Moving to Delaware as a general contractor: every state's rule
Delaware has reciprocity agreements with 0 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: no credit.
Delaware general contractor · “Delaware contractor business license (Division of Revenue) plus Contractor Registration Certificate (Department of Labor)”
Statewide license
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.
Every origin state
| State | Mechanism | Note | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No credit | 2026-09-17 | |
| Alaska | No credit | 2026-09-17 | |
| Arizona | No credit | 2026-09-17 | |
| Arkansas | No credit | 2026-09-17 | |
| California | No credit | 2026-09-17 | |
| Colorado | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-17 |
| Connecticut | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-17 |
| District of Columbia | No credit | 2026-09-17 | |
| Florida | No credit | 2026-09-17 | |
| Georgia | No credit | 2026-09-17 | |
| Hawaii | No credit | 2026-09-17 | |
| Idaho | No credit | 2026-09-17 | |
| Illinois | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-17 |
| Indiana | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-17 |
| Iowa | No credit | 2026-09-17 | |
| Kansas | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-17 |
| Kentucky | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-17 |
| Louisiana | No credit | 2026-09-17 | |
| Maine | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-17 |
| Maryland | No credit | 2026-09-17 | |
| Massachusetts | No credit | 2026-09-17 | |
| Michigan | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-17 |
| Minnesota | No credit | 2026-09-17 | |
| Mississippi | No credit | 2026-09-17 | |
| Missouri | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-17 |
| Montana | No credit | 2026-09-17 | |
| Nebraska | No credit | 2026-09-17 | |
| Nevada | No credit | 2026-09-17 | |
| New Hampshire | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-17 |
| New Jersey | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-17 |
| New Mexico | No credit | 2026-09-17 | |
| New York | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-17 |
| North Carolina | No credit | 2026-09-17 | |
| North Dakota | No credit | 2026-09-17 | |
| Ohio | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-17 |
| Oklahoma | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-17 |
| Oregon | No credit | 2026-09-17 | |
| Pennsylvania | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-17 |
| Rhode Island | No credit | 2026-09-17 | |
| South Carolina | No credit | 2026-09-17 | |
| South Dakota | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-17 |
| Tennessee | No credit | 2026-09-17 | |
| Texas | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-17 |
| Utah | No credit | 2026-09-17 | |
| Vermont | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-17 |
| Virginia | No credit | 2026-09-17 | |
| Washington | No credit | 2026-09-17 | |
| West Virginia | No credit | 2026-09-17 | |
| Wisconsin | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-17 |
| Wyoming | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-17 |
Getting licensed in Delaware from scratch
No license yet, or nothing that transfers? This is how Delaware issues a general contractor license to a first-time applicant.
Contractor business license and contractor registration (no examination)
Delaware has no general, commercial or unlimited building contractor license, so there is no examination, experience requirement or qualifying individual at this tier either, and no residential license has to come first. A new general contractor holds the same two registrations as every other contractor, both held by the business: the $75 contractor business license from the Division of Revenue, and the Department of Labor's Contractor Registration Certificate, which costs $200 a year for private work, $300 for public work under the prevailing wage law or $500 for both. Workers' compensation insurance, a Department of Labor certificate of notice and an OSHA-compliant safety plan are needed before the credentials are issued, and a contractor without a Delaware place of business also posts a six percent tax bond on contracts of $20,000 or more. Project-size classes exist only locally, in unincorporated New Castle County.
A general contractor may not use an unregistered subcontractor, and must report any contract awarded to a nonresident contractor to the Department of Finance within 10 days on Form 5060. New Castle County's permit endorsed building contractor license for the unincorporated county is graded by project value and surety bond: 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, and Class U unlimited with a $200,000 bond; the 2026 fee is $410 and there is no county examination. The Division of Revenue says most businesses receive the business license within a month of registering, that a temporary license can be printed at the end of the online registration, and that the permanent license is generally mailed within 10 working days. The Office of Contractor Registration does not publish a processing time; contact [email protected]. Every Delaware contractor also pays the gross receipts tax of 0.6472 percent on construction receipts above $100,000 a month. Licensed trade work still needs the separate state license: electricians from the Board of Electrical Examiners, and plumbers and HVACR contractors from the Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners.
