Kentucky to Arkansas: general contractor license reciprocity
Kentucky does not issue a statewide general contractor license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Arkansas'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.
Out-of-state commercial contractor without a reciprocal agreement, including the NASCLA route (all states except AL, LA, MS, NC and TN)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
A commercial contractor licensed in a state that has no reciprocal agreement with Arkansas files the ordinary Commercial New Application and is reviewed by the Board case by case. The out-of-state license carries real weight: under 17 CAR § 255-208(b)(2) an applicant who holds a substantially equivalent license in good standing in another jurisdiction is not required to demonstrate experience, which removes the five-year showing for the Building classification, and 17 CAR § 255-201(d) allows a ninety-day temporary license on a completed application so work can start while the file is reviewed. An applicant without such a license can instead satisfy the experience rule by passing an examination, and the Board's examination for that purpose is the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors, an open-book examination of 115 questions over 330 minutes with a passing score of 81 that transfers between participating states. Neither route waives the Arkansas Business and Law examination, a fifty-question, two-hour open-book examination delivered by PSI that the qualifying party must pass before the license is released. The applicant also files a $10,000 contractor's surety bond, a CPA-prepared financial statement meeting the net worth minimum for the classification sought, Secretary of State filings and a workers' compensation certificate. Anyone who has established residence in Arkansas has a further route: Ark. Code Ann. § 17-7-104 obliges the Board to grant automatic occupational licensure to the holder in good standing for one year of a similar-scope license from another state, although the Board may still require the state-law examination and must still require the bond, financial statement and insurance.
Arkansas does not run a trade examination of its own for commercial contractors. Classifications are granted on experience, references or a passed examination under 17 CAR § 255-208(b)(1)(A), and the Arkansas Business and Law examination is the only examination the Board itself administers, which is why examTradeRequired is false and examLawRequired is true. The NASCLA Accredited Examination is therefore an alternative to proving experience rather than a substitute for the Business and Law examination: the Board's candidate bulletin for it states that candidates must follow the state agency's application 'in addition to taking a business and law examination'. The Board's NASCLA material is headed Commercial General Building Contractor, which is why the NASCLA route is authored at this level and not at the residential level. The Board does not publish the passing score for the Arkansas Business and Law examination, the number of attempts allowed, the temporary license fee, or a processing time; applications must reach the Board three weeks before a board meeting and must be completed within ninety days of receipt or the filing fee is forfeited. Uniformed service members, veterans and their spouses holding a similar out-of-state license are exempt from both the experience showing and the examination under 17 CAR § 255-206(c), and the commercial application adds that they need not file the three reference forms either. Specialties marked on the application as requiring an Arkansas trade license or certification, among them plumbing, electrical, HVACR, gas fitting, fire sprinklers, elevators, boilers, septic tanks, lead abatement and water wells, must also be cleared with the relevant Arkansas trade agency.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- Your Kentucky license must be active and in good standing.
- You must have passed a licensing exam in Kentucky that the destination considers comparable.The NASCLA Accredited Examination is a single commercial general building trade examination that participating state boards accept in place of their own, and it is open to any candidate regardless of where they are licensed. Arkansas uses it in place of the applicant demonstrating appropriate experience on the application. It is 115 questions, 330 minutes, open book, with a minimum passing score of 81, and results are sent to boards through NASCLA's National Examination Database. It does not waive the Arkansas Business and Law examination, the financial statement, the bond, the insurance or the application.
- You must have held your Kentucky license for at least 1 year.Applies only to the automatic occupational licensure route in Ark. Code Ann. § 17-7-104, which is open to an applicant who has established residence in Arkansas and has held a similar-scope license in good standing for one year. There is no minimum holding period on the ordinary application.
- You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.
- You must document at least 10,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Five years of appropriate experience for the Heavy, Highway/Railroad/Airport, Municipal and Utility, Building, Light Building, Mechanical or Electrical classifications, or one year for a specialty. The rule states the requirement in years and allows a passed examination instead; the requirement is waived altogether for an applicant holding a substantially equivalent out-of-state license in good standing.
What you'll do to get licensed in Arkansas
- 1Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Arkansas Business and Law examination, taken by the qualifying party and scheduled with PSI Services LLC: fifty multiple-choice questions, two hours, open book, tested only from the NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management, Arkansas Edition. The license can be approved but not released without the passing score. The Board does not publish the passing score..
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam (if applicable). Optional NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors, used by the Board in place of the applicant demonstrating appropriate experience: 115 questions, 330 minutes, open book, minimum passing score 81, with a published reference list covering the International Building Code, ACI 318, OSHA 29 CFR Part 1926 and commercial construction management texts. Booked through NASCLA and delivered by PSI, with the result transferred to the Board through NASCLA's National Examination Database. An applicant who already holds a substantially equivalent out-of-state license does not need it..
