Virginia licenses contractors through the Board for Contractors, part of the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR).
Requirements checked against the Virginia Board for Contractors (DPOR) published requirements on September 29, 2026.
| Licensing board | Board for Contractors under the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR), Richmond; the same board also regulates individual tradesmen |
|---|---|
| License required when | Class C required for a single contract over 1000 dollars (under 30000 dollars or under 250000 dollars in twelve months); Class B from 30000 dollars or 250000 dollars in twelve months; Class A at 150000 dollars per contract or 1000000 dollars in twelve months |
| What the state calls the qualifier | qualified individual (the firm also names a designated employee who carries the business and law exam credit at Class A and B) |
| NASCLA exam accepted | partial (credit for the trade exam portion of the Building, BLD, classification only, plus the commercial masonry BRK specialty; the Virginia Contractor Law exam through PSI is still required; not accepted for the ordinary residential general contractor path) |
| Reciprocity and endorsement | North Carolina, Ohio |
| Exam waivers | Only the named exam is waived (RBC or CBC trade exam for North Carolina licensees, business and law exam for Ohio licensees); a complete Virginia application, verification of licensure from the other state board, and the experience and financial review still apply |
| Experience required | 5 years for Class A, 3 years for Class B, 1 year for Class C, in the classification or specialty |
| Application and exam fees | Class A 400 dollars, Class B 380 dollars, Class C 235 dollars, plus a 25 dollar Recovery Fund assessment with each initial application |
| Renewal | Class A 270 dollars, Class B 260 dollars, Class C 220 dollars, plus a 30 dollar Recovery Fund assessment with each renewal |
| Time to license | roughly 30 days average review for a complete routine application, 30 to 60 days realistic range once exams, financials and the pre license course are done; 3 to 6 months from a standing start including exam prep |
| Bond and financial requirements | Class A 45000 dollars minimum net worth or a 50000 dollar surety bond; Class B 15000 dollars net worth or the same 50000 dollar bond; Class C no net worth minimum but must disclose past due debts, judgments and bankruptcies from the prior four years |
| Penalty for unlicensed work | Not stated |
| Time to replace a qualifier | 60 days to report a change of qualified individual; 120 days to report a change of designated employee (18VAC50 22 220) |
| Companies one qualifier may qualify | No explicit cap found on an official DPOR page; the regulation says of the firm, singular, and read it as one firm per qualified individual |
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.
License classes are set by statute: Class A covers single contracts of $150,000 or more or $1,000,000 or more of work in any 12 month period, Class B covers single contracts of $30,000 up to $150,000 or annual volume of $250,000 up to $1,000,000, and Class C covers single contracts over $1,000 up to $30,000 with annual volume under $250,000. Every licensed firm must put named people behind the license: responsible management, a designated employee who passes the board exam for Class A and B, and a qualified individual with verified trade experience for each classification. Once you understand those three roles, Virginia's process is demanding but predictable.
Virginia requires a Qualifying Agent for all licensed contractor entities.
Yes. Virginia's Board for Contractors, under DPOR, licenses general contractors statewide in three classes, A, B, and C, based on contract size and annual volume. The license is issued to the business entity, and every firm must designate a qualified individual who carries the required experience and exam credit to qualify the company for its licensed classifications.
Virginia licenses come in two parts that always travel together: a class, A, B, or C, that sets the dollar ceiling on work, and a classification or specialty, roughly forty of them including Commercial Building, Residential Building, and the individual trades, that sets what type of work is allowed. The class thresholds are set in statute. Class A is required once a single contract or project reaches 150000 dollars or more, or once total work in any twelve month period reaches 1000000 dollars or more. Class B covers a single contract from 30000 dollars up to just under 150000 dollars, or twelve month volume from 250000 dollars up to just under 1000000 dollars. Class C covers a single contract over 1000 dollars but under 30000 dollars, or twelve month volume under 250000 dollars (Virginia Legislative Information System, Code of Virginia section 54.1 1100). A Class A license covers Class B and Class C size work, and Class B covers Class C, but not the reverse. Some sources quote 10000 to 120000 dollars for Class B; that band is Code of Virginia 54.1-1103(C), which covers only water well and landscape irrigation work, licensed at any contract amount. For all other work, the 54.1-1100 figures above apply, with Class C starting at a single contract over 1000 dollars.
