Kentucky to South Carolina: general contractor license reciprocity
Kentucky does not issue a statewide general contractor license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is South Carolina'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.
Qualifying party certification by NASCLA examination or by South Carolina examination (states without a waiver agreement)
Your out-of-state credentials give no advantage. You meet the destination's requirements from scratch.
South Carolina accepts the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors in place of its own building technical examination. The Board is a participating agency in the NASCLA program, its Technical Exam Waiver Agreements chart maps the NASCLA Commercial General Building Contractors exam to the South Carolina Unlimited Building classification, and it says it accepts all states administering that exam; the candidate has NASCLA send the transcript directly to the Board. NASCLA does not waive the South Carolina Business Management & Law for Commercial Contractors examination, which every qualifying party must pass. An applicant without the NASCLA credential sits the South Carolina Limited Building or Unlimited Building technical examination through PSI instead. On either route the qualifying party files Doc. 168 with at least two years of full-time work experience performed within the past five years in the classification applied for, primarily commercial, documented on the Work Experience Affidavit (Doc. 167); experience earned in other states counts. The business then files Doc. 165 with the $350 licensure fee, its Secretary of State verification and a financial statement or surety bond for the group limit it wants.
S.C. Code Section 40-11-290 also allows the Board to exempt the technical examination for an applicant who can verify passing an examination in another state that is essentially the same as South Carolina’s, even without a reciprocal agreement, but the Board publishes no separate procedure for that outside the Technical Exam Waiver Agreements list and the NASCLA route. The examination score needed is 70 percent, an individual may sit a given examination twice in a twelve-month period and once every six months after that, and a certification left inactive four or more years has to be re-examined. Successful completion of a PHCC Academy of North Carolina apprenticeship is listed on Doc. 168 as an alternative to the two-year work experience affidavit. The Board publishes no processing time and no PSI fee amounts; contact it at [email protected] or (803) 896-4686.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- You must have passed a licensing exam in Kentucky that the destination considers comparable.The Board’s licensure page lists "NASCLA: Contact NASCLA to have your transcripts sent directly to the Board" as a method of qualifying by examination, its NASCLA program handout states that the Board "is a participating state agency in administering the National Commercial Building Contractor exam, and the NASCLA Accredited Trade Examination for Electrical Contractors through the testing provider, PSI Exams", and the Technical Exam Waiver Agreements chart maps the NASCLA Commercial General Building Contractors exam to the Unlimited Building classification while accepting all states that administer it. The NASCLA exam is an examination credential rather than a license or a state-to-state agreement, so any candidate may sit it in any participating jurisdiction. It does not waive the South Carolina Business Management & Law for Commercial Contractors examination, the work experience requirement, the licensure fee or the financial responsibility requirement.
- At least two years of full-time work experience performed within the past five years in the license classification or subclassification applied for, primarily commercial. Experience earned in other states counts and is documented on the Work Experience Affidavit (Doc. 167) by former or current employers.S.C. Code Section 40-11-230(B)(2) states the requirement for designation as a primary qualifying party and allows the Board to accept other proof of employment experience. Doc. 168 also accepts a Certificate of Achievement from a PHCC Academy of North Carolina apprenticeship in Heating, Air Conditioning and Plumbing in place of the affidavit, which matters for mechanical rather than building classifications.
- The primary qualifying party must serve in a management capacity for the licensee, be actively involved in its management, supervision and operations, and may not take other employment that conflicts with those duties (S.C. Code Section 40-11-230(B)(3)).
What you'll do to get licensed in South Carolina
- 1Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam (if applicable). South Carolina Limited Building or Unlimited Building technical examination through PSI, registered at https://test-takers.psiexams.com/sccon. It is required unless the qualifying party brings the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors or an accepted examination from a jurisdiction on the Technical Exam Waiver Agreements list. The limited building contractor examination or the unlimited general contractor examination qualifies a Group 1, 2 or 3 license and the unlimited examination is required for Groups 4 and 5; structures built under a limited building examination are restricted to three stories in height..
- 2Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. South Carolina Business Management & Law for Commercial Contractors examination, administered by PSI. Every individual must pass it before the Board will certify them as a qualifying party, no matter which route they use to satisfy the technical examination. Register at https://test-takers.psiexams.com/sccon. S.C. Code Section 40-11-230 requires a grade of 70 percent or better, and an individual may sit a given examination only twice in a twelve-month period and once every six months after that..
- 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee. PSI examination fees are paid directly to PSI when the examination is scheduled. The Board does not publish the amounts; the current fees are in PSI’s South Carolina candidate information bulletin at https://test-takers.psiexams.com/sccon, or call PSI at (855) 746-8173..
- 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($350). Non-refundable $350 licensure fee, paid by check or money order to SCCLB with the General and Mechanical Contractor Application for Licensure (Doc. 165). No cash is accepted and a returned-check fee of up to $30 may be charged. General Contractor licenses expire on October 31 in even-numbered years..
