LicensebyState

Moving to Alaska as a residential contractor: every state's rule

Alaska has reciprocity agreements with 0 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: no credit.

Alaska residential contractor · “General Contractor with Residential Contractor Endorsement”

Statewide license

Verified September 17, 2026· 6 sources

Issued by Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing (Construction Contractors Program)

Alaska licenses homebuilders statewide through the Construction Contractors Program in the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing, part of the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development. The credential comes in two pieces. The registration is held by the business: an individual, partnership, corporation or LLC registers as a General Contractor with Residential Endorsement, posts a $20,000 surety bond, files public liability and property damage insurance, and pays a $100 application fee and a $250 registration fee. The residential contractor endorsement itself is held by a person and assigned to that registered general contractor, and it is what unlocks residential work: no general contractor may build or bid a privately owned residential structure of one to four units, or alter one by more than 25 percent of its value, unless the contractor holds the endorsement or has an endorsement holder assigned to it. To earn the endorsement an individual completes a 16-hour cold climate course and passes the Alaska residential contractor endorsement examination on arctic structural and thermal construction. The endorsement holder must be the sole proprietor, a partner, an employee, director or officer of the corporation, or an employee or member of the LLC, and may be assigned to no more than two general contractors at a time.

Every origin state

No credit 50
Every state's path into Alaska
StateMechanismNoteVerified
AlabamaNo credit2026-09-17
ArizonaNo credit2026-09-17
ArkansasNo credit2026-09-17
CaliforniaNo credit2026-09-17
ColoradoNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
ConnecticutNo credit2026-09-17
DelawareNo credit2026-09-17
District of ColumbiaNo credit2026-09-17
FloridaNo credit2026-09-17
GeorgiaNo credit2026-09-17
HawaiiNo credit2026-09-17
IdahoNo credit2026-09-17
IllinoisNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
IndianaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
IowaNo credit2026-09-17
KansasNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
KentuckyNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
LouisianaNo credit2026-09-17
MaineNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
MarylandNo credit2026-09-17
MassachusettsNo credit2026-09-17
MichiganNo credit2026-09-17
MinnesotaNo credit2026-09-17
MississippiNo credit2026-09-17
MissouriNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
MontanaNo credit2026-09-17
NebraskaNo credit2026-09-17
NevadaNo credit2026-09-17
New HampshireNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
New JerseyNo credit2026-09-17
New MexicoNo credit2026-09-17
New YorkNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
North CarolinaNo credit2026-09-17
North DakotaNo credit2026-09-17
OhioNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
OklahomaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
OregonNo credit2026-09-17
PennsylvaniaNo credit2026-09-17
Rhode IslandNo credit2026-09-17
South CarolinaNo credit2026-09-17
South DakotaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
TennesseeNo credit2026-09-17
TexasNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
UtahNo credit2026-09-17
VermontNo credit2026-09-17
VirginiaNo credit2026-09-17
WashingtonNo credit2026-09-17
West VirginiaNo credit2026-09-17
WisconsinNo credit2026-09-17
WyomingNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17

Getting licensed in Alaska from scratch

No license yet, or nothing that transfers? This is how Alaska issues a residential contractor license to a first-time applicant.

Verified September 23, 2026· 10 sources

Residential contractor endorsement by examination, assigned to a registered general contractor

Residential work in Alaska needs two filings. The business (sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation or LLC) registers as a General Contractor with Residential Endorsement, and a named person earns the residential contractor endorsement and is assigned to that business; the reader is usually that person. Alaska sets no minimum experience, apprenticeship or age for the endorsement: the individual completes the Alaska craftsman home program cold climate course, or an approved equivalent, passes the Alaska Residential Contractor Endorsement Examination through PSI, and applies within 12 months of passing. PSI books the exam directly, with no division approval needed first. The endorsement holder must be the sole proprietor, a partner, or an officer, director, member or employee of the business, and one endorsement can be assigned to no more than two general contractors.

The exam has 100 questions in 240 minutes and covers sitework and foundations, concrete, masonry, plan reading, carpentry and the residential code, cold climate framing and thermal and moisture protection, wood framing fundamentals, seismic and wind loads, OSHA safety and the Alaska regulations for the endorsement. Candidates bring their own approved references, including the code books and the Alaska contractor statutes and regulations, plus a silent nonprinting calculator; there is no separate law or business exam. The rule also accepts another examination approved by the department, but the division names none, so ask at [email protected] before relying on a different exam. A general contractor that also takes commercial work registers as a plain General Contractor with a $25,000 bond and has the endorsement holder assigned to it. The division publishes no processing time; its forms say a complete application can take several weeks.

Trade exam
Required
Law / code exam
Not required
Exam given by
PSI
Exam format
Open book
Passing score
70%
Renewal
Every 2 years
Continuing education
16 hours per cycle

Who can apply

  • No minimum construction experience, apprenticeship, education or age is set for the residential contractor endorsement or for the general contractor registration it is assigned to.
  • Within the seven years before the application, not under a sentence for forgery, theft in the first or second degree, extortion, conspiracy to defraud creditors, or a felony involving dishonesty.AS 08.18.025(b)(5). A yes answer on the application's professional fitness questions is not automatically disqualifying; it must be explained in writing with the court documents.
  • The endorsement holder must be the sole proprietor, one of the partners, an officer, director or employee of the corporation, or a member or employee of the LLC that holds the general contractor registration.12 AAC 21.690. If that contractor's registration lapses, the endorsement is reissued as unassigned and can be reassigned to another registered general contractor on Form 08-4465.

