Roofing Contractor Qualifying Agent: Who Qualifies a Roofing Company in Each State

A roofing company needs a state credential in Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Minnesota, North Carolina and Oklahoma, and in every one of them a single named person qualifies the company by meeting the state's exam or experience rules on its behalf. Colorado and Texas have no state roofing license at all, so a roofer there answers to each city or county instead.

This page covers who issues the roofing credential in each of those states and, just as important, who is allowed to qualify the company. For the general licensing rules in every state, start with how to get a contractor license in each state. For bonds, fees and exams state by state, see our roofing contractor license requirements by state.

At a glance

• No state roofing license: Colorado and Texas. Denver requires a roofing supervisor certificate before it issues a contractor license.
• One person qualifies the company: called the qualifying party, qualifying agent, qualifying person, RMO or RME depending on the state.
• Residential and commercial split: Arizona, Illinois, Louisiana and Oklahoma issue separate or tiered roofing credentials.
• Money thresholds: Louisiana residential roofing at $7,500 or more; North Carolina at $40,000 or more.
• Qualifier on payroll: Illinois bars a qualifying party who receives a Form 1099 from the roofing company.

Which States License Roofing Contractors at the State Level

The table lists the board, the roofing credential and the title the law gives the person who qualifies the company. Every row comes from the board or the statute, read on September 30, 2026. Details for each state sit in the notes directly below the table.

State notes

• Arizona: R-42 is residential roofing, C-42 is commercial roofing, and CR-42 allows the scope of both, per the Arizona ROC classifications. A.R.S. 32-1122 sets the qualifying party rules.
• California: The CSLB C-39 classification covers roofing, waterproofing and weatherproofing materials. B&P 7068 lets a company qualify through a responsible managing officer or a responsible managing employee.
• Colorado: The state Division of Professions and Occupations lists no roofing credential. Denver and the Pikes Peak region license roofers locally.
• Florida: Section 489.105 defines the roofing contractor and the primary qualifying agent, and section 489.119 requires a business organization to apply through a qualifying agent.
• Illinois: Under the Roofing Industry Licensing Act, 225 ILCS 335/2, a limited license covers residential properties of 8 units or less and an unlimited license covers residential, commercial and industrial roofing.
• Louisiana: Residential Roofing became a subclassification of residential construction under La. R.S. 37:2156.4, per the LSLBC August 2025 memo. Commercial Roofing is its own board classification.
• Minnesota: Minn. Stat. 326B.805 requires a residential roofer, residential building contractor or residential remodeler license for residential roofing work.
• North Carolina: G.S. 87-1 sets the $40,000 threshold, and 21 NCAC 12A .0202 (amended April 1, 2026) defines the S(Roofing) specialty classification.
• Oklahoma: The Roofing Contractor Registration Act requires every roofing contractor to register with the Construction Industries Board, with a separate endorsement for commercial work.
• Texas: The TDLR list of regulated industries has no roofing program.

Is There a Colorado Roofing License?

No. Colorado has no state roofing license, and no state board issues one. The Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations licenses electrical and plumbing contractors, but its occupational list has no roofing or general contractor credential.

That does not mean a Colorado roofer can skip licensing. Cities and counties license roofers, and each one sets its own rules. Our state vs local contractor license guide explains how the two layers fit together, and the Colorado contractor license page covers the state as a whole.

Denver. Denver Community Planning and Development issues roofing supervisor certificates under its Specialty Class D program, per the Denver Specialty Class D certificates page. The roofing certificates are Roof Covering/Waterproofing for commercial and residential work, Roofing-Shingles for residential work only, Metal Roof Installer for metal roofs only, and Roofing for green roof systems only. Each requires two years of field experience; the commercial and residential and the shingle certificates require at least 24 projects from 24 different months, and none requires a test.

Denver's contractor license sits on top of that certificate. The city's contractor licenses page says a license applicant must hold a supervisor certificate, or a state electrical or plumbing license, or employ someone who holds a supervisor certificate before applying. That employee is, in practice, the person who qualifies a roofing company in Denver.

Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak region. The Pikes Peak Regional Building Department requires a roofing contractor to pass an approved ICC exam before applying and puts the full licensing process at 6 to 8 weeks after it receives a complete application and test result. It does not reciprocate licenses from other building departments, and it issues no permit until the license is active.

