LicensebyState

Oklahoma to Utah: general contractor license reciprocity

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

Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma has nothing to transfer

Oklahoma general contractor · “General or commercial building contractor license or registration (city-issued)”

Licensed by cities and counties

Verified September 17, 2026· 14 sources

Issued by No state authority for building contractors; cities register general and commercial builders

Oklahoma has no statewide general, commercial or unlimited building contractor license, and the Construction Industries Board publishes that finding itself: "General Contractors are not currently required to have a state license in Oklahoma for general contracting", with the rider that trade licenses and registrations are still required for licensed trade work and that local jurisdictions should be contacted for local requirements. The CIB regulates plumbing, electrical, mechanical, roofing, building and construction inspectors, and home inspectors, and nothing else; the Oklahoma Uniform Building Code Commission adopts the statewide building codes that local departments enforce. The one statewide credential a general contractor may still need in its own right is the CIB roofing contractor registration, which reaches resident and non-resident contractors alike and carries a commercial endorsement with a PSI examination, a $230 initial fee and $1,000,000 of liability insurance for commercial roofing. Commercial building itself is a city matter and the requirements are administrative. Edmond states that "a general building contractor's license is required for permit submittal" and issues one on an email filing, Broken Arrow registers general contractors on a $50,000 liability certificate and a workers' compensation filing, and Tulsa registers contractor accounts by trade with an insurance undertaking. Oklahoma City is the notable gap: its only building category is Building Contractor (Residential Only), so a commercial builder there registers no general credential at all, and Norman licenses only trade, sign and structure moving contractors. None of these carries a trade or business-law exam, a bond, a qualifying party or a financial statement, and there is no NASCLA route because Oklahoma has no state board to accept one.

How local licensing works in Oklahoma

How local licensing works. No Oklahoma agency licenses general or commercial building contractors, so there is no state application to file, no state qualifying party and no state examination. The Construction Industries Board's own FAQ puts it plainly - "General Contractors are not currently required to have a state license in Oklahoma" - and directs contractors to check "the jurisdiction in which you are interested in performing construction related work", noting that other agencies such as the Corporation Commission, the Oklahoma Department of Labor and the Oklahoma Liquefied Petroleum Gas Board license other construction-related areas. Statewide commercial and residential building codes come from the Oklahoma Uniform Building Code Commission and are enforced locally.

Roofing, and only roofing, is a statewide registration. A commercial builder self-performing roofing needs a CIB roofing contractor registration plus a commercial endorsement. The registration is $75 initially and annually, needs at least $500,000 of general liability insurance naming the board as certificate holder, workers' compensation coverage or exemption, Secretary of State business-name registration, entity documents and an affidavit of lawful presence, and runs through a qualifying party who is an owner, officer, member or general partner actively engaged in the work. The commercial endorsement costs $230 initially and $100 to renew, requires a roofing registration in good standing first, raises the liability minimum to $1,000,000, and requires a PSI examination once the application is approved. Commercial roofers also complete four hours of approved continuing education every 36 months. Registration is non-transferable and applies to non-resident contractors as much as to Oklahoma firms.

Oklahoma City. There is no general or commercial building registration. The city's contractor registration categories are Boiler, Building Contractor (Residential Only), Electrical, Fence, House Moving, Insulation, Mechanical, Plumbing, Prequalified Contractor and Sidewalk Contractor (both through Public Works), and Sign. A commercial builder pulls permits without a city contractor credential, while the electrical, mechanical and plumbing scope goes to contractors registered on current CIB state licenses and boiler work to a contractor licensed by the Oklahoma Department of Labor. Prequalification through Public Works is a procurement matter for city contracts rather than a building credential. Development Services, 420 W. Main St., (405) 297-2525.

Tulsa. The Permit Center "registers the licenses of trade contractors" and issues trade permits; the city's guide to doing business states that "in Oklahoma there is no general license required to start or own a business or to operate as a general contractor" and that the state-licensed trades - electrical, fire, mechanical and plumbing - "must then register with the City of Tulsa." Registration is an account filing on the Account Information and Contractor Registration form, whose trade checkboxes include Building alongside the state-licensed trades, demolition, house moving, fire protection systems, and sidewalk, driveway and paving cut work; the last of those "requires an Annual Contractor's Contract with City of Tulsa." The state control number is requested only "if applicable", and the substantive undertaking is to carry general liability insurance naming the City of Tulsa as an additional insured with 30 days' written notice of cancellation. Stationary engineers are the one credential Tulsa tests itself, on a certificate of competency. Pre-development meetings cost $350 for the Infrastructure Development Process route and $350 for the Code Compliance route, each credited against later fees. Permit Center, 175 E. 2nd Street, 4th Floor, (918) 596-9456; fee ordinance Title 49.

Norman. Norman licenses trade contractors, sign contractors and structure movers and nothing else. A Trade Contractor license for electrical, mechanical or plumbing work requires a current active CIB state license, shown active on the CIB website, plus photo ID, renewed annually by 31 March. A Sign Contractor license requires a $2,000 surety bond or certificate of deposit on the city's bond form. A Structure Moving license requires casualty insurance of at least $100,000 and proof of unified carrier registration or an intrastate license. There is no general or commercial building contractor license, so a commercial builder works through the online permitting portal and the licensed trades. Development Services, (405) 366-5339.

Broken Arrow. The Community Permitting and Licensing Division issues residential and commercial building permits and registers contractors through the Citizen Self Service portal. The General Contractor Registration form requires only a current general liability insurance certificate with the business name and address, the City of Broken Arrow named as certificate holder and minimum $50,000 coverage; a current workers' compensation certificate or an Affidavit of Exemption from the Oklahoma Workers' Compensation Commission; the city named as certificate holder on every certificate; and a copy of the contractor's driver's license. No exam, bond, experience or state license is required, and no fee is printed on the form, so confirm the amount with the division. 220 S. First Street, 918-259-2400 ext. 2359.

Edmond. Building & Fire Code Services states that "a general building contractor's license is required for permit submittal" and opens a new one on an email giving the company name, mailing address, contact phone number and portal email. Residential building contractors hold a separate license and "must maintain current general liability and workman's compensation for permit submittal." Trade contractors "are required to hold active city and state licenses" and file their CIB license and driver's license; trade licenses expire 31 July, renew through the portal from July through August, and lapse on 1 September if unpaid. No exam, bond, experience requirement or fee is published for the general building license, so confirm what is payable before submitting. 22 E. Main Street, Edmond, (405) 359-4780, permits.edmondok.gov.

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 anywhere in Oklahoma, because no Oklahoma authority tests or qualifies commercial builders and Oklahoma is not a NASCLA participating state. What does travel is the CIB credential set: the roofing contractor registration, which the Roofing Contractor Registration Act applies to non-resident contractors by name, and the plumbing, electrical and mechanical licenses that several of the cities above demand before they will register a trade contractor. Those routes, including the board's published arrangements with other states, belong on this site's plumbing, electrical and HVAC pages rather than here.

Moving to OklahomaLeaving Oklahoma

Common questions

Do I have to take the Utah general contractor exam if I'm licensed in Oklahoma?
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 Oklahoma?
Published fees on this path total $311, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma?
Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Utah to Oklahoma, 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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