LicensebyState

Indiana to Utah: general contractor license reciprocity

No credit· Start overVerified September 17, 2026· 15 sources

Indiana does not issue a statewide general contractor license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Utah's standard path for out-of-state applicants.

Your origin state does not issue a statewide license at this level, so there is no license to transfer. The destination's standard out-of-state path is shown; expect to meet it in full.

Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.

Applicants from jurisdictions DOPL has not determined equivalent, including the NASCLA examination route (all other states)

Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.

An applicant whose home jurisdiction is not shown in green on DOPL’s Endorsement to Utah: Contractor map takes the ordinary route, which for B100 involves no trade examination at all. The qualifier completes an approved 25-hour pre-licensure course plus the five-hour Business and Law course, passes the Utah Contractor Business and Law examination through Prov, and shows two years, meaning 4,000 hours, of paid work experience in the construction industry. That experience travels freely: it counts wherever it was earned, whether the qualifier was paid as a W-2 employee or as an owner and whether the work was licensed or exempt, and it is self-certified on the application rather than verified by an employer, so out-of-state years are not lost. A qualifier who has passed the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors does not have to document the two years at all: Utah Admin. Code R156-55a-302b(2)(b)(i) accepts a passing NASCLA score in place of the experience requirement for every general classification, B100 included, and the application has a box for it. A Construction Management degree or an active Utah professional engineer license does the same. NASCLA does not remove the Business and Law examination or the pre-licensure courses. Where the origin jurisdiction issues no equivalent state-wide license, DOPL will still look at a city or county license, or a non-equivalent state license, as evidence towards Utah’s qualifications if the applicant files a verification showing the hours, examinations and other qualifications behind it.

Two things on DOPL’s published materials do not line up, and both are worth a phone call to the Division on (801) 530-6628 before paying any fee. First, the Apply for a General Contractor License page lists, as an alternative to the Business and Law examination, "One (1) year of licensed experience working in another State, District or Territory of the U.S. in the similar scope of practice sought in Utah if the license is currently active and in good standing", with no mention of an equivalency list, while Utah Admin. Code R156-55a-302a(3) waives that examination only "for an applicant for licensure by endorsement under Section 58-1-302" and the application checklist limits endorsement to "a jurisdiction determined equivalent to Utah" on a map last updated 21 September 2020. Second, the current rule and both apply pages set general liability cover at $1,000,000 each incident and $2,000,000 in total, while the March 2026 application form prints a $3,000,000 aggregate. On the map itself, the jurisdictions shaded yellow as "Limited to Specific Classifications" (Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming and the District of Columbia) are ones DOPL says do not license contractors generally but may license a specific specialty such as electrical, plumbing, HVAC or elevator work, which is not an equivalent to a B100 license; the jurisdictions shaded grey as having no equivalent license are Kansas, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands. Utah Code 58-1-302(2) is written state-neutrally and turns on scope of practice rather than on any named partner, and the map ends by inviting applicants to contact the Division if licensure laws have changed, so an applicant from a yellow or grey jurisdiction holding a license of genuinely similar scope can ask DOPL to look again.

At a glance

Trade exam
Waived
Law / code exam
Required
Out-of-state hours
Count toward eligibility