- 3Application fee. Pay the application fee ($100). Non-refundable, non-transferable $100 filing fee for a Commercial New Application, payable to the Contractors Licensing Board by check or money order. A sole proprietor on certain public assistance, recently approved for unemployment, or with household income under 200% of the federal poverty guidelines may apply for an initial fee waiver under 17 CAR § 255-207..
- 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($84). $84 paid to PSI Services LLC when the Arkansas Business and Law examination is scheduled. Examination fees are not refundable or transferable. The NASCLA Accredited Examination is booked and paid for separately through NASCLA; the Board does not publish that fee..
- 5Surety bond. Post a surety bond ($10,000). Fully executed $10,000 contractor's surety bond in the principal name and EIN registered with the Secretary of State, filed with the power of attorney. The license can be approved but not released until the bond is on file, unless the same entity already holds a license or registration with the Board. The surety must be authorized to do business in Arkansas and the bond executed by an agent licensed by the Insurance Commissioner..
- 6Financial responsibility. Show financial responsibility of at least $50,000. CPA-prepared financial statement, not from an in-house CPA, dated less than one year before filing, with a balance sheet on a GAAP or accrual income tax basis. A Restricted Commercial applicant files a compiled report; an Unrestricted Commercial applicant files a reviewed report or audited opinion. Minimum business-related net worth is set by classification: $50,000 for Building, Heavy, Highway/Railroad/Airport and Municipal and Utility; $20,000 for Light Building, Mechanical and Electrical; $5,000 for a specialty. A new applicant must hold half the minimum in cash in the bank, not as receivables or a stockholder note, and must show positive working capital. The amount shown is the Building classification figure. The license expiry date is set by the date of the financial statement..
- 7Surety bond. Post a surety bond ($500,000) (if applicable). Optional surety bond in lieu of the financial statement under Ark. Code Ann. § 17-25-304(c), filed on the Board's form as an original: the amount is ten times the required net worth for the classification, so $500,000 for the Building classification. It must be continuous, list the State of Arkansas as obligee and stay in force while the license is held, and it may be cancelled once an acceptable financial statement is filed. It does not replace the $10,000 contractor's surety bond..
- 8Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Current certificate of workers' compensation insurance if the applicant has one or more employees, verified to the Board with the application..
- 9Business license. Obtain a business license. The license is issued to a legal entity, so a corporation, LLC, LP or LLP must file its Articles or filings from the Secretary of State's office with the application, together with any fictitious name registration. An out-of-state entity must therefore be registered to do business in Arkansas before the license issues, and the bond must be in that registered name and EIN..
- 10Other. Three reference forms completed by the referees themselves and no more than ninety days old, verifying the experience behind each classification or specialty requested. References from a supplier or banker are accepted only if that person has observed the work. This requirement falls away for an applicant holding a substantially equivalent out-of-state license in good standing under 17 CAR § 255-208(b)(2), and for uniformed service applicants..
- 11Other. Ninety-day temporary license: an applicant who holds a substantially equivalent license in good standing in another jurisdiction may file the temporary license application and fee alongside the new application and work while the full application is reviewed. An applicant from a jurisdiction that issues no substantially equivalent license may still get one by demonstrating experience or appropriate testing. The Board does not publish the temporary license fee. (if applicable).
- 12Other. Adding residential work: a commercial license automatically authorizes residential work in the same classifications. A commercial licensee who wants a residential classification the commercial license does not carry files the residential application as well, with references for that classification, but pays no additional fee and sits no additional test. (if applicable).
Published fees on this path total $184, 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.
- Law / code exam
- Trade exam · if applicable
- Exam fee · $84
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 · $10,000
- Surety bond · $500,000 · if applicable
Liability insurance
Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.
- Insurance
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
How Arkansas licenses general contractors
Arkansas general contractor · “Commercial Contractor, Building classification (Restricted under $750,000 or Unrestricted)”
Statewide license
Issued by Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board
Arkansas licenses commercial contractors statewide through the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board under the Arkansas State Licensing Law for Commercial Contractors, Act 150 of 1965 as amended (Ark. Code Ann. § 17-25-101 et seq.). A commercial license is required for any project other than a single-family residence once the cost, including labor and materials, reaches $50,000, and it comes in two tiers: a Restricted Commercial license, limited to projects under $750,000, and an Unrestricted Commercial license with no project cap. Within either tier the Board grants classifications, of which Building is the general building tier; the others are Heavy, Highway/Railroad/Airport, Municipal and Utility, Light Building, Mechanical, Electrical and a long list of specialties. The license is held by the business and supported by a qualifying party, an owner, officer, actively engaged LLC member or full-time employee who personally passes the examination, so an inbound contractor applies as or for the entity that will sign contracts. Eligibility rests on five years of appropriate experience or a passed examination, evidenced by three references, plus the Arkansas Business and Law examination, a $10,000 contractor's surety bond, a CPA-prepared financial statement meeting a net worth minimum set by classification, and workers' compensation cover if the business has employees. Holding a commercial license automatically authorizes residential work in the same classification.
