Massachusetts Construction Supervisor License Requirements (2026)

Massachusetts does not issue a single general-contractor credential. The Construction Supervisor License (CSL), administered by the Office of Public Safety and Inspections (OPSI) and the Board of Building Regulations and Standards, is the credential used to supervise construction regulated by the State Building Code. For most existing, owner-occupied one-to-four-unit residential work, the contractor that solicits, bids on, or performs the work must also hold a separate Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration from the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (OCABR). The credentials are different and are not interchangeable. A CSL or registered design professional generally oversees qualifying construction; municipalities still control permits and may impose additional local requirements.

Regulatory Body

Massachusetts Office of Public Safety and Inspections — Board of Building Regulations and Standards (OPSI/BBRS) administers the credential or scope-specific rules discussed here under M.G.L. c. 143 and 780 CMR 110.R5. Whether that pathway applies depends on the work scope and conditions explained below. OPSI and the Board of Building Regulations and Standards administer Construction Supervisor Licenses. OCABR separately administers Home Improvement Contractor registrations.

Official portal: https://www.mass.gov/construction-supervisor-licensing
Address: One Federal Street, Suite 600, Boston, MA 02110-2012
Phone: (617) 727-3200

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must be at least 18 years old. Applicants must provide a Social Security Number. Massachusetts does not recognize an out-of-state contractor license in place of the Massachusetts CSL; review the current application instructions before applying.

Good moral character

A construction supervisor must be a person of good moral character under 780 CMR 110.R5. Follow the current CSL candidate bulletin for application and documentation requirements.

Background investigation

Use the current CSL application and candidate bulletin for required attestations and eligibility documentation. HIC registration law provides for a criminal-record-information check tied to specified fraud-related convictions.

Experience and Education

Eligibility requires 3 years of at least three years of experience in building construction or design in the field for which the CSL examination is sought, documented and independently verifiable. Payroll, tax, project, and supervisor records are the usual proof the board will accept.

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

Tax forms: W-2, IRS Schedule C, or 1099 forms covering the equivalent of three years of full-time experience
A letter of attestation from an engineer, architect, employer, military supervisor, licensed contractor, or other qualifying person when using that option in the current candidate bulletin

Education substitution

The current PSI CSL bulletin treats a qualifying three- or four-year vocational program or an accredited college degree as one year of experience. A related bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree in architecture, science, engineering, or technology can count as two years; education can count for no more than two years.

Exam Requirements

Testing provider or authority: PSI, the Board’s examination vendor. 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:

Massachusetts Unrestricted Construction Supervisor examination — 75 questions, 240 minutes, passing score 70%

Examination fee: $23 application fee plus $65 examination fee, paid to PSI; both are nonrefundable and nontransferable.

Retake policy: Follow the current PSI/Board CSL candidate bulletin for retesting rules and fees.

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

The CSL materials cited here do not publish a statewide CSL general-liability minimum. A municipality, owner, lender, or contract can separately require insurance.

Workers' compensation

Workers’ compensation is a separate Massachusetts employer obligation. Sole proprietors, LLC members, and LLP partners are not required to insure themselves, but employers should review the Commonwealth’s current coverage rules for their workforce.

Additional financial requirements

There is no CSL financial-statement requirement stated in the cited CSL materials. A new HIC registration requires a $150 registration payment plus a separate Guaranty Fund payment based on employee count.

Fee Schedule

Fee	Amount
Application	$23
Examination	$65
Initial license	$150
Renewal (every 2 years)	$100

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 Massachusetts general contractor.

Renewal and Continuing Education

Expect to renew the Massachusetts Construction Supervisor License (CSL) and Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) Registration every 2 years. Renewal currently costs $100. The original CSL term is three years; subsequent renewals are every two years. HIC registration has its own two-year renewal and $100 renewal payment.

Continuing education: Complete the continuing education applicable to the CSL category before renewal. Current OPSI guidance lists 12 hours for Unrestricted, 10 for Restricted, and 6 for Specialty CSLs per two-year cycle.

