LicensebyState

Kentucky to Delaware: general contractor license reciprocity

No credit· Start overVerified September 17, 2026· 16 sources

Kentucky does not issue a statewide general contractor license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Delaware'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.

Everyone files the same registrations; an out-of-state general contractor license transfers nothing

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

A commercial or general contractor licensed in another state gains no advantage in Delaware and suffers no disadvantage for lacking one. There is nothing to waive: no Delaware agency examines contractors, sets an experience standard, reviews finances or recognizes a qualifying individual at this tier, and neither the tax chapter nor the Contractor Registration Act contains a reciprocity, endorsement or equivalence provision. Delaware is not one of the state agencies that accept the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors either. The route is the same for every contractor. Form the business or qualify it as a foreign entity, apply to the Division of Revenue for the contractor business license and pay $75, and register with the Department of Labor's Office of Contractor Registration before any work begins, paying $200 for private construction, $300 for public construction or $500 for both. Carry Delaware workers' compensation insurance, file the Department of Labor certificate of notice, and file an OSHA-compliant safety plan with the Labor registration. A contractor that does not regularly maintain a place of business in Delaware must also post a bond of six percent of any contract of $20,000 or more, or of the aggregate of contracts reaching $20,000 in a calendar year, before construction begins, and name a Delaware custodian of records and agent for service of process. On top of that, work in unincorporated New Castle County needs that county's building contractor license in the class that matches the project value.

Two Delaware quirks catch arriving commercial contractors. First, the license application must be initiated before a bid is submitted on a competitively bid contract over $50,000, or for a subcontractor before the general contractor bids, so the paperwork cannot wait until award. Second, the architect, engineer, contractor or construction manager that awards a contract to a nonresident contractor must report it to the Department of Finance within 10 days on Form 5060, with a civil penalty of up to $10,000 for each failure; the same penalty applies to missing the nonresident bond. Public works projects under the prevailing wage law at 29 Del. C. §6960 carry the higher $300 registration fee and their own wage and reporting rules. A contractor may not use an unregistered subcontractor, and doing so is a ground to suspend or revoke its own certificate of registration; a knowing violation of the Contractor Registration Act carries a civil penalty of $5,000 to $85,000 per violation. Delaware publishes no processing time for either credential. Division of Revenue Business Tax Department (302) 577-8780; Office of Contractor Registration, [email protected].

At a glance

Trade exam
Waived
Law / code exam
Not required
Out-of-state hours
Do not count

What you must already have

  • Nothing about the applicant's trade history is examined. No examination result, experience record, education, reference, credit report or financial statement is asked for at any stage, and no individual is named as a qualifier, so an out-of-state general contractor license, a NASCLA examination transcript and decades of commercial building all carry the same weight in Delaware, which is none.Confirmed against 30 Del. C. ch. 25 and 19 Del. C. ch. 36 read in full, the One Stop contractor registration checklist and the Division of Professional Regulation's complete list of 37 boards, which contains no board for general, building or residential contractors.
  • A business that does not regularly maintain a place of business in Delaware is a nonresident contractor: it posts the six percent tax bond before construction starts and names a Delaware custodian of records and agent for service of process on the Labor registration. A site trailer or similar facility used for one contract does not make a business resident, however long the contract runs.30 Del. C. §2501(3), (6) and (7) and §375(a)(1)-(2); 19 Del. C. §3605(b)(3). Where a contractor entity is a partnership or joint venture, it counts as resident if at least one constituent entity regularly maintains a Delaware place of business.
  • The Labor registration application asks whether the business, or anyone with a financial interest in it, has held an interest in an entity cited for a labor law violation, has been convicted of home improvement fraud or new home construction fraud, or has been found to have engaged in an unlawful trade practice, and requires labor law violations and fraud in the last two years to be listed with dates and outcomes.19 Del. C. §3605(b)(4). The Department may deny, suspend or revoke a certificate for non-compliance, a wilful misstatement, refusing to provide requested records, performing work out of compliance, using an unregistered subcontractor or obstructing an investigation, and may require a surety bond or an administrative penalty instead; appeals go to the Secretary of Labor and then to Superior Court.

