Georgia General Contractor License Requirements (2026)

The Georgia State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors (SLBRGC), within the Office of the Secretary of State, licenses general contractors statewide under the Residential and General Contractors Act (O.C.G.A. Title 43 Chapter 41). Georgia issues four contractor tiers: General Contractor (Unlimited), General Contractor — Limited Tier (limited to contracts of no more than $1 million), Residential — Light Commercial Contractor, and Residential — Basic Contractor. The Unlimited tier is the credential of record for contractors seeking commercial general-contracting authority without the Limited Tier contract cap.

Regulatory Body

Under O.C.G.A. Title 43 Chapter 41 (Residential and General Contractors); Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 553, Georgia State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors (SLBRGC) is the body that issues this license and enforces compliance with it. SLBRGC licenses and disciplines residential and general contractors statewide, adopts the International Residential Code and International Building Code by reference (with Georgia amendments), and conducts disciplinary proceedings. The Board meets monthly to vote on applications and complaints.

• Official portal: https://sos.ga.gov/state-licensing-board-residential-and-commercial-general-contractors
• Address: 237 Coliseum Drive, Macon, GA 31217
• Phone: (478) 207-2440

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must be at least 21 years old. Applicants must provide a Social Security Number. No Georgia residency requirement.

Good moral character

SLBRGC conducts a fitness review on every applicant. Felony convictions and crimes involving moral turpitude are reviewed individually under O.C.G.A. §43-1-19.

Background investigation

By submitting the application, the applicant consents to a background check, including criminal history, if the Division chooses to perform one.

Experience and Education

The applicant must document and verify at least four years of proven active construction-industry experience, including at least two years working as or for a general contractor and at least one year in administration, marketing, accounting, estimating, drafting, engineering, supervision, project management, or a substantially similar function. Keep payroll, tax, project, or supervisor records to support the claim, as the board can request proof for any period within its lookback window.

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

• Employment affidavit and projects/experience documentation as directed by the application
• Project Reference Affidavit where the selected application path requires one
• Official college transcript, diploma, or certificate when using education toward eligibility
• Supporting records requested by the Board to substantiate the sworn application statements

Education substitution

A qualifying bachelor's degree plus one year of proven general-contractor experience is one eligibility path. Another path allows an acceptable combination of accredited college-level coursework and practical experience totaling at least four years.

Exam Requirements

Testing provider or authority: PSI Services LLC (under contract to SLBRGC); NASCLA Accredited Examination accepted. The following examination requirements cover the pathways described in this guide; follow each part's classification, waiver, and local-scope conditions. Unpublished format details do not remove an examination requirement:

• Georgia Business and Law — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score: confirm in the current candidate bulletin
• General Contractor examination or accepted NASCLA transcript — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score: confirm in the current candidate bulletin

Examination fee: Confirm the current PSI examination fee when you receive the Board’s exam approval instructions.

Retake policy: An otherwise qualified applicant may reexamine at a regularly scheduled examination within one year of the original application by paying the Board-set reexamination fee. A third or later attempt requires a one-calendar-year wait after the last examination and a new application with the appropriate examination fees.

Insurance and Bonds

The cited state source set does not require a contractor license surety bond for this credential. Contractors should still confirm project-specific bond, permit-bond, or public-works bond requirements before bidding.

General liability

SLBRGC requires General Contractor (Unlimited) applicants to carry commercial general liability of at least $500,000 per occurrence. Most commercial owners contractually require $1,000,000/$2,000,000 with the owner named as additional insured.

Workers' compensation

Workers' compensation insurance is mandatory in Georgia under O.C.G.A. §34-9-2 for any business with three or more employees.

Additional financial requirements

General Contractor (Unlimited) applicants must affirm a minimum net worth of $150,000. The Board’s current application checklist calls for a Net Worth Affirmation or financial documents; it does not state that every applicant must submit a CPA-prepared statement.

Fee Schedule

To turn these board fees into a realistic year-one budget — bond premium, liability insurance, and exam prep included — open the cost calculator preloaded for Georgia general contractor.

Renewal and Continuing Education

Expect to renew the Georgia General Contractor (Unlimited Tier) every 2 years. Renewal currently costs $100. Georgia General Contractor licenses renew every two years on June 30 of even-numbered years.

Continuing education: The current General Contractor renewal rule does not prescribe continuing-education hours. It requires the Board-set fee and sworn renewal responses concerning insurance, financial status, and applicable laws.

Reciprocity

The NASCLA Accredited Examination is accepted by Georgia for this classification.

SLBRGC’s current checklist accepts NASCLA transcripts where available. Reciprocity is currently listed for equivalent Louisiana and Mississippi commercial general-contractor licenses obtained by examination; Georgia Business and Law is still required. The Board retains discretion over licensure.

Weighing more than one jurisdiction? The national hub compares published General Contractor license requirements by state — exam, bond, fee, and experience thresholds side by side.

