Georgia Solar License Requirements

Georgia issues no standalone solar contractor license. Solar PV is electrical work under O.C.G.A. Title 43, Chapter 14 and requires an appropriately scoped Georgia Electrical Contractor license from the Construction Industry Licensing Board. Under the 2026 statute, Class I is restricted to specified residential structures with single-phase installations not exceeding 400 amperes at the service drop or lateral; Class II is unrestricted. Solar thermal work can implicate plumbing requirements. Local permits and utility interconnection requirements still apply.

Regulatory Body

Georgia Construction Industry Licensing Board (within the Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division) (GA CILB) is the statutory authority responsible for issuing and enforcing this license under Official Code of Georgia Annotated (O.C.G.A.) Title 43 Chapter 14 (electrical, plumbing, conditioned air, low-voltage, utility); Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Chapter 121. The Georgia CILB licenses electrical contractors, plumbers, conditioned air contractors, low-voltage contractors, and utility contractors statewide. The Board adopts the National Electrical Code, International Plumbing Code, and International Mechanical Code by reference. General contractors are licensed by a separate body — the State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors (SLBRGC).

Official portal: https://sos.ga.gov/georgia-construction-industry-licensing-board
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

Board reviews criminal history under O.C.G.A. §43-14-8.

Background investigation

Mandatory criminal history disclosure on the application.

Experience and Education

At least 3 years of Class I normally requires three years of qualifying full-time electrical experience; Class II normally requires four years, including two years of qualifying three-phase work. The statute provides separate diploma and approved-apprenticeship pathways. has to be evidenced and confirmed. Retain payroll, tax, project, or supervisor records, since the board may audit the experience claimed.

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

Three completed reference forms, including at least one from a licensed electrical contractor
Signed, sworn experience affidavit(s) supporting the Class I or Class II pathway
Secure and Verifiable Document and affidavit of lawful presence

Education substitution

The 2026 statute provides different diploma, certificate, and approved-apprenticeship pathways for Class I and Class II. Check the Board’s current electrical application before selecting a route.

Exam Requirements

Testing provider or authority: PSI Services LLC. 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 Electrical Contractor Class I Restricted or Class II Unrestricted examination (two parts) — 140 questions, 480 minutes, passing score 70%

Examination fee: Confirm the current PSI examination fee after Board approval. The SOS electrical application guide separately lists a $110 application fee.

Retake policy: The Board must approve the application before PSI registration. A missed, late-cancelled, or failed examination requires a new registration and fee.

Insurance and Bonds

No statewide contractor license surety bond is required for this credential in the cited sources. Project-specific, permit, or public-works bonds may still apply, so confirm bonding before bidding a given job.

General liability

No state minimum, but $500,000 commercial general liability is the de facto industry minimum.

Workers' compensation

Workers' compensation insurance is mandatory under O.C.G.A. §34-9-1 et seq. for any business with three or more employees.

Additional financial requirements

No financial statement required.

Fee Schedule

Fee	Amount
Application	$110
Initial license	No separate amount recorded; confirm in the fee guidance
Renewal (every 2 years)	$75

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 solar.

Renewal and Continuing Education

The Georgia — No Standalone Solar License (Electrical Contractor Class I or Class II Unrestricted) runs on a 2 years renewal cycle. The current renewal fee is $75. Licenses renew every two years on June 30 of even-numbered years.

Continuing education: Four hours of CILB-approved continuing education annually.

Downloadable Asset

2026 Georgia Solar License Roadmap (PDF) — a printable step-by-step checklist for the application process.

Download the PDF roadmap →

Reciprocity

For this classification, Georgia does not recognize the NASCLA Accredited Examination.

Reciprocal State	Accepted Exam	Conditions
No formal bilateral reciprocity agreements identified.

The Georgia Board of Electrical Contractors states that it does not currently offer reciprocity (effective May 2026). Do not treat an out-of-state electrical license as an automatic solar-work authorization in Georgia.