Virginia licenses the firm through its qualified individual, who qualifies the company for its licensed classifications. How many separate firms one qualified individual may qualify at the same time is not stated in the board materials reviewed for this page. The regulation's own language requires the qualified individual to be a full time employee or responsible management "of the firm," singular, which points toward Virginia expecting one firm per qualifier rather than an open ended number like Georgia allows, but no explicit cap or explicit multi firm allowance appears on an official DPOR page. Treat Virginia as effectively a one firm per qualifying agent state, and confirm the exact posture with the board for any specific situation.
There are two different deadlines depending on which role changed. Under 18VAC50 22 220 (Virginia Legislative Information System, checked September 29, 2026), a change of qualified individual must be reported to the board on the board's form within 60 days of the change. A change of designated employee, the role that carries the business and law exam credit at Class A and B, must be reported within 120 days of the change. A firm that loses its qualified individual is on a 60 day clock, not 120, and the two roles are easy to confuse. What happens to the license if the deadline is missed is not stated in the regulation text reviewed for this page; treat the deadline as time critical and confirm the exact consequence with DPOR.
PSI is Virginia's contracted testing vendor for both the contractor exams and, separately, the tradesman exams (PSI Exams, Virginia DPOR). Class A and Class B require the designated employee or qualified individual to pass a business and law examination through PSI, and most classifications at those two classes also require a trade knowledge exam. Class C is exempt from the general business and law exam and from most trade exams, but Class C applicants in electrical, plumbing, and HVAC specialties must hold an underlying Virginia master tradesman license, which itself requires passing PSI's tradesman exam, so the exam requirement does not fully disappear for those trades even at Class C. The exact specialty exam matrix for Class C trades should be confirmed directly on PSI Exams. All new applicants, regardless of class, must also complete an 8 hour board approved pre license education course before a license issues (Virginia DPOR, checked September 29, 2026). Multiple independently dated 2026 course provider pages describe the same 8 hour requirement, with no indication of an earlier rumored 6 hour requirement.
Virginia's Board for Contractors is a listed NASCLA participating agency (NASCLA). Virginia accepts a passed NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors as credit for the trade exam portion of the Building, BLD, classification only, effective since January 1, 2016 (NASCLA). It is also separately accepted as the trade exam substitute for the commercial masonry, BRK, specialty. It is not a general substitute across every Virginia classification, and it is not accepted for the ordinary residential general contractor path. Either way, the separate Virginia Contractor Law exam through PSI is still required, and all experience and financial minimums still apply. A candidate who has already passed the NASCLA exam can use it to satisfy the Building classification trade exam described here, not the rest of the licensing process.
PSI is the vendor for every exam named in this section, both the contractor exams and the individual tradesman exams. Virginia runs three separate PSI candidate information bulletins that matter here: one for the Designated Employee business and law exam, one umbrella bulletin for the Qualified Individual specialty or trade exams (which then links out to a separate one page outline per classification), and one for the individual Tradesman, Backflow, Elevator Mechanic and Certified Accessibility Mechanic exams. All three share the same registration portal, testing network, tabbing rules and security procedures, described once below and not repeated per exam. Four major exam programs are covered here, the Class A/B Contractor Business and Law exam, the Commercial Building Technical Contractor trade exam, the Residential Building Contractor trade exam, and the Tradesman program covering electrician, plumber, HVAC and gasfitter licensing.