What you must already have

  • You must document at least 4,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Utah Admin. Code R156-55a-302b(1) reads the requirement broadly: experience counts whether the qualifier was paid as a W-2 employee or as an owner and whether the work was licensed or exempt, and it includes construction work done in the military or for a railroad corporation and work done under a construction trades instructor as part of an educational program. It need not be supervisory and need not match the classification sought. An applicant who is a building inspector may substitute two years as a building inspector including one year as a licensed combination inspector, and an E100 applicant needs four years instead.
  • You must have passed a licensing exam in Indiana that the destination considers comparable.Utah Admin. Code R156-55a-302b(2)(b)(i) states that a passing NASCLA score satisfies the experience requirement in Utah Code 58-55-302(1)(e)(ii)(A), and DOPL’s contracting FAQ repeats it in the same words. The rule is written for the general classifications as a group rather than for B100 alone, and both the apply page and the qualifier affidavit offer the NASCLA box to every general classification applicant, so it is available at this general level too. NASCLA is an examination credential, not a license and not an interstate agreement, so any applicant may use it whatever state they come from. It waives nothing else: the pre-licensure courses, the Utah Contractor Business and Law examination, insurance, financial responsibility, registration, background checks and fees all still apply.
  • The qualifier must be either an owner of at least 20 per cent of the licensee or a W-2 employee in a management position, and must be paid for at least 12 hours of work a week for the licensee. A qualifier may not qualify more than three licensees at one time without the written approval of the Commission and the Division.

What you'll do to get licensed in Utah

  1. 1Other. Approved pre-licensure education completed by the qualifier before applying: a 25-hour pre-licensure course plus the five-hour Business and Law course, 30 hours in total for a general classification. DOPL accepts the course only from Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), the Utah Home Builders Association (UHBA) or the Associated General Contractors of Utah (AGC); a qualifier who completed the 25-hour course before 1 October 2019 does not need the extra five hours. The Division does not publish the providers’ course prices, so ask the provider..
  2. 2Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Utah Contractor Business and Law examination, taken by the qualifier through Prov either at one of 21 Utah test centers or remotely through Prov’s Examroom service. It is 60 questions in two hours, open reference, and the cut score is 70 per cent; the subject areas are business organization, licensing, estimating and bidding, contract management, project management, labor laws, lien laws, financial management, risk management, tax laws and safety. No DOPL pre-approval is needed to sit it, and a failed attempt may be retaken after 30 days for each of the first three failures and after six months for any failure after that. Pass before submitting the application..
  3. 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($85). Prov examination fee for the Utah Contractor Business and Law exam, paid to Prov and charged again for each retake..
  4. 4Application fee. Pay the application fee ($175). Non-refundable DOPL application processing fee of $175 for each classification requested (application version v20260327). A contractor asking for more than one classification pays it more than once..
  5. 5Application fee. Pay the application fee ($50). Non-refundable DOPL application processing fee of $50 for each qualifier named on the application..
  6. 6Application fee. Pay the application fee ($1). Electronic Reference Library surcharge of $1, collected on every application to fund licensee access to national, state and local building codes and standards. An unincorporated applicant also pays $20 for each owner holding less than 8 per cent, filed with the Appendix F Owner-Worker Status Report..
  7. 7Insurance. Carry the required insurance ($1,000,000). General liability insurance certificate naming DOPL as certificate holder, covering the whole scope of work on the license and in force for the entire duration of active licensure. Utah Admin. Code R156-55a-302d and both DOPL apply pages set the minimum at $1,000,000 for each incident and $2,000,000 in total; the March 2026 application form prints $3,000,000 as the aggregate, so confirm the figure with the Division on (801) 530-6628 before binding cover. The cover must be kept up even while the contractor is not working, unless the license is placed on inactive status..
  8. 8Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Workers’ compensation insurance naming DOPL as certificate holder if the applicant has employees or owner-workers holding less than 8 per cent, together with a Utah State Tax Commission withholding account number and a Department of Workforce Services unemployment registration number, or a signed contract with an approved Professional Employer Organization. An applicant with no employees files a Workers’ Compensation Coverage Waiver from the Utah Labor Commission instead and must tell DOPL in writing before any employee starts work..
  9. 9Financial responsibility. Show financial responsibility. Satisfactory evidence of financial responsibility. Utah Code 58-55-306 lets this be shown by completing and signing the Division’s financial responsibility questionnaire, which asks about judgments, liens, tax liens and child support delinquencies in the past eight years and bankruptcy in the past seven, or by posting a bond. DOPL publishes no minimum net worth, working capital or credit score, and it may audit at random or on reasonable need, weighing judgments, restitution orders, collection actions, bankruptcy schedules, late payment history, financial statements, tax returns and a current credit report. For an unincorporated applicant the Division considers each owner’s personal finances..
  10. 10Surety bond. Post a surety bond ($50,000) (if applicable). License bond, required only where the Division is not satisfied that financial responsibility has been demonstrated. Under Utah Admin. Code R156-55a-602 the minimum is then the greater of 30 per cent of the cumulative outstanding debts, judgments, liens and obligations of the entity, its owners and qualifiers, or $50,000 for any general contractor classification other than R100. A bankruptcy filed, pending or discharged within three years instead sets it at 30 per cent of the total liabilities scheduled with the bankruptcy court. The surety must appear in Treasury Circular 570, the bond runs until DOPL gives written permission to drop it, and the Commission may set a higher or, on clear and convincing evidence, a lower amount..
  11. 11Business license. Obtain a business license. Registration with the Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code for any corporation, LLC, LLP or partnership, including an out-of-state entity, plus a federal Employer Identification Number; a sole proprietor may use a Social Security number and is licensed in their own given name. The license is issued in the registered legal name, business must be done in that name unless a DBA owned by the licensee is separately filed with DOPL, and if the corporate registration lapses the contractor license expires with it by statute..
  12. 12Background check. Complete a background check. Criminal background check under Utah Code 58-1-301.5 consented to and completed by the qualifier and by every individual holding at least a 10 per cent voting interest in the applicant, with disclosure of any criminal history the Division asks for. A yes answer on the qualifying questionnaire about discipline, pending criminal action, a misdemeanour in the past ten years or a felony at any time brings a requirement to file a personal account, police reports, court records and probation or parole reports for each incident..
  13. 13Continuing education. Complete continuing education. Six hours of approved continuing education in each two-year license term, of which at least three must be core education and at least three must be live in-class attendance, with no more than three hours online, and at least one hour in energy conservation. It is a condition of renewal rather than of getting the license. Licenses expire on 30 November of each odd-numbered year..

