Indiana trade license reciprocity

How local licensing works. Indiana regulates plumbers at the state level through the Professional Licensing Agency but has never created a state electrician or electrical contractor license. Each city or county building department decides whether to license electrical contractors, supervisors/masters, journeymen and apprentices, and requirements differ from one jurisdiction to the next. Several jurisdictions accept the ICC National Standard Master Electrician exam, which has become the de facto portable credential.

Indianapolis / Marion County. The Department of Business and Neighborhood Services issues an Electrical Contractor license to a business that has at least one craft license holder who has passed the required examination; license holders may be tied to only one business. The packet requires business registration, a $500,000/$100,000 (or $500,000 combined) certificate of insurance naming the City-County as additional insured, workers' compensation, and a $10,000 surety bond. 2026 fees: new license holder $377 (first half of 2026) or $283 (second half), new business license $247 or $185, renewals $247 each; licenses expire December 31 of odd-numbered years. No journeyman license is issued.

Fort Wayne / Allen County. The Building Department licenses Electrical Supervisors (treated as master electricians; four years and 7,000 hours as a journeyman, $25) and Electrical Journeymen (four years and 7,000 hours as an apprentice, with approved apprenticeship schooling counting for 1,000 hours, $15), registers apprentices ($10) and electrical contracting businesses ($90, which must employ a supervisor licensee). Section H of the rules grants reciprocity subject to the trade's guidelines and the minimum qualifications, and lets the Building Commissioner grant reciprocity to applicants who present the necessary credentials. Examinations are administered by the Building Commissioner or an approved testing vendor.

Evansville. The Building Commission licenses Master Electricians and Journeyman Electricians (a journeyman is employed by a licensed master) and registers apprentices. Applicants submit three notarized letters proving at least four years of experience, are approved to test by the trade board, sit the exam through Ivy Tech (masters need 75% on each part, other exams 70%), then receive a provisional license on paying the fee and providing insurance and a surety bond. Fees: master $300 new/$225 renewal, journeyman $35, apprentice $25.

South Bend. The Building Department registers electrical contractors ($50 application review plus $125 annual registration, $5,000 bond) after verifying four years of experience and a passing score of at least 70% on the ICC National Master Electrician exam (F16-N) through Pearson Vue or Prometric or a comparable board-approved national exam; applicants must be at least 21. South Bend issues reciprocal letters ($70) only to municipalities that accept the ICC master exams. There is no journeyman license.

Terre Haute. The Engineering Department issues commercial and residential electrical contractor licenses to businesses whose full-time employee has passed the Experior/master exam (commercial) or the master, journeyman or residential exam (residential), with a $10,000 bond and $500,000/$100,000 insurance. No individual journeyman license.

Bloomington. A city ordinance requires a license to work as an electrician or electrical contractor inside city limits and creates a Board for the Examination and Registration of Electricians that examines and licenses journeyman and master electricians; current fees are not published online.

Out-of-state holders. None of these jurisdictions publish a reciprocity path for another state's journeyman license. Allen County's discretionary reciprocity clause and the widespread acceptance of ICC national exam scores (South Bend, Terre Haute) are the closest equivalents; otherwise expect to document experience and take the local exam in each jurisdiction that licenses journeymen.

How local licensing works. Indiana regulates plumbers at the state level but has never created a state electrician or electrical contractor license. Each city or county building department decides whether and how to license electrical contractors and master-level electricians, and there is no statewide portability rule. Several jurisdictions accept the ICC National Standard Master Electrician exam as the qualifying test, which makes an ICC score the most portable credential inside the state.

Indianapolis / Marion County. The Department of Business and Neighborhood Services issues an Electrical Contractor license to a business that has at least one electrical craft license holder who has passed the required examination (contact the Trade Board & Licensing Coordinator for the exam); a license holder may be connected to only one partnership, LLC or corporation. The packet requires proof of business registration, a certificate of insurance ($500,000 per occurrence bodily injury and $100,000 property damage, or $500,000 combined) naming the Consolidated City of Indianapolis and Marion County as additional insured, workers' compensation coverage or an Indiana exemption certificate (Ohio-based companies need an Indiana Certificate of Compliance), and a $10,000 license or permit surety bond expiring 12/31/2027. 2026 fees: new license holder $377 (applied for January-June 2026), $283 (July-December 2026) or $189 (2027); new business license $247, $185 or $124; business and license-holder renewals $247 each; more than five authorized agents $63 each. Licenses expire December 31 of odd-numbered years.

