Virginia Painting License Requirements

Virginia licenses firms that contract for covered painting work through the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) Board for Contractors. The firm selects the Painting and Wallcovering (PTC) specialty and a Class A, B, or C license based on the value of its work. Under Va. Code § 54.1-1100, Class C covers a project over $1,000 but below $30,000 and annual work below $250,000; Class B covers $30,000 to below $150,000 per project or $250,000 to below $1 million annually; Class A applies at $150,000 per project or $1 million annually. The license is a firm credential, with a qualified individual for the specialty.

Regulatory Body

Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation — Board for Contractors (DPOR) is the statutory authority responsible for issuing and enforcing this license under Code of Virginia Title 54.1 Chapter 11; 18 VAC 50-22 (Board for Contractors regulations). DPOR Board for Contractors licenses general and specialty contractors statewide, adopts the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code by reference, and conducts disciplinary proceedings.

Official portal: https://www.dpor.virginia.gov/Boards/Contractors/
Address: 9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 400, Richmond, VA 23233
Phone: (804) 367-8511

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must be at least 18 years old. Applicants must provide a Social Security Number. The contractor rules use firm, responsible-management, designated-employee, and qualified-individual criteria rather than a Virginia-residency requirement. Confirm any separate entity-registration requirements with the Virginia State Corporation Commission.

Good moral character

The application disclosures cover all felony convictions and non-marijuana misdemeanor convictions from the preceding three years, along with applicable contractor-license history and discipline.

Background investigation

Provide the disclosures required by 18 VAC 50-22 for the firm and the people identified in the applicable Class A, B, or C rule.

Experience and Education

A minimum of 1 year of The PTC qualified individual needs at least 1 year of specialty experience for Class C, 3 years for Class B, or 5 years for Class A. The qualified individual must be a full-time employee or a member of the firm’s responsible management. must be documented and verified. Unless the board publishes a different lookback period, applicants should keep payroll, tax, project, or supervisor records that support the claimed experience.

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

Documentation acceptable to DPOR showing the qualified individual meets the required PTC experience for the class sought
Board-approved pre-license education completion by the required responsible-management member or designated employee
For Class A or B, the required financial verification or the permitted surety-bond alternative

Exam Requirements

Testing provider or authority: Virginia DPOR Board for Contractors / PSI. 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:

Class A or B contractor business examination for the designated employee — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score: confirm in the current candidate bulletin
Painting and Wallcovering (PTC) qualified-individual specialty examination — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score: confirm in the current candidate bulletin

Examination fee: DPOR lists PSI charges of $40 for one portion, $72 for two portions, $85 for three portions, and $85 for a QI specialty examination. Confirm the required combination for the class and PTC application.

Retake policy: Use the current PSI candidate bulletin and DPOR examination instructions; do not rely on older fixed waiting-period claims.

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

The current Class A, B, and C contractor-entry rules do not set a PTC general-liability minimum. Contract owners, local requirements, and the business’s risk profile may require coverage separately.

Workers' compensation

Workers' compensation obligations are separate from DPOR’s contractor-class entry rules. Verify current Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission requirements for the firm’s workforce and work arrangement.

Additional financial requirements

Class B requires at least $15,000 net worth or equity; Class A requires $45,000. DPOR permits a $50,000 surety bond on the Board form instead. Class C has no Class A/B financial-verification requirement.

Fee Schedule

Fee	Amount
Application	$235
Examination	$85
Initial license	$25
Renewal (every 2 years)	$250

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 Virginia painting.

Renewal and Continuing Education

The Virginia Class A/B/C Contractor License — Painting and Wallcovering Specialty (PTC) must be renewed every 2 years. The fee to renew is presently $250. Licenses expire two years from the last day of the month issued. They are not valid during the 30-day period for submitting a renewal; after that period, reinstatement rules apply.

Continuing education: The current contractor renewal rule requires continued Class A/B/C qualifications and the renewal form and fee; it does not list a routine continuing-education hour requirement for PTC contractor-firm renewal.

Downloadable Asset

2026 Virginia Painting License Roadmap (PDF) — a printable step-by-step checklist for the application process.

Download the PDF roadmap →

Reciprocity

Virginia grants no NASCLA reciprocity for this classification.

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

The Board says firms may qualify under a reciprocal agreement or substantial equivalency. Its published agreement list identifies North Carolina RBC/CBC examination waivers and an Ohio business-law/advanced-law waiver, not a PTC-specific agreement. Submit a complete application and out-of-state verification for any reciprocity request.

