Moving to Utah as a general contractor: every state's rule
Utah has reciprocity agreements with 0 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: endorsement.
Utah general contractor · “B100 General Building Contractor”
Statewide license
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 percent 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.
Every origin state
| State | Mechanism | Note | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Endorsement | explicit agreement | 2026-09-17 |
| Alaska | Endorsement | explicit agreement | 2026-09-17 |
| Arizona | Endorsement | explicit agreement | 2026-09-17 |
| Arkansas | Endorsement | explicit agreement | 2026-09-17 |
| California | Endorsement | explicit agreement | 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 |
| Delaware | Endorsement | 2026-09-17 | |
| District of Columbia | Endorsement | 2026-09-17 | |
| Florida | Endorsement | explicit agreement | 2026-09-17 |
| Georgia | Endorsement | explicit agreement | 2026-09-17 |
| Hawaii | Endorsement | explicit agreement | 2026-09-17 |
| Idaho | Endorsement | 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 | Endorsement | 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 | Endorsement | explicit agreement | 2026-09-17 |
| Maine | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-17 |
| Maryland | Endorsement | explicit agreement | 2026-09-17 |
| Massachusetts | Endorsement | explicit agreement | 2026-09-17 |
| Michigan | Endorsement | explicit agreement | 2026-09-17 |
| Minnesota | Endorsement | explicit agreement | 2026-09-17 |
| Mississippi | Endorsement | explicit agreement | 2026-09-17 |
| Missouri | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-17 |
| Montana | Endorsement | 2026-09-17 | |
| Nebraska | Endorsement | 2026-09-17 | |
| Nevada | Endorsement | explicit agreement | 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 | Endorsement | explicit agreement | 2026-09-17 |
| New York | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-17 |
| North Carolina | Endorsement | explicit agreement | 2026-09-17 |
| North Dakota | Endorsement | 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 | Endorsement | explicit agreement | 2026-09-17 |
| Pennsylvania | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-17 |
| Rhode Island | Endorsement | explicit agreement | 2026-09-17 |
| South Carolina | Endorsement | explicit agreement | 2026-09-17 |
| South Dakota | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-17 |
| Tennessee | Endorsement | explicit agreement | 2026-09-17 |
| Texas | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-17 |
| Vermont | No credit | no state license to transfer | 2026-09-17 |
| Virginia | Endorsement | explicit agreement | 2026-09-17 |
| Washington | Endorsement | 2026-09-17 | |
| West Virginia | Endorsement | explicit agreement | 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 Utah from scratch
No license yet, or nothing that transfers? This is how Utah issues a general contractor license to a first-time applicant.
B100 General Building Contractor license by pre-licensure course and Business and Law examination
Utah does not require an R100 or any other lower license first: a business applies for the B100 General Building Contractor classification directly, on the same requirements as R100. The license is issued to the business, which names a qualifier, an owner of at least 20 percent or a W-2 manager, and the qualifier completes the approved 25-hour pre-licensure course and the five-hour Business and Law course, passes the open-book Utah Contractor Business and Law examination with Prov, and self-certifies two years (4,000 hours) of paid work in the construction industry. There is no Utah trade examination for B100. The business then files the application with proof of general liability insurance, workers' compensation coverage or a waiver, Utah business registration and financial responsibility, and the qualifier and every 10 percent owner complete a criminal background check.
The Business and Law examination has 60 questions in two hours covering business organization, licensing, estimating and bidding, contract management, project management, labor laws, lien laws, financial management, risk management, tax laws and safety. It is offered in English and Spanish at Prov test centers or online, and candidates bring one approved primary reference book, such as the NASCLA Contractor's Guide or the Utah Home Builders Association's Utah Contractor Education Book, with the Utah statutes and rules available on screen. No DOPL pre-approval is needed; pass before applying and attach the result. A failed examination may be retaken after 30 days for each of the first three failures and after six months for any failure after that. E100 General Engineering Contractor, for fixed works such as roads, bridges and pipelines, has the same course and examination but needs four years of experience; specialty classifications need the 25-hour course only, with no experience and no examination. DOPL publishes no processing time: applications are handled in the order received, and the Division asks applicants to contact it if they have heard nothing after four weeks. The Legislature has reorganized the Utah Construction Trades Licensing Act with effect from 1 January 2027, moving contractor qualifications to Utah Code 58-55-203; the new section keeps the 25-hour and five-hour courses, the two years of paid experience, the background check and the insurance and registration requirements, and leaves the examination to rule.