Published fees on this path total $311, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

What you'll need to buy or arrange

Exam preparation

Most boards contract PSI, Prov, or ICC for exams. Check which code edition the exam is written to before buying a prep course.

  • Other
  • Law / code exam
  • Exam fee · $85

Liability insurance

Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.

  • Insurance · $1,000,000
  • Insurance

Surety bond

A license or contractor bond is bought from a surety, not the state. Price is a small percentage of the bond amount and depends on your credit.

  • Surety bond · $50,000 · if applicable

Business registration

If you plan to contract in your own name, budget for a business license or entity registration on top of the trade license.

  • Business license

Continuing education

Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.

  • Continuing education

How Utah licenses general contractors

Utah general contractor · “B100 General Building Contractor”

Statewide license

Verified September 17, 2026· 10 sources

Issued by Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL)

Utah licenses contractors statewide through the Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) under the Utah Construction Trades Licensing Act, Utah Code 58-55, and Rule R156-55a, and it licenses by classification rather than by tier. The unlimited building classification is B100 General Building Contractor, which Utah Code 58-55-102(26)(a) defines as the construction of structures for the support, shelter and enclosure of persons, animals, chattels or movable property, and any component of that construction except plumbing, electrical, mechanical, elevator and manufactured housing work, for which a B100 must employ a contractor licensed in the specialty; a B100 building single-family or multifamily residences up to four units may do the mechanical work itself and employ a licensed plumber or electrician. A B100 license already carries every S-series specialty scope, so a general builder does not add S220 Carpentry and Flooring, S260 Asphalt and Concrete, S270 Drywall, Paint and Plastering, S280 Roofing, S310 Foundation, Excavation and Demolition, S330 Landscape and Recreation, S440 Sign Installation and the rest separately; it does not reach R200 Factory Built Housing, S700 Limited Scope, S510 Elevator or the E200, E201, P200, P201 and H100 trade classifications. Alongside B100 sit E100 General Engineering Contractor, for fixed works such as roads, bridges, dams and pipelines that need specialized engineering knowledge, and R100 Residential and Small Commercial Contractor, the homes-and-small-buildings classification. The license is issued to the business rather than to the person: the entity applies and names a qualifier, an owner of at least 20 per cent or a W-2 employee in a management position who is paid for at least 12 hours a week, and it is that qualifier who meets the course, experience and examination requirements and who may qualify no more than three licensees at once. There is no Utah trade examination for B100: the only DOPL examination is the Utah Contractor Business and Law exam. Licenses expire on 30 November of each odd-numbered year and renewal takes six hours of continuing education.

