Alabama to Nevada: residential contractor license reciprocity

1. 1Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Nevada Business and Law (CMS) examination, taken by the management qualified individual through PSI once the Board issues an Examination Eligibility form. The Board states plainly that a qualified individual coming in by endorsement must still pass it, and the NASCLA examination does not replace it either. Three attempts are allowed with a two-week wait between attempts, and the person qualifying must pass within six months of filing the application..
2. 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam (if applicable). Nevada B-2 Residential and Small Commercial trade examination, administered by PSI at Las Vegas, Reno or Elko, or at a PSI site in another state. It is required only where it has not been waived under this endorsement. Three attempts are allowed with a two-week wait between attempts, the qualifying individual must pass within six months of filing, and a third failure voids the application, after which a new application and fee may be filed 30 days later..
3. 3Application fee. Pay the application fee ($300). $300 to consider an application for a license in a classification the applicant does not already hold (NAC 624.130). The Board charges the same application fee whatever the classification, and it is not refunded if the license is denied..
4. 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee. PSI charges separately for each examination scheduled. The Board does not publish the amount on its website; NRS 624.280 caps an examination fee at $300, and PSI Candidate Services on 800.733.9267 and the Nevada candidate information bulletin give the current figure..
5. 5License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($600). $600 to issue or renew a license (NAC 624.130). Nevada issues only two-year licenses, so the fee falls due when the license is issued and again at every biennial renewal; late filing of a renewal for an active license adds $150..
6. 6Financial responsibility. Show financial responsibility. A current financial statement for the applying entity is required at every monetary limit, and the kind of statement depends on the limit requested: for $25,000 or less, a CPA-prepared statement, a statement on the Board's form, or an accounting-software balance sheet with a verifying affidavit; above $25,000 and under $500,000, a CPA-compiled statement current within six months or a reviewed or audited statement current within one year; from $500,000 to under $1,000,000, a compiled statement with full disclosures or a reviewed or audited statement; at $1,000,000 or more, a reviewed or audited statement by an independent CPA. A Bank Verification Form completed by the applicant's bank goes in with every statement, and sole proprietors and general partners file personal statements. The Board publishes no single minimum net worth: it reads the statement and fixes the monetary limit, the largest contract the license may undertake on one site for a single client..
7. 7Surety bond. Post a surety bond. A surety bond or cash deposit filed before the license is issued. The Board fixes the amount at approval, anywhere from $1,000 to $500,000, from the type of license, the monetary limit, financial responsibility, experience and character, and states the figure in the Contingent Letter of Approval. A surety must be authorized in Nevada and rated A or better, the bond must be continuous, and a surety canceling it must give 60 days' notice. A cash deposit instead of a bond carries a $200 administrative fee at issue and at each renewal and is held for two years after the license ends. Residential pool and spa work also takes a consumer protection bond of between $10,000 and $400,000..
8. 8Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Proof of Nevada workers' compensation coverage is one of the items the Board asks for in the Contingent Letter of Approval, before a license number is assigned. The Board does not publish a general liability minimum for licensure, although owners, lenders and general contractors normally require that coverage by contract..
9. 9Business license. Obtain a business license. A Nevada Business ID number issued by the Secretary of State is needed before the application can be completed; a business without one obtains a Nevada State Business License through SilverFlume. The contractor's license is issued to the business rather than to the qualifying individual, and a filed fictitious name certificate is required to trade under any name other than the registered legal name..
10. 10Background check. Complete a background check. A Background Disclosure Statement and Fingerprint Authorization form from every person listed on the application, including each qualified individual. Fingerprints are submitted only once the Board authorizes it and are used for a background investigation of all officers and qualified individuals..
11. 11Other. Residential Recovery Fund assessment, paid when the license is issued and at every biennial renewal by any contractor doing residential work. NRS 624.470 sets it by the monetary limit on the license: $200 per biennium at a limit of $1,000,000 or less, $500 per biennium above $1,000,000 where the license is still limited, and $1,000 per biennium for an unlimited license. The figure shown is the lowest tier. ($200).
12. 12Other. Request for Verification of Licensure form from the Nevada application packet, completed by the Alabama licensing board and filed together with the application, along with the Licensure by Endorsement section of the application form. It takes the place of the four Certification of Work Experience forms and the Resume of Experience that other applicants file..

Published fees on this path total $900, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.