Applicants for a General Contractor License in North Carolina may choose to obtain either a Residential or General Contractors license. Each contractor license type in North Carolina has 3 levels of project size: Limited License, Intermediate License, and Unlimited License. Once you have determined the license limitations and type, it's time to pass the exams. The North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors allows you to choose between the state exam and the (NASCLA) Exam.
At RocketCert, we make studying for your exam a breeze.
We have carefully reviewed the exam bulletins, studied all the books, and collaborated with industry experts. This helped us create the best online North Carolina Contractor License exam prep courses available. Our courses go beyond just slideshows and books. We offer a robust exam simulation, custom tabs for your books, highlighting guides, and instructor support whenever you need it. If you're ready to launch your career, choose RocketCert. Click below to explore our courses and bundles.
This classification covers all building construction and demolition activity including: commercial, industrial, institutional, and all residential building construction. It includes:
Limited License - $750,000 per individual project
Intermediate License- $1,500,000 per individual project
Unlimited License - Valid for projects of any size
Do you need to perform work for only residential structures? Click the link below to learn more about the Residential Contractor License.
Residential and Building General Contractors must obtain the following amounts of either working capital, net worth, or surety bonds:
To apply for your license, contact the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors at 919-571-4183 or visit nclbgc.org.
NC Contractors License Reciprocity: NC has Reciprocity agreements with several other states. These states include South Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. If you're licensed in one of these states, you can skip the trade exam via the exam waiver form.
NASCLA Exam: North Carolina gives applicants the option to take either the NASCLA exam or the state trade exam. The NASCLA exam is accepted by many states across the country. It serves as a substitute for the state's trade exam.
Passing the NC business and law exam is required those applying via reciprocity or with the NASCLA exam.
At RocketCert, our courses are written by a combination of industry experts and professional educators. Our North Carolina general contractor license exam prep is guaranteed to help you pass the exam, and is backed with our no pass, no pay policy. We pride ourselves on providing industry leading customer service. Also, if you find a better original price on any online course that we offer, we will beat it by 10%.
In order to sit for the North Carolina general contractor license exam, you must submit the new license application to the North Carolina State Contractors Board. It must include verified education and work experience as required by the state. Once approved and all application fees are paid, the state will contact you with an exam date and time.
After studying with RocketCert, you will be on your way to passing the required State exam(s) (see below). Pre-approval is required. Testing centers are setup throughout the State in larger cities.
After these steps, it's time to apply through the NC CLiC to obtain your North Carolina general contractor license. Have questions or concerns with this process (or just a lack of time)? Learn more about how we can assist with our Application Processing Program.
Your NC general contractor license will expire on November 30th each year. To renew, you must complete 8 hours of continuing education. The state requires licensees to take CE and renew their license even if it was issued in November.
Note: North Carolina will be updating their building codes on January 1st, 2025. However, they have not yet announced when the exams will be updated to the new code books.
Applicants have 2 options for the trade exam. You may take the trade exam or the NASCLA exam & the Business Law exam.
The NASCLA Exam is accepted by multiple state licensing agencies across the country as a substitute for their trade exam. In most cases, you will also need to take the state specific Business & Law exam.
Note: Alternative to state trade exam. You must also pass the Business Law exam.
The North Carolina General Contractor exam is partially open book. Our bundles below include all of the books you can use during the exams. These references are permitted to be tabbed and highlighted! Unfortunately, our online course is NOT permitted to be accessed during the State exam.
The exam prep includes math, plan reading, highlighting guides covering the topics your exam is based on, practice questions for each references, and unlimited attempts on our "test simulation".
This exam does NOT require applicants to pass the separate Business and Law
Includes the following:
Plus the following:
Includes the courses:
Plus the following:
The following references can be used during the General Contractor Licensing Exam (Included in the NC General Contractor Bundle):
The Following References are NOT Allowed to be Used During the General Contractor Licensing Exam (Not Included in the Bundle) :
This classification covers all building construction and demolition activity including: commercial, industrial, institutional, and all residential construction. It includes parking decks; all site work, grading and paving of parking lots, driveways, sidewalks, and gutters; storm drainage, retaining or screen walls, and hardware and accessory structures; and indoor and outdoor recreational facilities including natural and artificial surface athletic fields, running tracks, bleachers, and seating. It also covers work done under the specialty classifications of S(Concrete Construction), S(Insulation), S(Interior Construction), S(Marine Construction), S(Masonry Construction), S(Roofing), S(Metal Erection), S(Swimming Pools), and S(Asbestos), and S(Wind Turbine).