In Colorado, check the rules of every city and county where you plan to work before you bid there.

Texas Has No State Roofing License Either

Texas does not license roofing contractors at the state level. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation regulates air conditioning contractors, electricians and dozens of other programs, and roofing is not among them. A roofer working in Texas still pulls permits and meets registration rules where a city sets them.

Florida Roofing License Requirements: Certified or Registered

Florida licenses roofing contractors through the Construction Industry Licensing Board. Under section 489.105, a roofing contractor's scope is unlimited in the roofing trade and covers all kinds of roofing, waterproofing and coating, plus skylights, required roof deck attachments and repair of wood roof sheathing or fascia during a roof repair or replacement.

The choice between the two Florida credentials decides where the company can work:

• Certified roofing contractor: holds a certificate of competency and may contract in any jurisdiction in the state without meeting that jurisdiction's competency rules.
• Registered roofing contractor: registers after meeting a local jurisdiction's competency requirements and may contract only in those jurisdictions.

To sit for certification, section 489.111 requires, among its paths, at least 4 years of active experience in the trade with at least 1 year as a foreman. The person who holds that certificate for a company is its primary qualifying agent: the person responsible for supervising, directing, managing and controlling the company's contracting activities. Florida also recognizes a financially responsible officer, a person other than the primary qualifying agent who takes personal responsibility for the company's finances with board approval.

For the full Florida picture, see our Florida contractor license page and the Florida qualifying agent guide.

Residential and Commercial Roofing Credentials

Several states split roofing into a residential credential and a broader one, which matters when a company moves from houses to commercial flat roofs.

• Arizona: R-42 for residential, C-42 for commercial, and CR-42 for both, per the ROC classifications. The roofing scope includes weatherproofing and roof accessories such as flashing, valleys, gravel stops and sheet metal.
• Illinois: A limited license for residential properties of 8 units or less, or an unlimited license for residential, commercial and industrial work, under 225 ILCS 335/2.
• Louisiana: Since January 1, 2026, roofing work on a residential structure with a project value of $7,500 or more requires the Residential Roofing or Residential Construction classification, per the LSLBC August 2025 memo. The board's July 2026 memo adds that from August 1, 2026 a residential roofing project is a building used primarily as a residence with up to four dwelling units, and residential licensees must carry at least $500,000 in liability insurance.
• Minnesota: The residential roofer license covers roof coverings, roof sheathing, roof weatherproofing and insulation, and repair of roof systems, but not construction of new roof systems, under 326B.802, subd. 14.
• Oklahoma: A registration covers residential work, and any commercial roofing work needs a commercial endorsement, per the Construction Industries Board.

In North Carolina, S(Roofing) covers roofs and decks on residential, commercial, industrial and institutional structures, so one classification reaches both markets once a job hits $40,000.

Who Can Qualify a Roofing Company

Each state names one person whose exam and experience keep the company licensed, but the rules on who that person may be differ sharply.

• Oklahoma, owner or officer: The qualifying party must be an officer or owner of the corporation, a member of the LLC, or a general partner, and actively engaged in the registered work, under 59 O.S. 1151.2. House Bill 3800, effective January 1, 2027, keeps that rule, requires the qualifying party to be a registrant responsible for all of the firm's roofing work, and allows only one qualifying party per roofing firm.
• Illinois, on payroll: The qualifying party must be an employee under the company's supervision and control, with FICA and withholding taken out and workers' compensation provided, and may not receive a Form 1099, per 225 ILCS 335/3. The qualifying party must also actively take part in day to day operations.
• California, full time: A responsible managing employee must be a permanent employee who is actively engaged, which B&P 7068 defines as 32 hours a week or 80 percent of the business's operating hours, whichever is less.
• Minnesota, owner or managing employee: The qualifying person must be an owner, officer, chief manager, partner or managing employee, and may qualify more than one company only with at least 25 percent common ownership, under 326B.805, subd. 4. The Minnesota DLI exam page adds that the qualifying person may not be an independent contractor of the company.
• Arizona, experience first: The qualifying party needs four years of practical or management trade experience, at least two within the last ten years, and must pass the written exam unless the registrar waives it, under A.R.S. 32-1122.
• Louisiana, designated person: A qualifying party is a natural person the contractor designates to meet the licensing requirements for the initial license and every renewal, under La. R.S. 37:2150.1.
• North Carolina, 90 days: If the qualifier leaves, the license stays in force for 90 days, but the company may not bid or take new contracts until the license is reinstated, under G.S. 87-10.

