Handyman License Requirements by State
Performs minor home repairs and maintenance below the state contractor-license threshold. This page currently compares 50 of 51 jurisdictions published jurisdictions for handyman contractors while the remaining states are still being researched and drafted. Every row links to the verified state page with statute citations, fees, exam scope, insurance, and renewal rules.
- Published guides
- 50
- Require trade exam
- 2
- Require surety bond
- 7
- Local / municipal
- 36
- Avg published experience
- 2.0 yr
Comparison table — 50 of 51 jurisdictions
Scroll horizontally on smaller screens. Use the sort control to compare low-fee states, high-bond states, or the jurisdictions with the heaviest published experience requirements. Click any state to open the verified license page.
36 of these published jurisdictions rely on local or municipal licensing instead of a single statewide credential.
| State | License | Exam | Experience | Bond | Initial fee | Renewal | NASCLA | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama Local / municipal | Handyman / Minor-Work Exemption (Home Builders Licensure Board $10,000 residential threshold) | No | — | — | $0 | 1 yr | — | Not applicable for below-threshold handyman work — there is no license process |
| Alaska | Handyman Contractor Registration (Construction Contractor — Handyman, projects $10,000 or less; AS 08.18.071(b)(4) / 12 AAC 21.700) | No | — | $5,000 | $250 | 2 yr | — | — |
| Arizona Local / municipal | Arizona Casual or Minor Work Exemption (A.R.S. §32-1121(A)(14)) | No | — | — | $0 | — | — | Immediate for qualifying exempt work |
| Arkansas Local / municipal | Minor Work Exemption ($2,000 single-family rule, Ark. Code Ann. § 17-25-513) — above $2,000, a Home Improvement Specialty License or Residential Remodeler License is required | No | — | — | $0 | 1 yr | — | Immediate for sub-$2 |
| Colorado Local / municipal | No State License — Local Municipal/County Contractor Licensing Controls (Electrical & Plumbing Licensed by the State) | No | — | — | $0 | — | — | No state licensing timeline — no state credential exists |
| Connecticut | Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) Registration | No | — | — | $220 | 1 yr | — | Typically fast: there is no exam or experience verification |
| Delaware Local / municipal | Delaware Business License (Contractor) — Division of Revenue; no minor-work dollar exemption | No | — | — | $75 | 1 yr | — | — |
| District of Columbia Local / municipal | Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) — Basic Business License endorsement | No | — | $25,000 | $99 | 2 yr | — | Driven by document assembly rather than testing: no exam or experience gate |
| Florida Local / municipal | Florida Handyman — No State License; Chapter 489 Scope Rules | No | — | — | $0 | — | — | Immediate — the exemption is self-executing |
| Georgia Local / municipal | No Georgia handyman license; residential threshold and repair exemption apply | No | — | — | $0 | — | — | No state handyman credential is issued |
| Hawaii Local / municipal | Minor Work Exemption (HRS 444-2(4) $1,500 rule) | No | — | — | $0 | — | — | Immediate — a person may legally begin performing paid jobs at or under $1 |
| Idaho | Minor Work / Casual Exemption (Idaho Contractor Registration Act — under-$2,000 threshold, Idaho Code § 54-5205(2)(f)) | No | — | — | $50 | 2 yr | — | Immediate for handyman work under $2 |
| Illinois Local / municipal | No state handyman/general-contractor license (municipal regulation) — Home Repair and Remodeling Act consumer-protection rules apply (815 ILCS 513) | No | — | — | $0 | — | — | — |
| Indiana Local / municipal | No statewide handyman/contractor license — municipal regulation; statewide Home Improvement Contracts Act (IC 24-5-11) written-contract rule applies | No | — | — | $0 | — | — | No state licensing timeline applies |
| Iowa Local / municipal | Iowa Construction Contractor Registration (Iowa Code Chapter 91C) | No | — | $25,000 | $50 | 1 yr | — | — |
| Kansas Local / municipal | No state contractor/handyman license — municipal (city/county) licensing only | No | — | — | $0 | — | — | — |
| Kentucky Local / municipal | No statewide contractor/handyman license (general home-repair regulated only locally) | No | — | — | $0 | — | — | — |
| Louisiana Local / municipal | Minor-Work Exemption (under $7,500) / LSLBC Home Improvement Registration ($7,500 to under $50,000) | No | — | — | $75 | 1 yr | — | Immediate for sub-$7 |
