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

Montana has one construction contractor credential and it is the same at every level: the Construction Contractor License issued by the Department of Labor & Industry. There is no separate residential or homebuilder class, no classification list, no dollar ceiling and no examination. Building a house, remodeling one, roofing, siding, flooring and demolition all sit inside the single definition in MCA 37-45-102, and the same license covers commercial work. The license is held by the business rather than by a named qualifying individual, and the application asks only for identity information, the federal employer identification number, the names and addresses of the owner, partners, corporate officers or LLC members, and proof of compliance with Montana's workers' compensation laws. Until December 31, 2025 this credential was called Construction Contractor Registration; House Bill 239 (Chapter 644, Laws of 2025) moved it into Title 37 as a department licensing program effective January 1, 2026 and converted every registration that was active on that date. It is required of construction businesses with employees, and of corporations and manager-managed limited liability companies whatever their employee count; an independent contractor with no employees is exempt and works instead under an Independent Contractor Exemption Certificate or a self-elected workers' compensation policy, though that person may choose to be licensed. Electricians and plumbers licensed in Montana are exempt while working inside the scope of their own license, as is any single job under $2,500, and MCA 37-45-204 bars a city or county from requiring its own contractor license or bond. There is no continuing education requirement.