Pennsylvania General Contractor License Requirements (2026)

Pennsylvania does not issue a statewide general contractor license. There is no commercial general contractor license at all — a builder can contract for a commercial project in Pennsylvania without any state credential beyond standard business registration. For residential work, the only statewide filing is Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General under the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act (HICPA, 73 P.S. §517.1 et seq., enacted as Act 132 of 2008). HIC registration is a consumer-protection filing, not a competency license: there is no exam, no experience verification, and no trade testing. It is mandatory for any contractor performing home improvement work on an existing private residence totaling more than $5,000 in a calendar year. New home construction, work under $5,000 annually, and commercial construction are all outside the HIC program. Individual municipalities — most importantly Philadelphia and Pittsburgh — layer their own contractor licensing on top of the state filing, and those local rules are often the binding constraint for anyone actually running jobs.

Regulatory Oversight

Under Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act, 73 P.S. §517.1 et seq. (Act 132 of 2008), Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General — Bureau of Consumer Protection, Home Improvement Contractor Registration (PA OAG HIC) is the body that issues this license and enforces compliance with it. The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General administers the statewide Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration program under HICPA. Pennsylvania does NOT issue a statewide general contractor, electrician, plumber, or HVAC license — all trade licensing happens at the municipal level. HIC registration is a consumer-protection filing, not a competency license: there is no exam, no experience requirement, and no trade testing. It is mandatory for any contractor performing residential home improvement work totaling more than $5,000 in a calendar year.

Official portal: https://hic.attorneygeneral.gov/
Address: Strawberry Square, 14th Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17120
Phone: (717) 772-2425

Who May Apply

To qualify, an applicant must have reached age 18 and hold a valid Social Security Number. No Pennsylvania residency requirement. Out-of-state contractors performing residential work in Pennsylvania must register as HIC.

Good moral character

Applicants must disclose any prior HIC suspension or revocation, any home-improvement-related criminal conviction in the past ten years, and any judgments or bankruptcies. The Attorney General may deny registration for prior HICPA violations or home-improvement fraud.

Background investigation

Self-disclosure on the registration form. The Attorney General may cross-reference the Bureau of Consumer Protection complaint database and may refuse registration based on prior consumer complaints.

Disqualifying conditions

Home improvement fraud under 18 Pa.C.S. §7828
Theft by deception in connection with home improvement work
Prior HIC registration revocation

Required Experience and Education

No fixed number of years of experience is set out in the cited sources for this credential; instead, the controlling requirement is None. HICPA does not require any trade experience, apprenticeship, or demonstration of skill. This is the single most important fact about Pennsylvania contractor licensing: the state does not test or verify competency..

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

No experience documentation required at the state level
Municipal permit-pulling privileges may require proof of experience separately (e.g., Philadelphia)

Education substitution

Not applicable — no experience is required.

Examination Requirements

This credential carries no state-administered written exam under the cited sources. What governs instead is: None at the state level. No exam administered under HICPA.

Examination fee: $0 — no examination exists at the Pennsylvania state level for general contractors.

Retake policy: Not applicable. Municipalities such as Philadelphia impose their own trade exams for specific permit classes but there is no statewide GC exam.

Insurance and Financial Requirements

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

HICPA §517.3 requires every registered HIC to carry and maintain liability insurance covering personal injury of at least $50,000 and property damage of at least $50,000. The AG verifies coverage at registration and at each renewal.

Workers' compensation

Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Act (77 P.S. §1 et seq.) requires coverage for any employer with at least one employee. Sole proprietors with no employees are exempt. Uninsured employment exposes owners to personal criminal liability.

Additional financial requirements

No financial statement or net worth requirement at the state level.

Licensing Fees

Fee	Amount
Application (non-refundable)	$50
Initial license	$50
Renewal (every 2 years)	$50

Keeping the License Current

Renewal of the Pennsylvania Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) Registration comes due every 2 years. As cited, the renewal fee stands at $50. HIC registrations renew every two years. Proof of current liability insurance must be submitted with every renewal.

Continuing education: None required at the state level. HICPA does not impose continuing education.

Downloadable Asset

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

Download the PDF roadmap →

Reciprocity and License Transfer

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

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

There is no reciprocity to have — Pennsylvania does not issue a trade license, so there is nothing for other states to reciprocate with. An out-of-state contractor with a license elsewhere still needs to file PA HIC registration before performing residential work in Pennsylvania.