Scheduling, testing sites and security, common to all four programs unless noted otherwise. Register and pay at PSI's Virginia portal, PSI Virginia contractor exam portal (create an account, select the exam, then choose Test Center or Remote Proctored as the format), or by phone with a PSI registrar at 855 340 3910, Monday through Friday 7:30 am to 10 pm and weekends 9 am to 5:30 pm Eastern. For the Business/Designated Employee exam a candidate registers directly once they meet the Board's requirements. For the specialty/Qualified Individual trade exams and every Tradesman exam, the Department must first approve the candidate's education and experience and notify them of eligibility before PSI will schedule a sitting. Remote online proctoring is offered as a format choice at registration for all three bulletins, so remote is available for the law exam, the building trade exams, and the tradesman exams alike, subject to a webcam, audio and system compatibility check before the sitting. In person testing sites inside Virginia are currently Alexandria, Fredericksburg, Harrisonburg, Charlottesville, Stafford, Tazewell, Richmond, Roanoke, Vienna and Virginia Beach, plus two neighboring state options at Salisbury, Maryland and Johnson City, Tennessee, candidates cannot test out of state elsewhere. All exams are open book. Candidates bring their own references, none are supplied at the site, no study guides are permitted, and references may be highlighted, underlined or indexed before the exam but must carry no handwriting once inside the room. Tabs must be permanent only, Avery Swift Tabs and Redi Tag Self Stick Permanent Adhesive Index Tabs are named as acceptable, Post It Index Flags and Post It Flags are explicitly unacceptable. A candidate cannot rebook the same day as a failed sitting, may retest within about two business days depending on seat availability, and must reregister and pay again each time, fees are not refundable or transferable and are valid one year from the date of payment.
Required for the Designated Employee at Class A and Class B, not required for Class C. Three separate timed portions, schedulable together or apart. Virginia Portion, Rules and Regulations, 24 items, 48 minutes, minimum 18 correct, required for both Class A and Class B. General Portion, 50 items, 100 minutes, minimum 35 correct, required for both Class A and Class B. Advanced Portion, 24 items, 60 minutes, minimum 17 correct, Class A only, on top of the other two.
What it covers. Virginia Portion: Regulation of Contractors 7 items, Board Rules and Regulations 5, Building Codes 5, Transaction Recovery Fund 5, Virginia Erosion and Sediment Control Regulations 2. General Portion: Business Organization 2, Estimating and Bidding 10, Contract Management 10, Project Management 7, Risk Management 3, Safety 5, Labor Laws 3, Financial Management 5, Federal and State Taxes 4, Lien Laws 1. Advanced Portion: Estimating and Bidding 1, Contract Management 4, Project Management 1, Risk Management 2, Safety 2, Labor Laws 4, Financial Management 5, Federal and State Taxes 4, Lien Laws 1.
Approved references, per the bulletin revised 6/5/2024: the primary study reference is the NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business Law and Project Management, Virginia, 11th edition, paired with the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, 2018 Edition. The bulletin states the NASCLA guide plus the state building code together carry everything needed for the General, Advanced and Virginia portions, and then lists roughly a dozen named alternative references for deeper detail only, including the VA Board for Contractors Rules and Regulations, the VA Erosion and Sediment Control Law, the VA Underground Utility Damage Prevention Act, the federal Fair Labor Standards Act reference guide, IRS Circular E, the VA Mechanics' Lien Law at Title 43, the VA Employment Commission Employer Handbook, the VA Right to Work Law, OSHA Forms 300 and 301, the VA Workers' Compensation Act at Title 65.2, Form I 9, 29 CFR 1904, 29 CFR Part 1926 Selections by PSI, Builders Guide to Accounting, and Construction Contracting, 7th edition, Clough/Sears/Sears. An older bulletin mirror still posted on Virginia DPOR's own site names the 8th edition of the NASCLA guide rather than the 11th, so confirm which edition a candidate already owns before a test date.
Fee: $40 for one portion, $72 for two portions, $85 for all three. Score validity is one year from the initial sitting, all portions must pass within that year or the whole exam must be retaken. A Class A candidate who has passed the Virginia and General portions but is running out of time on the Advanced portion may apply for a Class B license instead, then come back later and sit the Advanced portion alone to upgrade to Class A.
The specialty exam a Designated Employee or Qualified Individual sits for the Commercial Building classification. 80 scored items plus 10 unscored experimental items that add time but do not count toward the score, 160 minutes for the scored items plus 20 minutes for the experimental ones, 180 minutes seated. Minimum passing score 70 percent, 56 correct out of 80.