Fort Wayne / Allen County. The Building Department's Electrical Supervisors License requires four years and 7,000 hours as a journeyman (or eight years and 14,000 hours of documented OJT plus 30 days as a licensed journeyman) and a passing examination; the holder 'shall be considered a master electrician' and may qualify a business for the Electrical Contractors Business Registration ($90; supervisor license $25). Section H of the rules grants licensing reciprocity subject to the trade's reciprocity guidelines and the minimum qualifications, and allows the Building Commissioner to grant reciprocity at his discretion to applicants who present the necessary credentials.

Evansville. The Building Commission licenses Master Electricians (persons, firms or corporations installing or contracting to install electrical wiring and equipment). Applicants submit three notarized letters on letterhead proving at least four years of experience, are approved by the trade board to test, sit the exam through Ivy Tech and must score 75% or higher on each part, then receive a provisional license on paying the $300 fee and providing insurance and a surety bond; the Licensing and Disciplinary Board gives final approval. Renewal is $225 with a $25 late fee after January 31.

South Bend. The Building Department licenses electrical contractors after review of an application showing at least 21 years of age, four years of experience verified by employer letters (or business tax records), and a passing score of at least 70% on the ICC National Master Electrician exam (F16-N) via Pearson Vue or Prometric or a comparable nationally recognized exam approved by the Board of Examiners; a $5,000 surety bond naming the City of South Bend/St. Joseph County, workers' compensation proof, a $50 application review fee and $125 annual registration are required. South Bend issues reciprocal letters ($70) only to municipalities that accept the ICC master exams and cannot guarantee acceptance elsewhere.

Terre Haute. Commercial and residential electrical contractor licenses are issued to businesses; a full-time employee must have passed the Experior Assessment master electrician exam or equivalent for the commercial license (master, journeyman or residential exam for the residential license), proven by a letter from the testing agency. General contractor registration requirements also apply: a $10,000 bond on the city's form and $500,000/$100,000 insurance naming the city; a non-owner master signs a letter accepting responsibility as designated supervisor.

Bloomington. A city ordinance makes it unlawful to engage in electrical contracting without a city license and creates a Board for the Examination and Registration of Electricians that examines and licenses master electricians; current fees are not published online.

Out-of-state holders. No jurisdiction reviewed publishes reciprocity for another state's master or contractor license. Allen County has a discretionary reciprocity clause; South Bend and Terre Haute accept ICC/Experior national exam scores regardless of where they were earned; Indianapolis and Evansville require their own examinations. Expect to license separately in each jurisdiction and to meet each one's bond and insurance rules.

How local licensing works. Indiana regulates plumbers at the state level through the Professional Licensing Agency but has never created a state HVAC, mechanical or refrigeration license. Each city or county building department decides whether to license HVAC contractors, supervisors/masters, journeymen and apprentices, and requirements differ from one jurisdiction to the next. The Prov and ICC/Prometric national exams have become the de facto portable credentials at the contractor level, but no jurisdiction publishes a journeyman reciprocity rule for other states.

Indianapolis / Marion County. The Department of Business and Neighborhood Services licenses Heating and Cooling Contractors (Air Conditioning A, B and D, Refrigeration, High Pressure Steam) through its Board of Heating and Cooling Examiners; the business must have a craft license holder who documented five years of HVACR experience and passed the Prov exam with 70%. Unlicensed employees may perform heating and cooling work under the direction and control of the licensed contractor. No journeyman or technician license is issued.

Fort Wayne / Allen County. The Building Department licenses HVAC Supervisors (Air Conditioning A, B or Sheet Metal C; four years and 7,000 hours as a journeyman, $25), Mechanical/Air Conditioning Journeymen and Sheet Metal Journeymen (four years and 7,000 hours as a registered apprentice, with approved apprentice schooling counting for 1,000 hours so the test may be taken at three years and 6,000 hours; $15), registers apprentices ($10) and HVAC contracting businesses ($90, which must employ a supervisor licensee). Examinations are administered by the Building Commissioner or an approved testing facility for a fee set by the Commissioner. Section H of the rules grants reciprocity subject to the trade's guidelines and the minimum qualifications, and lets the Building Commissioner grant reciprocity to applicants who present the necessary credentials.

