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

Idaho does not license residential building contractors; it registers them. Under the Idaho Contractor Registration Act, anyone who takes on a construction job worth more than $2,000 in labor and materials must be registered with the Idaho Contractors Board, which the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) administers, and that registration is the only statewide credential a homebuilder or remodeler needs. Registration carries no trade examination, no business and law examination, no experience or apprenticeship requirement, no bond, no net worth test and no qualifying party: an individual registers in their own name, and a partnership, LLC or corporation registers as a business and lists the people who own it, with nobody having to demonstrate competence on the company's behalf. What the applicant must produce is insurance, an ownership list and an honest history: a general liability certificate of at least $300,000 single limit, workers' compensation coverage or a written statement of why it is not required, and sworn answers about any felony conviction and about any contractor license or registration denied, surrendered, suspended or revoked in any state. Applicants pick a single construction type code, such as 002 General Residential Builder or 003 General Remodel Builder, but DOPL says plainly that the code chosen does not limit the work performed. Registration does not authorize plumbing, electrical or HVAC work, which are separately licensed trades whose licensees are exempt from registering, and Idaho Code 54-5213 bars cities and counties from running their own contractor registration or licensing programs, so there is nothing local to add on top.