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

Application Process, Step by Step

Confirm HIC applies to your work. HIC registration is required only if you perform residential home improvement work (repair, replacement, remodeling, alteration, modernization, improvement of an existing private residence) totaling more than $5,000 in a calendar year. New home construction and commercial work are excluded.
Obtain the required $50,000 / $50,000 liability insurance. HICPA §517.3 requires personal injury coverage of at least $50,000 and property damage coverage of at least $50,000 before registration.
Gather required disclosures. Legal business name and all trade names, federal tax ID, list of all owners/officers, any prior HIC registration numbers, and disclosure of any home-improvement-related convictions or prior HIC actions.
File the HIC registration application. Submit online at hic.attorneygeneral.gov or by mail to the Bureau of Consumer Protection with the $50 registration fee.
Receive your HIC number. The Attorney General issues a PA HIC registration number that MUST appear in all advertising, contracts, estimates, receipts, and correspondence.
Meet the HICPA contract requirements. Every home improvement contract over $500 must be written, signed by both parties, contain the HIC number, include a three-day right of rescission, and cap down payments at one-third of the contract price or the cost of special-order materials.
Check local requirements. Philadelphia requires a separate Contractor license and a Business Income and Receipts Tax Account Number. Pittsburgh and several other municipalities impose their own contractor registrations. Confirm the rules in every municipality where you work.

Frequent Application Errors

Working from the cited board instructions, here are the snags most likely to trip up a Pennsylvania General Contractor filing.

Assuming HIC is a competency license

HIC registration verifies no skill, no experience, and no code knowledge. A $50 filing does not qualify anyone to swing a hammer. Clients, GCs, and lenders who assume otherwise get burned constantly.

Ignoring the HICPA contract rules

Every home improvement contract over $500 must be written, contain the HIC number, cap down payments at one-third (plus special-order materials), and include a three-day right of rescission. Non-compliant contracts are unenforceable against the homeowner and expose the contractor to Attorney General enforcement.

Skipping Philadelphia Contractor licensing

The state HIC number does not authorize you to pull permits in Philadelphia. You still need the Philadelphia L&I Contractor license and a Business Income and Receipts Tax account. Working in Philly without these is a common enforcement target.

Forgetting the $5,000 threshold is annual

HICPA covers any contractor whose total residential home improvement work in Pennsylvania exceeds $5,000 per calendar year — not per project. Two $3,000 jobs in the same year triggers the obligation.

Carrying only commercial liability limits

Many contractors carry policies with general aggregate limits but miss the HICPA-specific $50,000 personal injury / $50,000 property damage occurrence minimums. The Attorney General can revoke registration for insurance lapses mid-cycle.

Recommended References

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.

Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act (73 P.S. §517.1 et seq.) — Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The complete HICPA statute including mandatory contract terms, down payment limits, and prohibited conduct. Required reading before filing.
Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (34 Pa. Code Chapter 403) — PA Department of Labor and Industry. Governs all commercial and most residential construction statewide. Enforced locally by certified Code Administrators.
Philadelphia Code Title 4 — Building Construction and Occupancy Code — City of Philadelphia. Essential for anyone building in Philadelphia. Stricter than the statewide UCC in several areas.

Document Checklist

The items below are the ones worth confirming before the application is filed with PA OAG HIC:

☐ Residential work over $5,000/year confirmed as HIC-covered
☐ Liability insurance certificate showing $50,000 personal injury / $50,000 property damage minimums
☐ HIC registration application and $50 fee filed with PA OAG
☐ HIC number displayed on all advertising, contracts, and estimates
☐ Written contracts complying with HICPA §517.7 (down payment cap, three-day rescission, HIC number)
☐ Philadelphia Contractor license and BIRT number (if working in Philadelphia)
☐ Local municipal contractor registrations for every city where jobs will run

Other Pennsylvania Trade Licenses

CLR covers other Pennsylvania trades as well — the published guides below may be more relevant:

Questions Applicants Ask

Does Pennsylvania issue a general contractor license?

No. Pennsylvania does not issue a statewide general contractor license for either commercial or residential construction. The only statewide filing is Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration with the Pennsylvania Attorney General, and only for residential home improvement work over $5,000 per year.

When is HIC registration required?

HIC registration is mandatory for any contractor performing home improvement work on an existing private residence totaling more than $5,000 in a calendar year. New home construction is explicitly excluded. Commercial work is outside the program entirely.

How much does HIC registration cost?

$50 every two years. The filing is administrative — there is no exam fee, no experience review, and no financial statement. The real cost is the HICPA-mandated $50,000 / $50,000 liability insurance policy.

Do I need a license to build a new home in Pennsylvania?

No state license is required. New home construction sits entirely outside the HIC program. You still need local building permits, local contractor registration in many municipalities, and compliance with the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code.

What happens in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh?

Philadelphia requires a separate Contractor license from Licenses and Inspections plus a Business Income and Receipts Tax Account Number before pulling permits. Pittsburgh and several Allegheny County municipalities impose their own registrations. The state HIC number does not replace local licensing.

Primary Sources

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

Verified 2026-05-01 · Next scheduled review 2026-07-30