LicensebyState

New York to Utah: general contractor license reciprocity

No credit· Start overVerified September 17, 2026· 15 sources

New York does not issue a statewide general contractor license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Utah'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.

Applicants from jurisdictions DOPL has not determined equivalent, including the NASCLA examination route (all other states)

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

An applicant whose home jurisdiction is not shown in green on DOPL’s Endorsement to Utah: Contractor map takes the ordinary route, which for B100 involves no trade examination at all. The qualifier completes an approved 25-hour pre-licensure course plus the five-hour Business and Law course, passes the Utah Contractor Business and Law examination through Prov, and shows two years, meaning 4,000 hours, of paid work experience in the construction industry. That experience travels freely: it counts wherever it was earned, whether the qualifier was paid as a W-2 employee or as an owner and whether the work was licensed or exempt, and it is self-certified on the application rather than verified by an employer, so out-of-state years are not lost. A qualifier who has passed the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors does not have to document the two years at all: Utah Admin. Code R156-55a-302b(2)(b)(i) accepts a passing NASCLA score in place of the experience requirement for every general classification, B100 included, and the application has a box for it. A Construction Management degree or an active Utah professional engineer license does the same. NASCLA does not remove the Business and Law examination or the pre-licensure courses. Where the origin jurisdiction issues no equivalent state-wide license, DOPL will still look at a city or county license, or a non-equivalent state license, as evidence towards Utah’s qualifications if the applicant files a verification showing the hours, examinations and other qualifications behind it.

Two things on DOPL’s published materials do not line up, and both are worth a phone call to the Division on (801) 530-6628 before paying any fee. First, the Apply for a General Contractor License page lists, as an alternative to the Business and Law examination, "One (1) year of licensed experience working in another State, District or Territory of the U.S. in the similar scope of practice sought in Utah if the license is currently active and in good standing", with no mention of an equivalency list, while Utah Admin. Code R156-55a-302a(3) waives that examination only "for an applicant for licensure by endorsement under Section 58-1-302" and the application checklist limits endorsement to "a jurisdiction determined equivalent to Utah" on a map last updated 21 September 2020. Second, the current rule and both apply pages set general liability cover at $1,000,000 each incident and $2,000,000 in total, while the March 2026 application form prints a $3,000,000 aggregate. On the map itself, the jurisdictions shaded yellow as "Limited to Specific Classifications" (Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming and the District of Columbia) are ones DOPL says do not license contractors generally but may license a specific specialty such as electrical, plumbing, HVAC or elevator work, which is not an equivalent to a B100 license; the jurisdictions shaded grey as having no equivalent license are Kansas, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands. Utah Code 58-1-302(2) is written state-neutrally and turns on scope of practice rather than on any named partner, and the map ends by inviting applicants to contact the Division if licensure laws have changed, so an applicant from a yellow or grey jurisdiction holding a license of genuinely similar scope can ask DOPL to look again.

At a glance

Trade exam
Waived
Law / code exam
Required
Out-of-state hours
Count toward eligibility

What you must already have

  • You must document at least 4,000 hours of qualifying work experience.Utah Admin. Code R156-55a-302b(1) reads the requirement broadly: experience counts whether the qualifier was paid as a W-2 employee or as an owner and whether the work was licensed or exempt, and it includes construction work done in the military or for a railroad corporation and work done under a construction trades instructor as part of an educational program. It need not be supervisory and need not match the classification sought. An applicant who is a building inspector may substitute two years as a building inspector including one year as a licensed combination inspector, and an E100 applicant needs four years instead.
  • You must have passed a licensing exam in New York that the destination considers comparable.Utah Admin. Code R156-55a-302b(2)(b)(i) states that a passing NASCLA score satisfies the experience requirement in Utah Code 58-55-302(1)(e)(ii)(A), and DOPL’s contracting FAQ repeats it in the same words. The rule is written for the general classifications as a group rather than for B100 alone, and both the apply page and the qualifier affidavit offer the NASCLA box to every general classification applicant, so it is available at this general level too. NASCLA is an examination credential, not a license and not an interstate agreement, so any applicant may use it whatever state they come from. It waives nothing else: the pre-licensure courses, the Utah Contractor Business and Law examination, insurance, financial responsibility, registration, background checks and fees all still apply.
  • The qualifier must be either an owner of at least 20 per cent of the licensee or a W-2 employee in a management position, and must be paid for at least 12 hours of work a week for the licensee. A qualifier may not qualify more than three licensees at one time without the written approval of the Commission and the Division.