What it covers, per the official one page outline dated 3/8/2023: Site Work 8 items, Concrete including Reinforcement 9, Masonry 9, Metals 9, Carpentry 9, Thermal and Moisture Protection 8, Associated Trades (Finishes including Drywall, Metal Stud Framing, Insulation and Moisture Control, Doors, Windows and Glazing) 7, Safety 7, Estimating and Plan Reading 8, General Building Code Requirements (Life Safety and Egress, Accessibility, Fire Protection Requirements, General Code Provisions) 6. Scope of work is defined at 18VAC50 22 20 as construction, remodeling, repair, improvement, removal or demolition of commercial, industrial, institutional, governmental and accessory use buildings owned or leased by another party. It excludes electrical, plumbing, HVAC and gas fitting work, and excludes dwellings and townhouses as defined in the Uniform Statewide Building Code, USBC, those fall under the Residential exam below instead.
Approved references named on the outline: International Building Code, 2018 or 2021 edition through 1/18/25, then either edition through 4/30/25, and the 2021 edition only starting 5/1/25, a transition date that has now passed, so a candidate testing today needs the 2021 edition, ICC A117.1 Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities, 2009, Technical Digest No. 9, Handling and Erection of Steel Joists and Joist Girders, 3rd edition 2008, Carpentry and Building Construction, 2010 or 2016 student edition, Feirer and Feirer, Gypsum Construction Handbook, 2014, Placing Reinforcing Bars Recommended Practices, 9th edition 2011, The Contractor's Guide to Quality Concrete Construction, 3rd edition 2005, Roofing Construction and Estimating, Daniel Atcheson 1995, Modern Masonry, Brick, Block, Stone, 8th edition, Kicklighter, Pipe and Excavation Contracting, Dave Roberts 2011, plus 29 CFR Part 1926 OSHA Selections. The NASCLA guide is not on this particular exam's reference list; a candidate does not need it for the CBC trade exam itself, only for the Business and Law exam above.
Where the NASCLA note above refers to the Building, BLD, classification, that classification is administered today under the name Commercial Building Technical Contractor, CBC, rather than a program literally called BLD; DPOR's own language calls it Building generically. Whether CBC or the Residential program below is the exact classification the NASCLA credit applies against is not stated in the board materials reviewed for this page; confirm the precise classification with DPOR.
Fee: $85 flat, per the Specialty exam fee schedule.
The specialty exam for the Residential Building classification. 80 items, 160 minutes, minimum passing score 70 percent, 56 correct.
What it covers, per the official one page outline dated 1/23/2023: Layout 7 items, Excavation 6, Foundations 7, Framing 9, Insulation 3, Ventilation 3, Windows, Doors and Skylights 3, Exterior 10, Decks, Walks and Ramps 4, Finishing 6, Masonry 4, Swimming Pools and Hot Tubs 1, Prints, Plans and Specifications 8, Safety and Employee Protection 8, Construction Debris, Cleanup and Disposal 1. Scope is the same 18VAC50 22 20 language, but limited to dwellings and townhouses and their accessory structures, and it excludes electrical, plumbing, HVAC and gas fitting work.
Approved references named on this outline: NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business Law and Project Management, Virginia, 8th edition, Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, 2018 Edition, International Residential Code for One and Two Family Dwellings, 2018 edition (the outline header separately notes that starting 5/1/25 all ICC codes referenced across Virginia's contractor exams move to the 2021 edition), Carpentry and Building Construction, 2010 or 2016, and the Builders Technical Supplement, 2011, sold through PSI's own store, plus the same alternative reference list as the Business and Law exam above (VA Underground Utility Damage Prevention Act, Fair Labor Standards Act guide, IRS Circular E, VA Mechanics' Lien Law, VA Right to Work Law, OSHA Forms 300 and 301, Form I 9, 29 CFR 1926). Two discrepancies are worth noting directly rather than guessing past them. First, this outline names the 8th edition NASCLA guide while the 2024 Business and Law bulletin names the 11th edition; the two documents were not updated on the same schedule, so confirm which edition a candidate needs for which exam before a test date. Second, this outline cites the "VA Workers' Compensation Act, Title 65.1," while the Business and Law bulletin cites the same Act at "Title 65.2." That is a direct disagreement between two of Virginia's own PSI documents and should be confirmed against the current Code of Virginia rather than assumed either way.