Why Kentucky has nothing to transfer
Kentucky general contractor · “General or commercial building contractor license or registration (city- or county-issued)”
Licensed by cities and counties
Issued by No state authority; cities and counties license or register commercial building contractors
Kentucky 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, no qualifying party to designate with the state and no NASCLA route to take. The Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction licenses the trades instead - its home page says it "licenses/certifies plumbers, electricians, boiler contractors, sprinkler and/or fire alarm contractors and building inspectors", and 815 KAR adds HVAC licensing, elevator safety, boilers and pressure vessels, manufactured homes and home inspectors, with no chapter for building contractors anywhere in the title. Commercial building is controlled through local permitting, and the requirements are administrative rather than technical. Louisville Metro issues a Building Type A - Commercial license for $125 a year on a liability certificate, a workers' compensation filing and a Jefferson County occupational license number, with no exam and no bond. Lexington-Fayette registers a general contractor who "performs commercial, industrial, public works, and/or residential construction of larger than four-family homes" under its Contractors Registration Ordinance, and unregistered contractors cannot obtain building permits there. Bowling Green and Warren County run a joint Contractors Licensing Board whose $250 General Contractors License covers construction management and permit pulling, while telling applicants plainly that the license does not warrant that they are qualified. Owensboro and Covington require only an occupational business license and insurance. A commercial builder arriving in Kentucky therefore registers jurisdiction by jurisdiction and makes sure the plumbing, electrical, HVAC, boiler and fire-protection scope is performed under the correct HBC state licenses.
How local licensing works in Kentucky
How local licensing works. Kentucky has no state general contractor board, no state business-and-law exam for builders and no statewide reciprocity for commercial construction. Every rule that binds a general contractor is either a trade license from the Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, the Kentucky Building Code in 815 KAR Chapter 007, or a local ordinance. Find the building department with jurisdiction over the site first, then register there before bidding. A registration in one Kentucky jurisdiction is worth nothing in the next, and an out-of-state general contractor license is worth nothing in any of them.
Louisville Metro (Jefferson County). The Office of Construction Review licenses building contractors for the merged city-county. License A covers "one or more permitted projects during a calendar year" and License B a single permitted project; the work scopes are Building A-Residential, Building A-Residential/Commercial, Building A-Commercial and Building B. Building Type A is "for building contractors seeking to obtain multiple permits within Louisville Jefferson County" at $125 a year on a term running 1 January to 31 December; Building Type B is $50 and is limited to one permit per person or company per renewal year. The filing is a certificate of liability insurance with the Office of Construction Review as certificate holder, workers' compensation and unemployment insurance or a notarized affidavit where the contractor has no covered employees, an Occupational License Number from the Revenue Commission of Jefferson County, and the application through the Metro business portal. The six-hour continuing education requirement attaches to the scopes that include housing - Building A-R, Building A-RC and Building B - so a contractor registered purely as Building A-Commercial is the one building class without it. Renewals must include a subcontractor list. There is no exam, experience review, bond or financial statement on any building class. 444 S. 5th St., Suite 100, (502) 574-3321.
Lexington-Fayette Urban County. The Division of Building Inspection registers every contractor under the Contractors Registration Ordinance, and "unregistered contractors cannot obtain building permits." The commercial class, under Ordinance 5-90(a)(1), is the general contractor, who "performs commercial, industrial, public works, and/or residential construction of larger than four-family homes (4-plex); and may supervise, arrange, and/or perform wholly or partly more than two building trades or crafts." A firm that concentrates on one or two trades registers as a specialty contractor instead. The filing is a Home Office Certificate ($10) or Certificate of Occupancy ($25) where the business address is in Fayette County, an occupational business license from Revenue, general liability and workers' compensation insurance with LFUCG named as certificate holder, and the online Contractor Registration Application with those two documents uploaded. No exam, experience or bond is required. The published Building Inspection fee schedule covers permits and lists no contractor registration fee, so confirm the amount with the division. 101 E. Vine St., (859) 258-3770.
