Massachusetts to Arkansas: residential contractor license reciprocity

1. 1Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Arkansas Business and Law examination, taken by the qualifying party and scheduled with PSI Services LLC: fifty multiple-choice questions, two hours, open book, tested only from the NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management, Arkansas Edition. Results are given immediately and it is the candidate's responsibility to get the passing score to the Board. The Board does not publish the passing score..
2. 2Application fee. Pay the application fee ($100). Non-refundable, non-transferable filing fee of $100 for a Residential Builders new application, or $50 for a Residential Remodeler new application, payable to the Contractors Licensing Board. Ark. Code Ann. § 17-25-512(a) caps the fee at $100. A sole proprietor on certain public assistance, recently approved for unemployment, or with household income under 200% of the federal poverty guidelines may apply for an initial fee waiver..
3. 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($84). $84 paid to PSI Services LLC when the Arkansas Business and Law examination is scheduled. Examination fees are not refundable or transferable..
4. 4Financial responsibility. Show financial responsibility. Compiled balance sheet less than one year old, in the name of the applicant entity, sworn true and correct and showing positive net worth. A sole proprietor may file a personal balance sheet but must exclude the personal residence, retirement accounts, stocks and bonds and the cash value of life insurance; a corporation, partnership or LLC must file a business statement, and a Schedule L from the corporate tax return is accepted. Income statements are not accepted. The Board sets no minimum net worth figure for residential licenses, only that net worth be positive. A limited residential remodeler files no financial statement but may not take a project of $50,000 or more..
5. 5Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Current certificate of workers' compensation insurance if the applicant has one or more employees. Ark. Code Ann. § 17-25-514 requires a contractor licensed by the Residential Contractors Committee to secure and maintain coverage under § 11-9-401 et seq. The license can be approved but not released without the certificate..
6. 6Business license. Obtain a business license. The license is issued to a legal entity, so a corporation, LLC, LP or LLP must file its Articles or filings from the Secretary of State's office with the application, together with any fictitious name registration. An out-of-state entity must therefore be registered to do business in Arkansas before the license issues..
7. 7Other. Three reference forms completed by the referees themselves, not by the applicant, showing four years of building experience for a builder license or two years of remodeling experience for a remodeler license, and no more than ninety days old. References from a supplier or banker are accepted only if that person has observed the work. This requirement falls away for an applicant holding a substantially equivalent out-of-state license in good standing under 17 CAR § 295-107(d)..
8. 8Other. Ninety-day temporary license: an applicant who holds a substantially equivalent license in good standing in another jurisdiction may file the temporary license application and fee alongside the new application and work while the full application is reviewed. The Board does not publish the temporary license fee. (if applicable).

Published fees on this path total $184, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.