LicensebyState

Texas to Delaware: general contractor license reciprocity

No credit· Start overVerified September 17, 2026· 16 sources

Texas does not issue a statewide general contractor license, so there is nothing to transfer. Here is Delaware'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.

Everyone files the same registrations; an out-of-state general contractor license transfers nothing

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

A commercial or general contractor licensed in another state gains no advantage in Delaware and suffers no disadvantage for lacking one. There is nothing to waive: no Delaware agency examines contractors, sets an experience standard, reviews finances or recognizes a qualifying individual at this tier, and neither the tax chapter nor the Contractor Registration Act contains a reciprocity, endorsement or equivalence provision. Delaware is not one of the state agencies that accept the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors either. The route is the same for every contractor. Form the business or qualify it as a foreign entity, apply to the Division of Revenue for the contractor business license and pay $75, and register with the Department of Labor's Office of Contractor Registration before any work begins, paying $200 for private construction, $300 for public construction or $500 for both. Carry Delaware workers' compensation insurance, file the Department of Labor certificate of notice, and file an OSHA-compliant safety plan with the Labor registration. A contractor that does not regularly maintain a place of business in Delaware must also post a bond of six percent of any contract of $20,000 or more, or of the aggregate of contracts reaching $20,000 in a calendar year, before construction begins, and name a Delaware custodian of records and agent for service of process. On top of that, work in unincorporated New Castle County needs that county's building contractor license in the class that matches the project value.

Two Delaware quirks catch arriving commercial contractors. First, the license application must be initiated before a bid is submitted on a competitively bid contract over $50,000, or for a subcontractor before the general contractor bids, so the paperwork cannot wait until award. Second, the architect, engineer, contractor or construction manager that awards a contract to a nonresident contractor must report it to the Department of Finance within 10 days on Form 5060, with a civil penalty of up to $10,000 for each failure; the same penalty applies to missing the nonresident bond. Public works projects under the prevailing wage law at 29 Del. C. §6960 carry the higher $300 registration fee and their own wage and reporting rules. A contractor may not use an unregistered subcontractor, and doing so is a ground to suspend or revoke its own certificate of registration; a knowing violation of the Contractor Registration Act carries a civil penalty of $5,000 to $85,000 per violation. Delaware publishes no processing time for either credential. Division of Revenue Business Tax Department (302) 577-8780; Office of Contractor Registration, [email protected].

At a glance

Trade exam
Waived
Law / code exam
Not required
Out-of-state hours
Do not count

What you must already have

  • Nothing about the applicant's trade history is examined. No examination result, experience record, education, reference, credit report or financial statement is asked for at any stage, and no individual is named as a qualifier, so an out-of-state general contractor license, a NASCLA examination transcript and decades of commercial building all carry the same weight in Delaware, which is none.Confirmed against 30 Del. C. ch. 25 and 19 Del. C. ch. 36 read in full, the One Stop contractor registration checklist and the Division of Professional Regulation's complete list of 37 boards, which contains no board for general, building or residential contractors.
  • A business that does not regularly maintain a place of business in Delaware is a nonresident contractor: it posts the six percent tax bond before construction starts and names a Delaware custodian of records and agent for service of process on the Labor registration. A site trailer or similar facility used for one contract does not make a business resident, however long the contract runs.30 Del. C. §2501(3), (6) and (7) and §375(a)(1)-(2); 19 Del. C. §3605(b)(3). Where a contractor entity is a partnership or joint venture, it counts as resident if at least one constituent entity regularly maintains a Delaware place of business.
  • The Labor registration application asks whether the business, or anyone with a financial interest in it, has held an interest in an entity cited for a labor law violation, has been convicted of home improvement fraud or new home construction fraud, or has been found to have engaged in an unlawful trade practice, and requires labor law violations and fraud in the last two years to be listed with dates and outcomes.19 Del. C. §3605(b)(4). The Department may deny, suspend or revoke a certificate for non-compliance, a wilful misstatement, refusing to provide requested records, performing work out of compliance, using an unregistered subcontractor or obstructing an investigation, and may require a surety bond or an administrative penalty instead; appeals go to the Secretary of Labor and then to Superior Court.

