FAQ Page

The Louisiana State Licensing Board does not have a “General Contractor License”. What most people refer to as a General Contractor, are two different licenses in Louisiana, Residential and Commercial. For commercial work you would need the Building Construction License and for 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. This is where we come in. For 31 years Louisiana Contractors Licensing Service has had the best exam prep available for either the Commerical or Residential General Contractor license. We also have test preparation for all the major Classifications such as Electrical, Mechanical, Heavy Construction, Highway Streets and Bridges and Municipal Public Works exams.

 For any Contractor license and testing, application must be made to the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors on their website https://www.lslbc.louisiana.gov

Louisiana does not have tradesman, journeyman or master electrician license. The State Licensing Board’s classification for electrical work is simply Electrical Contractor. 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.

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.

 Louisiana State Licensing Board has turned over testing to PSI, a private testing company. Most of Louisiana’s tests have changed to open book you must provide your own books for the exam. PSI does not provide books.

The National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies(NASCLA) is a leading organization dedicated to improving contractor licensing and regulation across the United States. The NASCLA Accredited Exam is widely recognized as a streamlined solution for contractors seeking licenses in multiple states, reducing the need for repetitive testing. NASCLA has 2 main exams, the National Accredited Building Construction and the NASCLA Electrical exam. Both exams are open book and you must bring your own books to the exam

As of now, the following states accept the NASCLA Accredited Commercial General Building Contractor Exam for licensure:

States That Accept NASCLA:
• Alabama
• Arkansas
• Arizona
• Florida (Certified General Contractor)
• Georgia
• Louisiana
• Mississippi
• Nevada
• North Carolina
• Oregon
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Utah
• Virginia
• West Virginia
These states recognize the NASCLA exam, but additional business, law, and state-specific requirements may apply. Always check with your state’s licensing board to confirm.