- Trade exam
- Not required
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Renewal
- Every year
Who can apply
- No trade qualification is required. Neither agency asks for an examination, work experience, an apprenticeship, education, a minimum age, a credit report or a financial statement, and no individual is named as a qualifier for the general work the business will do.30 Del. C. ch. 25 and 19 Del. C. ch. 36 contain no examination, experience or qualifying-individual provision, and the Division of Professional Regulation has no board for building contractors.
- The business must disclose on the Labor registration whether it, or anyone holding a financial interest in it, has held an interest in an entity cited for a labor law violation, been convicted of home improvement fraud or new home construction fraud, or been found to have engaged in an unlawful trade practice, and must list labor law violations and fraud from the last two years with dates and outcomes.19 Del. C. §3605(b)(4). A disclosure is not an automatic bar, but the Department may deny a certificate for a violation of the chapter or of the listed laws, or require a surety bond of up to $10,000 per worker from a contractor that has violated the registration or prevailing wage laws.
Steps to get licensed
- 1Business license. Obtain a business license ($75). Delaware contractor business license from the Division of Revenue, $75, applied for through Delaware One Stop or with the Division's Resident or Non-Resident Contractors Package. A temporary license can be printed at the end of the online registration. The license runs to December 31 and most first-year fees are pro-rated. For a competitively bid contract over $50,000, the application must be started before the bid is submitted..
- 2Business license. Obtain a business license ($200). Contractor Registration Certificate from the Department of Labor's Office of Contractor Registration, required before any construction services or maintenance begin. The one-year fee is $200 for private construction only, $300 for public construction and $500 for both; all fees are non-refundable. Apply on Delaware One Stop with the business's tax identification numbers, NAICS codes, entity details, contacts for everyone with a financial interest, the Delaware business license number, the unemployment insurance SUI number and the disclosures..
- 3Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Delaware workers' compensation insurance, shown by a certificate of insurance filed with the Division of Revenue before the business license is issued (or a Department of Labor certificate of qualified self-insurer status). The policy number and a digital copy are uploaded again with the Contractor Registration application..
- 4Other. A certificate of notice from the Delaware Department of Labor showing that the business has told the Department it has entered, or will enter, contracts for labor, or labor and materials, on a Delaware construction project. The Division of Revenue cannot issue the contractor license without it..
- 5Other. A written safety plan that complies with Occupational Safety and Health Administration requirements, or evidence that one is being prepared, filed with the Contractor Registration application..
- 6Surety bond. Post a surety bond (if applicable). Non-Resident Contractor Bond, only for a business that does not regularly keep a place of business in Delaware: six percent of any contract of $20,000 or more, or of the total of two or more contracts reaching $20,000 in one calendar year, filed with the Division of Revenue on its own form before construction begins. A cash bond or bank letter of credit may be accepted instead. It secures Delaware taxes and withholding; it is not a performance bond. Bonding questions: (302) 577-8167..
Keeping it active
Every year.
Neither the business license nor the contractor registration carries a continuing education requirement.
Both credentials renew every year. The business license expires December 31 and renews for $75 plus the gross receipts tax due on construction receipts; after the first year a business may take a three-year license for three times the annual fee. The contractor registration renews for $200 (private), $300 (public) or $500 (both), and only in the 90 days before it expires; after two consecutive registered years with no labor law violations, a timely renewal may be for two years at $300 (private) or $500 (public). A registration allowed to expire must be applied for again from scratch.
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
Liability insurance
Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.
- 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 · if applicable
Sources for this section
- 19 Del. C. ch. 36 - Delaware Contractor Registration Act · 19 Del. C. §§3601-3611 · Delaware General Assembly, Delaware Code Online · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- 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 23, 2026
- 30 Del. C. ch. 25 - Contractors' License Requirements and Taxes · 30 Del. C. §§2501-2503 · Delaware General Assembly, Delaware Code Online · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- Delaware Division of Professional Regulation - Boards and Commissions (complete list) · Delaware Department of State, Division of Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- New Castle County - 2026 Building Contractor Requirements (permit endorsed building contractors) · New Castle County, Delaware, Department of Land Use · Form · verified September 17, 2026
- 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 23, 2026
- Delaware Division of Revenue - Business Licenses · Delaware Department of Finance, Division of Revenue · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- 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 23, 2026
- Delaware Division of Revenue - Contractors (Resident and Non-Resident) · Delaware Department of Finance, Division of Revenue · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026