Evansville. The Building Commission licenses Master and Journeyman Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioner Installers, Master and Journeyman Refrigeration Installers, and Master and Journeyman Steam Fitters, and registers apprentices. Applicants submit three notarized letters on letterhead proving at least four years of experience, are approved to test by the Board of Examiners of HVAC, Steam Fitters, and Refrigeration Installers, and sit the exam through Ivy Tech (70% for journeyman exams; 75% on each part for the master mechanical, sheet metal, ventilation and refrigeration exams). Fees: journeyman $35 new / $25 renewal, apprentice $25, late fee $25 after January 31.

South Bend. The Building Department registers HVAC contractors (including refrigeration and hood installers) after verifying at least 21 years of age, experience, and a passing score of at least 70% on the ICC National Standard Master Mechanical exam (F29-N) via Pearson Vue or Prometric or a comparable board-approved national exam; a $5,000 bond, workers' compensation proof, a $50 application review fee and $125 annual registration are required. There is no journeyman license.

Terre Haute. The Engineering Department issues a Mechanical license to contractors that employ a full-time NATE, HVAC Excellence, RSES, Experior or Indianapolis Class A-certified person, with a $10,000 bond and $500,000 insurance ($350 original, $175 renewal). No individual journeyman license.

Out-of-state holders. None of these jurisdictions publish a reciprocity path for another state's journeyman HVAC license. Allen County's discretionary reciprocity clause is the closest equivalent; otherwise expect to document experience (out-of-state work counts toward the local hour requirements) and take the local exam in each jurisdiction that licenses journeymen.

How local licensing works. Indiana regulates plumbers at the state level but has never created a state HVAC or mechanical contractor license. Each city or county building department decides whether and how to license HVAC contractors and master-level installers, and there is no statewide portability rule. Prov (Indianapolis) and ICC/Prometric (South Bend, Terre Haute) national exams are the most portable credentials inside the state.

Indianapolis / Marion County. The Department of Business and Neighborhood Services licenses Heating and Cooling Contractors in five types: Air Conditioning A (unrestricted), Air Conditioning B (25 tons cooling / 500,000 BTU heating, boilers to 15 psig steam), Air Conditioning D (5 tons / 300,000 BTU), Refrigeration, and High Pressure Steam. A craft license holder submits an exam packet ten business days before the monthly Board of Heating and Cooling Examiners meeting: application, resume, employer letters verifying five years of HVACR experience (education may substitute in part), three industry reference letters, EPA certification card, driver's license; after a board interview the applicant sits the Prov exam and needs 70%. The business then files a $5,000 surety bond (obligee the Consolidated City of Indianapolis, expiring 12/31/2027), a $500,000/$100,000 (or $500,000 combined) liability certificate naming the City-County as additional insured, and workers' compensation proof. 2026 fees: new license holder $377 (Jan-Jun) or $283 (Jul-Dec), new business license $247 or $185 (none for sole proprietors), renewals $247 each; licenses expire December 31 of odd-numbered years. Reciprocity: the board may accept a comparable license from any municipality or government agency if the issuing agency certifies directly to the Department that the license is current and unsuspended, the license was issued on a standardized Prometric (formerly Thomson Prometric / Experior / Block) or Prov exam passed with at least 70%, and the vendor verifies the exam is equivalent to the Indianapolis exam; the applicant still documents five years of experience, three references and EPA certification, appears before the board, and then licenses with bond, insurance and fees.

Fort Wayne / Allen County. The Building Department's HVAC Supervisors License (Air Conditioning A without BTU limit, Air Conditioning B up to 500,000 BTU heating and 25 tons cooling, or Sheet Metal C) requires four years and 7,000 hours as a journeyman in the same line of work (or eight years and 14,000 hours of documented OJT plus 30 days as a licensed journeyman) and a passing examination administered by the Building Commissioner or an approved testing facility; hydronic and low-temperature refrigeration work is reserved to Non-Sanitary Piping licensees. The supervisor qualifies an HVAC Contractors Business Registration ($90; supervisor license $25). Section H grants reciprocity subject to the trade's guidelines and minimum qualifications, and allows the Building Commissioner to grant reciprocity at his discretion to applicants who present the necessary credentials.

