Virginia Contractor License Requirements
Virginia licenses contracting firms — not individuals — through the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) Board for Contractors, in three classes (A, B, C) set entirely by project dollar value. Here’s what the actual regulations and statute require for each class, and where Virginia’s rules genuinely differ from what many third-party guides repeat.
- Quick facts
- Class A vs. Class B vs. Class C
- Steps to get licensed
- Renewal
- FAQ
- Penalty for unlicensed contracting
- Reciprocity with other states
Quick facts
| Regulator | Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR), Board for Contractors |
|---|---|
| Who’s licensed | The firm (sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, or LLC) holds the license, not an individual — each firm must designate a Qualified Individual who meets the experience and exam requirements for its classification(s) |
| License classes | Class A: $150,000+ per project or $1,000,000+ in any 12-month period. Class B: $30,000–under $150,000 per project or $250,000–under $1,000,000 in 12 months. Class C: over $1,000–under $30,000 per project, under $250,000 in 12 months (Va. Code § 54.1-1100) |
| Pre-license education | 8-hour DPOR-approved basic business course, completed by the designated employee or a responsible-management member |
| Experience (Qualified Individual) | Class A: 5 years in the classification/specialty. Class B: 3 years. Class C: 1 year (18VAC50-22-40/50/60) |
| Exam | Board-approved exam required for the designated employee and, per classification, the Qualified Individual (some Class C specialties are exam-exempt). PSI exam fees: $40 for one portion, $72 for two, $85 for three |
| Financial requirement | Class A: $45,000 net worth or a $50,000 surety bond. Class B: $15,000 net worth or a $50,000 surety bond. Class C: no net worth or bond requirement stated in the regulations |
| Application fee | Class C $235, Class B $380, Class A $400 — each plus a $25 Recovery Fund assessment (18VAC50-22-100) |
| Renewal | Every 2 years. Renewal fee + Recovery Fund assessment: Class C $250 total, Class B $290 total, Class A $300 total (18VAC50-22-110, -140) |
| Continuing education | None found in the regulations reviewed — renewal requires re-meeting the same class qualifications, not separate CE hours |
Class A vs. Class B vs. Class C
Virginia’s three contractor classes exist purely to match the size of the work a firm is allowed to take on to its demonstrated financial and experience strength — they aren’t specialty trades. Whatever specialty a firm works in (from general residential building to plumbing to roofing), it still needs a Class A, B, or C license sized to its actual project values, and can hold multiple classifications under one class. A firm that only ever wants small jobs stays in Class C, with just one year of qualifying experience and no net-worth or bond requirement; a firm bidding $150,000+ jobs needs Class A, with five years of experience behind its Qualified Individual and either $45,000 in verified net worth or a $50,000 bond.
Because the license belongs to the firm, not a person, changing your business structure (say, from sole proprietorship to an LLC) generally means applying for a new license under the new entity, even if the same Qualified Individual is involved throughout.
Steps to get licensed
- Determine your class based on the size of the projects you intend to take on (see the thresholds above).
- Designate a Qualified Individual for each classification/specialty you want, meeting the class’s experience requirement (1/3/5 years for C/B/A) and passing the required board-approved exam.
- Complete the 8-hour DPOR-approved basic business course (the designated employee or a responsible-management team member).
- Document your financial standing for Class A or B — a financial statement showing the required net worth, or a $50,000 surety bond on DPOR’s bond form.
- Submit the application and fee to DPOR ($235/$380/$400 for C/B/A, plus the $25 Recovery Fund assessment), along with disclosure of any past debts, judgments, bond defaults, bankruptcies, or criminal history as required.
Renewal
Virginia contractor licenses run on a 2-year cycle, expiring two years from the last day of the month in which they were issued. Renewal requires the license holder to still meet the qualifications for their class (18VAC50-22-40/50/60) and pay the renewal fee plus Recovery Fund assessment — $250 total for Class C, $290 for Class B, $300 for Class A. The regulations reviewed for this page didn’t include a continuing-education mandate tied to renewal; renewal is about re-affirming the same experience/financial qualifications rather than logging separate CE hours, unlike some other states’ contractor programs.
Does Virginia license individuals or businesses as contractors?
Businesses. A Virginia contractor license belongs to the firm — sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, or LLC — not to an individual person. Every licensed firm must designate at least one Qualified Individual who personally meets the experience and exam requirements for each classification the firm holds.
What’s the difference between the net-worth option and the bond option for Class A and B?
Class A and Class B applicants choose one of two ways to prove financial responsibility: show the required net worth ($45,000 for Class A, $15,000 for Class B) through a financial statement, CPA-reviewed statement, or CPA audit, or instead obtain a $50,000 surety bond on DPOR’s own bond form. Class C has no net-worth or bond requirement at all in the regulations.
Can I use my contractor license from another state to work in Virginia?
Not automatically, and not for a general Class A, B, or C license — Virginia doesn’t have blanket reciprocity for the base contractor classes. DPOR does offer narrower exam waivers under 18VAC50-22-70 for specific specialty classifications (for example, Residential and Commercial Building Contractor applicants from North Carolina, and a Business & Law exam waiver for Ohio-licensed contractors) — check DPOR’s current reciprocity list for your specific classification before assuming an out-of-state license transfers.
Penalty for unlicensed contracting
Under Va. Code § 54.1-111, contracting without the required license (or without the proper class of license for the work) is a Class 1 misdemeanor — up to 12 months in jail and a fine of up to $2,500 — for a first or second offense. A third or subsequent conviction within a 36-month period becomes a Class 6 felony. Separately, anyone who contracts without the proper license can be fined up to $500 per day for each day of the violation, on top of the criminal penalty, and DPOR can pursue its own civil penalties of $200 to $5,000 per violation (capped at $25,000 per year against one person or entity), plus injunctions and cease-and-desist orders.
Reciprocity with other states
Virginia does not offer blanket reciprocity for its general Class A, B, or C contractor license — an out-of-state license doesn’t let you skip the Virginia application, experience documentation, or financial requirements. What DPOR does offer, under 18VAC50-22-70, are narrower exam waivers for specific specialty classifications held in a handful of other states (Residential/Commercial Building Contractor applicants from North Carolina, and a Business & Law exam waiver for Ohio-licensed contractors, per DPOR’s own Board for Contractors page). Always confirm the current list directly with DPOR, since which states and classifications qualify can change.