Wyoming to Pennsylvania: residential contractor license reciprocity

Why this level is Hybrid. Section 517.12 of the Act preempts most local licensing of home improvement contractors: "Registration under this act shall preclude any requirement of payment of a fee or registration or licensing of any home improvement contractor by any political subdivision. Political subdivisions shall be permitted to require building permits and local enforcement of the building code for that political subdivision, for which a reasonable fee may be charged." The preemption is not total. It leaves untouched a municipality's authority under the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act, workers' compensation requirements, licensing standards in effect on July 1, 2009 for electricians, plumbers and other trades that test or certify, and liability-insurance standards adopted before January 1, 2006. More importantly, the state registration only covers home improvement - so building a new house, or working on a residential building of three or more units, falls outside it and back into whatever the city requires.

Philadelphia. The Department of Licenses and Inspections draws the line in so many words: "You don't need this license if your business only does work on existing one-or-two-family dwellings and does not do work that requires a special trade license. Instead, the company must submit as a Home Improvement Contractor after registering with the State." A remodeler therefore registers with the Attorney General, then registers that PA number with L&I through eCLIPSE to pull permits; there is no additional city fee for it, but the company still needs a Business Income and Receipts Tax ID, a Commercial Activity License, current City taxes, and a Certificate of Insurance showing general liability of $500,000 per occurrence, automobile liability of $300,000 and workers' compensation of $100,000 per accident, $100,000 per employee and a $500,000 policy limit. Excavation under permits submitted on or after January 1, 2023 also needs an Excavation Contractor License. Build a new house, work on a larger residential building, or take on complete demolition, electrical, plumbing or fire suppression, and the state registration is no longer enough: that is the Philadelphia Contractor License at $126 a year, described at the general level.

Pittsburgh. The Department of Permits, Licenses and Inspections requires a General Contractor License for the construction of new one- or two-family dwellings and for renovations and additions to rental or investment residential properties, as well as for commercial work and demolition. The application takes a valid photo ID, a general liability certificate of at least $1,000,000 each occurrence and $2,000,000 general aggregate, a workers' compensation certificate, a Tax Compliance Letter from the City's Department of Finance, and an EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) certification in lead-safe construction practices, which is good for five years. The license is $90 to obtain and $90 to renew each year under the 2026 fee schedule, expires 365 days from the date of issuance, and carries a 60-day grace period with a $50 late fee from day 31. There is no exam and no experience requirement. Applications run through OneStopPGH; PLI is at 412 Boulevard of the Allies, 412-255-2175.

Scranton. Code Enforcement issues a city Home Improvement Contractor License for residential work. The application takes the standard identification, indemnification, disclosure and affidavit items, a copy of the contractor's Pennsylvania Home Improvement Contractor registration certificate, and a reference letter from an employer or client. It costs $150 initially and $125 to renew, with a $50 late fee; renewals are due before your first permit of the calendar year or by March 31, whichever comes first. Work on a residential building of three or more units needs Scranton's General Contractor License instead.

Allegheny County. The county issues road and bridge, food facility, lead and asbestos, plumbing and pool permits, but no contractor license of any kind, so a residential contractor outside Pittsburgh city limits deals with the local municipality's code office.

Everywhere else. Most Pennsylvania municipalities license nothing and simply enforce the Uniform Construction Code through permits and inspections, which they may charge a reasonable fee for. Ask the local code office before you contract, and expect the state registration to be the only credential you are asked for.

Arriving from another state. There is no state examination to sit, nothing that a license from your last state can be exchanged for, and no shorter route for an experienced contractor. Register with the Office of Attorney General, carry the insurance, put your PA number on every advertisement, contract, estimate and proposal, and use written contracts that meet the Act's terms. Then add the city credential wherever you plan to build new homes or work beyond simple home improvement.

