General contractor · State license
How to get a general contractor license in North Carolina
State law and licensing-board sources · Last reviewed October 10, 2026
In North Carolina you need a state general contractor license for any project that costs $40,000 or more. The license has a dollar limit: limited (single projects up to $750,000), intermediate (up to $1.5 million) or unlimited. Instead of years of experience, the state checks your finances (working capital or net worth) and has a qualifier pass an exam for the type of work, such as Building or Residential. [1][2][3]
New to the trade?
Starting from zero in North Carolina
You don't need a license to work on a construction crew. North Carolina's license is for whoever bids on, builds or manages a project costing $40,000 or more for a fee, so you can start by getting hired by a contractor or by finding a registered apprenticeship through ApprenticeshipNC. The law has no apprentice or helper license for general construction. [1][8]
High school diploma or GED
Not required by state law: you need no license to work on a crew, and G.S. 87-10's list of what a license applicant needs before the exam (be 18, good moral character, financial responsibility, the fee, and a background check if the Board asks) includes no education requirement. ABC (Associated Builders and Contractors) Carolinas' registered apprenticeship standards, which list a carpenter occupation, require a high school diploma, but ABC says carpentry training may be added later Its current program is electrical. [1][9][11][12]
Minimum age
18 to apply for the license. Registered apprenticeships in North Carolina can start at 16, but youths under 18 can't do jobs on the NC Department of Labor's hazardous and detrimental list, which includes roofing, trenching and excavation, power saws and falls of 10 feet or more, unless an apprenticeship or student-learner exemption applies. [1][13][14]
Register before you start work
No state worker, helper or apprentice license exists for general construction The law licenses general contractors only. [1]
Pay while you learn
In a registered apprenticeship you're a paid employee from day one, combining on-the-job training with classroom instruction. [16]
Still in high school?
A registered apprenticeship can start at 16, while you're still in high school (ApprenticeshipNC youth apprenticeships), and high school students in a qualifying registered apprenticeship can get a community college tuition waiver. NC public schools offer Carpentry, Masonry and Drafting Architectural pathways in the Construction career cluster (NC DPI career clusters), and Career & College Promise lets eligible high school students start a community college certificate or diploma program, with tuition paid by the state. [13][17][18]
Where to apply in North CarolinaHow to get an apprenticeshipHelper jobs
Licensing office North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors (NCLBGC) [7]
North Carolina contractor license at a glance
- Who issues licenses
- North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors [7]
- Financial requirement
- Limited: $17,000 working capital or $80,000 net worth. Intermediate: $75,000 working capital. Unlimited: $150,000 working capital. A surety bond can be used instead. [2][4]
- Bond and insurance
- No bond or insurance needed for the license itself, unless you use a bond in place of the financial requirement. Workers' comp is required by other state laws. [5]
- Renewal
- Every year (licenses expire January 1) Renewal fee capped by law at $75 to $125; 8 hours of continuing education a year for Building and Residential licenses [1]
- Minimum age
- 18 [1]
On this page
- At a glance
- Starting from zero
- The license pathway
- Who needs a North Carolina general contractor license
- Classifications and limits
- Financial requirements: working capital and net worth
- The exam
- Fees, renewal and continuing education
- Bonds, insurance and workers' comp
- Licensed in another state?
- Career changers: getting ready to run your own jobs
- Steps to get licensed
- Where to get the hours
- Licensed in another state?
- Questions people ask
The license pathway in North Carolina
-
1
Limited license
- Yes, PSI exam for your classification (e.g. Building or Residential), open book, 70% to pass
- $75 application; $79 per exam (PSI)
- Yearly, up to $75; 8 hours CE for Building/Residential
Lets you act as general contractor on single projects up to $750,000 (not counting land). You need at least $17,000 in working capital or $80,000 in net worth, or a $175,000 surety bond. [1][2][6]
-
2
Intermediate license
- Yes, PSI exam for your classification, open book, 70% to pass
- $100 application; $79 per exam (PSI)
- Yearly, up to $100; 8 hours CE for Building/Residential
Single projects up to $1.5 million. You need $75,000 in working capital, shown by a CPA's agreed-upon procedures report or an audit, or a $500,000 surety bond. [1][2][5][6]
-
3
Unlimited license
- Yes, PSI exam for your classification, open book, 70% to pass
- $125 application; $79 per exam (PSI)
- Yearly, up to $125; 8 hours CE for Building/Residential
No dollar limit on project size. You need $150,000 in working capital, shown by a CPA's agreed-upon procedures report or an audit, or a $1,000,000 surety bond. [1][2][5][6]
Who needs a North Carolina general contractor license
State law treats anyone who bids on, builds, or manages construction of a building, highway, utility or other improvement costing $40,000 or more as a general contractor who must be licensed. The same goes for anyone who sets up a state-labeled modular building, whatever the price.