Bowling Green and Warren County. One joint Contractors Licensing Board serves the city and the county under Ordinance 91-58 WC and Ordinance 91-25 BG. The General Contractors License, $250 and non-refundable, is required of anyone "doing any type of general contract work in Bowling Green / Warren County including pulling permits for building or remodeling, construction management, or if you would have two or more subcontractors per job." The Specialty Contractors License is $100 and covers subcontract work or a job with at most one subcontractor. Insurance is the substantive test: a certificate naming the board as certificate holder with general liability of at least $100,000 per occurrence, workers' compensation shown on the certificate or a notarized Affidavit of Exemption, and a notarized Partnership Agreement for partnerships. Licenses are non-transferable, renewals are annual and pro-rated mid-year, and a change of ownership voids the license. There is no exam or experience requirement; the board states that it "does not warrant that you are otherwise qualified to perform your trade or specialty by the issuance of its license." A city occupational license is needed for work inside Bowling Green and a county one for work outside it. 1141 State Street, Suite 200, 270-781-3530.
Owensboro and Daviess County. There is no contractor license here. The Owensboro Metropolitan Planning Commission's Building & Electrical Division issues building, electrical, HVAC, sign and parking lot permits and certificates of occupancy for Owensboro-Daviess County under the Kentucky Building Code and the National Electrical Code, and issues no contractor credential; demolition permits come from City of Owensboro Public Works. A commercial builder registers with the city's Occupational License Division before doing business inside the city limits, with a minimum license fee of $75 at registration. 101 East 4th Street, 270-687-5600.
Covington and Kenton County (Northern Kentucky). Planning and Development Services of Kenton County is the building department, and it requires that "all contractors must obtain and maintain a Kenton County occupational license and provide proof of Kentucky workers' compensation insurance coverage", plus the HBC state license "for electrical, HVAC, plumbing, and fire suppression work", with copies of all of it on file "before any permits can be issued." There is no general contractor license, exam or bond. In Covington a zoning permit precedes the building permit, and a certificate of appropriateness is needed first inside a historic preservation overlay. PDS, 1840 Simon Kenton Way, Suite 3400, Covington, 859-331-8980.
What does and does not travel. An out-of-state general contractor license, a NASCLA Accredited Examination and out-of-state project experience carry no weight in any Kentucky jurisdiction, because none of them tests or qualifies commercial builders. Kentucky is not a NASCLA participating state, and no Kentucky city on this page accepts an examination in place of its own filing. What does matter is holding, or employing someone who holds, the Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction license for each state-licensed trade in scope - plumbing, electrical, HVAC, boilers, fire sprinklers and fire alarms - because those licenses are statewide, are the only Kentucky construction credentials with reciprocity rules of their own, and are separately demanded by several of the local building departments above.
- Louisville Metro / Jefferson County (Office of Construction Review - Building A-Commercial licenses)
- Lexington-Fayette Urban County (Division of Building Inspection - general contractor registration under Ord. 5-90(a))
- Bowling Green and Warren County (joint Contractors Licensing Board - $250 General Contractors License)
- Owensboro and Daviess County (Owensboro Metropolitan Planning Commission - permits only; city occupational license)
- Covington and Kenton County (Planning and Development Services of Kenton County - occupational license and insurance only)
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Arkansas general contractor exam if I'm licensed in Kentucky?
- The trade exam is waived, but Arkansas requires a law or code exam.
- How long do I need to have held my Kentucky license?
- At least 1 year before applying.
- What does it cost to get a Arkansas general contractor license from Kentucky?
- Published fees on this path total $184, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Kentucky work hours count in Arkansas?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Arkansas's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Arkansas to Kentucky?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Arkansas to Kentucky, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board - Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing · Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board (Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing) · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- State of Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board - Commercial New Application (Effective 1/2025) · Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board · Form · verified September 17, 2026
- Arkansas State Licensing Law for Commercial Contractors, Act 150 of 1965 as amended - Arkansas Code and Rules (April 2026) · Ark. Code Ann. §§ 17-25-101, 17-25-103, 17-25-304, 17-25-305(b), 17-25-306, 17-25-307; 17 CAR §§ 255-201, 255-206, 255-208, 255-401 · Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026
- Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board - NASCLA-Accredited Examination, Commercial General Building Contractor (candidate bulletin, revised 6/30/2025) · PSI Services LLC for the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board · Other · verified September 17, 2026
- Out-of-State Licensure - Automatic Occupational Licensure, Ark. Code Ann. § 17-7-104 (Act 457 of 2023) · Ark. Code Ann. §§ 17-7-103, 17-7-104 (Act 457 (SB90) of 2023) · Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing / Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
- Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board - Reciprocal Form and Reciprocal Form Instructions (Revised 3/2025) · Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board · Form · verified September 17, 2026
- Arkansas Business & Law Test (Instructions) - Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board (Revised 1/2025) · Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board · Form · verified September 17, 2026
- NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors · National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies · Other · verified September 17, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.