Mississippi to South Carolina: residential contractor license reciprocity
South Carolina has a reciprocity agreement with Mississippi: a Mississippi residential contractor can get a South Carolina license without retaking the trade exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Residential Builder exam waiver for Mississippi licensees
A signed state-to-state agreement. The trade exam is waived; you apply, prove your history, and pay the fee.
Mississippi is one of four states the South Carolina Residential Builders Commission names for its Residential Builder exam waiver. A builder who holds a current Mississippi license that was obtained by examination and has been held for one year or longer can skip the Residential Builder technical portion of the South Carolina examination. A license that was grandfathered rather than examined does not qualify, and the Mississippi agency must send a Verification of Licensure directly to the Commission. The work experience requirement and the Business Management and Law portion of the examination still apply, along with the $135 application fee, the $220 license fee, the $15,000 surety bond and the credit report. A license issued on this route is a limited "Residential Builder Exam Waiver" license: it does not qualify the holder to perform the mechanical trades, which must be subcontracted to an appropriately licensed person or company. To perform the mechanical trades yourself you must apply by examination instead.
The Commission publishes the eligible states as a plain list and does not map particular license types or classifications, so confirm your specific credential qualifies before filing. It does not publish a processing time either; the application stays open for one year from receipt. Ask at [email protected] or (803) 896-4696.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
- Agreement
- Active
What you must already have
- Your Mississippi license must be active and in good standing.
- You must have held your Mississippi license for at least 1 year.
- Your Mississippi license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
- At least one year of actual residential building experience performed within the past five years, under the supervision of a licensed residential builder or another appropriately licensed professional engaged in residential building construction. Experience earned outside South Carolina counts.Documented with copies of W-2s or 1099s from each employer and a Residential Builder Experience Affidavit completed by each supervisor or employer listed on the application; the details on the affidavits must match the application. S.C. Code Section 40-59-220(B) also lets the Commission accept other education or experience, or a combination, and the Commission invites a written explanation with supporting documents where the standard paperwork cannot be produced. The work experience requirement applies on the exam-waiver routes as well as on the examination route.
What you'll do to get licensed in South Carolina
- 1Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Business Management and Law portion of the South Carolina Residential Builder examination, administered by PSI at https://test-takers.psiexams.com/scrb/. It is required on every route, including both exam-waiver routes. Examination eligibility lasts one year and allows three attempts in a twelve-month period; after three failures the applicant waits twelve months (S.C. Code Section 40-59-220(E))..
- 2Other. Verification of Licensure sent directly to the South Carolina Residential Builders Commission by the Mississippi licensing agency, by mail or to [email protected]. The Commission also asks for a verification from every other jurisdiction where you hold or have held a residential builder license or a license in a building-related profession..
- 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee. Examination fees are paid directly to PSI. The Commission does not publish the amounts; they are in PSI’s South Carolina Residential Builder candidate information at https://test-takers.psiexams.com/scrb/, or ask the Commission at [email protected] or (803) 896-4696..
- 4Application fee. Pay the application fee ($135). Non-refundable $135 application fee, by check or money order payable to SCRBC, or paid online through the Commission’s electronic application. A returned-check fee of up to $30 may be charged. The application stays open for one year from the date it is received; if everything is not in by then the process starts over..
- 5License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($220). Residential Builder (RBB) license fee of $220, paid once the Commission approves the application. Renewal is $220, the renewal late fee is $50 and reinstatement of a lapsed license is $480..
- 6Surety bond. Post a surety bond ($15,000). Surety bond of at least $15,000 on the Commission’s approved form, required by S.C. Code Section 40-59-220(C). The individual’s name must be listed as principal; the bond cannot be in a company or business name. The original must carry the surety’s signature, the principal’s signature, a visible surety company seal and the attached power of attorney. DocuSign signatures and handwritten bonds are not accepted. The Commission publishes a list of surety companies authorized in South Carolina as a starting point..
- 7Financial responsibility. Show financial responsibility. A complete credit report from TransUnion, Equifax or Experian dated no more than 30 days before the application date, required by S.C. Code Section 40-59-250 and reviewed for liens and outstanding judgments. The application also asks you to list any outstanding judgments against you or entities you were associated with in the past five years. The Commission does not publish a minimum score, net worth or working capital figure for a Residential Builder license; ask at [email protected] or (803) 896-4696..
- 8Business license. Obtain a business license. Company details are only needed if you will trade under a company name. You must own at least 51 percent of the company to list it on your license; if you own less, the company applies separately for a residential business Certificate of Authorization. A South Carolina company attaches a Certificate of Existence (or Good Standing) from the SC Secretary of State and a company formed elsewhere attaches a Certificate of Authority, together with the articles of incorporation or organization and proof of ownership percentages..
- 9Other. Application paperwork: a copy of your driver’s license, state-issued ID, passport or military ID, a copy of your Social Security card, a notarized Verification of Lawful Presence form, legal name-change documents if applicable, and an explanatory statement with supporting documents for any "yes" answer on the disclosure questions..
Published fees on this path total $355, 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
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 · $15,000
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
How South Carolina licenses residential contractors
South Carolina residential contractor · “Residential Builder License (RBB); limited "Residential Builder Exam Waiver" license on the waiver routes”
Statewide license
Issued by South Carolina Residential Builders Commission (SC LLR)
South Carolina licenses residential builders statewide through the Residential Builders Commission, a separate body from the Contractor’s Licensing Board that handles commercial work. A residential builder is anyone who constructs or superintends the construction, repair or improvement of a residential building not over three floors high and with no more than sixteen units in any single apartment building, where the undertaking costs more than $5,000. Unlike the commercial license, this one is held by the person: the $15,000 surety bond must name the individual as principal and cannot be in a company name, and you may only put a company on your license if you own at least 51 percent of it, otherwise the company applies for its own residential business Certificate of Authorization. Entry needs one year of residential building experience within the past five years, a credit report, the bond and both parts of the PSI examination. The technical part can be waived three ways: a current South Carolina General Contractor license in the Building (BD) or Limited Building (LB) classification, a current examined license held a year or more in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi or North Carolina, or the NASCLA Commercial General Building Contractor exam passed within the past three years. A license issued on any of those waiver routes is a limited one that does not allow the holder to perform the mechanical trades.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the South Carolina residential contractor exam if I'm licensed in Mississippi?
- The trade exam is waived, but South Carolina requires a law or code exam.
- How long do I need to have held my Mississippi license?
- At least 1 year before applying.
- What does it cost to get a South Carolina residential contractor license from Mississippi?
- Published fees on this path total $355, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Mississippi work hours count in South Carolina?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward South Carolina's eligibility requirements.
Sources
- S.C. Code of Laws Title 40, Chapter 59 - Residential Builders and Residential Specialty Contractors · S.C. Code Ann. Sections 40-59-20, 40-59-30, 40-59-220, 40-59-230, 40-59-250, 40-59-410 · South Carolina Legislature · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
- South Carolina Residential Builders Commission - home page · South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- SC Residential Builders Commission - Residential Builder License Application, Requirements and Instructions (Rev. 01/2026) · South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) · Form · verified September 17, 2026
- SC Residential Builders Commission - Residential Builder License (licensure by exam, licensure by exam waiver, fees) · South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.