What you'll do to get licensed in Utah

  1. 1Other. Approved pre-licensure education completed by the qualifier before applying: a 25-hour pre-licensure course plus the five-hour Business and Law course, 30 hours in total for a general classification. DOPL accepts the course only from Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), the Utah Home Builders Association (UHBA) or the Associated General Contractors of Utah (AGC); a qualifier who completed the 25-hour course before 1 October 2019 does not need the extra five hours. The Division does not publish the providers’ course prices, so ask the provider..
  2. 2Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Utah Contractor Business and Law examination, taken by the qualifier through Prov either at one of 21 Utah test centers or remotely through Prov’s Examroom service. It is 60 questions in two hours, open reference, and the cut score is 70 per cent; the subject areas are business organization, licensing, estimating and bidding, contract management, project management, labor laws, lien laws, financial management, risk management, tax laws and safety. No DOPL pre-approval is needed to sit it, and a failed attempt may be retaken after 30 days for each of the first three failures and after six months for any failure after that. Pass before submitting the application..
  3. 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($85). Prov examination fee for the Utah Contractor Business and Law exam, paid to Prov and charged again for each retake..
  4. 4Application fee. Pay the application fee ($175). Non-refundable DOPL application processing fee of $175 for each classification requested (application version v20260327). A contractor asking for more than one classification pays it more than once..
  5. 5Application fee. Pay the application fee ($50). Non-refundable DOPL application processing fee of $50 for each qualifier named on the application..
  6. 6Application fee. Pay the application fee ($1). Electronic Reference Library surcharge of $1, collected on every application to fund licensee access to national, state and local building codes and standards. An unincorporated applicant also pays $20 for each owner holding less than 8 per cent, filed with the Appendix F Owner-Worker Status Report..
  7. 7Insurance. Carry the required insurance ($1,000,000). General liability insurance certificate naming DOPL as certificate holder, covering the whole scope of work on the license and in force for the entire duration of active licensure. Utah Admin. Code R156-55a-302d and both DOPL apply pages set the minimum at $1,000,000 for each incident and $2,000,000 in total; the March 2026 application form prints $3,000,000 as the aggregate, so confirm the figure with the Division on (801) 530-6628 before binding cover. The cover must be kept up even while the contractor is not working, unless the license is placed on inactive status..
  8. 8Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Workers’ compensation insurance naming DOPL as certificate holder if the applicant has employees or owner-workers holding less than 8 per cent, together with a Utah State Tax Commission withholding account number and a Department of Workforce Services unemployment registration number, or a signed contract with an approved Professional Employer Organization. An applicant with no employees files a Workers’ Compensation Coverage Waiver from the Utah Labor Commission instead and must tell DOPL in writing before any employee starts work..
  9. 9Financial responsibility. Show financial responsibility. Satisfactory evidence of financial responsibility. Utah Code 58-55-306 lets this be shown by completing and signing the Division’s financial responsibility questionnaire, which asks about judgments, liens, tax liens and child support delinquencies in the past eight years and bankruptcy in the past seven, or by posting a bond. DOPL publishes no minimum net worth, working capital or credit score, and it may audit at random or on reasonable need, weighing judgments, restitution orders, collection actions, bankruptcy schedules, late payment history, financial statements, tax returns and a current credit report. For an unincorporated applicant the Division considers each owner’s personal finances..
  10. 10Surety bond. Post a surety bond ($50,000) (if applicable). License bond, required only where the Division is not satisfied that financial responsibility has been demonstrated. Under Utah Admin. Code R156-55a-602 the minimum is then the greater of 30 per cent of the cumulative outstanding debts, judgments, liens and obligations of the entity, its owners and qualifiers, or $50,000 for any general contractor classification other than R100. A bankruptcy filed, pending or discharged within three years instead sets it at 30 per cent of the total liabilities scheduled with the bankruptcy court. The surety must appear in Treasury Circular 570, the bond runs until DOPL gives written permission to drop it, and the Commission may set a higher or, on clear and convincing evidence, a lower amount..
  11. 11Business license. Obtain a business license. Registration with the Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code for any corporation, LLC, LLP or partnership, including an out-of-state entity, plus a federal Employer Identification Number; a sole proprietor may use a Social Security number and is licensed in their own given name. The license is issued in the registered legal name, business must be done in that name unless a DBA owned by the licensee is separately filed with DOPL, and if the corporate registration lapses the contractor license expires with it by statute..
  12. 12Background check. Complete a background check. Criminal background check under Utah Code 58-1-301.5 consented to and completed by the qualifier and by every individual holding at least a 10 per cent voting interest in the applicant, with disclosure of any criminal history the Division asks for. A yes answer on the qualifying questionnaire about discipline, pending criminal action, a misdemeanour in the past ten years or a felony at any time brings a requirement to file a personal account, police reports, court records and probation or parole reports for each incident..
  13. 13Continuing education. Complete continuing education. Six hours of approved continuing education in each two-year license term, of which at least three must be core education and at least three must be live in-class attendance, with no more than three hours online, and at least one hour in energy conservation. It is a condition of renewal rather than of getting the license. Licenses expire on 30 November of each odd-numbered year..