The qualifier angle. In several of these states, including California, Illinois and Minnesota, a roofing company whose owners lack the exam or the years of experience can still be licensed when a qualified person joins the company as a genuine full time W-2 employee who actually supervises the roofing work. That is exactly what a qualifying agent does: the agent qualifies your company in that state, on your payroll and under your supervision, as explained in what is a qualifying agent. Oklahoma is the exception to plan around, because its qualifying party must hold an officer, owner, member or partner role. When you are ready to talk through your state, hire a qualifying agent is the place to start, and our guide to whether a qualifying agent can be a 1099 contractor covers the payroll question in depth.

Oklahoma's New Residential Roofing Endorsement

Oklahoma is changing its rules. House Bill 1628 of 2025 created a residential roofing endorsement, and Senate Bill 1873 and House Bill 3800 of 2026 revised it, per the Construction Industries Board's June 2026 notice.

• Grandfathering: Roofers registered and in good standing on or before January 1, 2027 may apply between January 1, 2027 and January 1, 2028, then either complete 10 hours of approved continuing education or pass the exam.
• Mandatory date: Beginning January 1, 2028, the endorsement is required to offer or perform any residential roofing work.
• Exam: Administered by PSI, with a passing score of 70 percent; a candidate who fails waits 30 days to retest, and 90 days after later failures.
• Commercial endorsement: Starting January 1, 2027, renewal requires 4 hours of continuing education each year, and the endorsement may be placed in inactive status.

The CIB's notice says inactive status lets an endorsement holder step in quickly when a company loses its endorsed person, the same continuity problem every roofing company faces when its qualifier leaves.

Insurance, Bonds and Workers' Compensation

Roofing credentials come with insurance and bonding rules that are stricter than a general business license. These are the figures the boards publish:

• Oklahoma: At least $500,000 in general liability insurance for residential roofing, and $1,000,000 for any commercial roofing work, per the Construction Industries Board, plus proof of workers' compensation coverage or an exemption.
• Minnesota: A $15,000 surety bond, liability insurance of at least $300,000 per occurrence with at least $10,000 of property damage coverage, and a $180 license fee, per the DLI roofer license page.
• Illinois: A continuous bond of $10,000 for a limited license or $25,000 for an unlimited license, plus workers' compensation insurance covering roofing employees, under 225 ILCS 335/3.
• Louisiana: At least $500,000 in liability insurance for residential construction licensees and their subclassifications from August 1, 2026, per the LSLBC July 2026 memo.
• Colorado Springs area: The Pikes Peak Regional Building Department requires proof of insurance, and the certificate must note that reroofing is included or not excluded.

Storm Work and Out of State Roofers

After a hailstorm or hurricane, demand arrives faster than a license application can move. Oklahoma's registration applies to resident and nonresident roofing contractors alike, per the Construction Industries Board, and failing to register is a misdemeanor. Today the misdemeanor fine is up to $500 for each violation; House Bill 3800 raises it from January 1, 2027.

Permits follow the same logic. Louisiana Act 239 of 2025 requires permitting and inspection of roof construction and reroofing on residential and commercial structures for projects beginning on or after August 1, 2025, per the LSLBC August 2025 memo. In the Pikes Peak region, advertising or contracting for permitted work without the proper license violates the regional building code, and stocking roof materials on site counts as the start of work.

The lesson for a growing roofing company is to line up the license and the qualifier before the storm, not after it.

