Mississippi Carpentry License Requirements (2026)

Mississippi regulates qualifying carpentry work through MSBOC. For commercial work over $50,000, contractors and subcontractors need an MSBOC commercial Certificate of Responsibility; MSBOC lists Carpentry and Framing as a test-required specialty classification whose scope includes rough and finish carpentry, framing, formwork, windows, doors, drywall, insulation, siding, and related woodwork. For covered residential work, MSBOC uses Residential Builder for new residential construction over $50,000 and Residential Remodeler for improvements to an existing residence over $10,000. Those residential classifications are not a substitute for commercial licensing on a qualifying commercial contract. The state credential also does not replace city/county permits, code enforcement, business requirements, or specialty licenses for electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and HVAC work.

Regulatory Body

Authority over this credential rests with Mississippi State Board of Contractors (MSBOC), which issues and polices it under Miss. Code Ann. Title 31, Chapter 3; Title 73, Chapter 59.. MSBOC issues commercial Certificates of Responsibility, including the tested Carpentry and Framing specialty classification, and licenses residential builders and remodelers under a separate residential framework.

• Official portal: https://www.msboc.us/classifications/
• Address: 2679 Crane Ridge Drive, Suite C, Jackson, MS 39216
• Phone: (601) 354-6161

Eligibility Requirements

This guide does not establish a minimum applicant age; confirm any age requirement with the issuing authority. Applicants must provide a Social Security Number. MSBOC’s current materials require entity and tax-identification information appropriate to the commercial or residential route. They do not state a blanket Mississippi-residency condition for carpentry applicants; use the current application.

Good moral character

MSBOC’s applications ask the applicant, officers, and qualifying party about licensing discipline, bid rigging, home-repair fraud, and contract-completion history. Answer the current application fully and accurately.

Background investigation

MSBOC uses application disclosures. This audit does not claim a universal fingerprint requirement for carpentry applicants.

Experience and Education

The cited source set does not publish a fixed year-based experience threshold for this credential. The controlling requirement is MSBOC’s commercial rules assess the qualifying party’s experience, ability, completed work, financial condition, personnel, and examination results; they do not publish one universal number of carpentry years. The residential application requests construction experience and at least three completed jobs in each requested classification..

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

• Qualifying-party employment evidence required by MSBOC
• Commercial project list, references, entity/tax records, financial statement, and insurance documentation, as applicable
• Residential project list, three references, proof of employment for the qualifying party, and current residential application documents

Exam Requirements

Testing provider or authority: PSI after MSBOC receives the application and confirms eligibility.. 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:

• Mississippi Law and Business Management examination — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score: confirm in the current candidate bulletin
• Carpentry and Framing trade examination for the commercial specialty classification — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score: confirm in the current candidate bulletin

Examination fee: Verify the current PSI candidate bulletin and MSBOC fee schedule. MSBOC says Law and Business is required for all applicants and Carpentry and Framing is marked test-required; the residential route uses the exam for the requested residential classification.

Retake policy: Follow MSBOC and PSI’s current instructions. The applicant may not schedule until MSBOC sends the qualifying party’s eligibility information to PSI.

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

MSBOC requires proof of current general liability coverage for every license or renewal and MSBOC cancellation notice. Commercial applicants must show at least $300,000 per occurrence and $600,000 aggregate; the Board says there is no residential coverage minimum.

Workers' compensation

MSBOC requests workers’ compensation evidence for applicants with five or more employees. The Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission says employers with five employees regularly employed generally must provide coverage, subject to statutory exceptions.

Additional financial requirements

Commercial Carpentry and Framing applicants use the commercial financial rule: a CPA-reviewed statement from the preceding 12 months and at least $20,000 net worth for a specialty classification. The residential route follows its separate application documents; do not apply the commercial net-worth standard to every residential applicant.

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 Mississippi carpentry.

Renewal and Continuing Education

The Mississippi Carpentry and Framing / Residential Builder or Remodeler runs on a year renewal cycle. No separate statewide renewal fee is listed in the cited sources. MSBOC says licenses are valid for one year and renew annually. Confirm the route-specific renewal fee, financial records, insurance, and qualifying-party information in the current notice.

Continuing education: Each qualifying party for a residential license issued on or after July 1, 2015 needs two MSBOC-approved credit hours to maintain that residential license. The reviewed MSBOC CE source does not state the same general requirement for commercial Carpentry and Framing.

Reciprocity

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

MSBOC says reciprocity can waive an eligible trade exam only; it does not waive the Mississippi application, Law and Business exam, or other Board requirements. Confirm whether a particular Carpentry and Framing or residential classification is covered by the current agreement.

