West Virginia to Mississippi: residential contractor license reciprocity
Mississippi has no reciprocity agreement with West Virginia. A West Virginia residential contractor applies by endorsement.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Residential Builder license for states without an exam waiver agreement
The board reviews your out-of-state credentials case by case. Some exam is usually still required, often only a law or code exam.
A residential builder arriving from a state that has no exam waiver agreement with Mississippi files the board's residential application and, in the ordinary case, sits the Mississippi Residential Builder trade examination through PSI - 80 questions, 3 hours, open book, 70% to pass - together with the Law and Business Management examination that every applicant takes. Mississippi does not accept the NASCLA Accredited Examination at this level: the board marks only the commercial Building Construction and Electrical major classifications as accepting a NASCLA exam, and the residential application offers no NASCLA option. One route does remove the trade examination. An individual who establishes residency in Mississippi and holds a current license of similar scope in another state, held for at least one year, may file Form UROL with the application under the Universal Recognition of Occupational Licenses Act (Miss. Code Ann. 73-50-2) and have the trade examination waived; the same form covers an applicant who worked in a similar scope of practice for at least three years in a state that does not regulate construction at state level, supported by references for three completed jobs. The Law and Business Management examination, the $50 application fee, the insurance certificate, the three reference letters and the board's review of the application are not waived on any route.
The headline above assumes the ordinary case, in which the Residential Builder examination is required. It is waived for an applicant who qualifies under the Universal Recognition of Occupational Licenses Act, and that route depends on establishing Mississippi residency, so a contractor expanding into Mississippi without moving there cannot use it. Board Rule Part 803 Ch. 1, R. 1.1(1)(o) separately allows the board to excuse the written examination where it finds another state's licensing requirements equivalent and that state extends the same privilege to Mississippi licensees, which is the authority behind the named-state agreements listed on this page. Once the file is complete the board reviews applications weekly, submitting them on Fridays and issuing approved licenses the following Wednesday, so the seven working days shown is board review time and not the whole process; the examinations, references and insurance come first, and an application left incomplete for 180 days is destroyed. Ask a licensing agent at (601) 354-6161 or (800) 880-6161 which examinations you owe before registering with PSI.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Required
- Law / code exam
- Required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
- Typical processing
- About 7 days
What you must already have
- The qualifying party must be an owner, officer or responsible managing employee who is genuinely employed by the applicant, actively engaged in the licensed work and able to supervise or perform it, and may qualify no more than three companies without the board's permission. Mississippi sets no minimum apprenticeship or trade hours for a residential license.
- Your West Virginia license must be active and in good standing.The alternative on Form UROL is three years of work in a similar scope of practice in a state that does not regulate construction at state level, supported by references naming three completed jobs.
- You must have held your West Virginia license for at least 1 year.Universal Recognition route only: Form UROL requires the out-of-state license to have been held for at least one year.
- Universal Recognition route only: proof of Mississippi residency, by state identification card, a current Mississippi residential utility bill, ownership or lease of a Mississippi residence, documentation of in-state employment or a notarized promise of employment for the applicant or spouse, or other verifiable documentation.The board's 2026 residential application states that the Act applies to individuals who establish residence in Mississippi after July 1, 2021, and that filing the form does not by itself guarantee licensure.
What you'll do to get licensed in Mississippi
- 1Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Mississippi Law and Business Management examination through PSI: 50 questions, 2 hours, 70% to pass, open book. Every applicant for a Mississippi contractor license takes it, and no exam waiver agreement, NASCLA credential or universal-recognition waiver removes it..
- 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Mississippi Residential Builder examination through PSI: 80 questions, 3 hours, 70% to pass, open book, covering one- and two-family residential work of not more than three stories..
- 3Application fee. Pay the application fee ($50). Residential application fee of $50, which includes one trade classification. Each additional classification requested costs a further $100. Fees are not refundable and must be paid by check or money order. The annual renewal fee is $100..
- 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($120). PSI registration fee: $120 for one examination portion, $240 for two. The fee is charged for each registration, whether the examination is a first attempt or a repeat, and is not refundable or transferable..
- 5Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Certificate of general liability insurance showing current coverage, with the Mississippi State Board of Contractors named as certificate holder so it is notified if coverage is cancelled. The board sets no minimum coverage amount for residential licenses, only proof of coverage. A workers compensation certificate is also required if the applicant has five or more employees..
- 6Business license. Obtain a business license. The residential license is issued to the business, so a corporation or LLC must be registered with the Mississippi Secretary of State and show proof of good standing, and a company domiciled outside Mississippi must first qualify to do business in the State. The applicant must also supply a Mississippi income tax identification number, a federal tax identification number or a Social Security number..