The Licensing Steps in Order

1. Confirm the state rule. Check whether the state licenses roofing at all, and whether the job crosses a threshold such as $7,500 in Louisiana residential roofing or $40,000 in North Carolina.
2. Pick the credential. Choose residential, commercial or both, such as R-42, C-42 or CR-42 in Arizona, or a limited or unlimited license in Illinois.
3. Name the qualifier. Decide who will qualify the company and confirm that person fits the state's rule: owner or officer in Oklahoma, a payroll employee in Illinois, an officer or an actively engaged permanent employee in California.
4. Pass the exam. The qualifier sits for the state's roofing exam, such as the Minnesota qualifying roofer exam or the Oklahoma exam given by PSI.
5. Assemble insurance and bonds. Gather the liability certificate, workers' compensation proof and any bond the board requires.
6. File the company application. Submit the application in the company's name with the qualifier designated on it.
7. Add local licenses. In Colorado, Texas and any state with local licensing, register with each city or county before pulling permits.
8. Plan for a departure. Know the state's window if the qualifier leaves, such as North Carolina's 90 days, and keep a backup plan ready.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need a license to be a roofer in Colorado? There is no Colorado state roofing license. Cities and counties license roofers instead: Denver requires a roofing supervisor certificate and a contractor license, and the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department requires an ICC exam and a license before any permit.

What license does a roofing contractor need in Florida? A certified roofing contractor license from the Construction Industry Licensing Board lets the company work anywhere in Florida. A registered roofing contractor may work only in the local jurisdictions whose competency rules it met. A business organization qualifies through a primary qualifying agent.

Does Texas require a roofing license? No. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation does not license roofers. Check each city for permit and registration rules.

Can an employee qualify a roofing company? In California, Illinois and Minnesota, yes, if the employee meets the state's rules, such as at least 32 hours a week, or 80 percent of operating hours if less, in California and payroll status with no Form 1099 in Illinois. In Oklahoma, the qualifying party must be an officer, owner, LLC member or general partner.

Can one person qualify more than one roofing company? Minnesota allows it only when the companies share at least 25 percent common ownership. Illinois allows one additional company with at least 25 percent common ownership or a licensed subsidiary, under 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1460.11. From January 1, 2027, Oklahoma allows only one qualifying party per roofing firm. California bars a qualifying individual from holding any other active contractor license while qualifying a company, except as section 7068.1 allows.

What happens when a roofing company's qualifier leaves? It depends on the state. In North Carolina, the license stays in force for 90 days, but the company may not bid or take new contracts until it is reinstated. In Minnesota, the company must notify the commissioner of a change in qualifying person within 15 days. In Illinois, the company notifies the Department within 30 business days and names a new qualifying party, who has 7 months to pass the exam.

Talk to Us About Qualifying Your Roofing Company

Founders Marshall Schofield and Jeremiah Jaskulski built The Licensing Company around one question every expanding contractor faces: who can lawfully qualify this company in this state. Roofing makes that question sharper, because the rules on who may qualify change from an owner requirement in Oklahoma to a payroll requirement in Illinois.

If you are a residential roofer moving into commercial work, or a commercial roofer entering new states, call us at 615-219-2110 or start at hire a qualifying agent. We will walk through the state, the credential and the qualifier rule with you.

Sources

All retrieved September 30, 2026.

• Arizona Registrar of Contractors, license classifications
• Arizona Revised Statutes 32-1122, qualifications for license
• California CSLB, C-39 Roofing classification
• California Business and Professions Code 7068
• Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations, occupational professions list
• Denver Community Planning and Development, contractor licenses
• Denver Community Planning and Development, Specialty Class D certificates
• Pikes Peak Regional Building Department, roofing contractors licensing questions
• Florida Statutes 489.105, definitions
• Florida Statutes 489.111, licensure by examination
• Florida Statutes 489.119, qualifying agents
• Illinois Roofing Industry Licensing Act, 225 ILCS 335/2
• Illinois Roofing Industry Licensing Act, 225 ILCS 335/3
• Illinois Administrative Code, 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1460, roofing rules
• Louisiana R.S. 37:2150.1, definitions
• Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, August 2025 roofing memo
• Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, July 2026 statutory changes memo
• Minnesota Statutes 326B.802, definitions
• Minnesota Statutes 326B.805, licensing requirements
• Minnesota DLI, roofer license
• Minnesota DLI, contractor, roofer and remodeler exams
• North Carolina G.S. 87-1
• North Carolina G.S. 87-10
• North Carolina 21 NCAC 12A .0202, classification
• Oklahoma Construction Industries Board, active roofing contractor requirements
• Oklahoma Construction Industries Board, residential roofing endorsement notice
• Oklahoma Roofing Contractor Registration Act, 59 O.S. 1151.1 and following
• Oklahoma House Bill 3800 of 2026, enrolled text
• Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, regulated industries