What you'll do to get licensed in Delaware

  1. 1Business license. Obtain a business license ($75). Delaware contractor business license from the Division of Revenue, required of any person or entity engaging in business in the State as a contractor, whether general contractor or subcontractor and whether resident or nonresident. The fee is $75, the license runs to January 1 and renews annually by December 31, and most licenses are pro-ratable in the first year. Apply through Delaware One Stop or a Combined Registration Application. On a competitively bid contract over $50,000 the application must be initiated before the bid. The Division will not issue the license until the nonresident bond obligation under 30 Del. C. §375 is met, a Delaware Department of Labor certificate of notice is filed, and a certificate of workers' compensation insurance or qualified self-insurer status is filed..
  2. 2Business license. Obtain a business license ($200). Contractor Registration Certificate from the Department of Labor's Office of Contractor Registration, required before performing construction services or maintenance in Delaware. One-year fees are $200 for private construction, $300 for public construction and $500 for both; after two consecutive registered years, a contractor with no labor law violations who renews before expiry may take a two-year certificate for $300 (private) or $500 (public). The application asks for tax identification numbers, NAICS codes, business details, contacts for everyone with a financial interest, the Delaware business license number, proof of Delaware workers' compensation coverage, the unemployment insurance SUI number, an OSHA-compliant safety plan and the labor and fraud disclosures. Renewal is possible only in the 90 days before expiry, the certificate is not transferable, and letting it lapse means applying again as a first-time applicant..
  3. 3Surety bond. Post a surety bond (if applicable). Non-Resident Contractor Bond for a contractor that does not regularly maintain a place of business in Delaware: six percent of the contract or subcontract price on any contract of $20,000 or more, six percent of estimated cost and profit under a cost-plus contract of that size, or six percent of the aggregate where two or more contracts in a calendar year reach $20,000. It is filed with the Division of Revenue on the Division's own form before construction begins, and a cash bond or a bank letter of credit approved by the Director of Revenue may be accepted instead. The Secretary of Finance may waive it in whole or in part where no bond is needed to protect state tax revenue, and issues a project certificate of compliance on request. The bond secures Delaware income and withholding taxes, license fees and unemployment contributions; it is not a performance bond. The contractor must notify the Department within 20 days of completing each Delaware project. Bonding questions: (302) 577-8167..
  4. 4Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Delaware workers' compensation insurance, evidenced by a certificate filed with the Division of Revenue before the business license is issued, or a Department of Labor certificate showing the business is a qualified self-insurer. The policy number and a digital copy are uploaded again with the Contractor Registration application, together with the Delaware unemployment insurance SUI number..
  5. 5Other. A certificate of notice from the Delaware Department of Labor confirming that the business has notified the Department that it has entered, or will enter, contracts to perform labor, or labor and materials, on a Delaware construction project. The Division of Revenue may not issue the contractor business license without it..
  6. 6Other. A written safety plan compliant with Occupational Safety and Health Administration requirements, or evidence that a compliant plan is being created, filed with the Contractor Registration application..
  7. 7Other. Gross receipts tax on construction receipts: a license fee of 0.6472 percent of aggregate gross receipts, with the first $100,000 each month exempt, due by the twentieth of the following month, or quarterly with a $300,000 deduction where lookback-period receipts do not exceed $1,500,000. Sums paid to licensed subcontractors under a written agreement stating the exact sums payable are excluded and are reported on Form 1280. All branches or entities of an enterprise under common ownership or control share a single monthly or quarterly deduction. Real estate developers compute gross receipts differently, deducting land and site costs or electing a flat 30 percent of gross proceeds..
  8. 8Other. Form 5060, Statement of Contracts Awarded, filed with the Department of Finance within 10 days of entering a contract with a nonresident contractor or subcontractor, stating the total value of the contracts and the names and addresses of the parties. The duty falls on the architect, professional engineer, contractor or construction manager awarding the work, so a general contractor moving to Delaware takes it on for its own out-of-state subcontractors. The civil penalty is up to $10,000 for each occurrence..
  9. 9Other. A New Castle County permit endorsed building contractor license for work in the unincorporated county, in the class that matches the project value: Class C up to $50,000 with a $25,000 bond, Class B up to $100,000 with a $50,000 bond, Class A up to $200,000 with a $150,000 bond, or Class U for unlimited value with a $200,000 bond, on the county's own Statutory Compliance Bond form. The 2026 fee is $410, and liability insurance of at least $250,000 per occurrence with a $500,000 aggregate must name the county's Department of Land Use as certificate holder. There is no county examination. (if applicable).
  10. 10Other. Separate Delaware trade licenses where the work calls for them. Neither the business license nor the contractor registration authorizes licensed trade work: electricians are licensed by the Board of Electrical Examiners, plumbers and HVACR contractors by the Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners, and elevator mechanics and manufactured home installers by their own boards within the Division of Professional Regulation. A general contractor satisfies these by employing or subcontracting to the correctly licensed firm, and every subcontractor must hold its own Delaware contractor registration. (if applicable).