Fee: $85 flat, same specialty exam fee schedule as CBC above.
One candidate information bulletin covers many separate license and certification exams: Journeyman and Master Electrician, Journeyman and Master Plumber, Residential Plumber, Journeyman and Master HVAC, Residential HVAC, Journeyman and Master Gasfitter, Journeyman and Master LP Gasfitter, Journeyman and Master Natural Gasfitter, Backflow Prevention Device Worker, Elevator Mechanic, Certified Accessibility Mechanic, and the Limited Use/Limited Application Elevator Endorsement. Every one of these is the underlying personal license or certification a Class C specialty contractor in electrical, plumbing or HVAC needs behind the firm's contractor classification, per the Trades overlay note above. As of the bulletin revised 1/14/2025, each exam now folds a shared regulatory core, Standards of Practice, Standards of Conduct, Renewal and Reinstatement, Definitions, Qualification for Licensure and Revocation of Licensure, roughly 10 items, directly into that trade's single timed sitting, so the older two part structure described in the retired 2008 bulletin, with a separate standalone Statutory and Regulatory portion, no longer applies.
Item counts, time and passing scores by exam: Journeyman Electrician 70 items, 210 minutes, minimum 49. Master Electrician 90 items, 270 minutes, minimum 63. Journeyman/Master Plumber 80 items, 210 minutes, minimum 60. Residential Plumber 50 items, 120 minutes, minimum 35. Journeyman/Master HVAC 85 items, 210 minutes, Journeyman minimum 60, Master minimum 64. Residential HVAC 55 items, 120 minutes, minimum 39. Journeyman/Master Gasfitter, LP Gasfitter and Natural Gasfitter each 50 items, 150 minutes, Journeyman minimum 35, Master minimum 37. Backflow Prevention Device Worker 40 items, 150 minutes, minimum 30. Elevator Mechanic 90 items, 210 minutes, minimum 63. Certified Accessibility Mechanic 50 items, 120 minutes, minimum 35. Limited Use/Limited Application Elevator Endorsement 25 items, 60 minutes, minimum 18.
What the technical portions cover, beyond the shared regulatory core. Electrician: General Electrical Knowledge, Requirements for Electrical Installations, Electrical Electronic Fundamentals, Services/Feeders/Branch Circuits, Service and Feeder Requirements, Grounding and Bonding, Conductors and Cables, Raceways and Boxes, Special Occupancies, Special Equipment, Electrical Signs and Outline Lighting, Motors and Controls, Utilization Equipment, Lighting, General Low Voltage Requirements, Communication Systems, Fire Detection and Alarm Systems. Plumber: Drainage Waste and Vents, Water Supply Systems, Backflow Prevention, Storm Drainage Systems, Plumbing Fixtures, General Regulations, Interceptors and Traps. HVAC: Warm Air Heating, Ventilation Systems, Air Conditioning Systems, Duct Systems, Chimneys/Flues/Vents, Boilers or Hot Water Heaters, Hot Water Piping, Combustion Air, Controls/Low Voltage, Fuel Oil Piping and Storage, Insulation, Commercial Kitchen Venting, Refrigerants, Refrigerant Piping, Chilled and Condenser Water Piping, Firestopping/Penetration Inspection. Gasfitter variants: Natural and LP Gas Piping, Pipe Sizing, LP Gas Tanks, Gas Piping Controls, Testing. Backflow Prevention Device Worker: Testing/Troubleshooting, Assemblies/Devices, General Subject Knowledge, Maintenance and Repair, Laws and Rules, Safety. Elevator Mechanic: Wire Rope, Clearance and Space Limits, Electrical, Testing, Engineering and Inspection, Safety Devices, Controls, Operating Limitations, Drive Mechanisms, Fire Service, Maintenance and Repairs, Escalators and Dumbwaiters, Emergency Power, Accessibility Equipment, Elevator Renovation, Conveyors, Welding.