| Maine Local / municipal | No state handyman or general-contractor license (Home Construction Contracts Act, 10 MRSA ch. 219-A, governs contract form only) | No | — | — | $0 | — | — | — |
| Maryland | Maryland Home Improvement Contractor License (MHIC) — no minor-work dollar exemption | Yes | 2 yr | — | $403.75 | 2 yr | — | — |
| Massachusetts Local / municipal | Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) Registration (with a MGL c.142A §14 minor-work exemption) | No | — | — | $150 | 2 yr | — | — |
| Michigan | Minor Work Exemption — Residential Builder / Maintenance & Alteration Contractor "less than $600" rule (MCL 339.2403) | No | — | — | $0 | 3 yr | — | No lead time to begin sub-$600 handyman work — the exemption is automatic |
| Minnesota | Construction Contractor Registration (Minn. Stat. § 326B.701), combined with the Residential Building Contractor license exemptions — single-special-skill exemption and $15,000 gross-annual-receipts Certificate of Exemption (Minn. Stat. § 326B.805, subd. 6) | No | — | — | $0 | 1 yr | — | The Construction Contractor Registration and the $15 |
| Mississippi Local / municipal | Minor-Work Exemption (MSBOC Residential Remodeler $10,000 threshold) | No | — | — | $0 | — | — | No state processing time for exempt handyman work |
| Missouri Local / municipal | No state license — general contracting and home repair regulated locally (municipal/county) | No | — | — | $0 | — | — | — |
| Montana Local / municipal | Construction Contractor Registration — Minor Work Exemption ($2,500, MCA 37-45-104) | No | — | — | $70 | 2 yr | — | None for exempt handyman work — no waiting period |
| Nebraska Local / municipal | Nebraska Contractor Registration (Contractor Registration Act) — $5,000 annual-earnings exemption | No | — | — | $25 | 1 yr | — | Immediate for sub-threshold handyman work (no filing required) |
| Nevada | Handyman / Minor Work Exemption (NSCB $1,000 repair-and-maintenance rule, NRS 624.031(6)) | No | — | — | $0 | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire Local / municipal | No state contractor or handyman license (trade-specific licenses only) | No | — | — | $0 | — | — | Immediate — a person may begin performing general handyman work at once |
| New Jersey | Home Improvement Contractor (HIC/HICB) Registration | No | — | $10,000 | $110 | 1 yr | — | Processed by the Division of Consumer Affairs upon submitting the application |
| New Mexico | Casual/Minor-Work (Handyman) Exemption under CILA — $7,200/yr, NMSA 1978 § 60-13-3(D)(14) | No | — | — | $0 | 1 yr | — | Immediate — no state license or exam is required for exempt minor work |
| New York Local / municipal | Handyman / Home Improvement — No Statewide License (Local HIC Licensing) | No | — | — | $0 | — | — | Immediate where no local license is required |
| North Carolina Local / municipal | Minor Work Exemption (NCLBGC $40,000 general-contractor threshold) | No | — | — | $0 | — | — | No processing time applies to exempt sub-$40 |
| North Dakota Local / municipal | Minor-Work Exemption (North Dakota $4,000 contractor-license threshold, NDCC 43-07-02) | No | — | — | $0 | — | — | Immediate for handyman work at or below $4 |
| Ohio Local / municipal | No statewide handyman or general-contractor license (Ohio licenses only five commercial trades via OCILB; general home-repair/handyman work is unregulated at the state level and handled locally) | No | — | — | $0 | — | — | — |
| Oklahoma Local / municipal | No state handyman / general-contractor license (Construction Industries Board regulates only plumbing, electrical, mechanical, and roofing) | No | — | — | $0 | — | — | Immediate — with no state licensing process |
| Oregon Local / municipal | Oregon CCB Contractor License — Minor/Casual-Work Exemption (ORS 701.010(4)) | Yes | — | $25,000 | $0 | 2 yr | — | No wait to use the exemption (no application) |
| Pennsylvania | Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) Registration | No | — | — | $0 | 2 yr | — | — |
| Rhode Island | Minor / Casual / Inconsequential Work Exemption (RI Contractor Registration $500 rule, R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-65-2) | No | — | — | $0 | 2 yr | — | Immediate for exempt minor-work handyman activity |
| South Carolina Local / municipal | Minor Work Exemption (Residential Specialty Contractor $500 registration threshold, S.C. Code § 40-59-20(7)) | No | — | — | $0 | — | — | — |
