South Carolina to Wisconsin: residential contractor license reciprocity

1. 1Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. At least 12 hours in a DSPS-approved initial qualifier course in dwelling construction, completed within one year before the Dwelling Contractor Qualifier application. The course must include instruction and one or more tests on construction laws, construction codes and construction business practices. DSPS publishes a list of approved course providers rather than individual courses, and directs questions about a course to the provider; several providers deliver the 12 hours online, so it can be finished before you move to Wisconsin. DSPS holds no examination of its own for this credential and charges no examination fee for it..
2. 2Application fee. Pay the application fee ($15). Application fee for the Dwelling Contractor Qualifier certification, set at $15 by Wis. Admin. Code SPS 305.02, Table 305.02. Fees are calculated and paid in LicensE at license.wi.gov when the application is filed..
3. 3License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($30). Certification fee for the Dwelling Contractor Qualifier, $30 under Table 305.02. The Qualifier certification runs for two years from the date of issuance (Table 305.06) and renews for $30, with a $25 late continuing education fee where that applies and a $200 reinstatement fee if it has lapsed..
4. 4Application fee. Pay the application fee ($15). Application fee for the Dwelling Contractor certification, set at $15 by Table 305.02. It is separate from the Qualifier application fee, because a contractor who is both the business principal and the qualifier is applying for two credentials..
5. 5License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($25). Certification fee for the Dwelling Contractor certification, $25 under Table 305.02, and the same $25 for the Dwelling Contractor Restricted version. The certification is valid for one year from the date of issuance and renews annually for $25; a certification expired more than a year needs a fresh application, supporting documents and a $200 reinstatement fee..
6. 6Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Proof of financial responsibility, satisfied either by a general liability policy insuring the applicant for at least $250,000 per occurrence for bodily injury to or death of others or damage to the property of others, or by the surety bond below. The insurer must be authorized to do business in Wisconsin or eligible as a surplus lines insurer in one or more states. The policy may not be canceled except on 30 days' written notice to DSPS, or 10 days for nonpayment of premium, and proof of replacement cover must be filed inside that window or DSPS suspends the certification without a hearing. The application also carries attestations that the business complies with Wisconsin worker's compensation law (Wis. Stat. ch. 102) and unemployment compensation law (Wis. Stat. ch. 108)..
7. 7Surety bond. Post a surety bond (if applicable). A surety bond endorsed by a company authorized to do business in Wisconsin is the alternative to the liability policy. DSPS's Form 3096 asks for a bond of at least $25,000 for the full Dwelling Contractor certification; the statutory floor in Wis. Stat. 101.654(2)(a)1. is $5,000, and an applicant using a bond of less than $25,000 is issued the Dwelling Contractor Restricted certification instead and agrees not to work on any dwelling whose estimated cost of completion is greater than the bond amount. The bond runs in the name of the state for the benefit of anyone who suffers a loss from a breach of the one- and two-family dwelling code, and carries the same 30-day cancellation notice rule as the insurance policy..
8. 8Continuing education. Complete continuing education. At least 12 hours of DSPS-approved continuing education before the Qualifier certification expires. Wis. Stat. 101.654(1m)(b)1. requires those 12 hours every two years and requires at least 4 of them to be on construction laws and codes and on contracts, liability and risk management. Credit comes from seminars and workshops attended in person or by remote classroom, from teaching a program (first offering only), from webinars and other distance courses, and from technical or professional society meetings, which are capped at 6 hours per renewal cycle. A distance course needs at least 10 review questions per credit hour, and a question-and-answer course at least 30 questions per credit hour with a passing score of 70 percent. DSPS may approve continuing education courses offered by other states..
9. 9Background check. Complete a background check. DSPS Form 2255, Trades Convictions and Pending Charges, is filed with the application where it applies. Wis. Stat. 101.654(5) lets the department revoke or suspend the certification for a conviction of a crime related to the construction of a dwelling, for building without a required permit, for failing the continuing education requirement, or for having been adjudged bankrupt on two or more occasions..
10. 10Other. Both applications are filed in the LicensE portal at license.wi.gov, with the initial qualifier course verification and the bond or insurance certificate uploaded there; anything DSPS asks for later must be uploaded within three months or the application may have to be refiled and the fees paid again. Once certified, the holder may not start construction until the uniform building permit under SPS 320.08 is issued by the municipality, and may not start a private onsite wastewater treatment system until the sanitary permit under SPS 383.21 is issued. Milwaukee adds a City of Milwaukee Home Improvement Contractor License for work on single-family homes, duplexes and apartment buildings of six units or fewer, so check the requirements of the city or county that will issue your permits as well..

Published fees on this path total $85, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.