- Trade exam
- Not required
- Law / code exam
- Required
- Exam given by
- Prov
- Exam format
- Open book
- Passing score
- 70%
- Renewal
- Every 2 years
- Continuing education
- 6 hours per cycle
Who can apply
- You must document at least 4,000 hours of qualifying work experience.The work may have been done at any time and in any state, need not be supervisory and need not match the classification sought. It 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 in the military or for a railroad and work under a construction trades instructor as part of an educational program (Utah Admin. Code R156-55a-302b).
- The qualifier must be an owner of at least 20 percent of the business or a W-2 employee in a management position, paid by the licensee for at least 12 hours of work a week, and may qualify no more than three licensees at once without the written approval of the Commission and the Division.
Other ways to qualify
Each of these replaces the requirements above. You only need one.
NASCLA Accredited Examination in place of experience
A passing score on the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors satisfies the two-year experience requirement for every general classification, B100 included. It does not replace the pre-licensure courses or the Utah Business and Law examination.
- Passed the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors.Utah Admin. Code R156-55a-302b(2)(b)(i); the examination date is entered on the qualifier affidavit.
- The qualifier must be an owner of at least 20 percent of the business or a W-2 employee in a management position, paid by the licensee for at least 12 hours of work a week, and may qualify no more than three licensees at once without the written approval of the Commission and the Division.
Construction Management degree in place of experience
A two-year associate or four-year bachelor's degree in Construction Management from a program or institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education satisfies the experience requirement and also exempts the qualifier from the pre-licensure courses. The Business and Law examination is still required.
- Associate or bachelor's degree in Construction Management from a program or institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education; official transcripts are submitted.
- The qualifier must be an owner of at least 20 percent of the business or a W-2 employee in a management position, paid by the licensee for at least 12 hours of work a week, and may qualify no more than three licensees at once without the written approval of the Commission and the Division.
Utah professional engineer license in place of experience
A qualifier holding an active, unrestricted Utah professional engineer license meets the experience requirement and is exempt from the pre-licensure courses. The Business and Law examination is still required.
- Holds an active and unrestricted Utah professional engineer license.
- The qualifier must be an owner of at least 20 percent of the business or a W-2 employee in a management position, paid by the licensee for at least 12 hours of work a week, and may qualify no more than three licensees at once without the written approval of the Commission and the Division.
Two years as a qualifier on a Utah contractor license
A person who has been the qualifier on any Utah contractor license for at least two years meets the experience requirement. One who has been a qualifier on an active Utah contractor license within the past five years also skips the pre-licensure courses, and one who was a general classification qualifier, or any qualifier before 9 May 2017, skips the Business and Law examination.
- Named as the qualifier on a current or previous Utah contractor license for at least two years.
- The qualifier must be an owner of at least 20 percent of the business or a W-2 employee in a management position, paid by the licensee for at least 12 hours of work a week, and may qualify no more than three licensees at once without the written approval of the Commission and the Division.
Building inspector experience
A building inspector may meet the experience requirement with two years of full-time paid employment as a building inspector, at least one of them as a licensed combination inspector.
- You must document at least 2 years of qualifying work experience.
- The qualifier must be an owner of at least 20 percent of the business or a W-2 employee in a management position, paid by the licensee for at least 12 hours of work a week, and may qualify no more than three licensees at once without the written approval of the Commission and the Division.
Steps to get licensed
- 1Pre-license course. Complete the required pre-license course. Approved 25-hour pre-licensure course plus the five-hour Business and Law course (30 hours in total), completed by the qualifier before applying and taught by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), the Utah Home Builders Association (UHBA) or the Associated General Contractors of Utah (AGC). The 25-hour course covers financial responsibility, construction business practices, regulatory requirements and mechanic's lien fundamentals. A qualifier who completed the 25-hour course before July 1, 2019 does not need the five-hour course (DOPL's apply page gives the date as October 1, 2019). Holders of a Construction Management degree or a Utah professional engineer license, and anyone who has been a qualifier on an active Utah contractor license in the past five years, are exempt. Course prices are set by the providers..