| South Dakota Local / municipal | No state contractor or handyman license (Contractor's Excise Tax License is the only statewide requirement, SDCL ch. 10-46A) | No | — | — | $0 | — | — | Immediate at the state level — no state licensing process exists |
| Tennessee Local / municipal | Minor Work Exemption ($25,000 statewide contractor threshold; Home Improvement Contractor license required in 9 adopting counties for $3,000-$24,999 residential work) | No | — | $10,000 | $0 | 2 yr | — | Immediate for genuinely small handyman jobs — no license |
| Texas Local / municipal | No Texas state handyman or general-contractor license | No | — | — | $0 | — | — | No state handyman-license processing applies |
| Utah | Handyman / Minor-Work Exemption (Utah Construction Trades Licensing Act), with a mandatory DOPL Affirmation of Exemption for work valued over $3,000 and under $7,000 | No | — | — | $0 | 2 yr | — | Under $3 |
| Vermont Local / municipal | Residential Contractor Registration ($10,000 minor-work exemption) | No | — | — | $75 | 2 yr | — | No filing or waiting period for sub-threshold handyman work |
| Virginia | Minor-Work Exemption (Virginia DPOR $1,000 contractor-license threshold, Code of Virginia § 54.1-1100 / § 54.1-1103) | No | — | — | $0 | — | — | None for exempt work |
| Washington | Minor Work Exemption (RCW 18.27.090(9) $500 rule) / Washington L&I Contractor Registration | No | — | $30,000 | $0 | 2 yr | — | Qualifying exempt work requires no contractor registration |
| West Virginia Local / municipal | Minor Work Exemption under the West Virginia Contractor Licensing Act (below $5,000 residential / $25,000 commercial threshold, W. Va. Code §30-42-3) | No | — | — | $0 | — | — | — |
| Wisconsin Local / municipal | No state handyman license — permit-linked Dwelling Contractor / Dwelling Contractor Qualifier credential (Wis. Stat. § 101.654) | No | — | — | $0 | — | — | Immediate — handyman work needs no state processing and may begin at once |
| Wyoming Local / municipal | No State Handyman/Contractor License (Wyoming has no statewide contractor licensing; local city/county registration only) | No | — | — | $0 | — | — | — |
National picture for handyman contractors
Of the 50 jurisdictions currently published in this dataset, 2 require a trade examination administered by PSI, Prometric, NASCLA, Pearson VUE, ICC, or the state board directly. 7 require an explicit surety bond filed with the regulator before the license issues, and 0 accept the NASCLA Accredited Examination as a path toward reciprocal licensure for this line of work. Where the regulator publishes a numeric threshold, the average documented experience requirement is 2 years.
The comparison above is generated at build time directly from the state license entries on this site. Every value is traceable to the regulator's published rule. If you spot a discrepancy, the state page is the source of truth and will be re-verified against the official source set.
Choosing where to license first
- Lowest barrier to entry: sort by initial fee and look closely at rows where Exam = No or the state is marked Local / municipal.
- Strongest reciprocity downstream: states marked NASCLA Accepted, because the same exam can unlock multiple jurisdictions later.
- Lowest upfront cost: focus on combinations with the smallest initial fee and no bond requirement.
- Fastest path to wallet card: compare the Time column, but remember that municipal programs can still involve multiple city registrations.
Related trades
Scope of work overlaps at the edges of every classification. Contractors researching handyman contractors licensing often also need the comparison hub for these adjacent trades:
Related reading
Original cross-state analyses from our dataset that add context to the handyman contractors table above — who runs the exams, where the burden is heaviest, and what a criminal record means for eligibility.
The Contractor Licensing Atlas
What mapping 845 licenses revealed about exam providers, bonds, and where a trade needs no state license at all.
Contractor license difficulty index
Where each state ranks on exam, experience, and bond burden — hardest to easiest.
License costs ranked by state
Cheapest to most expensive states once fees, bond, and first-year insurance are counted.
Licensing with a criminal record
A 50-state look at background checks and which convictions actually block a license.
Data is sourced from the issuing boards' published rules. Latest completed source-check date represented in the dataset: 2026-09-08.