LicensebyState

Moving to Massachusetts as a general contractor: every state's rule

Massachusetts has reciprocity agreements with 0 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: experience credit.

Massachusetts general contractor · “Construction Supervisor License, Unrestricted”

Statewide license

Verified September 17, 2026· 6 sources

Issued by Board of Building Regulations and Standards (Massachusetts Division of Occupational Licensure, Office of Public Safety and Inspections)

The broadest contractor credential Massachusetts issues is the Unrestricted Construction Supervisor License (CSL), and it is not split residential against commercial the way most states split their general and residential tiers. The Unrestricted CSL covers construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, removal and demolition of buildings of any use containing less than 35,000 cubic feet of enclosed space, together with one- and two-family dwellings of any size, agricultural buildings and retaining walls under ten feet, so it is the commercial and mixed-use tier as well as the homes tier. Above 35,000 cubic feet there is no contractor license to hold: the Board states that a registered design professional, an engineer or architect, controls the construction of larger buildings and 'a construction supervisor license is not required for larger projects since the RDP is considered the licensed person for the project'. There are also six Specialty CSL classes - masonry, roof covering, windows and siding, solid fuel-burning appliances, demolition and insulation - each carrying the same building-size scope within its own trade. Like the homes-only class, the Unrestricted CSL is held by a person rather than by a business: M.G.L. c. 143, § 94(i) has the Board issue licenses 'to individuals engaged as construction supervisors', so a contractor moving to Massachusetts applies in their own name rather than qualifying a company, and every building permit application names that individual and their license number. Massachusetts publishes no dollar limits and no classification tiers beyond these, and the Board states that 'Massachusetts does not recognize out of state contractor licenses'.

Every origin state

Experience credit 30No credit 20
Every state's path into Massachusetts
StateMechanismNoteVerified
AlabamaExperience credit2026-09-17
AlaskaExperience credit2026-09-17
ArizonaExperience credit2026-09-17
ArkansasExperience credit2026-09-17
CaliforniaExperience credit2026-09-17
ColoradoNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
ConnecticutNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
DelawareExperience credit2026-09-17
District of ColumbiaExperience credit2026-09-17
FloridaExperience credit2026-09-17
GeorgiaExperience credit2026-09-17
HawaiiExperience credit2026-09-17
IdahoExperience credit2026-09-17
IllinoisNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
IndianaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
IowaExperience credit2026-09-17
KansasNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
KentuckyNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
LouisianaExperience credit2026-09-17
MaineNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
MarylandExperience credit2026-09-17
MichiganNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
MinnesotaExperience credit2026-09-17
MississippiExperience credit2026-09-17
MissouriNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
MontanaExperience credit2026-09-17
NebraskaExperience credit2026-09-17
NevadaExperience credit2026-09-17
New HampshireNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
New JerseyNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
New MexicoExperience credit2026-09-17
New YorkNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
North CarolinaExperience credit2026-09-17
North DakotaExperience credit2026-09-17
OhioNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
OklahomaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
OregonExperience credit2026-09-17
PennsylvaniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
Rhode IslandExperience credit2026-09-17
South CarolinaExperience credit2026-09-17
South DakotaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
TennesseeExperience credit2026-09-17
TexasNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
UtahExperience credit2026-09-17
VermontNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
VirginiaExperience credit2026-09-17
WashingtonExperience credit2026-09-17
West VirginiaExperience credit2026-09-17
WisconsinNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
WyomingNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17

Getting licensed in Massachusetts from scratch

No license yet, or nothing that transfers? This is how Massachusetts issues a general contractor license to a first-time applicant.

Verified September 23, 2026· 7 sources

Unrestricted Construction Supervisor License by examination

The Unrestricted Construction Supervisor License is issued to an individual, not a business, so the person who will supervise the work applies in their own name. No lower license is required first: anyone who is at least 18 and documents three years of full-time building construction or design experience within the past ten years may sit the Unrestricted examination directly, and education can count for up to two of those years. You apply to PSI, pay a $23 application fee and a $65 examination fee, and take a 75-question open-book examination on the Massachusetts State Building Code. After passing, you send the score report and the $150 license fee to the Division of Occupational Licensure.

The examination may be taken at PSI centers in Auburn, Charlestown, Fall River, Lawrence and West Springfield or at any PSI center elsewhere in the United States; results are given immediately. It is open book against the International Building Code, the International Residential Code, the International Energy Conservation Code, the Massachusetts amendments, the Architectural Access Board regulations (521 CMR) and OSHA 29 CFR Part 1926, and candidates bring their own copies. The Division processes license applications in about 30 days. Massachusetts does not accept the NASCLA Accredited Examination in place of its own. A person holding a current Massachusetts building official certification under 780 CMR 110.R7 may apply for the Unrestricted license without the examination. Buildings over 35,000 cubic feet are supervised by a registered architect or engineer rather than a construction supervisor. Anyone who also works on existing owner-occupied homes of one to four units needs the separate Home Improvement Contractor registration.

