Maryland Roofing License Requirements (2026)

Maryland does not issue a separate statewide roofing trade license. A business that contracts with an owner for covered residential roofing work needs a Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC) contractor license. “Home improvement” includes repair, alteration, improvement, or replacement of a residence or an adjacent structure; the statute excludes new-home construction, work on apartment buildings with four or more single-family units, and common condominium areas. MHIC does not replace local building permits. Commercial and new-home work sit outside the MHIC definition and may trigger separate local business, construction, permit, or home-builder requirements.

Regulatory Body

Maryland Department of Labor — Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (MD DOL) administers the credential or scope-specific rules discussed here under Maryland Code, Business Regulation and Business Occupations Articles. Whether that pathway applies depends on the work scope and conditions explained below. The Maryland Department of Labor houses the occupational boards that license home improvement contractors, master electricians, plumbers, and HVACR contractors statewide, adopts technical codes by reference, and conducts disciplinary proceedings.

Official portal: https://www.dllr.state.md.us/license/
Address: 1100 North Eutaw Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
Phone: (410) 230-6231

Eligibility Requirements

This guide does not establish a minimum applicant age; confirm any age requirement with the issuing authority. Check the current application for identification and tax-number requirements. Maryland requires an MHIC license for a contractor who solicits or performs covered home-improvement services in Maryland even if the contractor has no Maryland office. Follow the current MHIC business-entity and out-of-state registration instructions.

Good moral character

MHIC considers conviction information relevant to fitness and qualifications, as well as the statutory licensing record and financial-solvency information.

Background investigation

Applicants report felony convictions and directly related misdemeanors and provide the required court record. This audit does not claim a universal fingerprint requirement.

Experience and Education

The applicant must document and verify at least 2 years of MHIC requires proof of at least two years of home-improvement work, construction, and/or related education.. 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

Current MHIC experience documentation and the financial/credit materials required with the license application.

Education substitution

Related education may satisfy the experience component under MHIC’s published requirement; use the current application for the acceptable documentation.

Exam Requirements

The examination requirement has not been established in this record. Confirm it with the authority before applying. Provider or process notes: PSI Examinations for MHIC

Examination fee: PSI examination fee; verify the current amount when scheduling.

Retake policy: MHIC says the first retake requires a 30-day wait and subsequent requests require a 60-day wait; the examination fee is due each time.

Insurance and Bonds

The cited materials impose no contractor license bond for this credential. Bear in mind that specific contracts, permits, or public works can still require their own bonds.

General liability

MHIC requires proof of current $50,000 liability insurance for original and renewal contractor licensing and requires continuous coverage. This is a $50,000 liability-insurance requirement, not the unsupported bodily-injury/property-damage split previously stated.

Workers' compensation

Maintain workers’ compensation coverage when required for the business and workforce. Confirm the project and employer obligations with the Maryland Workers’ Compensation Commission and the current MHIC application.

Additional financial requirements

MHIC evaluates financial solvency using personal assets and a credit report; business assets are not used for that evaluation. An applicant who does not meet the guideline may use a surety bond or indemnitor. This is distinct from the Home Improvement Guaranty Fund assessment.

Fee Schedule

Fee	Amount
Application	$403.75
Initial license	$403.75
Renewal (every 2 years)	$456.25

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 Maryland roofing.

Renewal and Continuing Education

Renewal of the Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC) Contractor License comes due every 2 years. As cited, the renewal fee stands at $456.25. The license has a personal two-year renewal cycle. Current renewal charges for one location are $281.25 application fee plus $175 Guaranty Fund assessment.

Continuing education: The reviewed MHIC contractor materials do not state a continuing-education requirement.

Downloadable Asset

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

Download the PDF roadmap →

Reciprocity

The NASCLA Accredited Examination is not accepted by Maryland for this classification.

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

MHIC states that it does not offer contractor reciprocity with other states; out-of-state contractors still must pass the Maryland exam and qualify for an MHIC license.

