The State of Utah regulates its construction industry by requiring General Contractors to hold a license.  Licenses are issued by the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL).  The DOPL protects the health and welfare of the public by setting standards and requirements for all contractors to meet before they may receive a license.

All contractors must prove that they have the work experience and financial responsibility to operate a construction business in the State of Utah.  Contractors are also required to pass a qualifying exam and hold the proper forms of insurance.  The DOPL also requires that all contractors attend continuing education courses before they may renew their license.

In the State of Utah, licenses are issued to the contractor’s business entity, rather than the individual.  All contractors must choose a person within their business to represent the company and act as a qualifying individual.  The qualifying individual is responsible for meeting the experience requirement, passing the exam and attending continuing education on the business’ behalf.

*A sole proprietor or business owner may act as their own qualifying individual.

License Classifications in Utah

The State of Utah offers 3 different major license classifications for General Contractors, as well as specialty trade classifications.  Major General Contractor license classifications include:

• B100- General Building Contractor License- allows contractors to perform work on buildings and structures of any kind.  This license classification does not allow contractors to perform plumbing, electrical or mechanical work.
• R100- Residential and Small Commercial Contractor License- allows contractors to perform work on residential and small commercial projects, including single and multi-family homes with up to 4 units, and commercial buildings up to 3 stories in height and under 20,000 square feet.  This license classification does not allow contractors to perform plumbing, electrical or mechanical work.
• E100- General Engineering Contractor License- allows contractors to perform construction work on water supply, inland waterway, drainage, irrigation, water power, flood control, sewer, bridges, pier, harbor, railroad, airports and runway, highway, tunnel and foundation projects.  Contractors are also allowed to perform work in chemical and industrial plants.  However, this license classification does not allow contractors to perform work on residential or commercial structures.

The DOPL also offers the following specialty trade classifications for contractors:

• Masonry
• Carpentry
• Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning
• Refrigeration
• Fire Suppression
• Steel Erection

Process to Obtain a General Contractor License in Utah

1. Contractors must have 2 years of work experience in construction, with at least one year in a supervisor or managerial position
2. Contractors must prove that they are financially responsible and able to operate a construction business
3. Contractors must register for, take and pass the Utah Business and Law Exam
4. Contractors must register their business entity with the Utah Division of Corporations, as well as the proper payroll and tax agencies
5. Contractors must obtain general liability and worker’s compensation insurance
6. Contractors must complete and submit an Application for Contractors License to the DOPL along with the appropriate documents and fees, including paying into the Residence Lien Recovery fund

Work Experience Requirement

Before a contractor may apply for their license in the State of Utah, they must be able to prove that they have a minimum of 2 years work experience in contracting or a construction-related industry.  The DOPL requires that one of the 2 years be as a supervisor or manager.

In order for the work experience to count toward the requirement, it must be within the past 10 years.  All work experience must also be verifiable.  Contractors must prove their work experience one of the following ways:

1. Have the previous employer complete Appendix Form B: Affidavit of Qualifying Experience, located inside the application packet.  Applicants must also submit W2s and tax returns that correspond to their work experience.
2. Obtain 4 letters of reference from someone with first-hand knowledge of the contractor’s work experience, such a building official or supplier.  Submit the letters of reference along with the application and corresponding W2s and tax returns.  All letters of reference must be on official letterhead and contain the following information:
   • Name of the applicant/qualifying individual
   • Date range in which the contractor performed construction work
   • Detailed description of the contractor’s work
   • Time frame in which the contractor performed the work: months/weeks/years
   • Information about who the contractor performed the work for
   • Any other supporting details (the more details the better)

*If the contractor is applying for a specialty trade, the work experience provided must be within the trade that they are applying for.  

The Examination

The next step in preparing to apply for a General Contractor’s License is to register for and take the Utah Business and Law Exam.  The exam is administered by PSI Services.  The Business and Law exam is a 120 minute, computer-based test that covers laws and business practices related to contracting in the State of Utah.

*The qualifying individual may take the exam on the business’ behalf.  

All the information needed to register for and take the exam is found in the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin. For a copy of the bulletin, please visit:

https://candidate.psiexams.com/bulletin/display_bulletin.jsp?ro=yes&actionname=83&bulletinid=276&bulletinurl=.pdf

This bulletin contains information on preparing for the test, including study materials and references, as well as sample questions.  It also contains a copy of the exam registration form.

Applicants may register for the exam ONE of the following ways:

• Online- go to the PSI website and follow the link for new user registration: www.psiexams.com
• By Phone- call PSI and use their automated system 24 hours a day.  Representative are standing by to assist callers during regular business hours:
  (800) 733-9267
• Fax- when registering by fax, allow 4 business days for processing.  Fax the registration form and payment information to:
  (702) 932-2666.
• By mail: allow approximately 2 weeks for processing when submitting the exam registration form by mail.  Complete the exam registration form from the Candidate Information Bulletin.  Mail the registration form and payment to:

PSI Licensure: Certification
3210 E Tropicana
Las Vegas, NV 89121

There is a $72 fee to take the exam.  PSI accepts payments in the form of:

• Cashier’s Check or Money Order may payable to “PSI”
• Visa or Mastercard when applying online or by phone or fax

Once PSI accepts the exam registration, it is the applicant’s responsibility to call PSI to schedule their exam once they have registered.   To schedule an exam, call PSI at:  (800) 733-9267

Testing Centers are located in:

• North Salt Lake City
• North Orem (Provo)
• Sunset (Ogden)
• Hurricane (St. George)

On the day of the test, examinees should arrive at least 30 minutes for before their scheduled test to allow time for check-in.  They are also required to bring 2 forms of identification:

1. A government issued photo id with the examinee’s signature; such as a driver’s license or passport
2. Another form of identification with the examinee’s name and signature; such as a credit card or debit card.