- 7Continuing education. Complete continuing education. Renewal condition rather than an entry requirement: each qualifying party on a residential license completes two credit hours of continuing education a year with a board-approved provider, for every residential license issued on or after July 1, 2015 (Miss. Code Ann. 73-59-11). The board does not mandate particular courses and publishes a searchable list of approved providers..
- 8Other. Three reference letters, one of which must come from the applicant's bank or financial institution and which are required even if the applicant has already passed an examination; a list of at least three completed jobs in the classification being applied for, which may be work done outside Mississippi; and proof that the qualifying party is employed by the applicant..
Published fees on this path total $170, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
What you'll need to buy or arrange
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.
- Law / code exam
- Trade exam
- Exam fee · $120
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
How Mississippi licenses residential contractors
Mississippi residential contractor · “Residential Builder (residential license)”
Statewide license
Issued by Mississippi State Board of Contractors (MSBOC)
Mississippi licenses residential builders statewide through the Mississippi State Board of Contractors. Miss. Code Ann. 73-59-1 makes a license necessary to build a residence of not more than three floors when the undertaking exceeds $50,000, and to remodel or improve an existing residence when the improvements exceed $10,000; the board adds residential roofing over $10,000, and any electrical, plumbing, mechanical or HVAC subcontractor on a residential project at any dollar amount. The homes-only classification is Residential Builder, which covers new construction, construction management, remodeling and roofing for a structure occupied by fifty or fewer families and not more than three floors high, and also lets the holder take a commercial job of 7,500 square feet or less under Miss. Code Ann. 73-59-19; Residential Remodeler is the narrower classification for remodeling, repair and improvement only. The license belongs to the business and is qualified by a named person: the qualifying party is an owner, officer or responsible managing employee who sits the examinations, must be genuinely employed by the licensee and actively engaged in the trade, and may qualify no more than three companies at once, so a builder moving to Mississippi applies as or for the entity that will sign the contracts. There is only one residential tier, with no monetary limitation bands, and unlike the commercial track the residential application asks for no financial statement and sets no minimum insurance amount. Mississippi does not accept the NASCLA Accredited Examination at this level, but it does publish trade-examination waiver agreements with a named list of other states' boards.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Mississippi residential contractor exam if I'm licensed in West Virginia?
- Yes. Mississippi requires the trade exam on this path, plus a law or code exam.
- How long do I need to have held my West Virginia license?
- At least 1 year before applying.
- What does it cost to get a Mississippi residential contractor license from West Virginia?
- Published fees on this path total $170, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my West Virginia work hours count in Mississippi?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Mississippi's eligibility requirements.
- How long does the application take?
- The board's published or typical processing time is about 7 days.
Sources
- Mississippi State Board of Contractors - Classifications (Building Construction; Residential Builder; Residential Remodeler) · Miss. Code Ann. 31-3-13(h) (cited on the page) · Mississippi State Board of Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- Mississippi State Board of Contractors - Continuing Education (residential licenses) · Miss. Code Ann. 73-59-11 · Mississippi State Board of Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- Mississippi State Board of Contractors - Frequently Asked Questions · Mississippi State Board of Contractors · Faq · verified September 17, 2026
- MSBOC Fee Schedule effective January 1, 2016 · Mississippi State Board of Contractors · Form · verified September 17, 2026
- Mississippi State Board of Contractors - Apply for a License (commercial and residential) · Mississippi State Board of Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- State of Mississippi Contractor Examinations - PSI Candidate Information Bulletin · PSI Services LLC for the Mississippi State Board of Contractors · Other · verified September 17, 2026
- Mississippi State Board of Contractors - Reciprocity (trade-exam waiver agreements by origin board) · Miss. Code Ann. 73-50-1 and 73-50-2 (referenced on the page) · Mississippi State Board of Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- MSBOC Residential Application for a Residential License (revised 2/2026) · Mississippi State Board of Contractors · Form · verified September 17, 2026
- Mississippi Residential Builders Law and Rules (Miss. Code Title 73 Chapter 59 and Board Rules Part 803) · Miss. Code Ann. 73-59-1, 73-59-3, 73-59-5, 73-59-11, 73-59-19; 30 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 803, R. 1.1 · Mississippi State Board of Contractors · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026
- Mississippi State Board of Contractors - What You Need to Know About Testing · Mississippi State Board of Contractors · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- MSBOC Form UROL - Waiver of Exam pursuant to the Universal Recognition of Occupational Licenses Act · Miss. Code Ann. 73-50-2 · Mississippi State Board of Contractors · Form · verified September 17, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.