Demolition Contractor

California does not offer reciprocity for this trade. An out-of-state credential will not carry across on its own here.

Where it applies: Less than $1,000 aggregate contract price for labor, materials and all other items, the work being of casual, minor or inconsequential nature - raised from $500 effective January 1, 2025 by AB 2622 (Ch. 240, Stats. 2024), amending B&P Code ss. 7027.2 and 7048. The catch, in CSLB's own words: the exemption does not apply at all if the minor work is subject to a permit requirement of any kind, or if the unlicensed person hires one or more workers, even if the project is under $1,000. Any source still citing $500 is stale.

Why, and what applies instead: California's published classification map decides each trade separately, and demolition is one of the ones it does not reach: Building Moving and Demolition (C-21) appears on no reciprocal table for any state. The Louisiana, Mississippi and North Carolina tables map only to 'B - General Building', and B-2 for North Carolina, each conditioned on the NASCLA Commercial Building exam and five years in good standing. None of them reaches a specialty classification. Where reciprocity does apply for other trades, what it buys is limited, in the Board'S own words: 'the CSLB may waive the trade portion of the exam, but retains the right to require the exam. The applicant will still be required to take the business law portion.' It is a discretionary trade-exam waiver, never a licence transfer, and the bond, workers' compensation, fingerprinting and full original application remain in every case. Two cautions about the source itself: the Board'S heading says 'California and three other states: Arizona, Louisiana, Nevada, or North Carolina' while the page carries five tables including Mississippi; and a general five-year active-and-good-standing precondition is widely asserted elsewhere but could not be verified — the only five-year requirements on the Board's own page are footnotes attached to the NASCLA-based General Building waivers.

Hawaii does not offer reciprocity for this trade. An out-of-state credential will not carry across on its own here.

Where it applies: Contractor licensing above $1,500 aggregate contract price (labor + materials) — HRS §444-2(4) Handyman exemption, raised from $1,000 in 2019; does not apply where a building permit is required regardless of price

Why, and what applies instead: Hawaii maintains no reciprocity agreements with any other state for any contractor license classification, general or specialty. Every applicant, regardless of where else they are licensed, must independently satisfy Hawaii's 4-years'-supervisory-experience requirement, CPA-prepared financial statement, and pass Hawaii'S own 2-part PSI exam (Business & Law plus the trade-specific exam). Hawaii is a NASCLA member state but does not accept the NASCLA Accredited Examination as an exam substitute (unlike Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia, which do). Out-of-state supervisory experience does count toward the 4-year experience requirement if within the last 10 years, but that is credit toward eligibility to test, not a waiver of the test.

Idaho does not offer reciprocity for this trade. An out-of-state credential will not carry across on its own here.

Where it applies: Contractor licensing above $2,000 (materials & labor) for the base Contractor Registration Act; $50,000 for the separate, examined Public Works Contractor License

Why, and what applies instead: No reciprocity for the credential that actually governs this trade. The base Contractor Registration has no exam and no experience requirement for anyone — it is registration, not licensure — so there is nothing for an out-of-state credential to substitute for; DOPL and secondary sources confirm 'Idaho does not provide reciprocity for general contractor registration.' Separately, DOPL's Public Works Contractors License Board does maintain an official Reciprocal Information agreement for its own financially-qualified, examined license — but that credential is required only for public-sector work ≥$50,000 and is a distinct, narrower track; secondary sources indicate its practical reciprocity exception is itself limited ('There is no reciprocity exception for the Public Works Contractor License' per one detailed guide), so this should be confirmed directly with DOPL before relying on it. Only electrical and plumbing journeyman/master licenses have genuine, named-state reciprocity in Idaho.

Iowa does not offer reciprocity for this trade. An out-of-state credential will not carry across on its own here.