What you'll do to get licensed in Delaware

  1. 1Business license. Obtain a business license ($75). Delaware contractor business license from the Division of Revenue, required of any person or entity engaging in business in the State as a contractor, whether general contractor or subcontractor and whether resident or nonresident. The fee is $75, the license runs to January 1 and renews annually by December 31, and most licenses are pro-ratable in the first year. Apply through Delaware One Stop or a Combined Registration Application. On a competitively bid contract over $50,000 the application must be initiated before the bid. The Division will not issue the license until the nonresident bond obligation under 30 Del. C. §375 is met, a Delaware Department of Labor certificate of notice is filed, and a certificate of workers' compensation insurance or qualified self-insurer status is filed..
  2. 2Business license. Obtain a business license ($200). Contractor Registration Certificate from the Department of Labor's Office of Contractor Registration, required before performing construction services or maintenance in Delaware. One-year fees are $200 for private construction, $300 for public construction and $500 for both; after two consecutive registered years, a contractor with no labor law violations who renews before expiry may take a two-year certificate for $300 (private) or $500 (public). The application asks for tax identification numbers, NAICS codes, business details, contacts for everyone with a financial interest, the Delaware business license number, proof of Delaware workers' compensation coverage, the unemployment insurance SUI number, an OSHA-compliant safety plan and the labor and fraud disclosures. Renewal is possible only in the 90 days before expiry, the certificate is not transferable, and letting it lapse means applying again as a first-time applicant..
  3. 3Surety bond. Post a surety bond (if applicable). Non-Resident Contractor Bond for a contractor that does not regularly maintain a place of business in Delaware: six percent of the contract or subcontract price on any contract of $20,000 or more, six percent of estimated cost and profit under a cost-plus contract of that size, or six percent of the aggregate where two or more contracts in a calendar year reach $20,000. It is filed with the Division of Revenue on the Division's own form before construction begins, and a cash bond or a bank letter of credit approved by the Director of Revenue may be accepted instead. The Secretary of Finance may waive it in whole or in part where no bond is needed to protect state tax revenue, and issues a project certificate of compliance on request. The bond secures Delaware income and withholding taxes, license fees and unemployment contributions; it is not a performance bond. The contractor must notify the Department within 20 days of completing each Delaware project. Bonding questions: (302) 577-8167..
  4. 4Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Delaware workers' compensation insurance, evidenced by a certificate filed with the Division of Revenue before the business license is issued, or a Department of Labor certificate showing the business is a qualified self-insurer. The policy number and a digital copy are uploaded again with the Contractor Registration application, together with the Delaware unemployment insurance SUI number..
  5. 5Other. A certificate of notice from the Delaware Department of Labor confirming that the business has notified the Department that it has entered, or will enter, contracts to perform labor, or labor and materials, on a Delaware construction project. The Division of Revenue may not issue the contractor business license without it..
  6. 6Other. A written safety plan compliant with Occupational Safety and Health Administration requirements, or evidence that a compliant plan is being created, filed with the Contractor Registration application..
  7. 7Other. Gross receipts tax on construction receipts: a license fee of 0.6472 percent of aggregate gross receipts, with the first $100,000 each month exempt, due by the twentieth of the following month, or quarterly with a $300,000 deduction where lookback-period receipts do not exceed $1,500,000. Sums paid to licensed subcontractors under a written agreement stating the exact sums payable are excluded and are reported on Form 1280. All branches or entities of an enterprise under common ownership or control share a single monthly or quarterly deduction. Real estate developers compute gross receipts differently, deducting land and site costs or electing a flat 30 percent of gross proceeds..
  8. 8Other. Form 5060, Statement of Contracts Awarded, filed with the Department of Finance within 10 days of entering a contract with a nonresident contractor or subcontractor, stating the total value of the contracts and the names and addresses of the parties. The duty falls on the architect, professional engineer, contractor or construction manager awarding the work, so a general contractor moving to Delaware takes it on for its own out-of-state subcontractors. The civil penalty is up to $10,000 for each occurrence..
  9. 9Other. A New Castle County permit endorsed building contractor license for work in the unincorporated county, in the class that matches the project value: Class C up to $50,000 with a $25,000 bond, Class B up to $100,000 with a $50,000 bond, Class A up to $200,000 with a $150,000 bond, or Class U for unlimited value with a $200,000 bond, on the county's own Statutory Compliance Bond form. The 2026 fee is $410, and liability insurance of at least $250,000 per occurrence with a $500,000 aggregate must name the county's Department of Land Use as certificate holder. There is no county examination. (if applicable).
  10. 10Other. Separate Delaware trade licenses where the work calls for them. Neither the business license nor the contractor registration authorizes licensed trade work: electricians are licensed by the Board of Electrical Examiners, plumbers and HVACR contractors by the Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners, and elevator mechanics and manufactured home installers by their own boards within the Division of Professional Regulation. A general contractor satisfies these by employing or subcontracting to the correctly licensed firm, and every subcontractor must hold its own Delaware contractor registration. (if applicable).

