Contractor License Reciprocity by State
31 of the 50 states and DC have at least one contractor license reciprocity agreement — 182 state-to-state agreements in all. 13 jurisdictions have none in either direction. Utah accepts licenses from the most states (20); Louisiana is accepted by the most (12).
Reciprocity lets a licensed contractor skip certain trade exams when applying in another state. It is not an automatic transfer — you still apply, meet the new state's requirements, and may need to pass its business, law, or code exams.
Which states accept which licenses
Every jurisdiction, alphabetically. Accepts licenses fromis the state's own agreements; Accepted by is every other state that lists it. Open a state for the terms of each agreement.
Two-letter codes link to that state's licensing overview. “Not specified” means the state's agreements do not name the trades they cover.
Check a specific pair of states
Reciprocity by trade
States whose agreements name the trade. Where a state's agreements do not name trades, it is not listed here — check its page.
General Contractor license reciprocity — 5 states
Electrician license reciprocity — 24 states
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wyoming
Plumber license reciprocity — 8 states
Arizona, Mississippi, Montana, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington
HVAC Technician license reciprocity — 9 states
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, Virginia
Roofing Contractor license reciprocity — 2 states
States with no reciprocity agreements
13jurisdictions hold no agreements and are named in no other state's. A license from elsewhere earns no exam waiver here; you apply as a new applicant.
Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Wisconsin
Accepted elsewhere, but with no agreements of their own
These 7 jurisdictions grant no waivers to incoming contractors, but other states accept their licenses. Useful if you hold one of these and are moving out.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is contractor license reciprocity?
Contractor license reciprocity is an agreement between states that allows a licensed contractor from one state to obtain a license in another state without retaking trade-specific exams. It does not grant an automatic license — you still need to apply, meet local requirements, and may need to pass business or code exams.
Does reciprocity mean I can work in another state automatically?
No. Reciprocity waives certain trade exams but does not transfer your license automatically. You must apply in the new state, pay fees, provide proof of your existing license, and may still need to pass business, law, or local code exams before you can legally work.
Which states have the most reciprocity agreements?
Utah accepts licenses from 20 other states, more than any other jurisdiction. Measured the other way, Louisiana is accepted by 12 states. 13 jurisdictions — Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Wisconsin — have no agreements at all.
Do reciprocity agreements cover all trade types?
No. Most agreements name the trades they cover. Across all 182 state-to-state agreements, 5 states have an agreement covering general contractor licenses, 24 states have an agreement covering electrician licenses, 8 states have an agreement covering plumber licenses, 9 states have an agreement covering hvac technician licenses, 2 states have an agreement covering roofing contractor licenses. Check the specific agreement for your trade before applying.