Moving to UtahLeaving Utah

Why Indiana has nothing to transfer

Indiana general contractor · “General Contractor / Building General Contractor / Commercial General (city- or county-issued)”

Licensed by cities and counties

Verified September 17, 2026· 16 sources

Issued by No state authority; cities and counties license or register commercial building contractors

Indiana has no statewide general, commercial or unlimited building contractor license, so there is nothing at state level for an out-of-state general contractor's license to transfer into. The Indiana Professional Licensing Agency's published list of licensed professions has no contractor program of any kind, and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security's Division of Fire and Building Safety enforces the building code and inspects boilers, elevators and fire safety devices without licensing the people who build. The credentials Indiana does issue at state level that a commercial builder may need are the Indiana Plumbing Commission's Journeyman Plumber and Plumbing Contractor licenses, plus manufactured home installer registration; electrical and HVAC work is licensed by cities and counties rather than by the state, so those trades qualify locally too. Commercial building is therefore controlled through city and county ordinances, and they differ sharply: Fort Wayne and Allen County issue a General Contractors License that is "unlimited in building contracting scope" and a Building Contractors License for commercial and multi-family work of three stories or less, both on a written examination; Evansville examines a Building General Contractor for multi-family, commercial and industrial work; Hammond tests for a Commercial General license; Indianapolis and South Bend require only a bonded, insured company license or registration; and Monroe County, covering Bloomington, asks nothing of general contractors beyond a voluntary sign-up. Indiana is not a NASCLA participating state and no Indiana jurisdiction reviewed publishes a route that converts an out-of-state contractor license into a local one, so an arriving general contractor qualifies separately in each jurisdiction where it will pull permits.

How local licensing works in Indiana

How it works in Indiana. No Indiana agency issues a general, commercial or unlimited building contractor license, and there is no state qualifying party, no state business-and-law exam and no NASCLA route, because Indiana is not a NASCLA participating state. Cities and counties control commercial construction through the building permit, and what they require ranges from a full board examination to nothing at all. Where a jurisdiction does examine, it writes its own test on its own adopted code edition, so passing in one Indiana city does not satisfy the next one. Out-of-state experience and an out-of-state license generally carry no weight; Allen County is the only jurisdiction below whose rules even contemplate reciprocity, and it still requires the applicant to meet the county's own minimum qualifications.

Indianapolis and Marion County. The Department of Business and Neighborhood Services issues one General Contractor license covering commercial and residential work, on the same form that carries the Electrical, HVAC, Plumbing and Wrecking types. The filing is proof of business registration, a certificate of insurance naming the Consolidated City of Indianapolis and Marion County as certificate holder and additional insured with general liability of at least $500,000 for each occurrence of death or bodily injury and $100,000 for each occurrence of property damage or $500,000 per occurrence combined, worker's compensation or an exemption waiver, and a typed $10,000 license or permit surety bond naming "Consolidated City of Indianapolis and/or an Unknown Third Party" as obligee. Licenses expire December 31 of even-numbered years; the new-license fee is prorated across the two-year term ($247.00, $185.00 and $124.00 at the three stages in the current packet) and renewal is $247.00, with up to five authorized permit-pulling agents included and $63.00 for each one beyond that. New licensees attend an orientation class within 60 days. The packet imposes no exam, experience or qualifying-individual requirement - unlike the city's Electrical and HVAC packets, which require a craft license holder who has passed the board's examination. Contractor Licensing, 200 E. Washington St., Suite 107, (317) 327-1291, [email protected].