What you'll need to buy or arrange

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 · $75
  • Business license · $200

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 · if applicable
  • Other · if applicable

Liability insurance

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

  • Insurance

How Delaware licenses general contractors

Delaware general contractor · “Delaware contractor business license (Division of Revenue) plus Contractor Registration Certificate (Department of Labor)”

Statewide license

Verified September 17, 2026· 12 sources

Issued by Delaware Division of Revenue (business license) and Delaware Department of Labor, Office of Contractor Registration

Delaware has no general, commercial or unlimited building contractor license and no state board that examines builders. The Division of Professional Regulation's 37 boards cover electricians, plumbers and HVACR contractors, elevator mechanics, architects, home inspectors and manufactured home installers, but nothing for general or building contractors, so there is no competency credential at this tier and no trade or business-and-law examination to sit. The two credentials Delaware does require are entity-held and are both about revenue and labor compliance rather than skill. The contractor business license from the Division of Revenue is a tax registration: $75 a year plus a gross receipts tax on construction receipts, and the Division states plainly that the license 'is not a regulatory license and the issuance of such license does not attest to the qualifications of the applicant to perform the activity described on such license.' The Contractor Registration Certificate from the Department of Labor's Office of Contractor Registration is required of every business doing construction services or maintenance before work begins, and it checks workers' compensation, the state business license and an OSHA-compliant safety plan. A contractor without a Delaware place of business is a nonresident contractor and posts a tax bond of six percent of contracts of $20,000 or more. Project-size classification exists only locally: unincorporated New Castle County grades building contractor licenses from Class C to unlimited Class U by project value and surety bond.

How local licensing works in Delaware

New Castle County. The Department of Land Use licenses contractors working in unincorporated New Castle County, and for commercial building this is the only classification tier in Delaware. A permit endorsed license is required of anyone whose construction activity needs a permit, including building contractors; a non-permit endorsed license covers NAICS Sector 23 construction activity that needs no permit. The county excludes electrical contractors, who hold the state electrician license instead, businesses solely engaged in subdivision and land development, DelDOT right-of-way heavy utility work, and maintenance employees of state-owned facilities. Building contractor classes are set by project value and surety bond, not by examination: Class U, unlimited project value, $200,000 bond; Class A, up to $200,000, $150,000 bond; Class B, up to $100,000, $50,000 bond; Class C, up to $50,000, $25,000 bond. The bond must be executed on the county's own unmodified Statutory Compliance Bond form, and the business name on the bond must match the license application exactly. Also required: a current Delaware business license (the Division of Revenue's temporary resident or non-resident contractor license is accepted), a certificate of liability insurance of at least $250,000 for injury or death to one person and property damage in one occurrence, with a $500,000 aggregate for two or more persons, naming NCC Department of Land Use License Processing, 87 Reads Way, New Castle DE 19720 as certificate holder, and an optional Identification of Authorized Agents form. The 2026 fee is $410, made up of a $400 license fee and a $10 ICC digital code access fee that gives the contractor online access to the county's adopted codes. Apply online; Department of Land Use, (302) 395-5420, [email protected]. Check the county parcel search first, because incorporated municipalities fall outside county jurisdiction.

Kent County. Levy Court issues building permits and publishes project-specific requirement sheets. It publishes no county contractor license. Planning Services, (302) 744-2451.

Sussex County. A Sussex County building permit is required for all construction, new, remodeling or additions, whether the site is in a municipality or in the unincorporated county, and plans must be presented for commercial buildings. The county publishes no contractor license. Building Permit Office, Georgetown, (302) 855-7720.

Wilmington and other municipalities. A business operating inside Wilmington needs a city business license as well as the state one, and bidding city work also means filing a vendor application; the city's permit rules refer to work by a City of Wilmington license holder, so ask the Department of Licenses and Inspections what your scope needs. Wage/Business License Division (302) 576-2415; permits, [email protected] or 302-576-3050. Delaware's other incorporated towns set their own business license rules.

