New Hampshire Contractor Licensing

Trade-by-trade licensing requirements for New Hampshire, sourced directly from the state regulatory board and maintained by Gabriel Giner, editor. We currently publish 18 published trade guides, with direct links to each underlying board, statute, or exam-provider resource.

Choose your trade

General Contractor
New Hampshire General Contractor (local permits and state trade licensing)
Verified 2026-09-04
View full report →
Electrician
New Hampshire Master Electrician License
Verified 2026-09-04
View full report →
Plumber
New Hampshire Apprentice, Journeyman, and Master Plumber License
Verified 2026-09-04
View full report →
HVAC Technician
New Hampshire Fuel Gas Fitter Specialty License (HVAC gas work)
Verified 2026-09-04
View full report →
Roofing Contractor
New Hampshire Roofing Contractor Requirements (Local Permits and Consumer Law)
Verified 2026-09-04
View full report →
Painting Contractor
New Hampshire Painting — No State Painting License
Verified 2026-09-04
View full report →
Landscaping Contractor
New Hampshire Landscaping — No General State Trade License
Verified 2026-09-04
View full report →
Masonry Contractor
New Hampshire Masonry — No General State Trade License
Verified 2026-09-04
View full report →
Concrete Contractor
New Hampshire Concrete Contractor — No Standalone State Concrete License
Verified 2026-09-08
View full report →
Carpentry Contractor
New Hampshire Carpentry — No State Carpentry License
Verified 2026-09-04
View full report →
Solar Installer
New Hampshire Master Electrician / Electrical Business License for Solar PV
Verified 2026-09-04
View full report →
Low-Voltage Technician
New Hampshire Low-Voltage Electrical and Fire-Alarm Requirements
Verified 2026-09-04
View full report →
Fire Sprinkler Contractor
New Hampshire Fire Sprinkler Certification and Permit Requirements
Verified 2026-09-04
View full report →
Home Inspector
Home Inspector License
Verified 2026-09-30
View full report →
Pool Contractor
No state swimming pool & spa construction contractor license (New Hampshire does not license pool-building, general, or residential contractors at the state level)
Verified 2026-07-10
View full report →
Handyman
No state contractor or handyman license (trade-specific licenses only)
Verified 2026-07-17
View full report →
Pest Control
Commercial Pesticide Applicator License (for hire)
Verified 2026-07-28
View full report →
Septic Contractor
Septic system installer permit
Verified 2026-09-30
View full report →

Published guides: 18
Exam-backed: 6
Bond-backed: 0
Local / municipal: 16
Avg initial fee: $126

How licensing works in New Hampshire

New Hampshire is not a one-size-fits-all licensing market. Across the 18 guides currently live on this state hub, 6 require a formal trade examination and 0 require a surety bond before the credential can issue. 16 of the published entries rely on city, county, or municipal registration rather than a single statewide credential, so contractors need to confirm the local building department or business-license office before bidding work.

The point of this state page is to give you a fast read on the regulatory model before you dive into a specific trade. Start with the trades grid below if you already know your specialty. If you are comparing jurisdictions, use the cost calculator for first-year cost and the reciprocity matrix for license portability.

