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General contractor · State license

How to get a contractor license in Maryland

State law and licensing-board sources · Last reviewed October 11, 2026

Maryland has no single general contractor license. Remodeling and repair work on homes needs a contractor license from the Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC), which takes two years of trade experience or comparable training, a 55-question PSI (a testing company) exam, $500,000 of liability insurance and proof of financial solvency. Builders of new homes register with the Attorney General's Home Builder Registration Unit, and commercial work and new home construction need a construction license from the county Clerk of the Circuit Court. Workers paid wages by a contractor don't need an MHIC license. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]

New to the trade?

Starting from zero in Maryland

You don't need a license to start working in construction in Maryland: someone who works for a home improvement contractor for wages, and isn't a salesperson, is exempt from the MHIC license. Get hired by a contractor or join a registered apprenticeship, such as ABC (Associated Builders and Contractors) Greater Baltimore's carpentry program, and build the two years of trade experience the MHIC asks for before you can run your own home improvement business. Electrical, plumbing and HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) work need their own trade licenses. [1][8][21]

  • High school diploma or GED

    No state rule for workers, who need no license. The MHIC asks contractors for two years' trade experience or comparable educational training and doesn't list a diploma. ABC Greater Baltimore's apprenticeship application asks for a high school diploma or GED (General Educational Development test). [1][8][21]

  • Minimum age

    No age rule found for construction workers in the MHIC law. Registered apprenticeships in Maryland can take youth as early as 16 ABC Greater Baltimore asks for proof of age. [21][23]

  • Register before you start work

    No state registration for wage-earning workers. Selling home improvement jobs needs an MHIC salesperson license ($112.50 plus $22.50 processing, 35-question exam), tied to a licensed contractor who employs you. [2][8][12][20]

  • Other trade licenses

    Electricians, plumbers and HVACR (heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration) workers need their own state licenses, starting at the apprentice level. Licensed trades working within their trade don't need an MHIC license. [8][19]

  • Applying

    ABC Greater Baltimore trains carpenters and other trades Its application asks for your employer and job information, a doctor's note that you're fit for construction work, and proof of age. As of October 2026 its page says applications for the fall 2026-27 year closed August 14 and applications for classes starting in January are reviewed after September 7. [21]

  • Pay while you learn

    Registered apprenticeships are jobs from day one, and ABC Greater Baltimore says its graduates earn 24 college credits. [21][22]

  • Credit for school

    The MHIC accepts comparable educational training in place of two years' trade experience. Ask the Commission how it counts your schooling. [1]

  • Still in high school?

    Maryland's School-to-Apprenticeship option lets 16- and 17-year-olds start a registered apprenticeship while in high school and keep full credit for that time after graduation. The Apprenticeship Maryland Program (AMP) puts juniors and seniors in participating public school systems into paid part-time apprenticeships of at least 450 hours, for high school credit Construction and Development is one of its career clusters. The Maryland State Department of Education publishes statewide CTE program of study standards, including Carpentry in its Construction cluster. [23][24][25]

Where to apply in MarylandHow to get an apprenticeshipHelper jobs

Licensing office Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC), Maryland Department of Labor · (410) 230-6231 [10][16]

Maryland contractor license at a glance

Who licenses home improvement work
Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC), Maryland Department of Labor [16]
Experience
Two years' trade experience or comparable educational training for a contractor license [1]
Exam
PSI, 55 questions (contractor), 70% to pass, 2 hours, $63 Laws and business rules for home improvement [2]
Insurance
At least $500,000 general liability [3]
Financial solvency
Credit report and financial statement If you don't meet the Commission's guidelines, a surety bond (it posts $30,000 and $100,000 bond forms) or an indemnitor [4][11][17]
Contractor license fees
$281.25 application, $100 Guaranty Fund, $22.50 processing Renewal $281.25 plus $175 every 2 years [12]
Renewal and CE
Every 2 years No continuing education [1][12]
New homes
Register with the Attorney General's Home Builder Registration Unit $800 initial fee [6]
Commercial work
Construction license from the Clerk of the Circuit Court No state general contractor exam [7][14]
Workers
No MHIC license needed if you work for a contractor for wages and don't sell jobs [8]
On this page
  1. At a glance
  2. Starting from zero
  3. The license pathway
  4. Home improvement: the MHIC license
  5. The MHIC exam and application
  6. Fees, insurance and renewal
  7. New homes and commercial construction
  8. If you're licensed in another state
  9. Steps to get licensed
  10. Where to get the hours
  11. Licensed in another state?
  12. Questions people ask