- 5Financial responsibility. Show financial responsibility of at least $10,000. Financial statement for the entity that will hold the license, sized by the license group it wants, with a balance sheet dated no more than twelve months before the application. For General Contractors the groups are: Group 1, bids and jobs up to $100,000, working capital $10,000 or net worth $20,000; Group 2, up to $400,000, $40,000 or $60,000; Group 3, up to $1,000,000, $100,000 or $150,000; Group 4, up to $3,000,000, $175,000 or $250,000; Group 5, unlimited, $250,000 or $350,000. Only one of working capital or net worth has to be met. Groups 1 and 2 may file the owner-prepared statement with an affidavit of accuracy (Doc. 172); Groups 3 and 4 need a statement compiled by a licensed CPA in accordance with GAAP; Group 5 needs an audited balance sheet from a licensed CPA. The figure shown is the Group 1 working capital minimum (S.C. Code Section 40-11-260)..
- 6Surety bond. Post a surety bond ($20,000) (if applicable). Optional alternative to the financial statement under S.C. Code Section 40-11-262: a surety bond in the same amount as the net worth required for the license group, so $20,000 for Group 1, $60,000 for Group 2, $150,000 for Group 3, $250,000 for Group 4 and $350,000 for Group 5. The surety must be authorized to transact surety business in South Carolina, the bond is continuous, lists the State of South Carolina as obligee, and stays in force until the licensee files a financial statement meeting its group. The original must carry the surety’s signature, the principal’s signature, a visible surety company seal and the attached power of attorney; DocuSign is not accepted, and a bond payable to the Residential Builders Commission is not accepted by this Board. The figure shown is the Group 1 bond..
- 7Business license. Obtain a business license. The license is issued to the business, so the entity must be able to conduct business in South Carolina. Attach a Certificate of Existence (or Good Standing) from the SC Secretary of State if the company was incorporated in South Carolina, or a Certificate of Authority if it was incorporated in another state, together with the articles of incorporation or organization and documentation of each owner’s percentage. This is not required for a sole proprietorship..
- 8Other. Primary Qualifying Party / Qualifying Party Initial Application (Doc. 168) for each qualifying party who is not already certified or has been inactive more than four years, with a copy of a driver’s license, state-issued ID, passport or military ID, a copy of the Social Security card, a notarized Verification of Lawful Presence form, the PQP/QP Company Acknowledgement Affidavit (Doc. 190), examination score sheets, and official license verifications from every other state where you are or have been licensed..
Published fees on this path total $350, 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.
- Trade exam · if applicable
- Law / code exam
- Exam fee
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 · $20,000 · 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
How South Carolina licenses general contractors
South Carolina general contractor · “General Contractor license, Building classification (Limited Building or Unlimited Building), Group 1-5”
Statewide license
Issued by South Carolina Contractor’s Licensing Board (SC LLR)
Commercial and unlimited building work in South Carolina runs through the Contractor’s Licensing Board, which licenses General Contractors for any general contracting where the total cost of construction is more than $10,000. The license belongs to the business, not to the person: an individual, corporation, LLC or partnership holds it and must designate a Primary Qualifying Party for each classification, an individual in a management role who personally passes the examinations, so an inbound contractor applies as or for the entity that will sign contracts and pull permits. The Building classification covers commercial, industrial, institutional, modular and all other building construction including residential structures, and carries the Wood Frame Structures, Nonstructural Renovation, Masonry, Pre-engineered Metal Buildings, Roofing, Structural Framing and Miscellaneous Metals subclassifications. Every license also carries a group limit driven by money rather than skill: Group 1 bids and jobs up to $100,000 through to Group 5 with no cap, each set by working capital, net worth or a surety bond. The qualifying party for a Group 1, 2 or 3 license passes either the limited building contractor examination or the unlimited general contractor examination, while Groups 4 and 5 require the unlimited examination, and structures built under a limited building examination are restricted to three stories.
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 South Carolina general contractor exam if I'm licensed in Kentucky?
- The trade exam is waived, but South Carolina requires a law or code exam.
- What does it cost to get a South Carolina general contractor license from Kentucky?
- Published fees on this path total $350, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Kentucky work hours count in South Carolina?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward South Carolina's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from South Carolina to Kentucky?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from South Carolina to Kentucky, the mechanism is not applicable.
Sources
- NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors · National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies · Other · verified September 17, 2026
- S.C. Code of Laws Title 40, Chapter 11 - Contractors · S.C. Code Ann. Sections 40-11-30, 40-11-230, 40-11-260, 40-11-262, 40-11-290, 40-11-410 · South Carolina Legislature · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
- General and Mechanical Contractor Application for Licensure and Instructions (Doc. 165, 12/22/2025 v2.2) · South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) · Form · verified September 17, 2026
- General and Mechanical Contractors - Primary Qualifying Party (PQP) and Qualifying Party (QP) Initial Application (Doc. 168, 12/19/2025 v2.1) · South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) · Form · verified September 17, 2026
- SC Contractor’s Licensing Board - Licensure with the Board (application, qualifying parties, exams, group limits, financial statements, bonds) · South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- SC Contractor’s Licensing Board - NASCLA Accredited Examination Program (board handout) · South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- SC Contractor’s Licensing Board - Technical Exam Waiver Agreements (as of May 2026, Revised 5/2026) · South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) · Agreement Document · verified September 17, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.