Approved references, by trade: Electrician, National Electrical Code NFPA 70 and the American Electricians' Handbook, 16th edition. HVAC, International Mechanical Code 2021, NFPA 31 Standard for the Installation of Oil Burning Equipment 2011, Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning 22nd edition, and Manual J Residential Load Calculation for the Residential HVAC exam specifically. Plumber, International Plumbing Code 2021. Gasfitter, International Fuel Gas Code 2021 and NFPA 58 Liquid Petroleum Gas Code 2014. Backflow Prevention, International Plumbing Code 2021, the Cross Connection Control Professional Qualifications Standard ASSE/IAPMO/ANSI Series 5000 2009, Backflow Prevention Theory and Practice 2004, and the Manual of Cross Connection Control, 10th edition 2009. Elevator Mechanic and Certified Accessibility Mechanic, National Electrical Code NFPA 70 (the bulletin allows the 2018 or 2021 edition as of 1/18/25 and moves to 2021 only from 5/1/25), ASME A17.1 Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators 2010, ASME A17.3 Safety Code for Existing Elevators and Escalators 2011, ASME A17.5 Elevator and Escalator Electrical Equipment 2011, ASME A18.1 Safety Standard for Platform Lifts and Stairway Chairlifts 2011, ASME B20.1 Safety Standard for Conveyors 2012, ICC A117.1 Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities 2009, and Modern Welding, 11th edition 2013, plus for Certified Accessibility Mechanic only, the Elevator Maintenance Manual by Zack McCain 1999 and the Elevator Industry Field Employees' Safety Handbook 2015. Every trade shares the Virginia Board for Contractors Individual License and Certification Regulations as the reference for its regulatory core.
Fees, current 1/14/2025 schedule: Journeyman Electrician, Gasfitter, HVAC, LP Gasfitter, Natural Gasfitter and Plumber $100 each. Master Electrician, Gasfitter, HVAC, LP Gasfitter, Natural Gasfitter and Plumber $125 each. Residential HVAC $100. Residential Plumber $100. Backflow Prevention Device Worker $100. Elevator Mechanic $100. Certified Accessibility Mechanic $100. Limited Use/Limited Application Elevator Endorsement $100. An older bulletin still circulating online quotes roughly half these fees, $30 to $90; that copy is outdated, and the current schedule above should be used, or confirmed directly with PSI.
The bulletins referenced in this section are: "Virginia Contractor Examination Candidate Information Bulletin, Examinations to be Taken by the Company's Designated Employee," PSI Services LLC, revised 6/5/2024; "Virginia Contractor Specialty Examination Candidate Information Bulletin," PSI Services LLC, revised 5/20/2024; the standalone "Commercial Building Technical Contractor Examination" content outline, PSI, dated 3/8/2023; the standalone "Residential Building Contractor Examination" content outline, PSI, dated 1/23/2023; and the "Virginia Individual License and Certification Candidate Information Bulletin," PSI Services LLC, revised 1/14/2025.
Under the regulations themselves (Virginia Legislative Information System, 18VAC50 22 40, 22 50, and 22 60, checked September 29, 2026), the qualified individual needs a minimum of 5 years of experience in the classification or specialty for Class A, a minimum of 3 years for Class B, and a minimum of 1 year for Class C. Some other guides quote 2 years for Class C; that does not match the regulation's own text, so the 1 year figure applies for Class C. The qualified individual must be at least 18 years old and either a full time employee or a member of the firm's responsible management.
Class A firms must show 45000 dollars minimum net worth, verified by a financial statement, CPA review, or CPA audit, or post a 50000 dollar surety bond on the board's own bond form instead. Class B firms need 15000 dollars minimum net worth or the same 50000 dollar bond alternative. Class C has no minimum net worth requirement, though the firm must still disclose any past due debts, judgments, tax obligations, bond defaults, or bankruptcies from the prior four years (Virginia Legislative Information System, 18VAC50 22 50 and 22 60, checked September 29, 2026).
