Massachusetts to Georgia: general contractor license reciprocity
Georgia has no reciprocity agreement with Massachusetts. A Massachusetts general contractor applies by endorsement.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Licensure using the NASCLA Accredited Examination (any state, no agreement needed)
The board reviews your out-of-state credentials case by case. Some exam is usually still required, often only a law or code exam.
Georgia's own trade examination for the General Contractor and General Contractor Limited Tier licenses is the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors, so a contractor arriving from any state who has already passed it does not sit a separate Georgia trade examination. You release your NASCLA transcript to the Board with the application and, once the Board approves you, take the Georgia Business and Law examination through PSI; that examination is never waived. If you have not taken the NASCLA examination, it is the examination you will be approved to sit, and it is available to candidates in any participating state. Everything outside the trade examination still has to be met on its own: the Board's experience routes, a minimum net worth of $150,000 for the standard tier or $25,000 for the Limited Tier, $500,000 per occurrence of general liability insurance, workers compensation once the business has three or more employees in Georgia, and Georgia Corporations Division registration if the license will be held by a company. Out-of-state experience counts toward eligibility; the Board does not require the work or the supporting commercial project to have been performed in Georgia.
This is the NASCLA pathway, and in Georgia it is the ordinary pathway rather than an alternative one: the Board's licensure comparison chart lists the NASCLA Accredited Examination and the Georgia Business and Law examination as the examination requirements for both general tiers, and every General Contractor application checklist asks for NASCLA transcripts. The Board accepts NASCLA in the General Contractor Division only; the residential classifications have their own Georgia examinations. Applications are filed in the GOALS portal and generally processed within 20 business days, with a deficiency letter restarting the count and a 60-day cure window. Exam approval letters are valid for one year and allow three sittings; the old examination-exemption or grandfathering route has closed. General contractor licenses renew by 30 June of even-numbered years and carry no continuing education requirement.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
- Typical processing
- About 20 days
What you must already have
- You must have passed a licensing exam in Massachusetts that the destination considers comparable.The Board's licensure comparison chart names the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors as the examination requirement for both the General Contractor and the General Contractor Limited Tier license, alongside the Georgia Business and Law examination. A NASCLA certificate earned while licensed in another participating state therefore satisfies Georgia's trade examination outright; you release the NASCLA transcript to the Board with the application. The NASCLA examination is origin-independent and is not a reciprocal agreement with any state, and it does not waive the Georgia Business and Law examination or any application, experience, net worth or insurance requirement.
- At least 21 years old.
- One of the Board's three experience routes: a four-year degree in engineering, architecture, construction management, building construction or a related field acceptable to the Division, plus one year working as or for a general contractor; accredited college coursework plus practical experience totaling four years; or at least four years of active construction experience, of which two were as or for a general contractor and one in estimating, engineering, supervision or project management.
- At least one commercial project, within five years of the application, on which you had general oversight and primary management responsibility as supervisor for its successful performance and completion. The Board does not require the project to have been in Georgia.
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 after the Board approves the application. It is required of every general contractor applicant, including NASCLA holders and reciprocity applicants, and is never waived..
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam (if applicable). NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors. Shown as optional because applicants who already hold it simply release the transcript to the Board; applicants who do not will be approved to sit it, and it is administered by NASCLA rather than by Georgia, so it can be taken in any participating state before or after applying here..
- 3Application fee. Pay the application fee. A non-refundable application fee is due with the online application. The Board does not print the amount on its how-to guides; the current amount is on the fee schedule in the GOALS portal at https://goals.sos.ga.gov/, and the Board can be reached at (404) 424-9966..
- 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee. Examination fees paid to the testing organization when each examination is scheduled: PSI for the Georgia Business and Law examination and NASCLA for the accredited examination and its transcript. The Board does not publish either fee..
- 5Financial responsibility. Show financial responsibility of at least $150,000. An affirmed minimum net worth of $150,000 for a General Contractor license, or $25,000 for the General Contractor Limited Tier, supported by the net worth affirmation or financial documents the application asks for. If you are applying as a qualifying agent the net worth must be the business organization's, not yours. Unlike the residential division, the general division does not offer a surety bond, line of credit or letter of credit as a substitute for the net worth affirmation..
- 6Insurance. Carry the required insurance ($500,000). General liability insurance of at least $500,000 per occurrence for both general tiers, evidenced by a signed current certificate of insurance 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. An individual applicant must be the named insured; a qualifying agent's coverage must be in the company's name. Workers compensation insurance is required once the business has three or more employees in Georgia..
- 7Business license. Obtain a business license. If the license will be held by a company rather than by you personally, that business organization must be registered with the Georgia Corporations Division and, if formed outside Georgia, hold a Certificate of Authority to transact business here; you then apply as its qualifying agent. An individual license does not let you perform work on behalf of any LLC or corporation, even one you own outright..
- 8Contractor license. Hold or obtain a contractor license (if applicable). A general contractor license does not authorize electrical, plumbing, conditioned air, low voltage or utility work. Under O.C.G.A. 43-41-2(5) that work must be performed by someone licensed for it under Title 43 Chapter 14, whether a subcontractor or a separately licensed member of your own organization..
- 9Other. Supporting documents filed with the application: the work experience record and employment affidavit, a project reference affidavit for the qualifying commercial project, an official college transcript, diploma or certificate where you are qualifying on education, a Secure and Verifiable Document such as a driver license or passport with an affidavit of lawful presence under O.C.G.A. 50-36-1, a list of affiliations, bankruptcy documents if applicable, and disclosure of any disciplinary action or sanctions with supporting court documents and a letter of explanation..
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
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 Massachusetts?
- The trade exam is waived, but Georgia requires a law or code exam.
- Do my Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Georgia to Massachusetts, the mechanism is experience credit.
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 553-4 - 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
- 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.