Virginia Solar License Requirements

Virginia’s Board for Contractors regulates solar-system contracting through the Alternative Energy System (AES) specialty. AES covers alternative and supplemental energy generation systems from the customer’s meter and associated equipment annexed to real property. It expressly does not cover electrical, plumbing, gas-fitting, or HVAC functions: those functions require the corresponding specialty, such as ELE Electrical or PLB Plumbing. The contractor license belongs to the business, not an individual, and every requested specialty needs a qualified individual. Choose Class C for work over $1,000 but below $30,000 per project, Class B for $30,000 to below $150,000, and Class A for $150,000 or more; annual-volume thresholds also apply. Local business licensing and permits remain separate.

Regulatory Body

Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation — Board for Contractors (DPOR) administers and enforces this credential under the authority of 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. Virginia firms must be organized under Virginia law or authorized to transact business in Virginia. DPOR’s application also has a nonresident service-of-process provision.

Good moral character

The application requires disclosure of disciplinary history, felony convictions, recent non-marijuana misdemeanors, and adverse financial history.

Background investigation

DPOR may verify information and request supporting criminal or disciplinary reporting forms; its contractor application does not describe a universal fingerprint requirement.

Experience and Education

The applicant must document and verify at least 2 years of The AES qualified individual needs experience based on license class: two years for Class C, three years for Class B, or five years for Class A. AES also has a technical examination requirement; the regulations list an alternative pathway using ROC qualification by examination plus NABCEP or a board-approved certification.. Keep payroll, tax, project, or supervisor records to support the claim, as the board can request proof for any period within its lookback window.

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

Contractor Experience Verification Form for specialties requiring examination
Evidence of prerequisite certification when using a certification pathway

Education substitution

Do not assume NABCEP alone substitutes for the AES experience and examination path; confirm the proposed qualification route with DPOR before filing.

Exam Requirements

Testing provider or authority: 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:

AES qualified-individual specialty examination — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score: confirm in the current candidate bulletin
Class B or Class A designated-employee examination, when applying for that class — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score: confirm in the current candidate bulletin

Examination fee: DPOR lists PSI fees of $85 for a QI specialty exam; class business-exam fees vary by number of portions.

Retake policy: Obtain current retake rules from PSI and DPOR before scheduling.

Insurance and Bonds

This credential carries no state-level surety bond requirement under the cited sources. Individual jobs may still trigger a permit or public-works bond, which should be verified before bidding.

General liability

DPOR’s contractor application does not state a universal general-liability minimum for AES. Localities, owners, lenders, or utilities may impose their own requirements.

Workers' compensation

Coverage is required when a Virginia employer regularly employs more than two employees. A contractor must count covered subcontractor employees for the statutory-employer analysis.

Additional financial requirements

Class A and B applicants must document $45,000 and $15,000 net worth/equity respectively, or use the applicable Board surety-bond form. Class C does not submit financial documentation.

Fee Schedule

Fee	Amount
Application	$235
Examination	$85
Initial license	$235
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 solar.

Renewal and Continuing Education

Expect to renew the Virginia Alternative Energy Systems (AES) Contractor Specialty every 2 years. Renewal currently costs $250. Contractor licenses expire two years after the issue month. Renewal fees vary by class; the regulation lists Class C $220, Class B $260, and Class A $270, each plus the $30 Recovery Fund assessment, before any applicable technology fee.

Continuing education: DPOR’s contractor page does not state a universal contractor continuing-education requirement; confirm any specialty or disciplinary education requirement with the Board.

Downloadable Asset

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

Download the PDF roadmap →

Reciprocity

Virginia does not accept the NASCLA Accredited Examination for this classification.

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

DPOR’s AES qualification is specialty-specific. Do not treat an out-of-state solar credential as automatic authority to perform AES, electrical, or plumbing work in Virginia.

