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

1. 1Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Mississippi Law and Business Management exam through PSI: 50 questions, 2 hours, open book, 70% to pass. Required of every applicant for a Mississippi contractor license, including those who take the NASCLA exam..
2. 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Mississippi Building Construction exam through PSI: 80 questions, 3 hours, open book, 70% to pass. The applicant may instead take the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors (115 questions, 330 minutes, minimum score 81), which Mississippi accepts for this classification..
3. 3Application fee. Pay the application fee ($400). Commercial application fee, which includes one trade classification; each additional classification costs $100. Payable by check or money order to the Mississippi State Board of Contractors and not refundable..
4. 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($120). PSI registration fee for the Law and Business Management exam, charged for every attempt and not refundable or transferable ($240 when two exams are registered together)..
5. 5Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($120). PSI registration fee for the Building Construction exam, charged for every attempt and not refundable or transferable..
6. 6Financial responsibility. Show financial responsibility of at least $50,000. Reviewed or audited financial statement prepared and signed by a certified public accountant within the last 12 months, showing a net worth of at least $50,000 for a major classification such as Building Construction. A compilation is not accepted, and the requirement cannot be waived or replaced with a bond..
7. 7Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Certificate of general liability insurance of at least $300,000 per occurrence and $600,000 aggregate, listing the Mississippi State Board of Contractors as certificate holder and naming the insured exactly as the license will be issued. A workers' compensation certificate is also required if the business has five or more employees..
8. 8Business license. Obtain a business license. A corporation, LLC, limited partnership or other entity must be in good standing with the Mississippi Secretary of State, and a company domiciled outside Mississippi must first qualify to do business in the state. The applicant must also supply a Mississippi sales tax or use tax number and a state income tax identification number..
9. 9Background check. Complete a background check. The application asks whether the applicant or any officer, partner or qualifying party has had a license or application denied, suspended or revoked, has been disciplined by a licensing authority, has failed to complete a construction contract, or has been arrested, charged or convicted in connection with bid rigging or home repair fraud; each 'yes' needs a written explanation, and the board investigates each applicant's past record. False information ends the application and bars a new license for one year..
10. 10Other. Three reference letters, one of them from the applicant's bank or financial institution and the other two from people worked with or for on construction projects; a list of projects, including at least three completed jobs in the classification; and proof that the qualifying party is employed by the applicant, such as a check stub, W-2 or Secretary of State officer listing..

Published fees on this path total $640, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.