Where it applies: Contractor licensing above $2,000 or more earned per year from construction work triggers registration

Why, and what applies instead: No reciprocity — structural. Construction Contractor registration has no exam and no experience requirement for anyone, in-state or out; it is gated purely on a $25,000 surety bond (out-of-state contractors) or $5,000 bond (in-state), liability insurance, and a $50/year fee. DIAL itself and secondary sources confirm 'Iowa doesn't offer a typical reciprocity process' — an out-of-state contractor simply completes the same registration as anyone else, plus the larger bond.

Maryland does not offer reciprocity for this trade. An out-of-state credential will not carry across on its own here.

Where it applies: Contractor licensing above $500 per contract for MHIC licensure (Maryland Business Regulation Article, Title 8) — no separate minor-work exemption exists once the scope is covered

Why, and what applies instead: Confirmed directly and unambiguously on MHIC's own official FAQ: 'The Maryland Home Improvement Commission does not offer reciprocity with any other states because each licensee must demonstrate knowledge of Maryland laws and regulations.' This applies regardless of how long the applicant has held an out-of-state license or in how many states; every applicant sits the full Maryland exam. (Note: this is a materially different posture from Maryland'S separate State Board of Waterworks and Waste Systems Operators, which does grant true reciprocity for water/wastewater operator certification — the two Maryland boards should not be conflated.)

Massachusetts does not offer reciprocity for this trade. An out-of-state credential will not carry across on its own here.

Why, and what applies instead: No reciprocity for either credential. Confirmed on mass.gov and by BBRS policy: 'no reciprocal endorsement agreement with other state licensing bodies exists under current BBRS policy' for the CSL, and secondary guidance is unambiguous that Massachusetts does not recognize contractor licenses from other states for HIC either. Every applicant - regardless of out-of-state licensure - must independently document 3 years/4,500 hours of experience and pass the Massachusetts-specific CSL exam if structural work is involved; HIC registration has no exam at all, so nothing exists to waive.

Michigan does not offer reciprocity for this trade. An out-of-state credential will not carry across on its own here.

Where it applies: Contractor licensing above $600 aggregate contract price (labor + materials) for a single residential project

Why, and what applies instead: Confirmed on an official LARA application document: 'Michigan does not have a reciprocal agreement with any other state.' Every applicant, regardless of out-of-state licensure, must complete Michigan's 60-hour prelicensure education and pass the PSI-administered exam for the specific craft(s) sought.

Minnesota does not offer reciprocity for this trade. An out-of-state credential will not carry across on its own here.

Why, and what applies instead: Start with the structure, because it decides whether the question even applies to you. A contractor who performs only one of Minnesota's eight special skills for homeowners is a 'Specialty contractor' and needs no state licence at all — registration only. The Residential Building Contractor or Remodeler licence is triggered only when you offer two or more special skills to the same homeowner. No exam-waiver reciprocity was found for that licence. And because most single-trade painters, drywall and plaster installers, concrete and masonry workers and tile installers fall outside state licensure altogether, the reciprocity question is largely moot for those trades as they are usually practised. Demolition sits awkwardly: it is not among the eight named special skills, so demolition-only work has no single-skill exemption of its own. A demolition contractor may need the full two-or-more-skill licence, or may fall outside the statute entirely. That is genuinely unresolved, and the Department'S own public guidance does not settle it.

Montana does not offer reciprocity for this trade. An out-of-state credential will not carry across on its own here.

Where it applies: Contractor licensing above $2,500 per job (aggregate contract price) exemption threshold; registration/licensure is also required for any corporation or manager-managed LLC regardless of value, and for any contractor with employees

Why, and what applies instead: There is no reciprocity, confirmed by the Department of Labor and Industry, and the reason is structural. The Montana credential for these trades has never required an examination or any demonstration of competency — only proof of workers' compensation coverage, or an Independent Contractor Exemption Certificate, plus a fee. There has never been anything for an out-of-state licence to substitute for. That remains true after the 1 January 2026 conversion under HB 239 from registration to a formal licence, because HB 239 did not add an examination requirement. Note the terminology if you are checking other sources: many contractor guides still describe the pre-2026 'Construction Contractor Registration' wording and mechanics verbatim. The credential is now technically a 'Contractors License', though the Department'S own public-facing page had not fully caught up at last check.