Published fees on this path total $311, 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.

  • Other
  • Law / code exam
  • Exam fee · $85

Liability insurance

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

  • Insurance · $1,000,000
  • Insurance

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 · $50,000 · 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

Continuing education

Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.

  • Continuing education

How Utah licenses general contractors

Utah general contractor · “B100 General Building Contractor”

Statewide license

Verified September 17, 2026· 10 sources

Issued by Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL)

Utah licenses contractors statewide through the Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) under the Utah Construction Trades Licensing Act, Utah Code 58-55, and Rule R156-55a, and it licenses by classification rather than by tier. The unlimited building classification is B100 General Building Contractor, which Utah Code 58-55-102(26)(a) defines as the construction of structures for the support, shelter and enclosure of persons, animals, chattels or movable property, and any component of that construction except plumbing, electrical, mechanical, elevator and manufactured housing work, for which a B100 must employ a contractor licensed in the specialty; a B100 building single-family or multifamily residences up to four units may do the mechanical work itself and employ a licensed plumber or electrician. A B100 license already carries every S-series specialty scope, so a general builder does not add S220 Carpentry and Flooring, S260 Asphalt and Concrete, S270 Drywall, Paint and Plastering, S280 Roofing, S310 Foundation, Excavation and Demolition, S330 Landscape and Recreation, S440 Sign Installation and the rest separately; it does not reach R200 Factory Built Housing, S700 Limited Scope, S510 Elevator or the E200, E201, P200, P201 and H100 trade classifications. Alongside B100 sit E100 General Engineering Contractor, for fixed works such as roads, bridges, dams and pipelines that need specialized engineering knowledge, and R100 Residential and Small Commercial Contractor, the homes-and-small-buildings classification. The license is issued to the business rather than to the person: the entity applies and names a qualifier, an owner of at least 20 per cent or a W-2 employee in a management position who is paid for at least 12 hours a week, and it is that qualifier who meets the course, experience and examination requirements and who may qualify no more than three licensees at once. There is no Utah trade examination for B100: the only DOPL examination is the Utah Contractor Business and Law exam. Licenses expire on 30 November of each odd-numbered year and renewal takes six hours of continuing education.

Moving to UtahLeaving Utah

Why New York has nothing to transfer

New York general contractor · “General Contractor Registration (NYC) / General Contractor and Light Commercial Contractor license (Buffalo)”

Licensed by cities and counties

Verified September 17, 2026· 15 sources

Issued by New York City and city building departments (no statewide general or building contractor license)