Moving to DelawareLeaving Delaware

Why Texas has nothing to transfer

Texas general contractor

Licensed by cities and counties

Verified September 17, 2026· 13 sources

Texas has no statewide general, commercial or building contractor license and no state board that examines or qualifies builders, so there is nothing at the state level for an out-of-state general contractor's license to transfer into. The trades are licensed instead: the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation licenses electricians and electrical contractors, air conditioning and refrigeration contractors, elevator and boiler work, water well drillers and industrialized housing and buildings; the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners licenses plumbers; and the Texas Department of Insurance State Fire Marshal's Office licenses fire alarm and fire sprinkler contractors. Commercial building is controlled through city permitting: Dallas registers general contractors and says its category expressly includes commercial general contractors, Fort Worth requires a Building Contractor registration for any building permit, El Paso requires a general contractor registration with a blanket construction bond and liability insurance for new commercial work and tenant improvements, and Austin requires the general contractor named on a building permit to register with Building and Trade Contractor Services first. Houston and San Antonio require nothing at all of a commercial general contractor: San Antonio states that 'there are no license or registration requirements for commercial general contractors', and Houston's permitting guides state that general contractors are not required to be licensed. None of these city registrations involves a trade or business-law exam, a qualifying party, a financial statement or an experience review, and none of them recognizes a license from another state, so a general contractor arriving in Texas registers city by city, carries the insurance and bonds each city demands, and makes sure the electrical, HVAC and plumbing work is performed under the correct state trade licenses.

How local licensing works in Texas

How it works in Texas. No Texas agency issues a general, commercial, building or unlimited contractor license, and there is no Texas equivalent of a qualifying party, a NASCLA route or a business-and-law exam. Cities control commercial construction through the building permit. Where a city registers contractors, registration is an annual (or biennial) filing backed by insurance, bonding and identity documents - never a competency exam - so out-of-state experience, an out-of-state license and a NASCLA Accredited Examination score all carry the same weight in Texas, which is none. What does matter is holding, or employing, the state trade licenses for any electrical, HVAC or plumbing scope, and registering those licenses with the city as well.

Dallas. Building Inspection's contractor registration form covers General Contractor and notes that the category 'includes, but is not limited to, the following: residential general contractor, commercial general contractor, roofing contractor, fence contractor, foundation contractor, demolition contractor and pool contractor.' The form prints an annual registration or renewal fee of $120.00. A company with a Dallas address must supply a Certificate of Occupancy number or have a home office form on file. The responsible party lists and assigns PINs to the staff who may sign permit applications, and registrations are suspended or revoked under Chapter 52 of the Dallas City Code, the Administrative Procedures for the Construction Codes. Renewals go through DallasNow or any Building Inspection office; (214) 948-4480.

Fort Worth. 'Any firm, business, individual or organization obtaining a permit related to the building, mechanical, plumbing or electrical provisions' of the city codes must have a valid Contractor Registration on file with Development Services. A commercial builder registers as a Building Contractor for $168.75, submitting the application and a copy of a valid driver's license; 'the Contractor Registration, unless revoked or suspended, shall expire one year from the date of issuance.' The Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing registration types require the matching Texas state license; the Building type does not require any license or exam. Parkway and Utility contractors are the exception that carries a bond ($25,000 commercial or $10,000 residential) and a certificate of liability insurance naming the City as additional insured, at $562.50. Call 817-392-2222.

El Paso. Planning and Inspections registers a General Contractor for 'New Commercial & Tenant Improvements'. The filing is an Assumed Name Certificate or corporate documents, the Contractor Registration Application, a certificate of general liability insurance of at least $100,000 with the City of El Paso as certificate holder, and a blanket building construction bond; the city's current application states $50,000 for general contractors while its requirements sheet lists $25,000, so confirm the figure with the One Stop Shop before buying the bond. Stated minimum liability limits are $250,000 bodily injury per person, $500,000 aggregate, and $100,000 property damage per occurrence and in the aggregate. The requirements sheet lists a $102.00 annual fee, and the application 'must be filed annually to be eligible to obtain permits from the City of El Paso in accordance with Section 18.02.104.5 of the El Paso City Code.' Electrical, mechanical, plumbing, irrigation and fire contractors register on their state licenses at no annual fee. One Stop Shop, 811 Texas Avenue, 915-212-0104.