What you'll need to buy or arrange

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 · $75
  • Business license · $200

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 · if applicable
  • Other · if applicable

Liability insurance

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

  • Insurance

How Delaware licenses general contractors

Delaware general contractor · “Delaware contractor business license (Division of Revenue) plus Contractor Registration Certificate (Department of Labor)”

Statewide license

Verified September 17, 2026· 12 sources

Issued by Delaware Division of Revenue (business license) and Delaware Department of Labor, Office of Contractor Registration

Delaware has no general, commercial or unlimited building contractor license and no state board that examines builders. The Division of Professional Regulation's 37 boards cover electricians, plumbers and HVACR contractors, elevator mechanics, architects, home inspectors and manufactured home installers, but nothing for general or building contractors, so there is no competency credential at this tier and no trade or business-and-law examination to sit. The two credentials Delaware does require are entity-held and are both about revenue and labor compliance rather than skill. The contractor business license from the Division of Revenue is a tax registration: $75 a year plus a gross receipts tax on construction receipts, and the Division states plainly that the license 'is not a regulatory license and the issuance of such license does not attest to the qualifications of the applicant to perform the activity described on such license.' The Contractor Registration Certificate from the Department of Labor's Office of Contractor Registration is required of every business doing construction services or maintenance before work begins, and it checks workers' compensation, the state business license and an OSHA-compliant safety plan. A contractor without a Delaware place of business is a nonresident contractor and posts a tax bond of six percent of contracts of $20,000 or more. Project-size classification exists only locally: unincorporated New Castle County grades building contractor licenses from Class C to unlimited Class U by project value and surety bond.

How local licensing works in Delaware

New Castle County. The Department of Land Use licenses contractors working in unincorporated New Castle County, and for commercial building this is the only classification tier in Delaware. A permit endorsed license is required of anyone whose construction activity needs a permit, including building contractors; a non-permit endorsed license covers NAICS Sector 23 construction activity that needs no permit. The county excludes electrical contractors, who hold the state electrician license instead, businesses solely engaged in subdivision and land development, DelDOT right-of-way heavy utility work, and maintenance employees of state-owned facilities. Building contractor classes are set by project value and surety bond, not by examination: Class U, unlimited project value, $200,000 bond; Class A, up to $200,000, $150,000 bond; Class B, up to $100,000, $50,000 bond; Class C, up to $50,000, $25,000 bond. The bond must be executed on the county's own unmodified Statutory Compliance Bond form, and the business name on the bond must match the license application exactly. Also required: a current Delaware business license (the Division of Revenue's temporary resident or non-resident contractor license is accepted), a certificate of liability insurance of at least $250,000 for injury or death to one person and property damage in one occurrence, with a $500,000 aggregate for two or more persons, naming NCC Department of Land Use License Processing, 87 Reads Way, New Castle DE 19720 as certificate holder, and an optional Identification of Authorized Agents form. The 2026 fee is $410, made up of a $400 license fee and a $10 ICC digital code access fee that gives the contractor online access to the county's adopted codes. Apply online; Department of Land Use, (302) 395-5420, [email protected]. Check the county parcel search first, because incorporated municipalities fall outside county jurisdiction.