Evansville. The Building Commission licenses Master Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioner Installers (forced-air heating, air conditioning up to five tons with field piping or fifteen tons packaged, ventilation, ductwork and sheet metal; boilers and steam or hot-water systems require the Master Steam Fitter license) and Master Refrigeration Installers. Applicants prove four years of experience with three notarized letters on letterhead (EMC 5.70.060), are approved to test by the Board of Examiners of HVAC, Steam Fitters, and Refrigeration Installers, sit the exam through Ivy Tech and must score 75% on each part of the master mechanical, sheet metal, ventilation or refrigeration exam, then receive a provisional license on paying the $300 fee and providing insurance and the $25,000 surety bond required by EMC 5.70.070; renewal is $125 ($225 for two years) with board-set continuing education. The ordinance notes the master HVAC license does not permit air conditioning work without EPA certification.

South Bend. The Building Department registers HVAC contractors (including refrigeration and hood installers) after review of an application showing at least 21 years of age, journeyman and contractor experience (education may substitute for part of four years), and a passing score of at least 70% on the ICC National Standard Master Mechanical exam (F29-N) via Pearson Vue or Prometric or a comparable nationally recognized exam approved by the Board; a $5,000 surety bond naming the City of South Bend/St. Joseph County, workers' compensation proof, a $50 application review fee and $125 annual registration are required.

Terre Haute. The Engineering Department's Mechanical license is issued to a contractor that employs at least one full-time employee certified by NATE, HVAC Excellence, RSES, Experior Assessment, the City of Indianapolis HVAC Air Conditioning Class A, or an equivalent, with a $10,000 bond ($25,000 for right-of-way work), $500,000 general liability ($1,000,000 for right-of-way work) and workers' compensation or a WCE-1 exemption; $350 original registration, $175 annual renewal.

Out-of-state holders. Only Indianapolis publishes a reciprocity procedure, and it accepts a license from any jurisdiction (municipal or state) that was earned on an equivalent Prometric/Experior or Prov exam, subject to board approval. Allen County has a discretionary reciprocity clause; South Bend and Terre Haute accept national exam scores and industry certifications regardless of where they were earned; Evansville requires its own examination. Expect to license separately in each jurisdiction and to meet each one's bond and insurance rules.

How it works in Indiana. There is no state contractor board, no state application and no state exam, so each city or county writes its own contractor ordinance under the state building code. A residential builder must hold whatever credential the jurisdiction issues in every place where they pull permits, and a license from one Indiana jurisdiction does not carry into the next. The credentials fall into two very different kinds. In Fort Wayne and Allen County, Evansville and Hammond a person sits a written examination and is approved by a licensing board; in Indianapolis and South Bend the license is a business filing backed by a surety bond and insurance with no test at all; and in Monroe County, which covers Bloomington, signing up as a general contractor is optional. Nothing an arriving contractor holds from another state waives any of it, and none of the jurisdictions below publishes a route that converts an out-of-state residential builder license into a local one.

Indianapolis and Marion County. The Department of Business and Neighborhood Services issues a single General Contractor license that covers houses as well as commercial work; the same application form carries checkboxes for Electrical, General, HVAC, Plumbing and Wrecking. The packet is proof of business registration (Indiana Secretary of State, or a county DBA filing for a sole proprietor or partnership), a certificate of insurance naming the Consolidated City of Indianapolis and Marion County as certificate holder and additional insured with general liability of at least $500,000 for each occurrence of death or bodily injury and $100,000 for each occurrence of property damage, or $500,000 per occurrence combined, worker's compensation coverage or a Worker's Compensation Board exemption waiver, and a typed $10,000 license or permit surety bond naming "Consolidated City of Indianapolis and/or an Unknown Third Party" as obligee. Licenses expire on December 31 of even-numbered years and renew every two years; the new-license fee is prorated across the term ($247.00, $185.00 and $124.00 at the three stages published in the current packet) and renewal is $247.00. Up to five authorized agents may be listed free, with $63.00 for each additional agent, and every new license listing must attend an orientation class within 60 days of issuance. There is no examination, experience or qualifying-individual requirement on the General type. Contractor Licensing, 200 E. Washington St., Suite 107, (317) 327-1291, [email protected].