Austin. Development Services states plainly that 'in Texas, anyone can be a General Contractor, including homeowners, and a state license is not required.' The general contractor named on a building permit must still register with Building and Trade Contractor Services before the permit is activated: create an Austin Build + Connect (AB+C) portal account, submit the registration web form and a Letter of Authorization. General contractors register once and update only on a change of name, address or authorized agents, while trade contractors must hold the state license and refresh their registration annually with the license information. Austin publishes no fee for general contractor registration.

San Antonio. Development Services registers residential builders and home improvement contractors under Chapter 10-115 of the Code of Ordinances, but for commercial work it states: 'There are no license or registration requirements for commercial general contractors.' A commercial builder in San Antonio pulls permits without any city credential; the electrical, mechanical and plumbing subcontractors must be registered with Development Services on their state licenses before permits are issued.

Houston. Houston requires no general contractor credential of any kind. Its Commercial Permitting 101 guide states that 'the building permit may be purchased by the owner, agent, contractor. General Contractors are not required to be licensed', and the city's plan review page repeats that 'a general contractor's license is not required to obtain building permits.' The city instead registers the licensed trades: a TDLR Master Electrician, a TDLR Class A or B air conditioning contractor, a TSBPE Master Plumber, and fire alarm and fire sprinkler contractors licensed by the Texas Department of Insurance State Fire Marshal's Office, each of whom must also be registered with the City of Houston to buy a trade permit. Commercial projects over $50,000 additionally need a TDLR project registration under the Architectural Barriers Act.

Everywhere else. Other Texas cities set their own rules, and outside city limits and extraterritorial jurisdictions there is usually no building permit authority at all. Ask each city's building or development services department what it registers before you bid work there.

Moving to TexasLeaving Texas

Common questions

Do I have to take the Delaware general contractor exam if I'm licensed in Texas?
No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
Do my Texas work hours count in Delaware?
No. Delaware does not credit out-of-state hours on this path.
Does it work the other way, from Delaware to Texas?
Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Delaware to Texas, the mechanism is not applicable.

Sources

  1. 19 Del. C. ch. 36 - Delaware Contractor Registration Act · 19 Del. C. §§3601-3611 · Delaware General Assembly, Delaware Code Online · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
  2. 30 Del. C. §375 - Furnishing of bonds by foreign persons or firms (nonresident contractor bond) · 30 Del. C. §375 · Delaware General Assembly, Delaware Code Online · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
  3. 30 Del. C. ch. 25 - Contractors' License Requirements and Taxes · 30 Del. C. §§2501-2503 · Delaware General Assembly, Delaware Code Online · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
  4. Registered Construction Contractors in Delaware (public registry) · Delaware Department of Labor, Office of Contractor Registration · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  5. Delaware Division of Professional Regulation - Boards and Commissions (complete list) · Delaware Department of State, Division of Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  6. Kent County Levy Court - What Information Do I Need for a Building Permit? · Kent County, Delaware, Levy Court · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  7. New Castle County - 2026 Building Contractor Requirements (permit endorsed building contractors) · New Castle County, Delaware, Department of Land Use · Form · verified September 17, 2026
  8. New Castle County Department of Land Use - Contractor Licensing · New Castle County, Delaware, Department of Land Use · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  9. Delaware One Stop - Contractors Registration · 19 Del. C. ch. 36 · State of Delaware, Delaware One Stop (Department of Labor, Office of Contractor Registration) · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  10. Delaware Division of Revenue - Business Licenses · Delaware Department of Finance, Division of Revenue · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  11. Delaware Division of Revenue - Tax Tips for Contractors and Real Estate Developers Conducting Business in Delaware · 30 Del. C. ch. 25 · Delaware Department of Finance, Division of Revenue · Other · verified September 17, 2026
  12. Delaware Division of Revenue - Contractors (Resident and Non-Resident) · Delaware Department of Finance, Division of Revenue · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  13. Delaware Division of Revenue - Non-Resident Contractor Bond form · 30 Del. C. §375 · Delaware Department of Finance, Division of Revenue · Form · verified September 17, 2026
  14. Sussex County - Building Permits and Licenses · Sussex County, Delaware · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  15. City of Wilmington - Doing Business in the City of Wilmington · City of Wilmington, Delaware · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  16. 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.

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