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

Carpentry Licensing in Neighboring States

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

• Alabama Carpentry License Requirements — Alabama Carpentry Contractor Licensing Guide
• Arkansas Carpentry License Requirements — Arkansas Carpentry: Scope-Based Commercial or Residential Contractor Licensing
• Louisiana Carpentry License Requirements — Louisiana Carpentry Contractor License Guide
• Tennessee Carpentry License Requirements — Tennessee Carpentry Contractor License (State Threshold + Local Requirements)

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

1. Classify the contract. Use commercial Carpentry and Framing when the commercial contract is over $50,000. For covered residential work, determine whether Residential Builder or Residential Remodeler applies under the project type and threshold.
2. Confirm the classification scope. MSBOC describes the commercial specialty’s carpentry/framing scope. Do not use it to perform electrical, plumbing, mechanical, or HVAC work that requires another credential.
3. Select the commercial or residential application. Commercial applicants need the Certificate of Responsibility process; residential applicants use the residential application. Gather current entity, tax, qualifying-party, project, reference, insurance, and route-specific records.
4. Prepare commercial financial documentation when required. A commercial specialty applicant needs the current CPA-reviewed financial statement and must meet the applicable net-worth standard.
5. Complete MSBOC/PSI testing. All applicants take Law and Business. MSBOC marks Carpentry and Framing test-required; use the current PSI bulletin after MSBOC authorizes testing.
6. Obtain local project approvals. For work below the commercial threshold and for every project, contact the city or county regarding local contractor, business, permit, plan-review, inspection, and code requirements.
7. Renew and keep the qualifier connected. MSBOC licenses are annual. A departing qualifying party must be reported and replaced within the Board’s stated timeframe; residential qualifying parties also have continuing-education duties.

Application Checklist

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

• Determine whether the work is commercial Carpentry and Framing or a covered Residential Builder/Remodeler project
• Current MSBOC application and qualifying-party employment evidence
• Commercial project/references, CPA-reviewed financial statement, entity/tax records, and insurance when using the commercial route
• Residential project list, three references, entity/tax documents, and insurance when using the residential route
• Mississippi Law and Business plus required trade examination
• Workers’ compensation evidence when applicable
• City/county business, contractor, permit, plan-review, and inspection requirements

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

Common Filing Mistakes

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

Using the residential path for a qualifying commercial contract

Commercial work over $50,000 requires the commercial MSBOC framework. Residential Builder/Remodeler is a separate route.

Assuming general carpentry has no state classification

MSBOC expressly lists Carpentry and Framing as a test-required commercial specialty.

Skipping route-specific documentation

Commercial and residential applications have different financial, project, reference, entity, and tax requirements.

Scheduling PSI before MSBOC authorization

MSBOC must receive the application and notify PSI of the qualifying party’s eligibility before an exam can be scheduled.

Treating MSBOC licensing as a local permit

MSBOC directs contractors to check city/county requirements. A state credential does not replace project permits, inspections, or specialty credentials.

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.

• MSBOC Carpentry and Framing classification — Mississippi State Board of Contractors. Current specialty scope and test-required status.
• MSBOC testing information and PSI Candidate Information Bulletin — MSBOC / PSI. Current application-to-testing sequence, reference lists, and scheduling process.
• MSBOC commercial and residential application materials — Mississippi State Board of Contractors. Use the selected route’s current documentation, financial, insurance, and fee requirements.
• Project authority requirements — City, county, and authority having jurisdiction. Confirm local permits, inspections, code enforcement, and business rules for the project address.

Other Mississippi Trade Licenses

Looking at a different trade? CLR also publishes these Mississippi licensing guides:

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

Frequently Asked Questions

When does Mississippi require a commercial carpentry license?

MSBOC says commercial contractors and subcontractors performing work over $50,000 need a commercial license. Carpentry and Framing is MSBOC’s relevant test-required commercial specialty classification.

What does the Carpentry and Framing classification cover?

MSBOC includes framing, rough and finish carpentry, formwork, windows, doors, drywall, insulation, siding, and related woodwork. Review the current classification description for the full scope.

Which license covers residential carpentry?

For covered work, MSBOC uses Residential Builder for new residential construction over $50,000 and Residential Remodeler for improvements to an existing residence over $10,000. Confirm the exact project classification and any local requirements.

Do all applicants need an exam?

MSBOC says all applicants take Mississippi Law and Business and a trade exam is required when the classification requires one. Carpentry and Framing is marked test-required.

Can I use an out-of-state license instead?

Possibly for a qualifying trade-exam waiver. MSBOC says reciprocity applies only to eligible trade exams; the applicant still must complete the Mississippi application, Law and Business exam, and all other requirements.

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