Kent County. Levy Court issues building permits and publishes project-specific requirement sheets. It publishes no county contractor license. Planning Services, (302) 744-2451.

Sussex County. A Sussex County building permit is required for all construction, new, remodeling or additions, whether the site is in a municipality or in the unincorporated county, and plans must be presented for commercial buildings. The county publishes no contractor license. Building Permit Office, Georgetown, (302) 855-7720.

Wilmington and other municipalities. A business operating inside Wilmington needs a city business license as well as the state one, and bidding city work also means filing a vendor application; the city's permit rules refer to work by a City of Wilmington license holder, so ask the Department of Licenses and Inspections what your scope needs. Wage/Business License Division (302) 576-2415; permits, [email protected] or 302-576-3050. Delaware's other incorporated towns set their own business license rules.

Moving to DelawareLeaving Delaware

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

Verified September 17, 2026· 13 sources

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.

Moving to KentuckyLeaving Kentucky

Common questions

Do I have to take the Delaware general contractor exam if I'm licensed in Kentucky?
No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
Do my Kentucky work hours count in Delaware?
No. Delaware does not credit out-of-state hours on this path.
Does it work the other way, from Delaware to Kentucky?
Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Delaware to Kentucky, the mechanism is not applicable.

Sources

  1. 19 Del. C. ch. 36 - Delaware Contractor Registration Act · 19 Del. C. §§3601-3611 · Delaware General Assembly, Delaware Code Online · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
  2. 30 Del. C. §375 - Furnishing of bonds by foreign persons or firms (nonresident contractor bond) · 30 Del. C. §375 · Delaware General Assembly, Delaware Code Online · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
  3. 30 Del. C. ch. 25 - Contractors' License Requirements and Taxes · 30 Del. C. §§2501-2503 · Delaware General Assembly, Delaware Code Online · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
  4. Registered Construction Contractors in Delaware (public registry) · Delaware Department of Labor, Office of Contractor Registration · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  5. Delaware Division of Professional Regulation - Boards and Commissions (complete list) · Delaware Department of State, Division of Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  6. Kent County Levy Court - What Information Do I Need for a Building Permit? · Kent County, Delaware, Levy Court · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  7. New Castle County - 2026 Building Contractor Requirements (permit endorsed building contractors) · New Castle County, Delaware, Department of Land Use · Form · verified September 17, 2026
  8. New Castle County Department of Land Use - Contractor Licensing · New Castle County, Delaware, Department of Land Use · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  9. Delaware One Stop - Contractors Registration · 19 Del. C. ch. 36 · State of Delaware, Delaware One Stop (Department of Labor, Office of Contractor Registration) · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  10. Delaware Division of Revenue - Business Licenses · Delaware Department of Finance, Division of Revenue · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  11. Delaware Division of Revenue - Tax Tips for Contractors and Real Estate Developers Conducting Business in Delaware · 30 Del. C. ch. 25 · Delaware Department of Finance, Division of Revenue · Other · verified September 17, 2026
  12. Delaware Division of Revenue - Contractors (Resident and Non-Resident) · Delaware Department of Finance, Division of Revenue · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  13. Delaware Division of Revenue - Non-Resident Contractor Bond form · 30 Del. C. §375 · Delaware Department of Finance, Division of Revenue · Form · verified September 17, 2026
  14. Sussex County - Building Permits and Licenses · Sussex County, Delaware · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  15. City of Wilmington - Doing Business in the City of Wilmington · City of Wilmington, Delaware · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  16. 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.

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