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

Solar 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 Solar License Requirements — Alabama Solar Contractor Licensing Guide
Florida Solar License Requirements — Florida Certified or Registered Solar Contractor
North Carolina Solar License Requirements — North Carolina Electrical Contractor License for Solar Photovoltaic Work
South Carolina Solar License Requirements — South Carolina Residential Specialty Contractor Registration — Solar
Tennessee Solar License Requirements — Tennessee Contractor License — S-Solar Panel Installation / CE Electrical Work

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

Choose the electrical credential that matches the project scope. Class I is limited to the 2026 statutory residential, single-phase, and 400-amp boundaries. Use Class II for work outside those limits.
Document the applicable electrical experience pathway. Class I normally requires three years; Class II normally requires four years including qualifying three-phase work. Compile the required references and sworn experience evidence.
Pass the trade and business and law exams at 70%. Both administered by PSI.
Receive the Class I or Class II Electrical Contractor license. Class I remains limited by the statutory residential, single-phase, and service-size boundaries; Class II is unrestricted.
Meet project-specific insurance and permit conditions. The current statewide CILB electrical materials do not state a general-liability minimum, but a local authority, owner, lender, or contract may require coverage.
Earn NABCEP certification (optional but recommended). Voluntary in Georgia but expected by most utilities and incentive programs.
Pull local building and electrical permits per project. Each Georgia jurisdiction requires local permits.

Application Checklist

Before submitting to GA CILB, the applicant should have each of the following ready:

Documentation supporting the applicable Class I or Class II electrical experience pathway
Division of Electrical Contractors application with the current listed $110 fee
Pass the Board-approved Class I or Class II electrical examination
Any insurance required by the local authority, owner, lender, or contract
Workers' compensation coverage
Local building and electrical permits per project
NABCEP certification (recommended)

Common Filing Mistakes

These are the recurring mistakes that most often delay or reject a Georgia Solar application, based on the official instructions cited here.

Using Class I outside its statutory scope

Class I is limited to specified residential structures, single-phase installations, and a 400-amp service limit. Choose Class II for work outside those boundaries.

Skipping local permits

State licensure does not exempt you from city/county building and electrical permits.

Letting workers compensation lapse

Mandatory for any business with three or more employees.

Confusing solar with general contractor scope

A Georgia General Contractor license does not authorize electrical work; you need the Electrical Contractor license.

Forgetting interconnection paperwork

Georgia Power requires a separate interconnection application for every grid-tied system.

Study and Reference Materials

The list below collects the board's cited references and the materials applicants typically study from. CLR is not paid to recommend any of them.

NEC Article 690 — Solar Photovoltaic Systems — NFPA. Primary technical reference.
Georgia Electrical Contractor Candidate Information Bulletin — PSI. Free PDF outlining exam content.
O.C.G.A. §43-14 — State of Georgia. Statutory framework.

Other Georgia Trade Licenses

CLR maintains guides for additional Georgia trades; the published ones are listed here:

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Georgia have a solar license?

No. Solar PV is regulated as electrical work under the Class I or II Electrical Contractor license.

Class I or Class II?

Class I is limited to the residential structures defined by the 2026 statute and to single-phase installations not exceeding 400 amperes at the service drop or lateral. Class II is unrestricted. Select the license based on the actual electrical scope, not the solar label alone.

Is NABCEP required?

No. NABCEP is voluntary in Georgia.

What about solar thermal?

Solar hot water is plumbing work and requires a Georgia Master Plumber license.

Does Georgia reciprocate?

The Georgia Board of Electrical Contractors states that it does not currently offer reciprocity (effective May 2026). Do not rely on old state-pair lists.

Primary Sources

Regulatory requirements on this page are drawn from the official board, statute, and exam-provider materials listed below.

Verified 2026-09-04 · Next scheduled review 2026-12-03

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Corrections and presentation updates

2026-09-30: Corrected examination detection when format details are unpublished and updated the summary layout and requirements score. Source-check dates are unchanged.
2026-09-08: Shared template updated to distinguish unspecified eligibility requirements, retain cost qualifications, and use consistent headings. Source-check dates are unchanged by presentation updates.
2026-09-21: Local-only guides now use a compliance-focused structure and terminology instead of implying a statewide license application. Source-check dates are unchanged by this presentation update.