New York has no statewide general, commercial, building or unlimited contractor license, and no state board examines or qualifies builders. The Department of State's Division of Licensing Services regulates 35 occupations and none of them is contractor; what the state does license around construction is narrow and specialized — home inspectors, manufactured housing, security and fire alarm installers through the Department of State, and asbestos contractors through the Department of Labor — while the individual building trades are licensed locally rather than by the state. Commercial and new-building work is controlled through the building permit, city by city. New York City requires a General Contractor Registration from the Department of Buildings before a contractor can pull New Building permits for one-, two- and three-family homes, and a registered Construction Superintendent at new buildings and demolitions nine stories and below; Buffalo issues graded General Contractor, New Housing, Light Commercial and Demolition licenses through a monthly advisory board. Most county home improvement laws stop short of this tier on purpose — Suffolk's and Westchester's both exclude new home construction — so outside the cities that license, a commercial builder in New York works under the permit and the Uniform Code with no contractor credential at all. A general contractor arriving from another state has nothing to transfer at state level and no reciprocity to apply for: the work is registering where registration is required and making sure the electrical, plumbing and fire-protection scopes are performed by people holding the right local trade licenses.

How local licensing works in New York

How it works in New York. No New York agency issues a general, commercial, building or unlimited contractor license. There is no state qualifying party, no business-and-law exam, no financial statement filed with a state board and no NASCLA route, because there is no board to file with. That means an out-of-state general contractor's license, its classification and any NASCLA Accredited Examination score carry no weight at state level. What decides whether you can work is the jurisdiction: a registration in New York City, a graded license in Buffalo, a county home improvement license where the job is a renovation rather than a new building, and the correct local trade licenses for the subcontracted scopes everywhere.

New York City — General Contractor Registration. The Department of Buildings requires that "all contractors who build one-, two-, and three-family homes must register with the Department to obtain New Building permits." Registration is $300, renewal $240, late renewal $50, and the term is three years. The applicant must "be at least eighteen (18) years old", "be able to read and write the English language", show good moral character, pass a background investigation and prove financial solvency — the last of which means a company bank account with "a minimum end balance of at least $25,000 for the past three (3) months", evidenced by three consecutive statements. Insurance is general liability with a $1 million minimum, plus workers' compensation and disability certificates. The filing is a notarized LIC6 form with EIN documentation, government photo ID, a Child Support Certification Form and proof of business address, submitted through DOB NOW; paper applications have not been accepted since September 7, 2021. There is no exam and no published experience minimum.

New York City — larger and commercial work. For buildings above the one-to-three-family tier, New York City does not license the general contractor at all; it regulates the site. "A registered Construction Superintendent is required at new buildings and buildings under demolition nine stories and below" — registration $100, renewal $50, term three years, applied for in DOB NOW after a DOB-approved training course. Bigger jobs are governed by site safety requirements and by DOB's other licenses and registrations: electricians, master and journeyman plumbers and fire suppression piping contractors, riggers, sign hangers, hoisting machine operators, welders, concrete safety managers and concrete testing laboratories, site safety professionals and special inspection agencies. Qualifications for all of them are in Chapter 4 of the 2022 NYC Administrative Code. Separately, any work on residential property in the five boroughs still needs the DCWP Home Improvement Contractor license — see the residential level, because in practice most contractors working in New York City need that one first.

Buffalo. Buffalo is the New York city that most closely resembles a classic graded contractor license. Under Chapter 144 of the City Ordinances, anyone "doing construction work in the City of Buffalo" needs a city Contractor License, which "does not allow for plumbing, heating, cooling or electrical work", and working without one is an unclassified misdemeanor carrying up to $1,000 or 60 days. At this tier the categories are General Contractor — "Companies with extensive experience in major construction work will qualify. To perform construction of new residential and commercial structures without limitations", including infrastructure — New Housing Contractor (new residential and commercial structures up to three stories plus remodeling, excluding infrastructure), Light Commercial Contractor (repairs, remodeling, alterations, conversions and modernization of commercial property, plus additions and new accessory structures up to three stories), Construction Manager (oversight and scheduling only, cannot perform construction work) and Demolition Grades 1 through 4. Minimum general liability aggregates are $2,000,000 for General Contractor and every demolition grade, $500,000 for Light Commercial, Specialty, Subcontractor and New Housing, and $50,000 for Handyman and Construction Manager, with the Office of Licenses at 301 City Hall as certificate holder and no PO Box addresses accepted. Demolition Grades 2 and 3 need reference letters from two townships where demolition work was performed, waivable with a resume showing ten years of demolition experience; Grade 4 needs a New York State explosives license held by a major corporate officer. New Housing applicants file copies of the warranties given to new home buyers. Asbestos abatement requires the firm's New York State Department of Labor Asbestos License, lead abatement requires EPA firm certification, and fire suppression system installation requires approval from the Chief of Fire Prevention. Applications must arrive at least seven days before the monthly Construction & Home Improvement Advisory Board meeting, and "attendance at the meeting is mandatory for the applicant" unless a notarized letter authorizes a representative. The fee is not printed on the application packet; ask the Office of Licenses on (716) 851-6583.

