Frequently Asked Questions

The Louisiana State Licensing Board does not have a “General Contractor License”. There are two different licenses, Residential and Commercial. For commercial work you would need the Building Construction License and residential home building you would need the Residential Contractors License. Each has its own application and exam, however if you apply for and Pass the Building Construction exam you may apply for the residential license with no exam needed to receive the license. 

Louisiana does not have tradesman, journeyman or master electrician license. The State Licensing Board’s classification for electrical work is simply Electrical. This license allows the holder to preform electrical work on projects exceeding $10,000. The exam is open book with 80 questions and requires a passing score of 70%

No, the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors does not put a limit on the maximum dollar amount. They do however govern the dollar amount of work to be performed when a contractor must be licensed. For building an amount exceeding $50,000 which includes labor and materials, any electrical work exceeding $10,000 and any hazardous materials work that exceeds $1.00 requires a contractor’s license

On average, it takes 4-6 weeks for an in-state contractor license to be issued and 9-10 weeks for an out-of-state license to be issued. There is a 60-day waiting period for out-of-state contractors, which begins on the date the application is received. The amount of time required to process a license depends on several factors, including whether or not all required paperwork and fees are submitted and how promptly bank and contractor/material supply dealer references are returned. It is recommended to contact all references to assure that responses will be submitted on time.

No.  A contractor’s license is required to bid, contract, or perform work in the amount of $50,000 or more ($1 or more for hazardous) in the State of Louisiana.

There are no provisions in the Louisiana Contractor’s License Law to allow for a  temporary contractor license.

To obtain a Louisiana Contractors License Copy mail or fax (225-765-2690) a written request signed by the sole proprietor for an individual license or an officer for a corporate license or a member for an LLC license or a partner for a partnership license.

All parties in a joint venture are required to be licensed at the time the bid is submitted. Each party to the joint venture may only perform within the applicable classifications of the work of which he is properly classified to perform (Section 1103 of the Rules and Regulations of the Board).

A subcontractor who wishes to submit a bid of $50,000 or more ($1 or more for hazardous) must be properly licensed at the time of the bid.

The Board has reciprocity agreements with the Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors, the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board, the Mississippi Board of Contractors, the North Carolina Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors, the Tennessee Board for Licensing General Contractors, and the Utah Construction Trades Bureau Division of Occupational & Professional Licensing. PLEASE NOTE: Your firm must be domiciled in one of these states and hold a license in the domiciliary state for a minimum of three years with no record of disciplinary action. If your firm meets these requirements, the Board will consider waiver of the 60-day waiting period for out-of-state contractors and may consider waiver of trade examinations. There is no waiver of the Business and Law examination. Reciprocity is not automatic. You must submit a written request for consideration.

Contact the Louisiana Attorney General’s office at 225-342-7013 to obtain information on LA R.S. 38:2211-2296.

The easiest way to determine if a project is public is if tax money is a means of revenue for the project.

 Louisiana prohibits test takers from bringing their books into the state exam test. 

A project must be classified as electrical or mechanical when the majority of the work falls under that classification. The monetary value of the electrical or mechanical material and/or equipment furnished by the owner or builder, if any, is used in determining the amount of electrical or mechanical work involved.