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

Roofing Licensing in Neighboring States

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

Delaware Roofing License Requirements — Delaware Contractor Business License and Contractor Registration Certificate
District of Columbia Roofing License Requirements — DC Roofing Contractor Requirements — General Contractor/Construction Manager or Home Improvement Contractor
Pennsylvania Roofing License Requirements — Pennsylvania Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) Registration
Virginia Roofing License Requirements — Virginia Roofing (ROC) Contractor Specialty
West Virginia Roofing License Requirements — West Virginia Contractor License for Roofing Work

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

Confirm that the roofing contract is MHIC-covered. Covered residential work includes roofing. New-home construction, apartment buildings with four or more units, and common condominium areas are outside the statutory home-improvement definition.
Build the qualifying record. Document two years of home-improvement/construction/related education and obtain the credit and financial-solvency material MHIC requires.
Pass the required MHIC examination. The statute requires the contractor applicant to pass MHIC’s examination before filing the license application.
Obtain continuous $50,000 liability insurance. File current proof of the MHIC-required $50,000 coverage and keep it effective.
File the original MHIC contractor application. Current original charges are $281.25 application fee, $100 Guaranty Fund assessment, and $22.50 processing fee, totaling $403.75 for one location.
Use a statutory home-improvement contract. Use the written, signed agreement and all notices, scope, consideration, payment, and consumer-protection content required by §8-501 before work begins.
Obtain local approvals and renew personally. Licenses run for two years from issuance and have individual renewal dates. Local permit, inspection, and other business requirements still apply.

Application Checklist

These are the pieces to lock down before filing with MD DOL:

Two years of documented home-improvement/construction/related education
MHIC examination pass before the license application
Personal financial-solvency and credit-report materials
$50,000 current MHIC liability insurance
Original MHIC contractor application and current charges
Written contract compliant with Md. Code, Business Regulation §8-501
Local permit, inspection, and business-license review

Common Filing Mistakes

Based on the board's own instructions and the sources cited here, the problems below are what most often stall a Maryland Roofing application.

Calling all residential-looking work MHIC work

Check the statutory exclusions for new homes, larger apartment buildings, and common condominium areas before relying on the MHIC scope.

Applying before passing the examination

§8-302 requires the contractor applicant to pass the MHIC examination before submitting the license application.

Ignoring financial solvency

MHIC evaluates personal assets and credit information; a surety bond or indemnitor may be needed if the guideline is not met.

Using a thin contract

§8-501 requires a written, signed contract with specified contact, licensing, scope, price, payment, and consumer notices.

Treating MHIC as a permit

MHIC licensing does not replace the building official’s permit, code, and inspection process.

Study and Reference Materials

The references below are either cited by the board, used during the application, or standard preparation for the trade. They are listed purely for convenience — CLR earns no commission on any of them.

MHIC Contractor Study Guide and Candidate Information — Maryland Home Improvement Commission / PSI. Use the current bulletin linked by MHIC for test content and scheduling.
Maryland Business Regulation Title 8 — Maryland General Assembly. Home-improvement definitions, licensing, and contract duties.
MHIC Licensing FAQs — Maryland Department of Labor. Current agency guidance on solvency, out-of-state work, and exam timing.

Other Maryland Trade Licenses

Should the Roofing path not apply, these other Maryland trade guides from CLR may help:

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Maryland require a roofing license?

There is no separate statewide roofing credential. An MHIC contractor license is required for covered residential roofing contracts with an owner.

What work is outside MHIC?

The statutory definition excludes construction of a new home, work on apartment buildings with four or more single-family units, and common condominium areas. That does not eliminate local permits or other business requirements.

How much does an original MHIC contractor license cost?

For one location, MHIC lists a $281.25 application fee, $100 Guaranty Fund assessment, and $22.50 processing fee: $403.75, plus the examination and other business costs.

What insurance does MHIC require?

MHIC requires current $50,000 liability insurance at original and renewal licensing and requires the policy to remain effective.

Does MHIC offer reciprocity?

No. MHIC says contractors from another state still need to pass the Maryland exam and obtain an MHIC license.

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

Report a correction to this guide

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.