Contractors are required to pass the exam with a minimum score of 70%.  Exams scores will appear on the computer screen at the end of the test.  Contractors will also receive a print-out of their exam scores.  It is important to keep the original passing exam score report.  Contractors must submit their score report at the time that they submit their license application.

If the contractor does not pass the exam on the first try, they must wait at least 30 days before they can take the test again.  To re-take the exam the contractor must re-register and pay the exam fee.  PSI allows up to 3 exam re-takes with 30 days in between.  If the contractor is still not successful on the third re-take, they must wait 6 months before they may register for and take the exam again.

Preparing to Submit an Application

All contractors must complete a license application.  The same application is used for all license classifications and specialties.  For a copy of the Application for Contractors License, please visit:

http://www.dopl.utah.gov/apps/contractor2014-08-07.pdf

For additional forms and information, please visit the DOPL website at:

http://www.dopl.utah.gov/licensing/contracting.html

It is important to read the application packet in its entirety and to follow all instructions.  Incomplete or incorrectly filled out applications result in delays in the licensing process, and in some cases, denial of licensure.

Before the contractor may submit their completed license application, they must complete the following steps and gather the following documents:

• All businesses, including partnerships, joint ventures, LLCs and corporations, must register with the Division of Corporations.  The Division of Corporations authorizes businesses to legally operate in the State of Utah.  If the business is a sole proprietor and they are doing business under something other than their legal name, such as an assumed, “doing business as” name, they must also register with the Division of Corporations.  A copy of the registration certificate must be submitted with the license application.  For more information, please visit:http://corporations.utah.gov/
• All contractors must prove financial solvency, meaning that they are financially responsible to operate a business in the State of Utah.  The DOPL makes sure that the contractor’s financial situation does not jeopardize the safety, health or welfare of the public in the State of Utah.
• Contractors must obtain and maintain the proper forms of insurance at all times when their license is active.  This includes general liability insurance in the minimum amount of $300,000 with $100,000 per incident, and worker’s compensation insurance if the contractor plans to hold employees.  A copy of the insurance certificate/s must be submitted along with the license application.  The Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing must be named as the certificate holder.
• All contractors must submit $195 to the Residence Lien Recovery Fund.

For any additional questions about the licensing process or preparing an application, please call the DOPL at:

801-530-6628

OR

Toll free: 866-275-3675

Submitting an Application

The cost to apply for all major license classifications is $210.  There is a $100 fee for any additional specialty trade that the contractor adds to their license.

Payments are accepted in the form of check or money order, made payable to “DOPL”

Once the contractor has filled out the applications, gathered all documents and fees, it is time to submit the license application.  Applications may be submitted to the DOPL by-mail or in-person to the following address:

By Mail:

Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing
P.O. Box 146741
Salt Lake City, UT 84145-6741

In Person:

160 East 300 South
4th Floor
Salt Lake City, UT 84145

It takes the DOPL approximately 4 to 6 weeks to process applications and issue the license.  In the meantime, be sure to respond immediately if the DOPL requests any further information or explanations, to avoid delays in the licensing process.  Once approved, the contractor will receive their license by mail.

How Long is a Utah General Contractors License Valid?

General Contractor licenses expire every other year in the State of Utah.  All licenses expire on November 30th of the odd year (i.e. 2015, 2017, 2019, etc.).  Before the contractor may renew their license, they must complete 6 hours of continuing education courses.

Continuing education hours must be completed prior to the license expiration.  All courses must be approved by the DOPL.  For list of approved courses, please visit:

http://www.utah.gov/ce-public/

The following people may attend continuing education on the license holder’s behalf:

• Owner of company
• Qualifying individual
• Officer of company
• Director within the company
• Supervising individual within the company

Continuing education courses must be broken up as follows:

• 3 Course Hours in Core Education, such as:
  • Construction law
  • Safety Training
  • Construction Trade
  • Government Regulations- related to construction trades
  • Construction Code
  • Employee Verification
• 3 Course Hours in Professional Education, such as:
  • Professional Development
  • Estimating
  • Finance and Bookkeeping
  • Servicing Clients
  • Land Use
  • Land Development
  • Planning and Zoning
  • Arbitration Practices
  • Energy Conservation

Contractors are required to submit proof of continuing education as, well as proof of current general liability and worker’s compensation insurance along with their renewal application.

For a copy of the license renewal application, please visit:

http://www.dopl.utah.gov/licensing/forms/renewal/contractor_renewal.pdf

Contractors may also renew their license online by visiting:

http://www.dopl.utah.gov/renewal.html

The cost to renew a license is $113.  Be sure to renew the license well before the expiration date to allow time for processing.  It is the responsibility of the contractor to report any changes in the business information to the DOPL.

Table of Fees

Fee	What is it For?	When is it Due?
$195	Residence Lien Recovery Fund	Upon submitting the license application
$210	License Fee for all major classifications: B100, R100 and E100	Upon submitting the license application
$100	Cost for each additional specialty trade classification	Upon submitting the license application
$113	License Renewal Fee	Upon submitting the renewal application