Licensing Board license with the Roofing subclassification (S.C. Code 40-11).
• Tennessee: BC-21 covers roofing, gutters and vinyl siding; a roofing subcontractor needs a license when its portion reaches $25,000 (Tennessee classification outline).
• Texas: the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation does not license roofing contractors, and the Roofing Contractors Association of Texas runs a voluntary license (RCAT).
• Washington: roofing is one of 63 specialties that require L&I contractor registration (L&I).

How Much Does It Cost to Get a Roofing License?

The state charges a fee and sets the bond and insurance minimums; your surety and carrier set the premiums.

Fee notes

• California: the $450 original application fee applies to exam and waiver applicants alike, with no separate exam fee listed, and the initial license fee is $200 for a sole owner or $350 for other entities (CSLB fees). The $25,000 bond has applied since January 1, 2023 (CSLB bonds).

• Florida: a roofing contractor carries $100,000 in public liability and $25,000 in property damage coverage (rule 61G4-15.003). An applicant with a credit score below 660 completes a 14 hour financial responsibility course (rule 61G4-15.006). The board rule sets the fee in parts rather than as one payment: $335 for the application and examination, nonrefundable, of which $135 is paid on scheduling and $80 covers administration of each test, plus $40 for processing after you pass, and $200 at each biennial renewal (rule 61G4-12.009). A failed or missed test costs $135 on scheduling plus $80 per test again.

• Illinois: the bond is $10,000 for a limited license and $25,000 for unlimited (225 ILCS 335/3). IDFPR requires $500,000 per occurrence for injury and $250,000 for property damage, with a $125 application fee (IDFPR application).

• Louisiana: a residential applicant shows a $50,000 net worth (LSLBC requirements). Since August 1, 2026, residential licensees carry at least $500,000 in liability coverage (LSLBC memo, July 13, 2026).

• North Carolina: a limited license (projects up to $750,000) needs $17,000 in working capital or $80,000 net worth, or a $175,000 bond (NCLBGC).

• Oregon: a residential general contractor posts a $25,000 bond and carries $500,000; the specialty figures are in the table (ORS 701.081).

• Tennessee: the initial application is $250, and a reviewed or audited financial statement sets the monetary limit. Since July 1, 2026, a surety bond of at least 50 percent of the limit may replace the statement (Tennessee contractor license). Fees are set by the board or testing vendor and can change. Verify the current amount with the provider before you pay.

• Washington: the fee is $150.20, and coverage is $200,000 liability plus $50,000 property damage or $250,000 combined (L&I). The $15,000 specialty bond ($30,000 for a general contractor) took effect July 1, 2024 (RCW 18.27.040).

For every trade, see how much a contractor license costs.

Bonds and Insurance for Roofing Contractors

Alabama's residential roofer bond is a $10,000 license and permit bond naming the Home Builders Licensure Board as obligee, filed by the surety directly with the Board (HBLB FAQ). The bond must be renewed each year with the license. The Board does not set an insurance minimum for the license itself.

California requires workers' compensation for every C-39 roofer. A C-39 contractor must carry workers' compensation even with no employees, a rule shared by C-8 Concrete, C-20 HVAC, C-22 Asbestos Abatement and C-61/D-49 Tree Service (CSLB workers' compensation).

Arizona sets bonds by volume and class. A residential specialty contractor such as an R-42 roofer posts $1,000 to $7,500, and a commercial specialty contractor posts $2,500 to $50,000 depending on annual volume (A.R.S. 32-1152).

Nevada sets each bond individually, from the contractor's finances and size, between $1,000 and $500,000 (NRS 624.270).

For the full picture across trades, see contractor bond requirements by state and contractor insurance requirements by state.

Continuing Education and Renewal for Roofers

• Florida: each renewal takes 14 hours, with one hour each in a specialized module, workplace safety, business practices, workers' compensation, laws and rules, and for roofing licensees wind mitigation methodologies (rule 61G4-18.001, F.S. 489.115).
• Alabama: roofer licenses renew every year, and licensees under 60 complete six hours before renewal (HBLB renewal instructions).
• Louisiana: a residential construction contractor completes six hours a year (LAC 46:XXIX.505, LSLBC law book).
• Minnesota: the qualifying person completes 14 hours per two year license period (Minn. Stat. 326B.821).
• North Carolina: the eight annual hours apply to qualifiers of building, residential and unclassified licenses, not to specialty classifications such as roofing (G.S. 87-10.2).

