LicensebyState

Louisiana to Mississippi: residential contractor license reciprocity

Endorsement· Board reviewVerified September 17, 2026· 9 sources

Mississippi has a specific endorsement rule for Louisiana residential contractors.

Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.

Recognition of Louisiana examination scores (formal agreement discontinued)

The board reviews your out-of-state credentials case by case. Some exam is usually still required, often only a law or code exam.

Mississippi and the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors no longer maintain a reciprocity agreement, but the Mississippi board states that it will continue to recognize proof of passing examination scores from Louisiana and will waive the otherwise required trade examination for qualifying applicants. The scope Mississippi publishes for Louisiana excludes mechanical work, so residential building work is within it. Because there is no live agreement, this is a case-by-case decision by the board rather than an entitlement: the applicant supplies the Louisiana license and examination scores on Mississippi's Reciprocity Verification Form, completed by the Louisiana board, and the Mississippi board decides. Mississippi describes reciprocity as the waiver of a trade examination only, so the Mississippi Law and Business Management examination, the application fee, the insurance certificate, the reference letters and the board's review of the application are unaffected. Confirm the route with a Mississippi licensing agent at (601) 354-6161 before relying on it.

The board's website carries the discontinuation note; the Reciprocity Information form revised 07/2025 and the appendices in the 2026 application packets still list Louisiana in the partner list without it. The website is the more recent statement and is what this rule follows. No effective or termination date is published.

At a glance

Trade exam
Waived
Law / code exam
Required
Out-of-state hours
Do not count
Agreement
Active

What you must already have

  • Your Louisiana license must be active and in good standing.
  • Your Louisiana license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.

What you'll do to get licensed in Mississippi

  1. 1Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Mississippi Law and Business Management examination through PSI: 50 questions, 2 hours, 70% to pass, open book. Every applicant for a Mississippi contractor license takes it, and no exam waiver agreement, NASCLA credential or universal-recognition waiver removes it..
  2. 2Application fee. Pay the application fee ($50). Residential application fee of $50, which includes one trade classification. Each additional classification requested costs a further $100. Fees are not refundable and must be paid by check or money order. The annual renewal fee is $100..
  3. 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($50). Request for Waiver of Exam fee: $50 for each trade examination waived, filed with the application. Fees are not refundable..
  4. 4Other. Reciprocity/Verification of License fee of $25 on the board's fee schedule, charged for the verification of the out-of-state license. ($25).
  5. 5Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($120). PSI registration fee: $120 for one examination portion, $240 for two. The fee is charged for each registration, whether the examination is a first attempt or a repeat, and is not refundable or transferable. An applicant whose trade examination is waived normally registers for the Law and Business Management portion only..
  6. 6Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Certificate of general liability insurance showing current coverage, with the Mississippi State Board of Contractors named as certificate holder so it is notified if coverage is cancelled. The board sets no minimum coverage amount for residential licenses, only proof of coverage. A workers compensation certificate is also required if the applicant has five or more employees..
  7. 7Business license. Obtain a business license. The residential license is issued to the business, so a corporation or LLC must be registered with the Mississippi Secretary of State and show proof of good standing, and a company domiciled outside Mississippi must first qualify to do business in the State. The applicant must also supply a Mississippi income tax identification number, a federal tax identification number or a Social Security number..
  8. 8Continuing education. Complete continuing education. Renewal condition rather than an entry requirement: each qualifying party on a residential license completes two credit hours of continuing education a year with a board-approved provider, for every residential license issued on or after July 1, 2015 (Miss. Code Ann. 73-59-11). The board does not mandate particular courses and publishes a searchable list of approved providers..
  9. 9Other. Three reference letters, one of which must come from the applicant's bank or financial institution and which are required even if the applicant has already passed an examination; a list of at least three completed jobs in the classification being applied for, which may be work done outside Mississippi; and proof that the qualifying party is employed by the applicant. Reciprocity Verification Form from the Mississippi application packet: the applicant completes Part 1 and mails it to the origin board, which completes Part 2 with the license number, the date first issued, the expiration date, current status, classifications held, whether the license was granted by examination, waiver or endorsement, the name of the qualifying party, the type of examination taken and the scores, and any disciplinary action. The completed form is filed with the application..

