Louisiana to Georgia: general contractor license reciprocity
Georgia has a reciprocity agreement with Louisiana: a Louisiana general contractor can get a Georgia license without retaking the trade exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Reciprocal agreement with Louisiana (General Contractor)
A signed state-to-state agreement. The trade exam is waived; you apply, prove your history, and pay the fee.
Georgia has a reciprocal agreement with Louisiana at the General Contractor level, covering the Commercial license in the Building Construction classification issued by the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors. A qualifying applicant files the General Contractor reciprocity application rather than an examination application, and the trade examination is not required. The Georgia Business and Law examination is not waived and must be passed before the license is issued. The Board still applies its experience routes, the $150,000 minimum net worth, $500,000 per occurrence of general liability insurance and, for a company license, Georgia Corporations Division registration. The agreement does not extend to the General Contractor Limited Tier, for which Georgia offers no reciprocity. Because a contractor holding the NASCLA Accredited Examination already satisfies Georgia's trade examination, the practical advantage of this agreement is narrow, and issuance remains at the Division's discretion.
Board Rule 553-2-.13(1) sets the reciprocity requirements for the General Contractor Division: a completed Board application, a non-refundable application fee, proof of a license or certification substantially equivalent to Georgia's current criteria including successful completion of an examination, compliance with the Board's laws, rules and policies, compliance with all state requirements to transact business in Georgia, and passage of the Georgia Business and Law examination. Rule 553-2-.13(2) makes issuance the sole discretion of the division, which may attach conditions. Confirm with the Board at (404) 424-9966 that your Louisiana classification is inside the agreement before paying anything.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
- Typical processing
- About 20 days
- Agreement
- Active
What you must already have
- Your Louisiana license must be active and in good standing.
- You must have held your Louisiana license for at least 3 years.
- Your Louisiana license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
- You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.
- The license is chartered in Louisiana or, for a sole proprietor or partnership, you are a resident of Louisiana.
What you'll do to get licensed in Georgia
- 1Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Georgia Business and Law examination, taken through PSI and passed before the license is issued. Reciprocity does not waive it..
- 2Application fee. Pay the application fee ($210). Non-refundable, non-transferable fee of $210, made up of a $200 application fee and a $10 processing fee, as printed on the Board's General Contractor reciprocity application. Applications are now filed in the GOALS portal, so check the current amount on the fee schedule at https://goals.sos.ga.gov/ before paying..
- 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee. Examination fee paid to PSI when you schedule the Business and Law examination. The Board does not publish PSI's fees..
- 4Financial responsibility. Show financial responsibility of at least $150,000. An affirmed minimum net worth of $150,000 for a General Contractor license, in the business organization's name if you are applying as a qualifying agent..
- 5Insurance. Carry the required insurance ($500,000). General liability insurance of at least $500,000 per occurrence, evidenced by a signed current certificate naming the State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors, 237 Coliseum Drive, Macon, GA 31217 as certificate holder. Binders, information pages, policies and declaration pages are not accepted. Workers compensation insurance is required once the business has three or more employees in Georgia..
- 6Business license. Obtain a business license. To hold the license through a company, that business organization must be registered with the Georgia Corporations Division and hold a Certificate of Authority to transact business in Georgia, and you apply as its qualifying agent..
- 7Other. A letter of verification sent from the licensing board that administered the examination; a copy of your state license, wall certificate or examination score report is not accepted. Also required: one to four years of documented experience depending on which of the Board's experience routes you use, an employment affidavit, a project reference affidavit, a Secure and Verifiable Document with the affidavit of lawful presence, and disclosure of any disciplinary history with supporting court documents..
Published fees on this path total $210, 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
- Exam fee
Liability insurance
Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.
- Insurance · $500,000
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 Georgia licenses general contractors
Georgia general contractor · “General Contractor (also General Contractor Limited Tier, capped at $1,000,000 per contract)”
Statewide license
Georgia licenses commercial general contractors statewide through the General Contractor Division of the State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors, part of the Secretary of State's Professional Licensing Boards Division. A General Contractor license is unlimited as to the type of work and carries no financial limit on any project; the General Contractor Limited Tier is the same license capped at contracts of no more than $1,000,000. Neither license covers electrical, plumbing, conditioned air, low voltage or utility work, which must be performed by contractors licensed under O.C.G.A. Title 43 Chapter 14. As in the residential division the credential is usually entity-held: an individual license only covers work in your own name or as a sole proprietorship, and to contract through a company you apply as its qualifying agent, the person with final approval authority over its construction work, contracts and related financial affairs, with the financial and insurance proofs in the company's name. What makes Georgia unusual for an inbound contractor is the examination: the Board's own trade examination for both general tiers is the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors, so a NASCLA certificate earned in another state already satisfies it. The Georgia Business and Law examination is always separate and is never waived, including for reciprocity applicants.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Georgia general contractor exam if I'm licensed in Louisiana?
- The trade exam is waived, but Georgia requires a law or code exam.
- How long do I need to have held my Louisiana license?
- At least 3 years before applying.
- What does it cost to get a Georgia general contractor license from Louisiana?
- Published fees on this path total $210, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Louisiana work hours count in Georgia?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Georgia's eligibility requirements.
- How long does the application take?
- The board's published or typical processing time is about 20 days.
- Does it work the other way, from Georgia to Louisiana?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Georgia to Louisiana, the mechanism is endorsement.
Sources
- O.C.G.A. Title 43, Chapter 41 - Residential and General Contractors (Board law as published by the Board) · O.C.G.A. 43-41-2, 43-41-5(b), 43-41-6, 43-41-7(2), 43-41-8(a)(3), 43-41-9, 43-41-17 · Georgia Secretary of State, State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 553-2 - Examination Exemption (State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors) · Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 553-2-.01, 553-2-.07, 553-2-.13 · Georgia Secretary of State, Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 553-4 - Qualifications for Licensure, General Contractor Division · Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 553-4-.01 through 553-4-.07 · Georgia Secretary of State, Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026
- State Licensing Board for Residential and Commercial General Contractors · Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- Licensure Comparison Chart - State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors (Revised 02/25) · O.C.G.A. 43-41-2(5), (9), (10), (11); 43-41-17 · Georgia Secretary of State, State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors · Other · verified September 17, 2026
- Residential and Commercial General Contractors - Frequently Asked Questions · Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division · Faq · verified September 17, 2026
- General Contractors: How to Guide (all General Contractor application types) · Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- General Contractor Individual Reciprocity Application (GCI REC, Revised 03/2023) · Board Rule 553-4-.01(3)(c); O.C.G.A. 43-41-2, 43-41-6(e) · Georgia Secretary of State, State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors · Form · verified September 17, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.