Roofing Across State Lines After a Storm

Roofing companies follow hail and hurricane seasons, and a home state license does not carry into another state unless that state's law says so. Three rules catch traveling crews most often:

1. The permit check. Illinois requires the official issuing a permit to see a current roofing license first (225 ILCS 335/11), and Louisiana requires permits and inspections for roofing and reroofing on projects that began on or after August 1, 2025 (LSLBC memo, August 12, 2025).
2. Splitting jobs. Arizona and Florida both deny the small job exemption when work is divided into smaller contracts to stay under the limit (A.R.S. 32-1121, F.S. 489.103).
3. Insurance claim rules. In Texas, a contract of $1,000 or more expected to be paid from a property insurance claim must carry a printed notice that the owner pays the deductible, and waiving or absorbing the deductible without the insurer's consent is an offense (Tex. Bus. & Com. Code 27.02, Ins. Code 707.002).

The lawful answer is a license in each state where you bid, with a qualifying individual who meets that state's rules. See how qualifying agents help contractors expand, multi-jurisdiction licensure and penalties for unlicensed contracting.

Specialty Roofing Work: Metal, Tile and Low Slope

Read the classification scope before you bid specialty work. Florida's roofing scope covers all roofing, waterproofing and coating, plus skylights, deck attachments, and sheathing or fascia repair during a roof job (F.S. 489.105). South Carolina's Roofing subclassification names tile, metal, wood shakes, single ply and built-up roofing (S.C. Code 40-11).

Nevada's C-15a covers tile, slate, aluminum and urethane but not the conduits, inverters or batteries of a solar roof (NAC 624.320). Arizona's R-42 allows replacing up to 10 percent of damaged substrate found after signing and up to 24 linear feet of fascia (R4-9-103).

How Homeowners Can Check a Roofer

• Look up the license on the board named in the table above, and match the business name exactly.
• Ask for the insurance and bond certificates. An Alabama roofer bond names the Board and a Washington bond names the state, not you.
• Get a written contract naming the licensed business, the scope and the permit.
• Expect a permit. Louisiana requires roofing permits and inspections, and Illinois checks the license before issuing one.
• Pay your own deductible. In Texas a roofer who offers to cover it without your insurer's consent commits an offense.

Why the Qualifying Party Decides Most Roofing Licenses

In most licensing states the license belongs to the company, but a named individual earns it. That person passes the exam, brings the experience, and answers to the board for the work.

Illinois requires every roofing license to name a qualifying party who passes the state exam and takes part in the company's day to day operations. The qualifying party must be a paid W-2 employee who never receives a Form 1099 from the company (225 ILCS 335/3). One person may qualify a second licensee only with at least 25 percent common ownership (IDFPR application).

Florida gives the qualifying agent final approval authority over all construction work and all contracts and payments, and a company that loses its qualifying agent has 60 days to replace that person (F.S. 489.119). Arizona requires the qualifying party to bring four years of trade experience (A.R.S. 32-1122), Nevada four years within the last 15 (NRS 624.260), and Oregon a responsible managing individual at all times (ORS 701.091).

If your company has the crews but not the credentialed person, a qualifying agent can qualify the company: a licensed professional who joins your team, actually supervises the roofing work, and meets the board's employment and control rules. Read what a qualifying agent is, or hire a qualifying agent to match with one for your state.

The Licensing Steps in Order

1. Confirm the model and the dollar trigger from the table and the board link.
2. Pick the right classification. Residential or commercial matters in Arizona, Illinois, Louisiana and Mississippi.
3. Name your qualifying individual. Confirm the experience rule: four years in California, Florida, Arizona and Nevada, one year of residential work for a South Carolina roofer.
4. Line up the money: the bond, the credit report or financial statement, and insurance at the state minimums.
5. Pass the exams. California, Florida, Illinois and Arizona test both the trade and business or law topics; South Carolina's residential roofer registration does not require an exam.
6. Register the business entity with the Secretary of State in the state where you will work.
7. File the application and fee, then pull permits only after the license is active.
8. Calendar the renewal and continuing education so the license never lapses mid job.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which states require a roofing license? Nine of the 16 states in our table issue a roofing license or roofing classification, and North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee license roofing inside the general contractor system. Oregon and Washington license or register every contractor. Texas has no state roofing license.