Steps to get licensed

  1. 1Pre-license course. Complete the required pre-license course. Completion, within the two years before the endorsement application, of the Alaska craftsman home program or its equivalent (a 16-hour cold climate building course), or a postsecondary course in arctic engineering or its equivalent. Form 08-4161 lists the providers the division has on record: At Your Pace Online LLC, Alaska Craftsman Home Program Inc and Wisdom and Associates Inc. Submit the certificate or transcript with the application..
  2. 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Alaska Residential Contractor Endorsement Examination (PSI): 100 questions, 240 minutes, open reference, 70 percent to pass. The result must be from the 12 months before the endorsement application..
  3. 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($150). Paid to PSI when booking; nonrefundable, nontransferable and valid for one year from payment. This is the figure in the candidate bulletin the division links (2017 edition); PSI is on (800) 733-9267..
  4. 4Application fee. Pay the application fee ($100). Nonrefundable application fee for the residential contractor endorsement (Form 08-4161)..
  5. 5License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($250). Residential contractor endorsement fee for the initial two-year period, paid with the endorsement application ($350 in total)..
  6. 6Application fee. Pay the application fee ($100). Nonrefundable application fee for the business's General Contractor with Residential Endorsement registration (Form 08-4819), unless the business is already registered as a general contractor..
  7. 7License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($250). Registration fee for the business's initial two-year general contractor registration ($350 in total with the application fee)..
  8. 8Surety bond. Post a surety bond ($20,000). $20,000 surety bond filed by the business on Form 08-4971 for a general contractor with residential endorsement; a matching cash deposit, certificate of deposit or savings passbook held by the State may be filed instead. A general contractor that also does commercial work posts $25,000..
  9. 9Insurance. Carry the required insurance. General liability insurance of at least $20,000 property damage, $50,000 injury or death to one person and $100,000 injury or death to more than one person, plus workers' compensation if the business has employees or is a corporation or LLC. Bond and insurance documents must be dated within 30 days of receipt and show the business name exactly as on the application..
  10. 10Business license. Obtain a business license. A corporation or LLC must be registered with the division's Corporations Section before the contractor application is processed. A State of Alaska business license, if required, is obtained after the professional registration is issued..
  11. 11Other. Endorsement application signed before a notary, with an Authorization for Release of Records (Form 08-4161a), the name and license number of the general contractor it will be assigned to, and a copy of the PSI result. A U.S. Social Security number must be on file, or a signed exemption request..

Published fees on this path total $850, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

Keeping it active

Every 2 years with 16 hours of continuing education per cycle and a $250 renewal fee.

16 contact hours of approved continuing competency activities per two-year period. At the first renewal it is 8 hours for each complete calendar year the endorsement was held, and none if held for less than a full calendar year. No more than 8 hours may be business topics; up to 16 may be technical topics such as construction codes, materials and energy, remodeling and construction techniques.

Construction contractor registrations and residential endorsements expire on September 30 of even-numbered years. The endorsement renewal fee is $250, and the business's general contractor registration renews separately for another $250 with current bond and insurance. An endorsement lapsed more than two years needs the exam again, and after five years a new application.

Pre-license education

Where a board mandates a course before the exam, it publishes a list of approved schools. Confirm a provider is on that list before enrolling.

  • Pre-license course

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.

  • Trade exam
  • Exam fee · $150

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 · $20,000

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

Sources for this section

  1. 12 AAC 02.180 - Construction contractors (fees) · 12 AAC 02.180(a) · Alaska Legislature (Alaska Administrative Code) · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  2. Construction Contractor Professional Licensing - Bond and Insurance Quick Facts · Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development (CBPL) · Other · verified September 23, 2026
  3. Construction Contractors - Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing · Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development (CBPL) · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  4. Construction Contractors FAQs - Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing · Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development (CBPL) · Faq · verified September 17, 2026
  5. Statutes and Regulations - Construction Contractors (AS 08.18 and 12 AAC 21), September 2023 · AS 08.18.011, .013, .021, .024, .025, .031, .041, .051, .071, .101; 12 AAC 21.650, .660, .680, .690, .695, .700 · Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development (CBPL) · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  6. Form 08-4819 - General Contractor with Residential Endorsement Registration Application (rev. 09/03/2025) · Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development (CBPL) · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  7. License Expiration Dates - Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing · Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development (CBPL) · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  8. Alaska Residential Contractor Endorsement Examination - PSI Candidate Information Bulletin · PSI Services LLC for the Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing · Other · verified September 23, 2026
  9. Form 08-4161 - Contractor Residential Endorsement Application (rev. 04/19/2024) · Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development (CBPL) · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  10. Residential Endorsement Exam Information - Alaska Construction Contractors Program · Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development (CBPL) · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026

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