Fort Wayne and Allen County. Under Allen County Code 6-1-3-3 the Building Department issues two commercial tiers. The General Contractors License covers "the erection of new structures or all new additions to existing structures and all remodeling, repair, and demolition of existing structures" and is "unlimited in building contracting scope," carrying with it the building, residential, home improvement and sub-contractor scopes. The Building Contractors License covers the same activities for "commercial structures or multiple-dwelling residential buildings" and is "unlimited in building contracting remodeling and limited to three stories or less of new building construction and additions in scope." Each is a personal license that qualifies one business registration - the rules allow a holder to qualify only one entity absent documented ownership of others - and the contractor must separately register a full-time Superintendent as the responsible supervisor named on each permit. Examinations are required for licensure, prepared or administered by the Building Commissioner or an approved testing facility; the exam fee is set by the Commissioner and not printed in the rules. Annual fees are $90.00 for the General Contractors license, $90.00 for the Building Contractors license and $25.00 for each Superintendent registration, expiring December 31. There is one genuinely national shortcut: a Regional/National Account Contractors Registration at $250.00, under which "the Building Commissioner may grant a single project registration to general contractors who travel for regional or national account work in lieu of taking the required contractor's test." It applies only where the brand business hires the contractor directly, never to developer-hired contractors or prime subcontractors, and it requires the application form, company and project-manager and superintendent resumes, a list of planned subcontractors and a client letter verifying comparable projects. Allen County's reciprocity section grants reciprocity subject to the guidelines for the trade and still requires the county's minimum qualifications, with Commissioner discretion for applicants who present evidence of the necessary credentials; those guidelines are not published, so confirm with the Building Department first.

Evansville. The Building Commission issues a Building General Contractor license for "wrecking, constructing, installing, repairing, remodeling, or servicing any structural or nonstructural portions of any multi-family residential, commercial, or industrial building, including all roof coverings and site work." The route is an application with three letters of recommendation proving at least four years of experience, board approval to test, then an open-book examination scheduled and paid through Ivy Tech at (812) 429-9852, with 70 percent to pass for contractor categories. A provisional license issues on payment plus proof of insurance and bond, and the Licensing and Disciplinary Board grants final approval on the fourth Thursday of the month. A commercial general contractor must carry general liability insurance of at least $1,000,000, post a $25,000 surety bond on the Commission's own form and show worker's compensation coverage or an affidavit, within six months of passing the exam. Published fees are $360.00 new, $210.00 renewal and $400.00 for a two-year renewal. Holding the Building General Contractor license removes the need for the separate subcontractor licenses on commercial work.

South Bend and St. Joseph County. Every contractor and subcontractor working in St. Joseph County or the City of South Bend must be registered or licensed with the Building Department, and commercial builders use the same single Building Contractor Registration as residential ones. It is the Pre-Licensing Registration Form, a $5,000 surety bond and a $125 registration fee, issued at the counter with no exam and no experience review; only Electrical and HVAC applicants file a full packet, pay a $50 application review fee and wait ten business days. Building Department, 215 S. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Suite 100, [email protected], 574.235.9554.

Hammond and Lake County. Hammond issues a Commercial General contractor license on examination. The test is given on the first Monday of the month at 10:00 a.m. at the Hammond Sportsplex, open book with calculators, one hour, 70 percent to pass, on the 2012 IBC for the commercial paper. The examination fee is $100 and non-refundable, a missed sitting costs $50 to re-take, and the application is due a week ahead with a $20 limited criminal history report from the Hammond Police Department. Approval also requires attendance at the Building Contractors Board at 6:00 p.m. on the first Monday of the month. The licensee then files a certificate of insurance naming the City of Hammond with liability of 100,000/300,000 bodily injury and 50,000 property damage, worker's compensation or a waiver, and a $5,000 license and permit bond in the name of the "Board of Lake County Commissioners, all Cities, Towns and Municipalities of Lake County, Indiana," recorded at the Lake County Recorder's Office in Crown Point. The license is $200.00 initially and $100.00 to renew between January 1 and January 31; it expires December 31 and is void if not renewed by June 30. An out-of-state corporation must file a Certificate of Foreign Registration with the Indiana Secretary of State, and a $10,000 street opening bond is mandatory for plumbing, boring and underground utility work.

