In the State of Louisiana, General Contractor licensing is handled by the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors. The Board requires all contractors to hold a license if they are working on commercial projects worth $50,000 or more. In a residential setting, contractors are required to hold a license to work on any project over $75,000.
Contractors must complete an application and pass a qualifying examination to obtain a General Contractor’s license in the State of Louisiana.
License Classifications in Louisiana
The Board offers three major license classifications for general contractors in Louisiana:
- Commercial License
- Residential License
- Mold Remediation License
There are also several other specialty license classifications. For more information about specialty classifications, visit the link below and click on “Classifications List”:
http://www.lacontractor.org/commercial.htm
The Board also offers Home Improvement Contractor Registration for contractors who want to bid on smaller projects between $1500 and $75,000. For more information on Home Improvement Contractor Registration, refer to the State of Louisiana Contractors Licensing Law and Rules and Regulations:
http://www.lslbc.louisiana.gov/pdf/law/Blue_Book.pdf
Process to Obtain a Commercial, Residential or Mold Remediation Contractor’s License in Louisiana
- All applicants must prove a minimum of $10,000 in assets.
- Applicants must download and print a copy of the application. Fill out the application and have a financial statement prepared. Sign and notarize the application
- Applicants must mail the application, supporting documents and fees to the Board and await approval to register for the exam
- Applicants must register for and take a 2-part exam covering Business, Law and Project Management; and the Trade of general contracting
- Applicants must pass both portions of the exam with a minimum score of 70% to receive their license
Preparing to Submit an Application
Contractors must download and print a copy of the Application for Original Contractor’s License. For a copy of the application, click the link below:
http://www.lacontractor.org/pdf/application/application.pdf?t=%3C?%20echo%20time()%20?%3E
All information the applicant provides must be truthful and accurate. Fill out and complete the entire application. Do not skip questions. If an answer is not applicable, indicate, N/A. If additional information is important, and there is not enough room on the application, attach a separate sheet of paper.
The top of the application will ask contractors to indicate whether they are applying for a Commercial, Residential or Mold Remediation License. Section 1 asks contractors to indicate the type of business that they plan to operate. Contractors have a choice of applying as:
- Sole Proprietor
- General Partnership
- Limited Partnership
- Limited Liability Partnership (LLP)
- Limited Liability Company
- Corporation
Depending on the contractor’s business type, the following documents must be submitted along with the application:
- Sole Proprietor- No additional documents
- LLPs, General and Limited Partnership- a copy of the general partnership agreement
- LLC- a copy of the Articles of Organization
- Corporation- a copy of the Articles of Incorporation
All businesses must choose someone within their company to act as a qualifying party. The qualifying party represents the business by meeting the qualifications and taking the exam on behalf of the business. The following people may act as the qualifying party:
- Sole Proprietor
- Spouse of Sole Proprietor
- Partner in Partnership
- Original LLC Member
- Original Incorporator
- Full-time Employee
Additional documents are required and must be submitted along with the application if any of the people listed plan to act as a qualifying party. For more information on qualifying parties and required documentation, please visit the link below. Look for the bold heading “Applications and Licensing” and click on the link for the question; “Who is eligible to be a qualifying party?”:
http://www.lacontractor.org/pdf/application/application.pdf?t=%3C?%20echo%20time()%20?%3E
Businesses are also required to include a certificate of good standing, indicating that they have registered with the Louisiana Secretary of State. For more information, contact the Secretary of State at: (225)-925-4704
Additionally, the qualifying party is responsible for filling out the Qualifying Party Form in Section 6 of the application. This includes the qualifying party signing the form and having their signature notarized.
All applicants are required to have an unaudited financial statement prepared for them by an independent auditor. Information about the financial statement is found in Section 7 of the application. The financial statement should indicate that the contractor has at least $10,000 in assets. The information provided should be current and within the past 12 months. The financial statement must be signed by the preparer, the applicant and a notary public.
For a copy of a sample financial statement, please visit:
http://www.lslbc.louisiana.gov/pdf/sample_financial_statement.pdf
Anyone applying for a Residential or Mold Remediation License is required to have their insurance agent submit proof of general liability and worker’s compensation insurance. Contractors are required to hold general liability insurance in the following amounts:
- Residential Contractors- $100,000
- Mold Remediation Contractors- $50,000
The insurance must be current, up-to-date and free from any lapse in coverage. The applicant’s insurance agent must email a certificate to the Board indicating that the applicant is insured for residential or mold remediation purposes. The certificate must show the applicant’s insurance effective and expiration dates along with the coverage limit. The name on the insurance policy must be the same as the name on the application.