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

Painting Licensing in Neighboring States

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

District of Columbia Painting License Requirements — DC Home Improvement Contractor or General Contractor BBL, With Conditional Lead Credentials
Kentucky Painting License Requirements — Kentucky Painting Contractor Requirements — Local Rules and EPA RRP
Maryland Painting License Requirements — Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC) License — Painting Scope
North Carolina Painting License Requirements — North Carolina Painting Contractor Requirements (General Contracting, Lead RRP, and Local Rules)
Tennessee Painting License Requirements — Tennessee BC-11 Painting and Interior Decorating Contractor Guide
West Virginia Painting License Requirements — West Virginia Painting Contractor — No State Trade License

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

Form business entity with VA SCC. Register LLC/corporation and obtain EIN.
Choose license class A/B/C. Class C is over $1,000 to below $30,000 per project and under $250,000 annually; Class B is $30,000 to below $150,000 or $250,000 to below $1 million; Class A begins at $150,000 or $1 million.
Designate a Qualified Individual with required experience. The PTC qualifier needs 1/3/5 years for Class C/B/A and must be a full-time employee or responsible-management member.
Complete the pre-license course. DPOR currently requires eight hours for every new Class A, B, or C contractor license; the required participant differs by class.
Complete the applicable PSI examinations. Classes A and B require the contractor business exam for the designated employee. The PTC qualified individual takes the specialty exam applicable to the specialty.
Submit DPOR application with PTC specialty. Initial state fees are $235/$380/$400 for C/B/A, plus the $25 Contractor Transaction Recovery Fund assessment. Class A and B also need financial verification or the permitted surety-bond alternative.
Meet project-specific requirements. Confirm permits, contract requirements, insurance, and any federal renovation rule that applies before starting.

Application Checklist

Have each of the following squared away before the packet goes to DPOR:

PTC specialty and the correct Class A, B, or C value range
Qualified individual with 1, 3, or 5 years of PTC experience by class
Eight-hour DPOR pre-license education completion
Applicable DPOR/PSI business and PTC specialty examination results
Class A/B financial verification or the permitted $50,000 surety bond alternative
Current DPOR contractor-firm application and Recovery Fund assessment
Project-specific permits, contract requirements, and insurance

Common Filing Mistakes

The errors below are the ones that most frequently cost Virginia Painting applicants time, drawn from the cited board guidance.

Using the former class limits

Virginia’s current limits are $30,000/$150,000 per project and $250,000/$1 million annual breakpoints, with Class C beginning above $1,000.

Using a Class C qualifier with two years as the stated minimum

The current Class C rule requires one year of specialty experience; Class B and A require three and five years.

Assuming every applicant takes the same business exam

The business examination is a Class A/B designated-employee requirement. Confirm the separate specialty-exam requirement for the PTC qualified individual.

Bidding or working without the required class

Contracting without a license or the proper class is a Class 1 misdemeanor and may carry a civil penalty of up to $500 per day.

Treating the 30-day renewal period as active licensure

DPOR states that the license is not valid after expiration, even during the 30-day period in which renewal may be completed without reinstatement.

Study and Reference Materials

The following references are cited by the regulator, used in the application process, or commonly used to prepare for the trade scope. Listed for reader convenience; CLR receives no compensation for these recommendations.

DPOR Board for Contractors examination information — Virginia DPOR. Use the current DPOR/PSI candidate information bulletin for the required PTC and business examination materials.
Virginia contractor statutes and regulations — Virginia General Assembly / DPOR. Use Title 54.1, Chapter 11 and 18 VAC 50-22 for licensing scope, qualifications, fees, and renewal.

Other Virginia Trade Licenses

For a different Virginia credential, see these companion guides published by CLR:

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Virginia require a state painting contractor license?

A firm contracting for covered painting work above the Class C threshold needs a Virginia contractor license with the PTC specialty. The statutory Class C project range starts above $1,000.

What are Virginia’s current contractor class limits?

Class C is over $1,000 to below $30,000 per project and under $250,000 annually. Class B is $30,000 to below $150,000 per project or $250,000 to below $1 million annually. Class A begins at $150,000 per project or $1 million annually.

How much experience does the PTC qualifier need?

The Board rules require at least one year for Class C, three years for Class B, and five years for Class A in the specialty sought.

Are exams required?

Classes A and B require the contractor business examination for the designated employee. The PTC qualified individual must complete the Board-approved specialty examination applicable to the specialty; verify the current PSI bulletin before scheduling.

How much does renewal cost?

The two-year renewal charge is $250 for Class C, $290 for Class B, and $300 for Class A, each including the $30 Recovery Fund assessment.

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.