Trade exam
Required
Law / code exam
Not required
Exam given by
PSI
Exam format
Open book
Passing score
70%
Typical processing
About 30 days
Renewal
Every 2 years
Continuing education
12 hours per cycle

Who can apply

  • You must document at least 3 years of qualifying work experience.The experience need not be continuous or gained in Massachusetts. Union membership alone does not count; active military service relevant to construction may be counted.
  • Be at least 18 years old.On the day of the examination.
  • Has not already passed the Unrestricted examination or held a license in the Unrestricted class, unless a previous license has been expired for more than two years or re-examination was ordered after a hearing.

Other ways to qualify

Each of these replaces the requirements above. You only need one.

Vocational program or bachelor's degree plus two years of experience

A completed three- or four-year vocational school program in building construction, or a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree in any field from an accredited college or university, counts as one of the three years. The applicant then documents two years of full-time building construction or design experience within the past ten years and files a copy of the diploma or degree.

  • Completed three- or four-year vocational program in building construction, or a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree from an accredited college or university
  • You must document at least 2 years of qualifying work experience.
  • Be at least 18 years old.On the day of the examination.
  • Has not already passed the Unrestricted examination or held a license in the Unrestricted class, unless a previous license has been expired for more than two years or re-examination was ordered after a hearing.

Architecture, engineering, science or related technology degree plus one year of experience

A bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree in architecture, science, engineering or a related technology field counts as two years, the most education can count for. The applicant then documents one year of full-time building construction or design experience within the past ten years and files a copy of the degree.

  • Bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree in architecture, science, engineering or a related technology field from an accredited college or university
  • You must document at least 1 year of qualifying work experience.
  • Be at least 18 years old.On the day of the examination.
  • Has not already passed the Unrestricted examination or held a license in the Unrestricted class, unless a previous license has been expired for more than two years or re-examination was ordered after a hearing.

Steps to get licensed

  1. 1Other. Examination application filed online with PSI, uploading proof of experience (W-2, IRS Schedule C or 1099 forms for the equivalent of three years of full-time work, or a letter of attestation from an engineer, architect, employer, military supervisor or licensed contractor), a copy of any diploma or degree used for experience, a list of duties, and a notarized signature confirming the information is true and that all Massachusetts tax returns have been filed and taxes paid. PSI may take up to two weeks to approve it, and an approved application stays on file for two years..
  2. 2Application fee. Pay the application fee ($23). PSI examination application fee; not refundable or transferable..
  3. 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Massachusetts Unrestricted Construction Supervisor examination (PSI): 75 multiple-choice questions, 180 minutes, open book, 70 percent to pass (53 correct). It covers the Massachusetts State Building Code (780 CMR), including five questions on Massachusetts administrative responsibilities; there is no separate business-and-law examination..
  4. 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($65). PSI examination fee, paid when scheduling and again for each retake; not refundable or transferable. Retakes are unlimited..
  5. 5License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($150). Initial Unrestricted Construction Supervisor license fee for a three-year first term (801 CMR 4.02(39)(a)), sent with the license application and passing score report to the Division of Occupational Licensure within one year of passing..
  6. 6Background check. Complete a background check (if applicable). There is no fingerprint or criminal record check for the Construction Supervisor License, but the Board may require an applicant to disclose any conviction or any civil finding by a court, a government agency or a licensing board in another jurisdiction (780 CMR 110.R5.2.9.2)..

Published fees on this path total $238, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

Keeping it active

Every 2 years with 12 hours of continuing education per cycle and a $100 renewal fee.

12 hours of Board-approved continuing education in each two-year cycle, including four hours of code review and at least one hour each of workplace safety, business practices and workers' compensation, and energy, plus one hour of lead safe practices in the first renewal cycle. Up to six hours may be taken online; the rest must be in a classroom. Finish courses at least 60 days before the license expires.

The first license runs three years; each renewal runs two years. A license may be renewed up to one year after expiration without penalty and up to two years after expiration with a $100 late fee; after two years the examination must be passed again.

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.

  • Trade exam
  • Exam fee · $65

Continuing education

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

  • Continuing education

Sources for this section

  1. 780 CMR 110.R5 - Licensing of Construction Supervisors (Tenth Edition, Massachusetts State Building Code) · 780 CMR 110.R5 · Massachusetts Board of Building Regulations and Standards · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026
  2. 801 CMR 4.02 - Fees for licenses, permits and services to be charged by state agencies (item 39, Construction Supervisor License) · 801 CMR 4.02(39) · Massachusetts Executive Office for Administration and Finance · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026
  3. Construction Supervisor Licensing Candidate Handbook (examination eligibility, fees and content outlines) · Massachusetts Division of Occupational Licensure / PSI Services LLC · Form · verified September 17, 2026
  4. Continuing education for construction supervisors · Massachusetts Division of Occupational Licensure, Board of Building Regulations and Standards · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  5. Learn about different Construction Supervisor Licenses · Massachusetts Division of Occupational Licensure, Board of Building Regulations and Standards · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  6. When is a Construction Supervisor License required? (includes the Board's out-of-state position) · Massachusetts Division of Occupational Licensure, Board of Building Regulations and Standards · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  7. MGL Chapter 143, Section 94 - Board of Building Regulations and Standards; powers and duties · M.G.L. c. 143, § 94(a), (i), (m), (n) · Massachusetts General Court · Statute · verified September 17, 2026

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