North Carolina to Virginia: residential contractor license reciprocity
Virginia has a reciprocity agreement with North Carolina: a North Carolina residential contractor can get a Virginia license without retaking the trade exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
North Carolina residential building contractor examination waiver
A signed state-to-state agreement. The trade exam is waived; you apply, prove your history, and pay the fee.
The Board for Contractors publishes an approved agreement described as a North Carolina RBC Contractor Residential Building Contracting examination waiver, which removes the Virginia RBC technical examination for a qualified individual holding the North Carolina credential. Everything else about the application stands: the firm still chooses Class A, B or C and meets that class's net worth or bond requirement, the qualified individual still documents one, three or five years of residential building experience, the Class A or Class B designated employee still passes the PSI business examination, and the eight hours of pre-license education are still required. The application must be complete and accompanied by verification of licensure from the North Carolina board. The Board does not publish the terms of the agreement or the exact North Carolina license class it covers, so confirm eligibility with the Board for Contractors at (804) 367-8511 or [email protected] before applying.
This entry appears in the reciprocal-agreements accordion on the Board's own program page. The Board's separate Reciprocal Licensing/Examination Agreements PDF, which is tradesman-focused, does not repeat it, and neither document states which North Carolina license classification qualifies or whether the waiver reaches the Home Improvement (HIC) specialty.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
- Typical processing
- About 30 days
- Agreement
- Active
What you must already have
- Your North Carolina license must be active and in good standing.
- You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.
- The qualified individual must still have one year (Class C), three years (Class B) or five years (Class A) of experience in residential building contracting
What you'll do to get licensed in Virginia
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($274.50). Class C initial license fee on the current application form, including the $25 Recovery Fund assessment and the technology fee; Class B is $419.50 and Class A $439.50. Fees are not refundable..
- 2Other. Verification of licensure from the North Carolina board, submitted with a complete Virginia application..
- 3Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. PSI contractor business examination for the designated employee of a Class A or Class B firm; this examination is not waived by the North Carolina agreement..
- 4Other. Eight hours of Board-approved pre-license education..
- 5Financial responsibility. Show financial responsibility of at least $15,000 (if applicable). At least $15,000 of net worth or equity for Class B and $45,000 for Class A, or a $50,000 surety bond on the Board's form. Class C has no financial requirement..
Published fees on this path total $274.50, 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
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Other
How Virginia licenses residential contractors
Virginia residential contractor · “Class A, B or C Contractor, Residential Building (RBC)”
Statewide license
Issued by Virginia Board for Contractors (DPOR)
Virginia licenses contractors through the Board for Contractors at the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, and the license is issued to a business entity rather than to a person. Every license carries two separate things: a class (A, B or C) that sets the dollar limit on the work, and one or more classifications or specialty designations that set the type of work. Class C covers a single contract or project over $1,000 but under $30,000 and under $250,000 of work in any 12 months; Class B covers $30,000 to under $150,000 per project and $250,000 to under $1 million a year, and requires $15,000 of documented net worth or equity; Class A has no monetary ceiling and requires $45,000 of net worth or equity. A $50,000 surety bond on the Board's form may be filed instead of the financial statement, and Class C has no financial requirement at all. Homes-only work is the Residential Building (RBC) classification, which covers dwellings and townhouses and their accessory structures and folds in concrete, home improvement, masonry, painting, roofing, landscape and swimming pool work on those properties, but never electrical, plumbing, HVAC or gas fitting and never commercial buildings; smaller repair and remodeling firms may instead take the Home Improvement (HIC) specialty. The firm names a qualified individual for each designation, who must have one year (Class C), three years (Class B) or five years (Class A) of experience in that work and must pass the Board's RBC technical examination, and Class A and Class B firms also name a designated employee who passes the PSI business examination. All classes need eight hours of Board-approved pre-license education, and licenses run two years from the last day of the month of issuance.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Virginia residential contractor exam if I'm licensed in North Carolina?
- The trade exam is waived, but Virginia requires a law or code exam.
- What does it cost to get a Virginia residential contractor license from North Carolina?
- Published fees on this path total $274.50, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my North Carolina work hours count in Virginia?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Virginia's eligibility requirements.
- How long does the application take?
- The board's published or typical processing time is about 30 days.
Sources
- 18VAC50-22-100 - Fees · 18VAC50-22-100; Va. Code § 54.1-1119 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026
- 18VAC50-22-110 - Renewal required · 18VAC50-22-110 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026
- 18VAC50-22-20 - Definitions of license classifications · 18VAC50-22-20 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026
- 18VAC50-22-30 - Definitions of specialty services · 18VAC50-22-30 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026
- 18VAC50-22-40 - Requirements for a Class C license · 18VAC50-22-40 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026
- 18VAC50-22-50 - Requirements for a Class B license · 18VAC50-22-50 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026
- 18VAC50-22-60 - Requirements for a Class A license · 18VAC50-22-60 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026
- 18VAC50-22-70 - Qualifications for licensure by reciprocity or substantial equivalency · 18VAC50-22-70 · Virginia Board for Contractors / Virginia Register · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026
- Va. Code 54.1-1100 - Definitions (Class A, Class B and Class C contractors) · Va. Code § 54.1-1100 · Virginia General Assembly (LIS) · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
- Form A501-27LIC - Contractor Licensing Information and Application Instructions (v18, 08/01/2026) · Virginia Board for Contractors (DPOR) · Form · verified September 17, 2026
- Form A501-27EXINFO - Board for Contractors, Requirements for Qualified Individuals (v10, 09/01/2025) · Virginia Board for Contractors (DPOR) · Form · verified September 17, 2026
- DPOR Board for Contractors - program page (licensing, education and exams, reciprocal agreements) · Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation · 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.