General Contractor Licensing in Neighboring States

Contractors working near a state line, or weighing where to qualify first, should compare Georgia's requirements against the bordering jurisdictions before committing to an application:

• Alabama General Contractor License Requirements — Alabama General Contractor License (prime or subcontractor)
• Florida General Contractor License Requirements — Florida Certified General Contractor (CGC)
• North Carolina General Contractor License Requirements — North Carolina General Contractor (Limited, Intermediate, or Unlimited)
• South Carolina General Contractor License Requirements — South Carolina Commercial General Contractor License (Classification and Group)
• Tennessee General Contractor License Requirements — Tennessee Contractor License — Building Classifications (TBLC)

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

1. Choose the correct application path. Use the GOALS examination, reciprocity, prior-approval, reactivation, or reinstatement path that matches your circumstances and business structure.
2. Document the qualifying experience. For the experience route, organize employment and project evidence supporting four years in the construction industry, including the required general-contractor and qualifying-function experience.
3. Prepare the required application documents. The Board checklist includes a signed, notarized application, insurance, a net-worth affirmation or financial documents, experience materials, and identity/citizenship documents; include conditional documents when applicable.
4. Submit the application and respond to any deficiencies. File through GOALS and monitor email. The Board says incomplete applications may be withdrawn if deficiencies are not cured within 60 days of notification.
5. Pass the required examinations. After approval, follow the Board’s PSI instructions. A qualifying NASCLA transcript may be used where accepted; reciprocity applicants still need Georgia Business and Law.
6. Maintain the license and renewal documentation. Keep the required insurance on file, report applicable changes within 30 days, and renew by June 30 of each even-numbered year.

Application Checklist

The items below are the ones worth confirming before the application is filed with SLBRGC:

• Signed, notarized SLBRGC General Contractor application with the current $210 application fee
• Net Worth Affirmation or financial documents supporting the $150,000 Unlimited-tier requirement
• Employment affidavit, projects/experience documentation, and any Project Reference Affidavit required for your application path
• Documentation supporting a qualifying four-year experience route or degree-plus-experience route
• Certificate of Insurance — $500,000 general liability minimum

Progress is saved in this browser, so you can return to this checklist while your application is in flight.

Common Filing Mistakes

Working from the cited board instructions, here are the snags most likely to trip up a Georgia General Contractor filing.

Using the wrong experience test

The four-year route requires at least two years working as or for a general contractor and one year in a listed qualifying function; the rule also offers education-plus-experience paths. Match your proof to the route you claim.

Confusing an affirmation with a CPA-statement requirement

Unlimited-tier applicants must affirm $150,000 net worth. The current Board checklist calls for a Net Worth Affirmation or financial documents, so follow the documents requested in GOALS instead of assuming a CPA statement is mandatory.

Missing the NASCLA substitution opportunity

Candidates who already hold the NASCLA Accredited Commercial General Building credential do NOT need to retake the Georgia Trade exam. Many out-of-state contractors apply to retake unnecessarily.

Missing the Board’s reexamination deadline

A reexamination may be available at a regularly scheduled examination within one year of the original application. A third or later attempt carries a one-calendar-year wait and a new application.

Choosing the wrong tier

A Residential — Basic Contractor who builds a 4-story multifamily building is operating outside the licensed scope. Choose the highest tier appropriate to the work performed.

Study and Reference Materials

These are the preparation and reference materials tied to this credential — cited by the regulator or widely used by applicants. CLR earns nothing from listing them.

• International Building Code (IBC), Georgia adopted edition — International Code Council / Georgia Department of Community Affairs. Primary technical reference. Open-book at the PSI test center.
• O.C.G.A. Title 43 Chapter 41 and Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 553 — State of Georgia. Licensing law and rules.
• NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management — Georgia edition — NASCLA. Standard reference for the Business and Law portion.
• AIA A201 General Conditions of the Contract for Construction — American Institute of Architects. Tested on the trade portion.

Other Georgia Trade Licenses

If the General Contractor license is not the right fit, the following published Georgia trade guides are also covered by CLR:

• Georgia Electrician License Requirements
• Georgia Plumber License Requirements
• Georgia HVAC Technician License Requirements
• Georgia Roofing Contractor License Requirements
• Georgia Painting Contractor License Requirements
• Georgia Landscaping Contractor License Requirements
• Georgia Masonry Contractor License Requirements
• Georgia Concrete Contractor License Requirements
• Georgia Carpentry Contractor License Requirements
• Georgia Solar Installer License Requirements
• Georgia Low-Voltage Technician License Requirements
• Georgia Fire Sprinkler Contractor License Requirements
• Georgia Home Inspector License Requirements
• Georgia Pool Contractor License Requirements
• Georgia Handyman License Requirements
• Georgia Pest Control License Requirements
• Georgia Septic Contractor License Requirements

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the four Georgia general contractor license tiers?

General Contractor (Unlimited) is the commercial general-contractor tier without the Limited Tier contract cap. General Contractor — Limited Tier is limited to contracts of no more than $1 million. Residential — Light Commercial Contractor and Residential — Basic Contractor are separate residential-division credential types; confirm their current scope rules before choosing a license path.

How many years of experience does Georgia require for a General Contractor license?

One qualifying route is four years of proven active construction-industry experience, including at least two years working as or for a general contractor and at least one year in a qualifying administrative, technical, supervisory, or project-management function. The rule also provides degree-plus-experience and education-plus-experience routes.

Does Georgia accept the NASCLA exam?

Yes. SLBRGC accepts the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors in lieu of the General Contractor Trade Examination. The Business and Law portion is still required.

What is the financial statement requirement for a Georgia General Contractor license?

General Contractor (Unlimited) applicants must affirm a minimum net worth of $150,000. The Board’s checklist calls for a Net Worth Affirmation or financial documents; it does not say every applicant needs a CPA-prepared financial statement. Limited Tier has a separate, lower net-worth requirement.

How often does the Georgia General Contractor license renew?

Every two years, with the renewal fee due June 30 of even-numbered years. The current General Contractor rule requires the fee and renewal disclosures about insurance, financial status, and applicable laws; it does not prescribe a General Contractor continuing-education hour requirement.

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