Published fees on this path total $220, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

What you'll need to buy or arrange

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 · $120

Liability insurance

Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.

  • Insurance

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

How Mississippi licenses residential contractors

Mississippi residential contractor · “Residential Builder (residential license)

Statewide license

Verified September 17, 2026· 6 sources

Issued by Mississippi State Board of Contractors (MSBOC)

Mississippi licenses residential builders statewide through the Mississippi State Board of Contractors. Miss. Code Ann. 73-59-1 makes a license necessary to build a residence of not more than three floors when the undertaking exceeds $50,000, and to remodel or improve an existing residence when the improvements exceed $10,000; the board adds residential roofing over $10,000, and any electrical, plumbing, mechanical or HVAC subcontractor on a residential project at any dollar amount. The homes-only classification is Residential Builder, which covers new construction, construction management, remodeling and roofing for a structure occupied by fifty or fewer families and not more than three floors high, and also lets the holder take a commercial job of 7,500 square feet or less under Miss. Code Ann. 73-59-19; Residential Remodeler is the narrower classification for remodeling, repair and improvement only. The license belongs to the business and is qualified by a named person: the qualifying party is an owner, officer or responsible managing employee who sits the examinations, must be genuinely employed by the licensee and actively engaged in the trade, and may qualify no more than three companies at once, so a builder moving to Mississippi applies as or for the entity that will sign the contracts. There is only one residential tier, with no monetary limitation bands, and unlike the commercial track the residential application asks for no financial statement and sets no minimum insurance amount. Mississippi does not accept the NASCLA Accredited Examination at this level, but it does publish trade-examination waiver agreements with a named list of other states' boards.

Moving to MississippiLeaving Mississippi

Common questions

Do I have to take the Mississippi residential contractor exam if I'm licensed in Louisiana?
The trade exam is waived, but Mississippi requires a law or code exam.
What does it cost to get a Mississippi residential contractor license from Louisiana?
Published fees on this path total $220, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my Louisiana work hours count in Mississippi?
No. Mississippi does not credit out-of-state hours on this path.

Sources

  1. Mississippi State Board of Contractors - Classifications (Building Construction; Residential Builder; Residential Remodeler) · Miss. Code Ann. 31-3-13(h) (cited on the page) · Mississippi State Board of Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  2. Mississippi State Board of Contractors - Frequently Asked Questions · Mississippi State Board of Contractors · Faq · verified September 17, 2026
  3. MSBOC Fee Schedule effective January 1, 2016 · Mississippi State Board of Contractors · Form · verified September 17, 2026
  4. Mississippi State Board of Contractors - Apply for a License (commercial and residential) · Mississippi State Board of Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  5. State of Mississippi Contractor Examinations - PSI Candidate Information Bulletin · PSI Services LLC for the Mississippi State Board of Contractors · Other · verified September 17, 2026
  6. MSBOC Reciprocity Information and Verification of Licensure form (revised 07/2025) · Mississippi State Board of Contractors · Agreement Document · verified September 17, 2026
  7. Mississippi State Board of Contractors - Reciprocity (trade-exam waiver agreements by origin board) · Miss. Code Ann. 73-50-1 and 73-50-2 (referenced on the page) · Mississippi State Board of Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  8. MSBOC Residential Application for a Residential License (revised 2/2026) · Mississippi State Board of Contractors · Form · verified September 17, 2026
  9. Mississippi Residential Builders Law and Rules (Miss. Code Title 73 Chapter 59 and Board Rules Part 803) · Miss. Code Ann. 73-59-1, 73-59-3, 73-59-5, 73-59-11, 73-59-19; 30 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 803, R. 1.1 · Mississippi State Board of Contractors · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026

Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.

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