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

Solar 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 Solar License Requirements — DC Electrical Contractor/Master Electrician Path and DOB Solar Permits
Kentucky Solar License Requirements — Kentucky Solar Installation Requirements — Electrical Contractor and Local Permits
Maryland Solar License Requirements — Maryland MHIC Contractor License and State Electrician Licensing
North Carolina Solar License Requirements — North Carolina Electrical Contractor License for Solar Photovoltaic Work
Tennessee Solar License Requirements — Tennessee Contractor License — S-Solar Panel Installation / CE Electrical Work
West Virginia Solar License Requirements — West Virginia Electrical Contractor and Contractor License Requirements for Solar PV

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

Separate the system scope. Use AES for the alternative-energy system from the customer’s meter, and arrange ELE, PLB, or other properly licensed work for electrical, plumbing, gas-fitting, or HVAC functions.
Choose the contractor class. Class C covers projects over $1,000 and below $30,000; Class B covers $30,000 to below $150,000; Class A covers $150,000 or more. Annual-volume thresholds also apply.
Establish the qualified individual route. Document class-level experience and obtain AES preapproval/examination. Discuss the regulation’s ROC-plus-NABCEP/board-approved-certification alternative with DPOR if relevant.
Complete pre-license education. A responsible-management member or designated employee for every new contractor firm must complete DPOR’s eight-hour pre-license business course.
Meet the class examination and financial requirements. Class A and B also require a designated employee with the applicable business examination and net-worth verification; Class C does not submit financial verification.
Apply as the business. DPOR issues contractor licenses to firms and sole proprietors, not to individual installers. The published initial fees are $235 Class C, $370 Class B, and $385 Class A before any applicable technology fee.
Confirm local licenses and permits. DPOR directs firms to the local Commissioner of the Revenue and Building Official. Obtain the project’s building/electrical permits from the responsible jurisdiction.

Application Checklist

These are the pieces to lock down before filing with DPOR:

AES scope review and corresponding ELE/PLB/HVAC scope assignments
Qualified Individual experience and AES examination preapproval
NABCEP or other prerequisite evidence only if using the applicable AES qualification route
Eight-hour DPOR pre-license education
Class A/B designated-employee examination and financial verification where applicable
DPOR firm application and class-specific fee
Workers’ compensation coverage if the statutory employee threshold is met
Local business license and project permits

Common Filing Mistakes

Based on the board's own instructions and the sources cited here, the problems below are what most often stall a Virginia Solar application.

Using AES as an electrical license

AES expressly excludes electrical functions; identify the ELE-licensed party and the correct permit authority.

Using obsolete class limits

Current general contractor classes use $1,000/$30,000/$150,000 project thresholds and annual-volume thresholds.

Licensing the installer rather than the firm

DPOR contractor licenses are issued to business entities and sole proprietors; every specialty also needs a qualified individual.

Treating NABCEP as a universal waiver

The rule includes NABCEP only in a specific AES alternative pathway; confirm the complete qualifying route with DPOR.

Skipping local requirements

State licensure does not eliminate local business licensing, building permits, or electrical permits.

Study and Reference Materials

What follows are the regulator-cited and commonly used preparation references for this trade. They appear here for convenience only; CLR takes no compensation for them.

Virginia contractor specialty definitions — Virginia Board for Contractors. AES scope and excluded electrical, plumbing, gas-fitting, and HVAC functions.
Virginia AES qualification rule — Virginia Board for Contractors. Qualified-individual prerequisites and technical examination.

Other Virginia Trade Licenses

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Virginia have a solar contractor specialty?

Yes. DPOR defines Alternative Energy System contracting (AES) as installation, repair, or improvement of alternative or supplemental energy generation systems from the customer’s meter.

Does AES allow photovoltaic electrical work?

Not by itself. The AES definition expressly excludes electrical, plumbing, gas-fitting, and HVAC functions. Those portions require the corresponding specialty, such as ELE Electrical.

What class is needed for a solar project?

Class C applies to a project over $1,000 and below $30,000, Class B to $30,000 through below $150,000, and Class A to $150,000 or more; annual volume can also require a higher class.

Is NABCEP required?

NABCEP appears in one AES qualification alternative that also requires ROC qualification by examination. It is not described as a blanket replacement for the AES application requirements.

Are permits statewide?

No. DPOR states that licensed businesses must also comply with local licensing requirements and directs applicants to the local Commissioner of the Revenue and Building Official.

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.