- 2Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Utah Contractor Business and Law examination, administered by Prov at a test center or online: 60 questions, two hours, open reference, 70 percent to pass..
- 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($85). Prov fee for the Business and Law examination, paid to Prov; the same $85 is charged for each retake..
- 4Application fee. Pay the application fee ($175). Non-refundable DOPL application processing fee of $175 for each classification requested..
- 5Application fee. Pay the application fee ($50). Non-refundable DOPL application processing fee of $50 for each qualifier named on the application..
- 6Application fee. Pay the application fee ($1). Electronic Reference Library surcharge of $1 on every application. An unincorporated applicant also pays $20 for each owner holding less than 8 percent..
- 7Insurance. Carry the required insurance ($1,000,000). General liability insurance with DOPL named as certificate holder, covering the full scope of work and kept in force for as long as the license is active. Utah Admin. Code R156-55a-302d and the 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 in total, so confirm the figure with DOPL at (801) 530-6628 before buying cover..
- 8Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Workers' compensation insurance naming DOPL as certificate holder, plus Utah State Tax Commission withholding and Department of Workforce Services unemployment registrations, if the business has employees; a business with no employees files a Workers' Compensation Coverage Waiver from the Utah Labor Commission instead..
- 9Financial responsibility. Show financial responsibility. Evidence of financial responsibility, normally shown by completing and signing DOPL's financial responsibility questionnaire (judgments, liens, tax liens and child support delinquencies in the past eight years, bankruptcy in the past seven) under Utah Code 58-55-306. Utah sets no minimum net worth or working capital, but DOPL may audit and, for an unincorporated business, looks at each owner's personal finances..
- 10Surety bond. Post a surety bond ($50,000) (if applicable). License bond, required only if DOPL is not satisfied that financial responsibility has been shown. Under Utah Admin. Code R156-55a-602 the minimum is then the greater of 30 percent of the outstanding debts, judgments and liens of the business, its owners and qualifiers, or $50,000 for B100; a bankruptcy within the past three years sets it at 30 percent of the liabilities scheduled..
- 11Business license. Obtain a business license. Registration of any corporation, LLC, LLP or partnership, including an out-of-state entity, with the Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code, plus a federal Employer Identification Number; a sole proprietor is licensed in their own name and may use a Social Security number..
- 12Background check. Complete a background check. Criminal background check under Utah Code 58-1-301.5, consented to and completed by the qualifier and every individual holding at least a 10 percent voting interest in the business, with police reports, court records and a personal account filed for any pending criminal action, any misdemeanor in the past ten years or any felony. The application lists no separate charge for the check..
Published fees on this path total $311, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
Keeping it active
Every 2 years with 6 hours of continuing education per cycle and a $128 renewal fee.
Six hours of DOPL-approved continuing education per two-year term: at least three hours of core education (codes, laws, safety, business practices and similar), at least three hours taken live in class or by live webinar, no more than three hours online, and at least one hour in energy conservation.
All Utah contractor licenses expire on 30 November of each odd-numbered year, whenever they were issued. Renewal is online through My License One and needs a current general liability certificate, workers' compensation proof or waiver, an active business registration and answers to the financial and criminal history questions.
Pre-license education
Where a board mandates a course before the exam, it publishes a list of approved schools. Confirm a provider is on that list before enrolling.
- Pre-license course
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.
- 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
Sources for this section
- NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors · National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies · Other · verified September 17, 2026
- Utah Code 58-55-203 - Qualifications for licensure (contractors, effective 1 January 2027) · Utah Code 58-55-203 (Laws of Utah 2026, Chapter 42) · Utah State Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- 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 23, 2026
- Utah Code 58-55-306 - Financial responsibility · Utah Code 58-55-306 · Utah State Legislature · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
- 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 23, 2026
- Utah DOPL - Contracting Continuing Education · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Utah DOPL - Contracting Exam Information · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Contracting Frequently Asked Questions (DOPL) · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Faq · verified September 23, 2026
- Renew a Contractor License (DOPL) · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Apply for a General Contractor License (DOPL) · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- Apply for a Specialty Contractor License (DOPL) · Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
- State of Utah Contracting Exam - Examination Handbook (Prov, for DOPL) · Prov, Inc., examination administrator for the Utah Division of Professional Licensing · Other · verified September 23, 2026
- 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 23, 2026