Fort Wayne and Allen County. The Allen County Building Department runs the most structured program in the state, under Allen County Code 6-1-3-3 and its Rules & Regulations. The residential tiers are the Residential Contractors License, "limited to building construction, remodeling, repair, or improvement of one or two-family residences not exceeding two stories in height," and the Home Improvement Contractors License, which covers "improving, remodeling, and repair of existing one- and two-family structures" plus unattached garages and accessory buildings but not additions. Each is a personal license that then qualifies one business registration, and the contractor must also register a full-time Superintendent as the responsible supervisor named on each building permit. The rules state that "examinations shall be required in order for applicants to obtain a license," prepared or administered by the Building Commissioner or an approved testing facility; the exam fee is set by the Commissioner and is not printed in the rules. Annual fees are $60.00 for the Residential Contractors license, $60.00 for Home Improvement Contractors and $25.00 for each Superintendent registration, and every license expires on December 31. A license that lapses for twelve months or more can be revived by paying the outstanding fees, but if the applicable code edition changed during the lapse the holder "must apply for a new license and retest." Allen County does have a reciprocity clause: licensing reciprocity is granted subject to the guidelines for the individual trade and still requires the applicant to meet the county's minimum qualifications, and the Building Commissioner may use discretion for an applicant who presents evidence of the necessary credentials. The guidelines themselves are not published in the rules, so ask the Building Department what it will accept before assuming an out-of-state credential counts.

Evansville. The Building Commission licenses a Residential General Contractor, defined as a person in the business of "wrecking, constructing, installing, repairing, remodeling, or servicing any structural or nonstructural portions of any one- or two-family dwellings and residential or agricultural building, including residential roof coverings and site work." The route is a real qualification: submit the application with three letters of recommendation proving at least four years of experience in the field, wait for board approval to test, then schedule and pay for the exam through Ivy Tech at (812) 429-9852. The exam is open book with tabbed and highlighted references, and 70 percent passes for the contractor categories. A provisional license issues on payment plus proof of insurance and bond, and the Licensing and Disciplinary Board gives final approval on the fourth Thursday of the month. A Residential General Contractor carries general liability insurance of at least $500,000, a $25,000 surety bond on the Commission's own form and worker's compensation coverage or an affidavit of exemption, all within six months of passing the exam. Fees on the published schedule are $210.00 new, $150.00 renewal and $285.00 for a two-year renewal. A homeowner may permit work on their own residence without a license, but footing, foundation, framing and roofing subcontracted outside the immediate family must go to a licensed contractor.

South Bend and St. Joseph County. "All contractors, including subcontractors, must be registered or licensed with the Building Department in order to perform work in St. Joseph County and City of South Bend," except an owner-occupant working on their own single-family dwelling. There is one Building Contractor Registration covering houses and commercial work alike. It is a paperwork registration: the Pre-Licensing Registration Form, a $5,000 surety bond and the $125 registration fee, processed at the counter the same day. No exam, experience or reference requirement applies to it - the only categories the city reviews are Electrical and HVAC, which need a full application packet, a $50 application review fee and ten business days. Building Department, 215 S. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Suite 100, [email protected], 574.235.9554.

Hammond and Lake County. Hammond tests residential builders. The Inspections Department issues a Residential General contractor license, and the exams "are given on the first Monday of the month at 10:00 a.m. at the Hammond Sportsplex" - open book, calculators allowed, one hour, 70 percent to pass, on the 2018 IRC with Indiana amendments or the 2020 Indiana Residential Code. The non-refundable examination fee is $100, with a $50 re-examination fee after a missed sitting, and the application must arrive a week before the test date together with a $20 limited criminal history report from the Hammond Police Department. Attendance at the Building Contractors Board, 6:00 p.m. on the first Monday of every month, is mandatory for approval. After approval the licensee files a certificate of insurance naming the City of Hammond with liability of 100,000/300,000 bodily injury and 50,000 property damage, worker's compensation or a waiver, and a $5,000 license and permit bond written in the name of the "Board of Lake County Commissioners, all Cities, Towns and Municipalities of Lake County, Indiana" and recorded at the Lake County Recorder's Office in Crown Point. The license fee is $200.00 initially and $100.00 on renewal, due between January 1 and January 31; licenses expire December 31 and are void if not renewed by June 30. An out-of-state corporation must also file a Certificate of Foreign Registration with the Indiana Secretary of State. The application asks in which localities you are already licensed, but holding a license elsewhere does not excuse the test.