Bloomington and Monroe County. Commercial permits for the Bloomington area come from the Monroe County Building Department. The county licenses plumbing and electrical work and registers design professionals, but its general contractor record is expressly optional: "this application is voluntary and includes a sign up of General Contractors in the Monroe County area ... there are no fees or attachments required to sign up." County licensees carry public liability and property damage insurance naming Monroe County as an additional assured at $500,000 combined single limit, or $500,000 per occurrence for injury or death plus $100,000 for property damage, and worker's compensation unless they have no employees. Building Department, 501 N. Morton Street, Suite 220, (812) 349-2580.

Everywhere else. Other Indiana cities and counties set their own contractor ordinances, and many require only a permit and proof of insurance. Before bidding work, ask the local building or inspections department which categories it licenses, whether it examines, what bond and insurance limits it sets and when its board meets, because in Indiana all four answers change from one county line to the next.

Moving to IndianaLeaving Indiana

Common questions

Do I have to take the Utah general contractor exam if I'm licensed in Indiana?
The trade exam is waived, but Utah requires a law or code exam.
What does it cost to get a Utah general contractor license from Indiana?
Published fees on this path total $311, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my Indiana work hours count in Utah?
Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Utah's eligibility requirements.
Does it work the other way, from Utah to Indiana?
Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Utah to Indiana, the mechanism is not applicable.

Sources

  1. NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors · National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies · Other · verified September 17, 2026
  2. Utah Code 58-1-302 - License by endorsement · Utah Code 58-1-302(2) · Utah State Legislature · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
  3. Utah Code 58-55-102 - Definitions (Utah Construction Trades Licensing Act) · Utah Code 58-55-102(20), (26), (42) · Utah State Legislature · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
  4. Utah Code 58-55-302 - Qualifications for licensure · Utah Code 58-55-302(1)(c)(ii), (1)(e)(ii), (1)(e)(iii), (1)(e)(iv), (1)(e)(vii), (2)(b) · Utah State Legislature · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
  5. Utah Code 58-55-306 - Financial responsibility · Utah Code 58-55-306 · Utah State Legislature · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
  6. Utah Contractor Application - All Classifications (with qualifier affidavit, checklist and fee table) · Utah Code 58-55-306; Utah Admin. Code R156-1-301, R156-55a-602 · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Form · verified September 17, 2026
  7. Endorsement to Utah: Contractor (state-by-state equivalency map) · Utah Code 58-55; 58-1-302 · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Other · verified September 17, 2026
  8. Utah DOPL - Contracting licensing home page · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  9. Utah DOPL - Contracting Continuing Education · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  10. Utah DOPL - Contracting Exam Information · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  11. Contracting Frequently Asked Questions (DOPL) · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Faq · verified September 17, 2026
  12. Apply for a General Contractor License (DOPL) · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  13. Apply for a Specialty Contractor License (DOPL) · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  14. State of Utah Contracting Exam - Examination Handbook (Prov, for DOPL) · Prov, Inc., examination administrator for the Utah Division of Professional Licensing · Other · verified September 17, 2026
  15. Utah Admin. Code R156-55a - Utah Construction Trades Licensing Act Rule · Utah Admin. Code R156-55a-301c, -301h, -302a, -302b, -302d, -302f, -303a, -303b, -304, -306, -602 · Utah Office of Administrative Rules · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026

Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.

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