The counties stop below this tier. Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland and Putnam license home improvement, not building. Suffolk's Chapter 563 definition expressly excludes "the construction of a new home", and the Westchester law states that it "shall not apply to ... the construction of a new home building", along with plumbing work, electrical work and architectural services. A builder putting up new houses in those counties may therefore need no county license at all, while the same builder's remodeling arm does — and both still answer to the town or village building department. Check the scope with the county before assuming either way.

Yonkers and Rochester. Yonkers licenses home improvement contractors who "renovate existing dwellings of 1 to 3 families" and does not issue a commercial builder license; new and commercial construction is handled through the Department of Housing and Buildings permit process. Rochester licenses only electricians, plumbers and stationary engineers / refrigeration operators, and holds the permit applicant responsible for making sure "all required contractors are licensed, proof of insurance is filed and the project complies with the permit".

Everywhere else. Outside the jurisdictions above, commercial construction in New York is governed by the Uniform Code and the local building department, and in most towns and villages a general contractor needs no license — only permits, insurance and licensed trades. Confirm with the building department for the job site, and where the project involves residential property anywhere in the state, General Business Law Article 36-A's written-contract and deposit-escrow rules still apply.

Moving to New YorkLeaving New York

Common questions

Do I have to take the Utah general contractor exam if I'm licensed in New York?
The trade exam is waived, but Utah requires a law or code exam.
What does it cost to get a Utah general contractor license from New York?
Published fees on this path total $311, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my New York work hours count in Utah?
Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Utah's eligibility requirements.
Does it work the other way, from Utah to New York?
Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Utah to New York, the mechanism is not applicable.

Sources

  1. NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors · National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies · Other · verified September 17, 2026
  2. Utah Code 58-1-302 - License by endorsement · Utah Code 58-1-302(2) · Utah State Legislature · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
  3. Utah Code 58-55-102 - Definitions (Utah Construction Trades Licensing Act) · Utah Code 58-55-102(20), (26), (42) · Utah State Legislature · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
  4. Utah Code 58-55-302 - Qualifications for licensure · Utah Code 58-55-302(1)(c)(ii), (1)(e)(ii), (1)(e)(iii), (1)(e)(iv), (1)(e)(vii), (2)(b) · Utah State Legislature · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
  5. Utah Code 58-55-306 - Financial responsibility · Utah Code 58-55-306 · Utah State Legislature · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
  6. Utah Contractor Application - All Classifications (with qualifier affidavit, checklist and fee table) · Utah Code 58-55-306; Utah Admin. Code R156-1-301, R156-55a-602 · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Form · verified September 17, 2026
  7. Endorsement to Utah: Contractor (state-by-state equivalency map) · Utah Code 58-55; 58-1-302 · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Other · verified September 17, 2026
  8. Utah DOPL - Contracting licensing home page · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  9. Utah DOPL - Contracting Continuing Education · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  10. Utah DOPL - Contracting Exam Information · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  11. Contracting Frequently Asked Questions (DOPL) · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Faq · verified September 17, 2026
  12. Apply for a General Contractor License (DOPL) · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  13. Apply for a Specialty Contractor License (DOPL) · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  14. State of Utah Contracting Exam - Examination Handbook (Prov, for DOPL) · Prov, Inc., examination administrator for the Utah Division of Professional Licensing · Other · verified September 17, 2026
  15. Utah Admin. Code R156-55a - Utah Construction Trades Licensing Act Rule · Utah Admin. Code R156-55a-301c, -301h, -302a, -302b, -302d, -302f, -303a, -303b, -304, -306, -602 · Utah Office of Administrative Rules · Admin Rule · 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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