Bloomington and Monroe County. Building permits for Bloomington come from the Monroe County Building Department at 501 N. Morton Street, and the county's licensing program is aimed at the trades rather than at builders. Monroe County licenses Plumbing Journeymen and Plumbing Contractors and Master and Residential Electricians, but its general contractor record is a sign-up, not a license: "this application is voluntary and includes a sign up of General Contractors in the Monroe County area ... there are no fees or attachments required to sign up." Licensees who do hold a county credential must carry public liability and property damage insurance naming Monroe County as an additional assured, at $500,000 combined single limit or $500,000 per occurrence for injury or death and $100,000 for property damage, plus worker's compensation unless they have no employees. Building Department, (812) 349-2580; counter hours for licenses and payments are 9-11 am and 1-3 pm.

Everywhere else. Indiana's other cities and counties set their own rules, and many smaller jurisdictions require only a building permit and proof of insurance. Ask the building or inspections department in each place before contracting there, and remember the statewide consumer rule that applies no matter where you are licensed: a home improvement contract over $150 must be in writing and must state the price, payment schedule, a detailed description of the work and materials, estimated start and completion dates and the contractor's name, address and signature.

How it works in Indiana. No Indiana agency issues a general, commercial or unlimited building contractor license, and there is no state qualifying party, no state business-and-law exam and no NASCLA route, because Indiana is not a NASCLA participating state. Cities and counties control commercial construction through the building permit, and what they require ranges from a full board examination to nothing at all. Where a jurisdiction does examine, it writes its own test on its own adopted code edition, so passing in one Indiana city does not satisfy the next one. Out-of-state experience and an out-of-state license generally carry no weight; Allen County is the only jurisdiction below whose rules even contemplate reciprocity, and it still requires the applicant to meet the county's own minimum qualifications.

Indianapolis and Marion County. The Department of Business and Neighborhood Services issues one General Contractor license covering commercial and residential work, on the same form that carries the Electrical, HVAC, Plumbing and Wrecking types. The filing is proof of business registration, a certificate of insurance naming the Consolidated City of Indianapolis and Marion County as certificate holder and additional insured with general liability of at least $500,000 for each occurrence of death or bodily injury and $100,000 for each occurrence of property damage or $500,000 per occurrence combined, worker's compensation or an exemption waiver, and a typed $10,000 license or permit surety bond naming "Consolidated City of Indianapolis and/or an Unknown Third Party" as obligee. Licenses expire December 31 of even-numbered years; the new-license fee is prorated across the two-year term ($247.00, $185.00 and $124.00 at the three stages in the current packet) and renewal is $247.00, with up to five authorized permit-pulling agents included and $63.00 for each one beyond that. New licensees attend an orientation class within 60 days. The packet imposes no exam, experience or qualifying-individual requirement - unlike the city's Electrical and HVAC packets, which require a craft license holder who has passed the board's examination. Contractor Licensing, 200 E. Washington St., Suite 107, (317) 327-1291, [email protected].

Fort Wayne and Allen County. Under Allen County Code 6-1-3-3 the Building Department issues two commercial tiers. The General Contractors License covers "the erection of new structures or all new additions to existing structures and all remodeling, repair, and demolition of existing structures" and is "unlimited in building contracting scope," carrying with it the building, residential, home improvement and sub-contractor scopes. The Building Contractors License covers the same activities for "commercial structures or multiple-dwelling residential buildings" and is "unlimited in building contracting remodeling and limited to three stories or less of new building construction and additions in scope." Each is a personal license that qualifies one business registration - the rules allow a holder to qualify only one entity absent documented ownership of others - and the contractor must separately register a full-time Superintendent as the responsible supervisor named on each permit. Examinations are required for licensure, prepared or administered by the Building Commissioner or an approved testing facility; the exam fee is set by the Commissioner and not printed in the rules. Annual fees are $90.00 for the General Contractors license, $90.00 for the Building Contractors license and $25.00 for each Superintendent registration, expiring December 31. There is one genuinely national shortcut: a Regional/National Account Contractors Registration at $250.00, under which "the Building Commissioner may grant a single project registration to general contractors who travel for regional or national account work in lieu of taking the required contractor's test." It applies only where the brand business hires the contractor directly, never to developer-hired contractors or prime subcontractors, and it requires the application form, company and project-manager and superintendent resumes, a list of planned subcontractors and a client letter verifying comparable projects. Allen County's reciprocity section grants reciprocity subject to the guidelines for the trade and still requires the county's minimum qualifications, with Commissioner discretion for applicants who present evidence of the necessary credentials; those guidelines are not published, so confirm with the Building Department first.