Main boards and agencies

New Hampshire local building-code enforcement authorities
Municipal enforcement agencies administer most building-code enforcement and project permits; the State Fire Marshal has the statutory roles stated in RSA 155-A.
Open agency site
New Hampshire Electricians’ Board
Administers statewide electrician, apprentice, high/medium-voltage, and qualifying electrical-business licensure through the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification.
Open agency site
New Hampshire Mechanical Licensing Board
The Board licenses New Hampshire fuel-gas-fitter specialties and mechanical business entities; it also administers voluntary oil-heating certification.
Open agency site
New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) — trade boards
New Hampshire does not license general contractors at the state level. Trade boards under the OPLC umbrella license individual electricians, plumbers, and gas fitters statewide. Mechanical/HVAC work intersects the Gas Fitters Board (for fuel gas piping) and local mechanical permitting; pure HVAC ductwork is not separately state-licensed. New Hampshire is unusual in the Northeast for combining strict individual trade licensing with no general contractor license at all — accountability for general construction sits at the municipal building department and through civil contract law. Home improvement contractors are not registered or bonded by the state; consumer protection runs through RSA 358-A (Consumer Protection Act) enforced by the Attorney General. Always confirm current rules with OPLC and the local building official before bidding work. Overview of the New Hampshire licensing landscape: New Hampshire takes a deliberately light-touch approach to construction trades regulation compared to its neighbors. There is no statewide general contractor license, no statewide home improvement contractor registration program (unlike Massachusetts HIC or Rhode Island contractor registration), and no statewide building permit. Instead, the state relies on three pillars. First, the building code: New Hampshire adopted the State Building Code under RSA 155-A, which incorporates the International Building Code, International Residential Code, International Mechanical Code, International Plumbing Code, International Energy Conservation Code, and the National Electrical Code by reference. The State Fire Marshal enforces the State Building Code in jurisdictions that have not adopted local enforcement, while most populated municipalities run their own building departments and issue their own permits. Second, individual trade licensing: the Electricians Board, the Plumbers Board, and the Mechanical Licensing Board (Gas Fitters) license journeyman and master tradespeople under their respective statutes. These licenses are personal to the individual and follow the worker between jobs and between employers. Third, consumer protection law: home improvement disputes are handled through RSA 358-A and standard contract law, not through a state license bond pool. What this means in practice for contractors: a self-employed builder in New Hampshire can legally bid and build a single-family home without any state-issued license, provided every electrical worker on site holds a current Electricians Board license, every plumber holds a current Plumbers Board license, every gas fitter holds a current Gas Fitters Board license, the project clears the local building department permit, and the work passes all required inspections. The contractor may still need a federal EIN, state business registration with the Secretary of State, business profits and enterprise tax accounts with the New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration, and (if hiring) workers compensation coverage under RSA 281-A. The Department of Labor enforces workers compensation aggressively, and uninsured employers face stop-work orders. Municipal nuances matter. Manchester, Nashua, Concord, Portsmouth, Dover, and Keene each operate full building departments with their own permit application packets, contractor sign-in requirements, and inspection schedules. Some towns require the contractor to be listed on the permit; some require proof of insurance before issuing the permit; a few smaller towns have no building inspector at all and rely on the State Fire Marshal. Always call the building department before assuming a project does not need a permit. Electrical and plumbing permits are typically pulled by the licensed tradesperson, not the general contractor, and the inspection is performed by the municipal inspector or by the State Electrical or State Plumbing inspector in unincorporated areas. Reciprocity is meaningful here. The Electricians Board holds reciprocal agreements with several New England states for master and journeyman credentials, as does the Plumbers Board. The Mechanical Licensing Board recognizes equivalent gas fitter credentials from neighboring states on a case-by-case basis. Reciprocal applicants still pay New Hampshire fees, submit a New Hampshire application, and in most cases sit for the New Hampshire-specific portion or the full New Hampshire exam. Renewal cycles vary by board (electricians and plumbers renew on a three-year cycle; gas fitters renew on a two-year cycle), and continuing education requirements are set by each board. Because New Hampshire publishes most rules and forms only on the OPLC website and the General Court statute pages, contractors should bookmark oplc.nh.gov and gc.nh.gov and check both before paying any fee or scheduling an exam. Rates and fee amounts in this guide should be confirmed directly with the relevant board before submitting payment.
Open agency site
New Hampshire Electricians’ Board / Office of Professional Licensure and Certification
The Electricians’ Board licenses master and journeyman electricians and electrical business entities statewide. Municipalities retain project permit and inspection authority.
Open agency site
New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food and Department of Environmental Services
NHDAMF administers pesticide-applicator registration. NHDES administers state shoreland and wetlands requirements. City and town authorities administer their own permits and land-use rules.
Open agency site
New Hampshire local building enforcement authorities; State Building Code Review Board
Sets the state building-code and permit framework; municipalities enforce their local permit process and New Hampshire has no concrete trade credential.
Open agency site
New Hampshire State Fire Marshal and local authorities having jurisdiction
Saf-C 1200 provides optional firm and individual fire-protection-equipment certification. State and local authorities enforce applicable fire/building codes and administer permits/inspections.
Open agency site
New Hampshire Electricians’ Board and State Fire Marshal
OPLC licenses electricians. The State Fire Marshal administers the voluntary fire-protection-equipment certification program and state fire code. Municipalities administer most building permits and local enforcement.
Open agency site
New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food, Division of Pesticide Control (rules set by the NH Pesticide Control Board)
State agency that certifies and licenses commercial pesticide applicators (including structural pest control), administers the certification exams, sets the for-hire insurance requirement, and manages recertification under RSA 430 and the Pes 100–1100 administrative rules.
Open agency site
New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification
New Hampshire has no statewide general-contractor, home-improvement, or handyman license. OPLC administers the individual trade boards (Electricians; Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board, which regulates both plumbers and fuel gas fitters) that license the carved-out trades. No state board licenses general handyman or home-repair work.
Open agency site
New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC)
OPLC administers New Hampshire's 50+ occupational licensing boards but issues NO swimming-pool, general, or residential contractor license. Its trade boards cover only electricians, plumbing/mechanical safety, gas fitting, and fuel oil. For PUBLIC pool and spa construction, the controlling authority is instead the NH Department of Environmental Services (NHDES), which requires design-review approval of the facility before construction under RSA 485-A:26 and rule Env-Wq 1100. No state agency licenses pool-construction contractors; local municipalities control building permits.
Open agency site
New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification, Board of Home Inspectors
State licensing board within the OPLC that licenses home inspectors and sets the standards of practice, education, examination, and continuing education requirements for the profession in New Hampshire.
Open agency site
New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services
Use the cited agency guidance for the named installer pathway and the authority responsible for each project.
Open agency site

Compare New Hampshire against other states

Every trade above also has a national comparison hub showing how New Hampshire's exam, bond, fee, and experience requirements stack up against the other 50 jurisdictions.

States bordering New Hampshire

Licensing rules change at the state line. Contractors bidding work across the border should review the neighboring hub before assuming New Hampshire's requirements carry over.

Best starting points in New Hampshire

Budget

Estimate first-year cost

Compare filing fees, bond premiums, insurance assumptions, and renewal cost before you apply.

Mobility

Check reciprocity pathways

See whether this state accepts NASCLA or uses bilateral reciprocity for the trade you hold now.

Research

Search related guides

Jump directly to linked state and trade pages if you are comparing multiple jurisdictions side by side.