The license pathway in Maryland

  1. 1

    Home improvement salesperson

    • Yes, PSI: 35 questions, 70% to pass
    • $112.50 application plus $22.50 processing
    • Every 2 years; $112.50

    Needed to sell home improvement jobs to homeowners. The Commission issues it only to an individual, with written notice of employment or a contract from a licensed contractor. [2][8][12][20]

  2. 2

    Home improvement contractor

    • 2 years of experience
    • Yes, PSI: 55 questions, 2 hours, 70% to pass; $63
    • $281.25 application, $100 Guaranty Fund, $22.50 processing
    • Every 2 years; $281.25 plus $175 Guaranty Fund; no CE

    Needed to perform or offer home improvement work for an owner. Requires two years' trade experience or comparable training, the exam, $500,000 of liability insurance and proof of financial solvency or a surety bond. [1][2][3][4][9][12]

  3. 3

    New home builder registration

    • $800 initial; renewal $400 to $1,200
    • Renewal fee based on building permits in the prior year

    Home builders must register with the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division before contracting to build or sell new homes. Builders working only in Montgomery County are exempt. [6]

Home improvement: the MHIC license

State law requires a contractor license from the MHIC to act as a home improvement contractor, and a salesperson or contractor license to sell home improvement jobs. "Home improvement" means adding to, altering, remodeling, repairing or replacing a residence or a structure next to it, or improving the land around it: decks, driveways, fences, patios, roofs, siding, painting, flooring, solar panels and more.

It does not include building a new home, work on apartment buildings with four or more units, or work on the common areas of condominiums. Workers paid a salary or wages by a contractor are exempt, as are licensed electricians, plumbers and HVACR contractors working within their trade. [5][8][9][10]

The MHIC exam and application

The contractor exam has 55 questions and the salesperson exam 35. Both cover the laws and regulations on running a home improvement business and selling home improvement work, and you need 70% to pass. PSI gives the computer-based, two-hour exam on weekdays at test centers in Baltimore, College Park, Salisbury, Frederick, Hagerstown, Lanham and Crofton; the standard fee is $63. No course is required. If you fail, you wait 30 days to reapply (60 days for later retakes).

After passing, you send a co-owner signature page, a personal financial worksheet, a certificate of insurance, three months of bank statements, a full credit report, your trade name or corporate registration and a photo. If you aren't financially solvent by $30,000, you sign a surety bond. [2][4][11]

Fees, insurance and renewal

An original contractor license costs $281.25 plus a $100 Guaranty Fund assessment and a $22.50 processing fee; each additional company location adds $281.25. Renewal every two years costs $281.25 plus $175 for the Guaranty Fund. There is no continuing education requirement.

Contractors must keep general liability insurance of at least $500,000 and show proof of it to get and renew the license. [1][3][12][13]

New homes and commercial construction

The MHIC license does not cover new home construction. The Maryland Home Builder Registration Act requires home builders to register with the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division before contracting to build or sell a new home; the initial fee is $800. Builders who build only in Montgomery County are exempt from state registration.

For commercial work, the Maryland Department of Labor says construction licenses are issued by the Clerks of the Circuit Court and are required for commercial work and new home construction. A licensed home improvement contractor doesn't need one for home improvement contracts. Contact the Clerk of the Circuit Court in your county or Baltimore City. [5][6][7][14]

If you're licensed in another state

Maryland's home improvement license has no reciprocity: a Maryland circuit court clerk's office notes that out-of-state contractors doing residential work need an MHIC license even if they hold a home improvement license in another state. Out-of-state companies doing new or commercial construction need a nonresident construction license from the county where they first work. [14][15]

Steps to get licensed in Maryland

  1. Get two years of trade experience

    Work in the trades, for example for a licensed contractor (no license needed as a wage earner) or in a registered apprenticeship. The MHIC also accepts comparable educational training. [1][8]