Evansville. The Building Commission issues a Building General Contractor license for "wrecking, constructing, installing, repairing, remodeling, or servicing any structural or nonstructural portions of any multi-family residential, commercial, or industrial building, including all roof coverings and site work." The route is an application with three letters of recommendation proving at least four years of experience, board approval to test, then an open-book examination scheduled and paid through Ivy Tech at (812) 429-9852, with 70 percent to pass for contractor categories. A provisional license issues on payment plus proof of insurance and bond, and the Licensing and Disciplinary Board grants final approval on the fourth Thursday of the month. A commercial general contractor must carry general liability insurance of at least $1,000,000, post a $25,000 surety bond on the Commission's own form and show worker's compensation coverage or an affidavit, within six months of passing the exam. Published fees are $360.00 new, $210.00 renewal and $400.00 for a two-year renewal. Holding the Building General Contractor license removes the need for the separate subcontractor licenses on commercial work.

South Bend and St. Joseph County. Every contractor and subcontractor working in St. Joseph County or the City of South Bend must be registered or licensed with the Building Department, and commercial builders use the same single Building Contractor Registration as residential ones. It is the Pre-Licensing Registration Form, a $5,000 surety bond and a $125 registration fee, issued at the counter with no exam and no experience review; only Electrical and HVAC applicants file a full packet, pay a $50 application review fee and wait ten business days. Building Department, 215 S. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Suite 100, [email protected], 574.235.9554.

Hammond and Lake County. Hammond issues a Commercial General contractor license on examination. The test is given on the first Monday of the month at 10:00 a.m. at the Hammond Sportsplex, open book with calculators, one hour, 70 percent to pass, on the 2012 IBC for the commercial paper. The examination fee is $100 and non-refundable, a missed sitting costs $50 to re-take, and the application is due a week ahead with a $20 limited criminal history report from the Hammond Police Department. Approval also requires attendance at the Building Contractors Board at 6:00 p.m. on the first Monday of the month. The licensee then files a certificate of insurance naming the City of Hammond with liability of 100,000/300,000 bodily injury and 50,000 property damage, worker's compensation or a waiver, and a $5,000 license and permit bond in the name of the "Board of Lake County Commissioners, all Cities, Towns and Municipalities of Lake County, Indiana," recorded at the Lake County Recorder's Office in Crown Point. The license is $200.00 initially and $100.00 to renew between January 1 and January 31; it expires December 31 and is void if not renewed by June 30. An out-of-state corporation must file a Certificate of Foreign Registration with the Indiana Secretary of State, and a $10,000 street opening bond is mandatory for plumbing, boring and underground utility work.

Bloomington and Monroe County. Commercial permits for the Bloomington area come from the Monroe County Building Department. The county licenses plumbing and electrical work and registers design professionals, but its general contractor record is expressly optional: "this application is voluntary and includes a sign up of General Contractors in the Monroe County area ... there are no fees or attachments required to sign up." County licensees carry public liability and property damage insurance naming Monroe County as an additional assured at $500,000 combined single limit, or $500,000 per occurrence for injury or death plus $100,000 for property damage, and worker's compensation unless they have no employees. Building Department, 501 N. Morton Street, Suite 220, (812) 349-2580.

Everywhere else. Other Indiana cities and counties set their own contractor ordinances, and many require only a permit and proof of insurance. Before bidding work, ask the local building or inspections department which categories it licenses, whether it examines, what bond and insurance limits it sets and when its board meets, because in Indiana all four answers change from one county line to the next.