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Roofing contractor licenses: which states require one

Checked against official sources · Last reviewed October 10, 2026

Three ways states handle roofing

Before you look up your state, it helps to know the three patterns:

• A roofing-specific license. The state has a license class just for roofing, usually with an exam and a bond. A bond is a kind of insurance the contractor buys that pays customers if the contractor breaks the rules.
• A general contractor or home improvement license that covers roofing. You get a broader license (or registration) and roofing is one of the trades it allows.
• No state license. Texas is the clearest example: the state does not issue a roofing license.

In several states the license belongs to the company, and one person (often called the "qualifying party" or "qualifying person") passes the exam for it. Illinois and Minnesota both work this way. [6][7][15]

States with a license just for roofing

• Florida. The Construction Industry Licensing Board licenses roofing contractors. A "certified" contractor can work anywhere in Florida; a "registered" contractor "may contract only" in the local areas where they met the competency rules. To sit for the certification exam you must be 18 and have, for example, "at least 4 years of active experience" in the trade, at least 1 year of it as a foreman (college credit can replace some of it). See our Florida general contractor guide.
• California. The Contractors State License Board (CSLB) issues the C-39 Roofing license. You need "at least four (4) years of experience" at journey level or above in the class, and CSLB may credit up to three years of apprenticeship, technical training or education. Since January 1, 2025, CSLB's minor-work exemption lets an unlicensed person take a job under $1,000, but only if the work needs no permit and the person employs no one on it. See our California contractor license guide.
• Arizona. The Registrar of Contractors (ROC) has three roofing classes: R-42 (residential), C-42 (commercial) and CR-42 (both). In general, a license is required if labor and materials exceed $1,000 or the job needs a permit. Each license needs a qualifying party "with the necessary experience, knowledge and skills." See our Arizona contractor license guide.
• Nevada. The Nevada State Contractors Board issues the C-15 Roofing and Siding license; its C-15a subclass covers roofing only. A C-15a license does not allow installing "conduits, inverters, batteries or electrical connections." Applicants need at least 4 years of experience in the classification within the last 15 years, and up to 3 years can come from accredited training.
• Utah. The Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) issues the S280 Roofing Contractor specialty license. Specialty contractors must first take a 25-hour pre-licensure course from ABC (Associated Builders and Contractors), the Utah Home Builders Association or AGC (Associated General Contractors) of Utah, and carry general liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per incident.
• Illinois. The Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) issues two roofing licenses. A limited license covers residential roofing, "including residential properties consisting of 8 units or less"; an unlimited license adds commercial and industrial roofing. The qualifying party must pass the residential exam or the residential, commercial and industrial exam. The application fee is $125, the bond is $10,000 (limited) or $25,000 (unlimited), and licenses expire December 31 of each odd-numbered year.
• Minnesota. The Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) says residential contractors who do roofing must be licensed as a residential roofer, residential building contractor or remodeler. Roofing subcontractors don't need a license but must register. A roofer license costs $180, needs a $15,000 surety bond and liability insurance of at least $300,000 per occurrence, and the company's qualifying person must pass the state exam. A roofer license does not cover gutters, downspouts, soffit or fascia.
• Louisiana. Under Act 422 of 2025 (La. R.S. 37:2156.4), since January 1, 2026 anyone who bids on or does work on any part of a roofing system on a residential structure, when the project value is $7,500 or more, must hold the Residential Roofing or Residential Construction classification, and a residential roofing contractor must pass the residential roofing trade exam. The Licensing Board for Contractors (LSLBC) says that from August 1, 2026 (Act 757 of 2026), a building with up to four dwelling units counts as a residential roofing project, and residential licensees must carry at least $500,000 in liability insurance. For commercial work, the board has a Roofing and Sheet Metal, Siding classification with its own trade exam; commercial licenses apply to commercial projects of $50,000 or more.
• Alabama. The Home Builders Licensure Board requires a residential roofers license when a roofer contracts directly with a homeowner and the job "exceeds $2,500." You need a $10,000 bond, a city or county contractor business license (held now or within the past year), and $250 ($150 license fee plus a $100 processing fee). Holders of an unlimited home builder license don't need a separate roofers license; limited home builder licensees do.

[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30]

States where roofing falls under a broader license

• Michigan. Roofing is one of the trades on the Maintenance and Alteration (M&A) contractor license from LARA; the trades you're qualified for are listed on the license. Applicants must complete 60 hours of approved prelicensure education and then pass the exam. See our Michigan contractor license guide.
• Oregon. The Construction Contractors Board (CCB) says Oregon law "generally" requires anyone paid for construction work on real property to be licensed, and lists roofing as an example. The person who manages the work must complete 16 hours of pre-license training and pass the Oregon exam. A Residential Specialty Contractor endorsement (one or two unrelated trades, such as masonry and roofing) carries a $20,000 bond and $300,000 per occurrence insurance in the CCB's chart.
• Connecticut. The Department of Consumer Protection says "All roofing companies must have an active 'Home Improvement Contractor' registration with DCP."
• North Carolina. There is no separate state license for small roofing jobs. The Licensing Board for General Contractors says a contractor must be licensed "if the total project cost is valued at $40,000 or higher." At that level, the board's rules include a specialty classification called S(Roofing). See our North Carolina contractor license guide.

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Texas: no state roofing license

A 2025 Texas House committee report says "Texas does not currently require a state-issued license for reroofing contractors." The bill it described, HB 3344 (House Bill), would have created one. Its last recorded action was "Committee report sent to Calendars" on May 8, 2025, so it did not become law. See our Texas contractor guide for what Texas does regulate. [15][33]

How roofers learn the trade

You don't need a license or a degree to start working as a roofer. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) says "No formal educational credential is typically required for roofers" and that most learn on the job from experienced coworkers. New workers start by carrying materials and putting up scaffolds, and within a few months learn to measure, cut and fit roofing materials. Most employers require safety certification that meets OSHA (federal workplace safety) guidelines.

The BLS put the median roofer wage at $55,440 in May 2025, with the lowest 10 percent under $37,460 and the highest 10 percent over $81,720. Roofers held about 166,900 jobs in 2025, and employment is projected to grow 5 percent from 2025 to 2035.

Apprenticeships. An apprenticeship is paid on-the-job training plus classroom instruction. The BLS says apprentices usually start at about 50 percent of what experienced (journey) workers earn, with raises as they advance. The United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers says its programs are run jointly by local unions and contractors and "generally run for three to five years." You apply by contacting the local union in your area. You can also search for roofing programs in the Apprenticeship Finder from the U.S. Department of Labor. To compare union and non-union routes, see union vs. non-union. [16][34][35][36]

Going from roofer to licensed roofing contractor

In the states with the strictest rules, the license is the step you take after several years on roofs. California and Nevada both ask for 4 years of experience at journey level or above (California's CSLB defines a journeyman as someone who can "perform the trade without supervision, or a person who has completed an apprenticeship program"). Florida's certification asks for 4 years, including at least 1 year as a foreman. Both California and Nevada let training count for up to 3 of those years.

Other states focus less on years worked and more on an exam, a course, a bond and insurance: Minnesota (exam), Illinois (exam, bond and insurance), Utah (25-hour course) and Oregon (16-hour course and exam). Rules change often; Louisiana's residential roofing license requirement, for example, only took effect on January 1, 2026, and its scope changed again on August 1, 2026. Always confirm the current rules with the state board linked above before you bid a job. [6][7][8][11][18][19][21][22][25][26]

Questions people ask