Insurance agents must email proof of insurance to: Insurance@lslbc.louisiana.gov
Email is the method the Board prefers; however, insurance agents may also send proof of insurance to:
State Licensing Board for Contractors
2525 Quail Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
Submitting the Application
Before submitting the application, it is important to double check that all the required information is filled out and all supporting documents are included. All applicants are required to sign the application and have it notarized by a notary public.
When applying for a commercial license, the following people within the business may sign the application:
- President
- Vice President
- Secretary
- Treasurer
There is an application fee of $100 which should be submitted along with the application. The Board accepts personal or company checks, cashier’s check or money order made payable to, “Louisiana State Board for Licensing Contractors.”
If the contractor is applying for any additional license classifications, there are additional fees. Click the link below to see the fees for applying for more than once classification:
http://www.lacontractor.org/fee_schedule.html
Mail the completed, signed and notarized application, along with all the appropriate documents and fees to:
State Board for Licensing Contractors
2525 Quail Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
Missing or incomplete information only delays the process, so be sure that everything is complete before submitting the application. Once the Board approves the application, they will send the contractor an approval notice which provides information on how to register for the exam.
*For additional questions about the application or how to apply, call the Board at: (225)-765-2301
The Examination Process
All applicants should download a copy of the Candidate Information Bulletin, which contains important information about the exam, the topics covered on each test, and suggested study materials. Be sure to go over all the information in the Bulletin.
For a copy of the Candidate Information Bulletin, please visit:
http://www.lacontractor.org/pdf/study-guides/building_construction.pdf
Contractors are required to pass a two-part exam, including:
- Business and Law Exam- approximately 2 hours long
- Trade Classification Exam- approximately 4 hours long
When the Board approves an application, they mail out an exam approval notice, which gives contractors directions for registering for the exam online.
There is a $120 fee for each portion of the exam. There is a $60 fee for the Business and Law Exam Study Guide. Additionally, applicants are required to pay a $75 processing fee per exam when registering for the exam in all testing centers in Louisiana, except the one that is located in Baton Rouge.
After registering for the exam online, applicants will receive an email confirmation which lets them know the date, time and location of their test. Testing centers are located in:
- Baton Rouge
- Bossier City
- New Orleans
- Alexandria
- Lake Charles
On the day of the exam, it is important to arrive at least 15 minutes before the scheduled test. Be sure to bring a government-issued photo ID and the exam approval notice. The exam is a computer-based test, and the exam approval notice will contain the ID numbers needed to access the test in the computer system. The Candidate Information Bulletin also lets examinees know what items are not allowed in the testing center on the day of the exam, such as cell phones.
Contractors are required to pass both portions of the exam with a minimum score of 70%. The computer will indicate whether the examinee has passed or failed the test at the end of the exam. The examinee will not receive a written copy of their exam results.
If the examinee fails one or both portions of the test, they must retake the portion that they failed. Additionally, they must pay $120 per portion of the test that they must re-take, as well as the $75 processing fee per exam.
Once the contractor has passed both portions of the exam, the Board will issue a license.
*For additional information or questions concerning the exam, please contact the Board at: (225)-765-2301
How Long is a Louisiana General Contractor’s License Valid?
A commercial, residential or mold remediation contractor’s license is good for one year in the State of Louisiana. Licenses are set to expire one year from the date that they were issued. When the contractor goes to renew their license they have the option of choosing a one, two or three-year renewal period.
The fee for renewing a Louisiana general contractor’s license is $100. The Board accepts payment in the form of business or personal check made out to “State Board for Licensing Contractors.”
Licenses may be renewed online at:
https://license.lslbc.louisiana.gov/
It is important to fill out all renewal forms and submit the fee before the license is set to expire, to allow time for processing. Contractors face additional fees and penalties if their license is renewed within 15 days of expiration. If the license has been expired for one year or more, the contractor must submit all fees and start the application process over again.
Table of Fees
| FEE | WHAT IS IT FOR? | WHEN IS IT DUE? |
| $100 | Application fee when applying for a commercial, residential or mold remediation license | Upon submitting the application |
| $120 | Cost to take the Trade Classification Examination | Upon registering for the exam |
| $120 | Cost to take the Business and Law Examination | Upon registering for the exam |
| $60 | Business and Law Exam Study Guide | Upon registering for the exam |
| $75 | Processing fee cost per exam when registering to take the test at any center other than Baton Rouge | Upon registering for the exam |
| $100 | License Renewal Fee | When renewing the general contractor’s license |