Nebraska does not offer reciprocity for this trade. An out-of-state credential will not carry across on its own here.

Where it applies: Contractor licensing above $5,000 or more earned annually from construction services triggers registration (property owners working on their own property are also exempt)

Why, and what applies instead: No reciprocity - structural. Because registration has no exam or experience requirement for anyone, there is nothing for an out-of-state license to substitute for; every contractor, in-state or out, completes the identical registration.

Nevada does not offer reciprocity for this trade. An out-of-state credential will not carry across on its own here.

Where it applies: Contractor licensing above $1,000 (labor + materials) - NRS 624.031, unless a building permit is required regardless of value

Why, and what applies instead: Nevada no longer has a demolition classification. C-31 'Wrecking' was repealed effective 19 April 2024 (LCB File No. R050-23A), so there is no standalone demolition or wrecking specialty for an out-of-state credential to reciprocate into. That work is now carried under a general engineering or building classification, or another applicable category. Nevada does waive the trade examination for contractors licensed four or more years in good standing in Arizona, California or Utah, where the out-of-state classification maps to an equivalent Nevada one — but with C-31 repealed there is no demolition classification left for a demolition credential to map to. The Nevada Law and Business examination is never waived.

New Jersey does not offer reciprocity for this trade. An out-of-state credential will not carry across on its own here.

Why, and what applies instead: No reciprocity with any state, confirmed by the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs' own registration process - no out-of-state credential pathway exists on the official application. HIC registration has no exam to begin with; it is gated on general liability insurance ($500,000 minimum) and, in most cases, a bond/security requirement - so there is nothing for any credential, in-state or out, to waive.

New Mexico does not offer reciprocity for this trade. An out-of-state credential will not carry across on its own here.

Where it applies: Contractor licensing above $7,200 aggregate compensation per year for the 'casual, minor or inconsequential' handyman exemption (does not apply to electrical, plumbing or gas work)

Why, and what applies instead: New Mexico has two reciprocity mechanisms and neither one reaches this trade. The first is real but narrow: since 13 January 2023 the Construction Industries Division accepts a letter showing a year or more of licensure in good standing in another state in place of the trade exam — but only for the GB-98 General Building licence, and the Business & Law exam is still required. It is not state-specific and not a bilateral agreement. The second is a different track entirely. The Division's published statement reads: 'New Mexico has reciprocal licensing agreements, for a journeyman certificate/license only, with the following states: Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming.' That is the complete sentence as published — ten states, journeyman certificates only. Drywall, concrete and demolition are the three trades still licensed here after the 2016 deregulation, and they are GS-series specialty contractor classifications. They are neither GB-98 nor journeyman certificates, so the journeyman list excludes them by its own terms and the general-building letter does not reach them either. An out-of-state drywall, concrete or demolition contractor gets no exam waiver in New Mexico.

North Dakota does not offer reciprocity for this trade. An out-of-state credential will not carry across on its own here.

Why, and what applies instead: Because the credential has no exam - only insurance, bond and registration requirements - there is nothing for an out-of-state licence to substitute for; an incoming contractor completes the identical North Dakota process. Same structural pattern as Alaska, Connecticut, Montana and Nebraska.

Oregon does not offer reciprocity for this trade. An out-of-state credential will not carry across on its own here.

Why, and what applies instead: No reciprocity applies to Construction Contractors Board trades. In the Board's own words: 'No reciprocity agreement with any state exempts a contractor from Oregon CCB registration... Regardless of where the contractor is domiciled, incorporated, or bonded.' Do not confuse this with Oregon'S separate electrical and plumbing reciprocity programme under OAR 918-030-0045. That one is run by the Building Codes Division rather than the Contractors Board, and it does not reach any of these trades. The NASCLA Accredited Examination is also not accepted for Board specialty classifications such as painting.