  2. Pass the MHIC contractor exam

    Register with PSI for the 55-question contractor exam ($63) on home improvement law and business rules. You need 70%, and you must apply for your license within two years of passing. [2][18]

  3. Get insurance and show financial solvency

    Buy at least $500,000 of general liability insurance. Gather a personal financial statement, recent bank statements and a credit report; if you don't meet the solvency guidelines, get a surety bond (the checklist names a $30,000 bond; a $100,000 bond form is also posted) or an indemnitor. [3][4][11]

  4. Apply to the MHIC

    Apply online through the Commission's application page and pay $281.25, the $100 Guaranty Fund assessment and the $22.50 processing fee. Renew every 2 years. [4][12]

  5. Add other registrations if you need them

    To build new homes, register with the Home Builder Registration Unit. For commercial work, get a construction license from your county's Clerk of the Circuit Court. [6][7]

Where to get the hours

Programs that train general contractors in or for Maryland, from their own official pages. Listed by type, not ranked.

Licensed in another state?

We didn't find a reciprocity agreement published by the licensing office for this license. Ask the office how it treats an out-of-state license or experience before you apply.

Also listed by: Utah (their own boards list Maryland as a partner; check both sides before you move).

Open the reciprocity map · How reciprocity works

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MD Listed here (agreement or endorsement) Lists MD

Questions people ask

Does Maryland have a general contractor license?

No single one. Home improvement work needs an MHIC license, new home builders register with the Attorney General, and commercial work needs a construction license from the Clerk of the Circuit Court. [5][6][7]

Do I need a license to work for a contractor in Maryland?

Not an MHIC license, if you work for a contractor for wages and don't sell jobs. Electrical, plumbing and HVAC work need their own trade licenses. [8][19]

How hard is the MHIC exam?

The contractor exam has 55 questions on home improvement law and business rules, and you need 70% to pass. It takes two hours and costs $63. [2]

Sources (25)
  1. Education - Home Improvement Commission, Maryland Department of Labor. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  2. Taking the Exam - Home Improvement Commission, Maryland Department of Labor. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  3. Business Regulation 8-302.1, Insurance, Maryland General Assembly. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  4. Apply for an Original License - Home Improvement Commission, Maryland Department of Labor. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  5. FAQs - Do You Need a License to Do That? - Home Improvement Commission, Maryland Department of Labor. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  6. New Home Builder Registration, Office of the Attorney General of Maryland. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  7. Links to Business Licenses, Construction Licenses and Other Licenses, Maryland Department of Labor. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  8. Business Regulation 8-301, License required; exceptions, Maryland General Assembly. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  9. Business Regulation 8-101, Definitions, Maryland General Assembly. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  10. What is Home Improvement? - Home Improvement Commission, Maryland Department of Labor. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  11. Original Contractor Requirements/Checklist - Home Improvement Commission, Maryland Department of Labor. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  12. Forms and Fees - Home Improvement Commission, Maryland Department of Labor. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  13. Business Regulation 8-308, Term and renewal, Maryland General Assembly. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  14. Business Regulation 17-602, Construction license required, Maryland General Assembly. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  15. Business License Information - Clerk of the Circuit Court for Carroll County, Maryland Judiciary. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  16. Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC), Maryland Department of Labor. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  17. Business Regulation 8-303, Applications for licenses, Maryland General Assembly. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  18. Business Regulation 8-302, Examinations, Maryland General Assembly. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  19. Licensing, Prevailing Wage, and Apprenticeship - Office of Apprenticeship, Maryland Department of Labor. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  20. Business Regulation 8-306, Issuance of licenses, Maryland General Assembly. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  21. Apprenticeship, Associated Builders and Contractors, Greater Baltimore Chapter. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  22. Become an Apprentice - Office of Apprenticeship, Maryland Department of Labor. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  23. Exploring Youth Apprenticeship - Office of Apprenticeship, Maryland Department of Labor. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  24. Policy Issuance 2022-12: Youth Apprenticeship, Maryland Department of Labor and Maryland State Department of Education. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  25. Content Standards for CTE Programs of Study, Maryland State Department of Education. Accessed October 11, 2026.