Owners building on their own land for their own family's use are exempt if they follow the building permit rules. If they don't live in the building for 12 months after it's finished, the law assumes it wasn't built for their own use. Farmers putting up farm buildings for their own use are also exempt.
Under $40,000, no state general contractor license is needed. [1][3]
Classifications and limits
Every North Carolina license has two parts.
Classification sets the type of work:
- Building: commercial, industrial, institutional and all residential buildings.
- Residential: homes built under the North Carolina Residential Code.
- Highway, Public Utilities, and Specialty classes such as roofing or interior construction.
Limitation sets the size of each project you can take: limited up to $750,000, intermediate up to $1.5 million, and unlimited with no cap. These figures exclude the cost of land.
You can apply to raise your limit later through the board's online portal, for $100 (to intermediate) or $125 (to unlimited). [1][2][4][5]
Financial requirements: working capital and net worth
North Carolina tests your business's money, not your years in the field. Working capital means current assets minus current liabilities.
- Limited: $17,000 working capital or $80,000 net worth. If you or an owner has been in bankruptcy in the last five years, you also need a CPA (certified public accountant) report or audit.
- Intermediate: $75,000 working capital.
- Unlimited: $150,000 working capital.
For intermediate and unlimited, a CPA or independent accountant must prepare an agreed-upon procedures report. An audit also works. Financial statements must follow GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) and be no older than 12 months.
If you can't meet these numbers, you can post a surety bond instead: $175,000 (limited), $500,000 (intermediate) or $1,000,000 (unlimited). The bond must come from an A-rated surety and stay in place for as long as you're licensed. [2][4][5]
The exam
Exams are given on computer by PSI. Each costs $79, and you pay it whether it's your first try or a retake. You take a separate exam for each classification.
- Building: 90 questions, 200 minutes. It covers site work, concrete, masonry, carpentry, estimating and plan reading, plus business and law.
- Residential: 90 questions, 210 minutes.
- Business and Law: 40 questions, 90 minutes. Applicants using an exam waiver from another state take this one.
All of these are open book, using the reference list in the PSI candidate bulletin, and you need 70 to pass. The exams also test the board's laws and rules, lien law, and erosion and sedimentation control. [1][2][5][6]
Fees, renewal and continuing education
The application costs $75 (limited), $100 (intermediate) or $125 (unlimited), plus $79 per PSI exam. Fees aren't refundable.
Licenses expire on January 1 each year and become invalid 60 days later unless renewed. By law the renewal fee can't exceed $75 (limited), $100 (intermediate) or $125 (unlimited), and you need updated proof of your finances. Late renewals cost an extra $10 a month.
For Building, Residential and unclassified licenses, at least one qualifier must complete 8 hours of continuing education (CE) a year: a 2-hour mandatory course plus 6 elective hours, finished by November 30. [1][2][6]
Bonds, insurance and workers' comp
The board doesn't require insurance or a bond for the license itself. A bond is only needed if you use one in place of the financial requirement. Building permits or individual projects may still require insurance.
Workers' compensation isn't a license requirement either, but the board notes that state law requires it. Check the NC Industrial Commission rules for your business. [5]
Licensed in another state?
The board says it has no full reciprocity with any state. It does have exam-waiver agreements with South Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. With a waiver, your qualifier still passes the NC Business and Law exam.
The board also accepts the NASCLA (National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies) national exam for the Building classification. See license reciprocity for how this works across states. [5]
Career changers: getting ready to run your own jobs
North Carolina's law doesn't set a minimum number of years of experience before the exam. What it does require is passing an open-book exam on codes, estimating and plan reading, and having the working capital to back your license.
Most people get the field knowledge and plan-reading skills by working for a contractor or through an apprenticeship. See carpenter apprenticeships.