How it works in Wyoming. There is no state contractor license, no state application and no state examination. Every city and town sets its own classes, examinations, experience minimums, insurance limits and fees, and a license is needed in each jurisdiction where you work. One state law shapes all of it. W.S. 16-6-1101 provides that 'each county, city, town and other government entity that issues licenses to contractors shall recognize a license issued to a contractor by another county, city, town or other government entity in Wyoming', provided the license is active, the contractor is in good standing with the issuing jurisdiction and supplies any financial assurance the new jurisdiction requires, and provided the contractor gives 'proof of the successful completion of the international code council examination for contractor, plumbing, mechanical or another appropriate examination, or an equivalent.' On that proof, 'no contractor shall be required to complete any testing in the accepting jurisdiction.' The application may ask only for the minimum information needed to verify the license and good standing. The limits matter too: recognition is only owed for a license 'of a similar type or class', a jurisdiction may still require its own application, testing and fees for work outside the scope of the original license or not at an equivalent level of competency, and it may refuse a contractor whose license it has previously suspended or revoked. The statute names Wyoming jurisdictions only. A license from another state is not covered, so plan on qualifying from scratch in your first Wyoming city and using the statute from then on. Because the recognized examination is the ICC contractor series, sitting the right ICC exam once is the single most portable thing an incoming builder can do.

Cheyenne. The Contractor Licensing Board licenses Class R Residential Contractor for 'detached single-family dwellings covered by the International Residential Code of three (3) stories or less and their accessory structures', with a Class R Limited license for remodels inside residential structures that need no structural work, and Class B Building Contractor reaching residential buildings of three stories or less plus single-story commercial buildings of 7,500 square feet or less. The license is held by the company and qualified by a named qualified supervisor employed full time, who may represent only one contractor; losing that person gives the company thirty days to name a replacement. Class R and Class B qualified supervisors need five years and 10,000 hours of comprehensive experience acceptable to the Board, Class R Limited three years and 6,000 hours, and every class must pass an examination from the Board's list, administered by the ICC, NICET, NASCLA or another testing agency the Board approves. Insurance is $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate for Class B and Class R, with the City of Cheyenne as certificate holder and Wyoming workers' compensation where the law requires it. Fees are a $50 application plus $400 initial and $100 renewal for Class B or Class R. The Board may deny an application for incomplete or false information, unfinished past projects, inadequate experience or references, unlicensed work, or a felony conviction such as forgery, embezzlement or larceny. On reciprocity the Board's own rules record that 'the State of Wyoming has an adopted statute allowing reciprocity for jurisdictions in Wyoming ONLY' and that it evaluates those licenses case by case.

Casper. Community Development licenses general and sub contractors, plumbing, mechanical and individual trades, electrical contractors, and reciprocal contractors. For a residential builder the filing is the completed application, notarized experience affidavits and proof of testing, followed by a certificate of insurance and the license fee before the license is issued; the city points applicants at ICC testing. Casper also runs an explicit reciprocal license, which grants 'the right and privilege to conduct, carry on or engage in the business of Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical, or General Contracting under the License Classification that the applicant currently holds within another Wyoming Jurisdiction' on 'documentation proving that licensure held in another Wyoming Jurisdiction is current and in good standing' and 'proof of having successfully completed testing which is comparable to that required by the Community Development Department.' Only Wyoming jurisdictions qualify. Insurance minimums quoted for the affected classifications are $250,000 per person, $500,000 aggregate and $250,000 property damage. Ask the Chief Building Official on (307) 235-8254 or [email protected] for the class letters, experience thresholds and current fees before applying.

Laramie. Code Administration states that 'all general contractors working in Laramie are required to be licensed', and separately licenses the electrical, mechanical, plumbing, lawn sprinkler, fire protection, gas service, water and sewer, refrigeration and petroleum piping trades, in which 'all individuals performing work in these fields - including masters (supervisors), journeymen, and apprentices - are required to be licensed with the City.' Applicants file a General Contractor Verification of Experience form, and examination follows the ICC; the city has been on the 2024 ICC code cycle since 1 September 2024. Every license expires on December 31 and the renewal window opens on November 15. The city does not publish its insurance limits, bond amounts or fees on the licensing page, so ask Code Administration what applies to your class.