Downloadable Asset

2026 Massachusetts General Contractor License Roadmap (PDF) — a printable step-by-step checklist for the application process.

Download the PDF roadmap →

Reciprocity

Massachusetts does not accept the NASCLA Accredited Examination for this classification.

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

Massachusetts states that it does not recognize out-of-state contractor licenses for CSL purposes. Verify any unusual credential situation directly with OPSI before applying.

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 Massachusetts's requirements against the bordering jurisdictions before committing to an application:

Connecticut General Contractor License Requirements — Connecticut Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) Registration and New Home Construction Contractor Registration
New Hampshire General Contractor License Requirements — New Hampshire General Contractor (local permits and state trade licensing)
New York General Contractor License Requirements — New York General Contractor — No State License; Local Requirements Apply
Rhode Island General Contractor License Requirements — Rhode Island General Contractor Registration
Vermont General Contractor License Requirements — Vermont Residential Contractor Registration

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

Identify the work and credential. Use the Commonwealth’s HIC/CSL guidance and check with the local building official. Structural or permit work can require a CSL, while qualifying existing owner-occupied residential contracting also requires HIC registration.
Choose the CSL category. The current code lists Unrestricted, Restricted (one- and two-family), and specialty CSL categories. Choose the category that matches the work to be supervised.
Document qualifying experience. Document at least three years of building-construction or design experience as required by the current candidate bulletin.
Apply and test through PSI. Register for the applicable CSL examination with PSI, using the current 10th-edition candidate materials and required documentation.
Submit the passing score report. After passing, send the score report and any items identified by OPSI/BBRS to complete issuance.
Register as an HIC when the residential scope requires it. Use the MA Contractor Hub for HIC registration. New registrations require the $150 registration payment and the applicable $100–$500 Guaranty Fund payment.
Obtain local permits and trade credentials. Confirm municipal permit requirements and use separately licensed trades where the law requires them.

Application Checklist

The most critical documents or confirmations the applicant should have in hand before filing with OPSI/BBRS:

Select the CSL category that matches the work
Document three years of qualifying construction or design experience
Complete the current PSI CSL registration and examination process
Submit the passing score report and any OPSI-required items
Register as an HIC if the residential work falls within the HIC program
Confirm local permit requirements and required licensed trades

Common Filing Mistakes

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

Treating HIC registration as a CSL

The credentials are separate. HIC registration alone does not replace a CSL where building-code supervision is required.

Using the wrong CSL scope

The Unrestricted CSL covers specified buildings under 35,000 cubic feet and all one- and two-family dwellings and accessory buildings; larger projects generally require a registered design professional.

Assuming an out-of-state license transfers

OPSI says Massachusetts does not recognize out-of-state contractor licenses for this purpose.

Relying on a statewide answer for local permits

The local building official controls permits and may impose additional local requirements.

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.

Massachusetts CSL candidate information bulletin — OPSI / PSI. Use the current bulletin for category-specific examination content, references, procedures, and fees.
Massachusetts State Building Code, 10th Edition — Board of Building Regulations and Standards. CSL testing moved to the 10th Edition beginning January 1, 2025.

Other Massachusetts Trade Licenses

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Massachusetts have a general contractor license?

Not under that name. Massachusetts uses the CSL to supervise qualifying construction under the State Building Code. For qualifying existing owner-occupied one-to-four-unit residential contracting, the contractor also needs separate HIC registration.

What is the difference between a CSL and HIC registration?

A CSL is a building-code supervision credential; HIC is a consumer-protection registration for specified residential contracting. They are not interchangeable, and a project can require both without requiring the same person to hold both.

How much experience is required for a CSL exam?

The Commonwealth says applicants must verify three years of building construction or design experience in the field for which they seek licensure. Consult the current candidate bulletin for acceptable documentation.

Does Massachusetts recognize another state’s contractor license?

OPSI states that Massachusetts does not recognize out-of-state contractor licenses. Applicants should follow the Massachusetts CSL process and confirm any special situation directly with OPSI.

How often does a CSL renew?

A CSL is initially issued for three years and renews every two years. Renewal is $100 and requires the applicable continuing education.

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.