Military-trained applicants can submit a DD-214 (military discharge papers). The board uses the NC Business and Law exam as a proficiency exam for them. [1][2][6][7]
Steps to get licensed in North Carolina
Pick your classification and dollar limit
Decide the type of work (Building, Residential, Highway, Public Utilities or a Specialty) and the limit (limited, intermediate or unlimited) your finances support. See classifications and limitations. [2][4]
Get your financial statement ready
Limited applicants show $17,000 working capital or $80,000 net worth. Intermediate and unlimited applicants need a CPA's agreed-upon procedures report or an audited statement showing $75,000 or $150,000 in working capital. Statements can be no older than 12 months. A surety bond can replace the financial showing. [2][5]
Apply online and pay the fee
Apply through the board's license applicants page and pay $75, $100 or $125. You must be 18, show good moral character, and consent to a background check if the board asks. [1][2][7]
Schedule and pass the PSI exam
After approval you get an eligibility letter. It's good for 120 days and one exam attempt. Schedule with PSI and pay $79. Your qualifier needs a score of 70. [2][6]
Get board approval, then renew every year
Approved applications go to the board, which reviews lists twice a month. Licenses expire January 1 and must be renewed yearly with proof of finances and continuing education. [1][5]
Where to get the hours
Programs that train general contractors in or for North Carolina, from their own official pages. Listed by type, not ranked.
-
State program
North Carolina's state apprenticeship agency, part of the NC Community College System, with a search for registered apprenticeships. [8]
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Open shop
ABC Carolinas Apprenticeship and Craft Education (open shop)
Registered apprenticeship over four years, with evening classes and full-time paid fieldwork, run by the ABC chapter for contractors in North and South Carolina. [9]
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Other
The U.S. Department of Labor's search for registered apprenticeship openings, including carpentry and construction. [10]
Licensed in another state?
Exam waiver (no full reciprocity): SC, TN, LA, GA, MS, AL, FL
The board says it has no full reciprocity with any state, but it has exam-waiver agreements with these states. The other state's board fills out the Examination Waiver form, and your qualifier still has to pass the NC Business and Law exam. [5]
Building classification (NASCLA exam)
The board accepts the NASCLA national accredited exam for the Building classification. You take it through NASCLA before you apply. [5]
Also listed by: Alabama, California, Florida, Mississippi, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia (their own boards list North Carolina as a partner; check both sides before you move).
Questions people ask
How much does a general contractor license cost in North Carolina?
The board's application fee is $75 for a limited license, $100 for intermediate and $125 for unlimited. Each PSI exam is $79. You renew every year; the law caps renewal at the same amounts. The bigger cost is the financial requirement: $17,000 to $150,000 in working capital, or a surety bond of $175,000 to $1,000,000. [1][2][6]
Do I need a contractor license for small jobs in North Carolina?
Not a state general contractor license, if the total project cost is under $40,000. [1][3]
Do I need experience to get a North Carolina general contractor license?
The law doesn't set a minimum number of years. You must be 18, show good moral character and financial responsibility, pay the fee, and have a qualifier pass the exam. [1][7]
Is the North Carolina contractor exam open book?
Yes. The Building, Residential and Business and Law exams are open book, using the references in PSI's candidate bulletin. You need 70 to pass. [6]
Do I need an audit for an intermediate or unlimited license?
No. A CPA or independent accountant can prepare an agreed-upon procedures report instead, or you can post a surety bond. [5]
Sources (18)
- North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 87, Article 1 (G.S. 87-1, 87-10, 87-10.2, 87-15.1), North Carolina General Assembly. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- 21 NCAC 12 - General Contractors (Rules .0204, .0304, .0402-.0405), North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- NC Licensing Board for General Contractors, North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- Classifications and limitations, North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- FAQ for Contractors, North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- State of North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 11/19/2025), PSI Services LLC. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- License applicants, North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- Registered Apprenticeship - ApprenticeshipNC, North Carolina Community College System. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- Construction Training, Associated Builders and Contractors of the Carolinas. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- Apprenticeship Job Finder, U.S. Department of Labor. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- ABC of the Carolinas registered apprenticeship program standards (RA-000928, approved by ApprenticeshipNC 1/28/2026), ABC of the Carolinas / ApprenticeshipNC. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Apprenticeship and Craft Education, ABC of the Carolinas. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Youth Apprenticeships, ApprenticeshipNC, North Carolina Community College System. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Hazardous and Detrimental Occupations for Youths, North Carolina Department of Labor. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Apprenticeships for Veterans, ApprenticeshipNC, North Carolina Community College System. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Discover a Career Path that Works for You (apprentices overview), ApprenticeshipNC, North Carolina Community College System. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Career Clusters and Pathways, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Accessed October 11, 2026.
- Career and College Promise, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Accessed October 11, 2026.