West Virginia to Idaho: residential contractor license reciprocity

1. 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($120). Application fee, which includes the original registration. DOPL's published schedule, effective 1 July 2026, is $120 for an individual and $120 for a business, then $60 to renew for one year or $120 to renew for two, with a $40 reinstatement fee on top of the renewal fee after a lapse. The Board's rule caps the fee at $60 a year and allows annual fees to be aggregated for a two-year registration, and Idaho Code 54-5210(2) caps it at $150 a year. The mailed paper application forms, last updated in February 2024, still print a $50 processing fee, so confirm the current amount with the Board on (208) 334-3233 or [email protected] before sending a check. A contractor who already holds an Idaho public works contractor or construction manager license registers without paying the fee..
2. 2Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Certificate of general liability insurance, including products and completed operations coverage for the applicant's construction operations, of not less than $300,000 single limit, issued by an insurance company authorized to do business in Idaho. DOPL asks that the insured, not DOPL, be named as the certificate holder. The coverage has to stay in force for as long as the registration is active, and letting it lapse is a ground for discipline or revocation..
3. 3Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Workers' compensation insurance certificate from a carrier authorized to do business in Idaho, or a written statement explaining why the coverage is not required of the applicant under Idaho Code 72-101 through 72-230, for example because the registrant has no employees. A registrant who takes on employees later has to put the coverage in place..
4. 4Background check. Complete a background check. The application is submitted under oath and asks whether the applicant has ever received a conviction, finding of guilt, withheld judgment or suspended sentence for a felony in any state, and whether the applicant or anyone with an ownership interest has ever had a contractor license or registration denied, surrendered, suspended, revoked or otherwise disciplined anywhere. A yes to either question means filing DOPL's disclosure form with the court records or the other state's board order. The Board evaluates a conviction for current relevance to fitness under Idaho Code 67-9411 and may run an exemption review. DOPL is separately authorized by Idaho Code 67-9411A to require fingerprints and an Idaho State Police and FBI records check of license applicants, but the Contractors Board's rule and its registration forms ask only for the sworn disclosure..
5. 5Other. Social security number for an individual applicant or an employer tax identification number for a business; the business name and address of record, which becomes a public record; a mailing address, business phone and email; the first and last name of every principal, member, partner, shareholder or other owner, which for a business applicant must be people rather than another entity; one construction type code; and a statement of the type of construction to be undertaken. The application stays open for one year from the date it is filed, after which unfinished applications are terminated and a new application is needed..
6. 6Other. Within 60 days of registering, the registration number must be displayed at the place of business and at every jobsite and printed on all advertising, contracts, building permits, letterheads, purchase orders and subcontracts. A building official will ask for the number before issuing a permit, and a registrant is also responsible for obtaining satisfactory proof that every other contractor engaged on the job is registered..
7. 7Surety bond. Post a surety bond (if applicable). Idaho requires no surety bond for contractor registration. A homeowner may require one at their own expense up to the value of the project, and before signing a residential contract over $2,000 a general contractor must give the homeowner a written disclosure that says so, along with disclosures about lien waivers, proof of liability and workers' compensation insurance, and extended title insurance..

Published fees on this path total $120, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.