This classification covers all construction and demolition activity pertaining to the construction of residential units that are required to conform to the residential building code adopted by the Building Code Council pursuant to G.S. 143-138; all site work, driveways, sidewalks, and water and wastewater systems ancillary to the aforementioned structures and improvements; and the work done as part of such residential units under the specialty classifications of S(Insulation), S(Interior Construction), S(Masonry), S(Roofing), S(Swimming Pools), and S(Asbestos).
This classification covers all highway construction activity including: grading, paving of all types, installation of exterior artificial athletic surfaces, relocation of public and private utility lines ancillary to a principal project, bridge construction and repair, culvert construction and repair, parking decks, sidewalks, curbs, gutters and storm drainage. It also includes installation and erection of guard rails, fencing, signage and ancillary highway hardware; covers paving and grading of airport and airfield runways, taxiways, and aprons, including the installation of fencing, signage, runway lighting and marking; and work done under the specialty classifications of S(Boring and Tunneling), S(Concrete Construction), S(Marine Construction), S(Railroad Construction), and H(Grading and Excavating).
This classification includes operations that are the performance of construction work on water and wastewater systems and on the subclassifications of facilities set forth in G.S. 87-10(b)(3). The Board shall issue a license to a public utilities contractor that is limited to any of the subclassifications set forth in G.S. 87-10(b)(3) for which the contractor qualifies. This license covers work done under the specialty classifications of S(Boring and Tunneling), PU(Communications), PU(Fuel Distribution), PU(Electrical-Ahead of Point of Delivery), PU(Water Lines and Sewer Lines), PU(Water Purification and Sewage Disposal), and S(Swimming Pools).
This classification covers all construction operation and performance of contract work outlined below:
- H (Grading and Excavating) - S (Boring and Tunneling) - PU (Communications) - S (Concrete Construction) - PU (Electrical-Ahead of Point of Delivery) - PU (Fuel Distribution) - PU (Water Lines and Sewer Lines) - PU (Water Purification and Sewage Disposal) - S (Insulation) - S (Interior Construction) - S (Marine Construction) - S (Masonry Construction) - S Railroad Construction - S (Roofing) - S (Metal Erection) - S (Swimming Pools) - S (Asbestos) - S (Wind Turbine)
- have current assets that exceed the total current liabilities by at least seventeen thousand dollars ($17,000) or have a total net worth of at least eighty thousand dollars ($80,000);
- pass the examination which shall contain subject matter related to the specific contracting classification chosen by the applicant with a score as set out in Rule .0404 of this Chapter; and
- if the applicant or any owner, principal, or qualifier is in bankruptcy or has been in bankruptcy within five years prior to the filing of the application, provide to the Board an agreed-upon procedures report on a form provided by the Board or an audited financial statement with a classified balance sheet as part of the application. This requirement shall not apply to shareholders of an applicant that is a publicly traded corporation
- have current assets that exceed the total current liabilities by at least seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000), as reflected in an agreed-upon procedures report on a form provided by the Board or an audited financial statement prepared by a certified public accountant or an independent accountant who is engaged in the public practice of accountancy; and
- pass the examination which shall contain subject matter related to the specific contracting classification chosen by the applicant with a score as set out in Rule .0404 of this Chapter.
- have current assets that exceed the total current liabilities by at least one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000), as reflected in an agreed-upon procedures report on a form provided by the Board or an audited financial statement prepared by a certified public accountant or an independent accountant who is engaged in the public practice of accountancy;
- pass the examination which shall contain subject matter related to the specific contracting classification chosen by the applicant with a score as set out in Rule .0404 of this Chapter.
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