How much does it cost to get a roofing license? State fees run from a $125 application in Illinois to $450 plus a $200 license fee in California, before the bond and insurance, which your surety and carrier price. The cost table above lists each state.

What bond does an Alabama residential roofer need? A $10,000 license and permit bond naming the Home Builders Licensure Board as obligee, sent to the Board by the surety. The license and bond renew every year, and the annual license fee is $150.

How many continuing education hours does a Florida roofing contractor need? Fourteen hours every two years, including one hour of wind mitigation methodologies, one hour of laws and rules, and one hour each of workplace safety, business practices, workers' compensation and a specialized module.

Do I need a roofing license in Texas? Not from the state. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation does not license roofing contractors, though the Business and Commerce Code controls roofing contracts paid from insurance claims. A voluntary license is available from the Roofing Contractors Association of Texas.

Does Louisiana require a license for residential roofing now? Yes. Since January 1, 2026, residential roofing of $7,500 or more requires the Residential Roofing or Residential Construction classification.

Sources

• California Contractors State License Board fees, bond requirements, experience for the exam and workers' compensation, retrieved 2026-09-28
• California Business and Professions Code 7048, retrieved 2026-09-28
• Florida Statutes 489.103, 489.105, 489.111, 489.115, 489.117 and 489.119, retrieved 2026-09-28
• Florida rules 61G4-15.003, 61G4-15.006 and 61G4-18.001, and DBPR construction examinations, retrieved 2026-09-28; Florida rule 61G4-12.009 and Florida Statutes 489.111, retrieved 2026-10-05
• Illinois Roofing Industry Licensing Act, 225 ILCS 335/2, 335/3, 335/3.5 and 335/11, and the IDFPR roofing contractor application, retrieved 2026-09-28
• Arizona A.R.S. 32-1121, 32-1122 and 32-1152, and Arizona Administrative Code R4-9-102, R4-9-103 and R4-9-104 (Cornell copy), retrieved 2026-09-28
• Nevada NRS Chapter 624 (624.031, 624.260, 624.270) and NAC Chapter 624 (624.320), retrieved 2026-09-28
• Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors classifications, licensing requirements, roofing memo of August 12, 2025, statutory changes memo of July 13, 2026 and law and rules book, retrieved 2026-09-28
• Mississippi State Board of Contractors FAQ and classifications, retrieved 2026-09-28
• Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board FAQ, definitions and roofer renewal instructions, and the Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors notice of Act 2024-277, retrieved 2026-09-28
• Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors: contractor license and classification outline, retrieved 2026-09-28
• North Carolina G.S. 87-1 and 87-10.2, and NCLBGC classifications and limitations, retrieved 2026-09-28
• South Carolina LLR residential specialty contractor packet, Contractor's Licensing Board classifications and S.C. Code Title 40, Chapter 11, retrieved 2026-09-28
• Oregon ORS Chapter 701 (701.021, 701.081, 701.084, 701.091), retrieved 2026-09-28
• Washington RCW 18.27.040 and L&I contractor registration, retrieved 2026-09-28
• Georgia O.C.G.A. 43-41-2 and 43-41-17 (FindLaw copy), retrieved 2026-09-28
• Minnesota Statutes 326B.805 and 326B.821, retrieved 2026-09-28
• Roofing Contractors Association of Texas licensing, Texas Business and Commerce Code 27.02 and Texas Insurance Code 707.002, retrieved 2026-09-28

Talk With Us About Your Roofing License

The Licensing Company is led by Marshall Schofield and Jeremiah Jaskulski, recognized authorities on contractor licensing and the qualifying agent model. Whether you are licensing a roofing company for the first time, adding a state after a storm, or replacing a qualifier, call us at 615-219-2110 or start at Hire a Qualifying Agent. We will tell you what the state requires and the fastest lawful way to get there. More state guides are on our state licensing guides page.