DPOR and independent guides describe roughly 30 days as the average review time for a complete, routine application, with 30 to 60 days as a realistic range once exam results, financials, and the pre license course certificate are all in hand, and non routine files needing extra review or a fact finding conference taking longer. A single official published timeline for this review is not stated in the materials reviewed for this page; the ranges above come from DPOR guidance and licensing guide summaries. Looking at the whole path from a standing start, including 2 to 3 months of exam prep for Class A or B, the pre license course, and assembling the application package, most people land somewhere in the 3 to 6 month range before a license is in hand. These are realistic ranges, not board guarantees. According to Virginia regulation 18VAC50-22-100 (regulation text), the application fee schedule is as follows: Class A 400 dollars, Class B 380 dollars, Class C 235 dollars, plus a 25 dollar Recovery Fund assessment with each initial application. According to Virginia regulation 18VAC50-22-140 (regulation text), the renewal schedule is as follows: Class A 270 dollars, Class B 260 dollars, Class C 220 dollars, plus a 30 dollar Recovery Fund assessment with each renewal.
Virginia runs named exam waiver agreements rather than blanket reciprocity, and the board's own page currently lists three: a residential building classification, RBC, exam waiver with North Carolina, a commercial building classification, CBC, exam waiver with North Carolina, and a business and law exam waiver with Ohio (Virginia DPOR, Board for Contractors page, checked September 29, 2026). Every one of these still requires a complete Virginia application and verification of licensure from the out of state board; it only waives the named exam, not the application, experience, or financial review. This is a useful path for someone already licensed in North Carolina and moving into Virginia, but current status should be confirmed with the board, since these named agreements can pause or change.
Unlike some other states where electrical, plumbing, and HVAC sit under their own separate board, Virginia keeps trades under the same Board for Contractors, just through its Tradesmen Program rather than the firm level Class A, B, C system. Individual electricians, plumbers, HVAC techs, gas fitters, water well workers, elevator mechanics, and backflow prevention workers hold personal journeyman or master licenses through PSI administered exams, journeyman exams capped at 100 dollars and master exams at 125 dollars (Virginia DPOR, Tradesmen Program page). A master tradesman license in the relevant trade is the underlying credential a Class C specialty contractor in electrical, plumbing, or HVAC needs to qualify at the firm level, so someone in one of these trades is often dealing with two layers: their personal trade license and the firm's contractor classification, not just one form.
No structural change occurred between the last verification on 2026-07-14 and this update. The core facts stand as before: the Class A, B, and C thresholds (Code of Virginia 54.1 1100, checked September 29, 2026), the 60 day qualified individual and 120 day designated employee replacement windows, with no stated penalty for missing either deadline in the regulation text itself (18VAC50 22 220, checked September 29, 2026), the Class C one year minimum experience figure despite a circulating claim of two years (18VAC50 22 40, checked September 29, 2026), PSI as the exam vendor, Virginia's continued status as a NASCLA participating agency for the commercial exam (NASCLA, checked September 29, 2026), and the same three named exam waiver agreements, the North Carolina RBC waiver, the North Carolina CBC waiver, and the Ohio Business and Law waiver (Virginia DPOR, Board for Contractors page, checked September 29, 2026).
One fact is now better supported than before: the 8 hour pre license education requirement is corroborated by multiple independently dated 2026 course provider pages, all converging on 8 hours, with no indication of an earlier rumored 6 hour requirement. This figure is current and low risk to rely on.
One dated fact has moved from future to settled: the ICC code edition transition previously expected to begin "starting 5/1/25" has now passed. PSI's own bulletins confirm that the relevant exams have used the 2021 edition of the ICC codes, IBC, IRC, IMC, IPC, IFGC, IECC, and ISPSC, since May 1, 2025. Anyone studying for these exams now needs the 2021 edition, not the 2018 edition.
Two items remain open and are addressed in the sections below: how many separate firms one qualified individual may qualify at the same time, and two discrepancies between PSI's own documents, the edition of the NASCLA guide named on different exam bulletins, and the title used for the Workers' Compensation Act. Both should be confirmed directly with the board or with PSI.
The Board for Contractors, part of the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) in Richmond, licenses general contractors statewide and also regulates individual tradesmen (Virginia DPOR). Virginia issues the contractor license to the business entity, not to a person. Every licensed firm designates a qualified individual, who carries the experience and exam credit for the classifications the firm holds (Virginia DPOR, 18VAC50 22).
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 Virginia Board for Contractors (DPOR). Tell us your trade and what you have going on, and pick a time for a discovery call. Or call 615-219-2110.
Provide your information for a compliance assessment.
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