Gillette. The Building Inspection Division licenses a Class R Residential Contractor, which 'may construct, alter, add to, repair, or demolish 1 and 2 family dwellings not more than 3 stories above grade and townhouses not more than 3 stories above grade', and a Class B Building Contractor covering one- to four-family dwellings of three stories or less plus commercial buildings up to 5,000 square feet. Licensing 'is required regardless of the project size, duration, and whether or not a permit or inspection is required.' The company names a Master of Record, an owner or full-time employee, who 'shall be tested and certified through ICC and hold the appropriate certificate for the class of license', with sixty days to replace one who resigns. The application fee is $150 for Class R and $300 for Class B, licenses run one year and renew annually, liability insurance is $500,000 per occurrence and $1,000,000 aggregate for Class B and Class R, and every applicant files an original license and permit bond of at least $5,000 with the City of Gillette as obligee. Wyoming corporate registration in active and good standing is required of Wyoming and out-of-state contractors alike, along with Wyoming workers' compensation and unemployment insurance. Completed applications go to a Board of Examiners on a published meeting calendar. Building Inspection is on (307) 686-5260.

Sheridan. The Building Division licenses a Residential Contractor, limited to dwellings of no more than three units, for $200 a year. The qualifications are the 2018 G13(C) ICC examination, a four-year journeyman carpenter verification, a two-year project verification, a $1,000,000 liability insurance certificate and a $25,000 license and permit bond. The city adds that 'no person shall be eligible to obtain a Building, Plumbing, or HVAC Contractor license in the City of Sheridan without first meeting the requirements for a Journeyman in that trade', and that all subcontractors must be licensed in their own trade rather than working under the general contractor's license. Renewal is annual, twelve months from issue, with a $100 delinquency fee and re-application after a year lapsed. One thing to raise with the Building Division before you apply: the city's own packet answers that it 'does not accept licensing from other cities, towns, counties, or states as a means to obtain licensing locally', while W.S. 16-6-1101 requires Wyoming jurisdictions to recognize another Wyoming jurisdiction's active license on proof of the ICC or an equivalent examination. Ask how the city applies the statute to your license before assuming either position.

Jackson and Teton County. The Town of Jackson licenses a Building Contractor - Restricted (Class Br) for non-structural work in commercial tenant space of 5,000 square feet or less and for residential work, and a Building Contractor (Class B) for commercial and residential buildings not exceeding three stories, which needs four years of work experience including commercial work and three buildings over 5,000 square feet. There is also a Proprietary Homeowner Contractor license for an owner building their own principal residence, and a Specialty Solar Panel Installer license on NABCEP or similar certification. Examinations are the ICC National Contractor/Trades series on the 2018 I-Codes, and the town tells applicants the exam code must begin with G. Licenses expire annually on December 31 and are managed in the town's SmartGov portal, where insurance and bond documents are uploaded; the town publishes no bond form of its own. Reciprocity is offered to an applicant 'currently licensed and in good standing in a Wyoming jurisdiction that meets our licensing requirements.' Unincorporated Teton County issues no license of its own: its building codes resolution provides that 'contractors performing work requiring a permit under this code shall be required to be licensed and have in their possession a contractor's license issued by the Town of Jackson, Wyoming', with exceptions for an owner working on their own primary residence, though 'homeowners who construct more than one house every two years ... in Teton County shall be considered contractors and shall be licensed.' County permits and inspections run through Planning & Building Services on (307) 733-3959.

Everywhere else. Other Wyoming cities and towns license on their own terms, and some smaller jurisdictions and county areas require only a permit. Ask each building department what class you need, and when you already hold a Wyoming license, ask specifically about recognition under W.S. 16-6-1101 before paying for another examination.