Pennsylvania does not offer reciprocity for this trade. An out-of-state credential will not carry across on its own here.

Where it applies: Contractor licensing above $5,000 in home-improvement revenue per calendar year triggers HICPA registration (73 P.S. 517.2 et seq.); registration does not apply to commercial-only work

Why, and what applies instead: There is no Pennsylvania competency licence for this trade, so there is nothing an out-of-state credential could be measured against. The state registration that does apply to residential work, under the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act, carries no examination and no experience requirement for anyone — in-state or out — so reciprocity has nothing to act on. You register on the same terms as a local contractor. Commercial-only work carries no state requirement at all. Local licensing is separate: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Scranton each add their own, and Scranton's includes a competency exam.

Rhode Island does not offer reciprocity for this trade. An out-of-state credential will not carry across on its own here.

Why, and what applies instead: Confirmed directly and unambiguously, twice, on CRLB's own official FAQ: 'There is no reciprocity for a contractor's registration' and 'Rhode Island does not offer reciprocity with other states, out of state license holders must register with the CRB.' Every applicant, in-state or out, completes the identical registration and pre-education course.

Virginia does not offer reciprocity for this trade. An out-of-state credential will not carry across on its own here.

Where it applies: Contractor licensing above $1,000 (any contracting work) - Va. Code 54.1-1103; Class C covers up to $10,000/project ($150,000/year), Class B up to $150,000/project, Class A unlimited

Why, and what applies instead: Virginia's reciprocity is narrower than it first appears, and it does not reach this trade. The Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation'S current reciprocity sheet lists only North Carolina, for the Residential Building Contracting and Commercial Building Contracting classifications, together with specified Ohio business-and-law examination agreements. None of these five specialty designations appears on it. The Virginia Business & Law exam is always required in any case. Because the confirmed agreements reach only the general Building classifications and not the trade specialties, the answer for this trade is properly no.

Washington does not offer reciprocity for this trade. An out-of-state credential will not carry across on its own here.

Why, and what applies instead: There is no reciprocity for general or specialty contractor registration in Washington, and the reason is structural: there is no trade exam and no business-and-law exam to waive in the first place. Registration is gated solely on a surety bond — $30,000 general or $15,000 specialty, increased on 1 July 2024 — and insurance. Washington's only genuine reciprocity is for licensed trades that do carry exams: electrical journeyman with Oregon, and plumbing journeyman with Idaho. Neither is among these trades.

West Virginia does not offer reciprocity for this trade. An out-of-state credential will not carry across on its own here.

Where it applies: Figures conflict: two sources cite $2,500 (labor + materials) as the general threshold under WV Code Ch. 21; another describes a split of $5,000 initial residential and $25,000 commercial. The lower figure appears more consistently sourced but should be confirmed directly with the Board.

Why, and what applies instead: West Virginia licenses demolition as an untested specialty: there is no trade examination to sit, so there is nothing for an out-of-state credential to waive. The state's only state-to-state agreement, with Tennessee, and its acceptance of the NASCLA national exam both attach to the General Building Contractor classification rather than to the specialties. You will still need a West Virginia licence, and you must pass the Business & Law examination, which is never waived for anyone. The practical effect is that a licence earned elsewhere neither helps nor hurts you here — you face the same requirements as an in-state applicant, and they are lighter than in most states.

Wisconsin does not offer reciprocity for this trade. An out-of-state credential will not carry across on its own here.

Where it applies: Contractor licensing above $1,000 for work requiring a building permit on a 1-2 family dwelling; commercial work outside that scope has no state threshold since it is unregulated at state level

Why, and what applies instead: Out-of-state contractors apply through the standard DSPS process. The only exception is a military and military-spouse expedited credentialing pathway under Wis. Stat. 440.09, which is not general reciprocity and should not be described as such. No official Wisconsin source confirms acceptance of the NASCLA exam.