Last verified against the Georgia State Licensing Board for Residential and Commercial General Contractors, its rules, and O.C.G.A. Title 43 Chapter 41 on 20 October 2026. Bond and insurance coverage content reviewed by Tyler Williamson, Licensed Property & Casualty Insurance Agent, North Carolina.
Georgia licenses general contractors statewide, and residential work needs a licence once the job tops $2,500. There are four licence types. The one most small commercial contractors want, the Limited Tier, is capped at $1,000,000 per contract, not the $500,000 you will see quoted in some places, including Google’s own summary.
Georgia is one of the stricter states in the South, and one of the most frequently misdescribed. The law was reworked in 2024, the licence names changed, and a lot of what ranks for this question was written before that. This page works from the statute, the board’s rules and the board’s own FAQ.
Comparing states? See how to become a general contractor, our side-by-side of the requirements in every state we cover.
Do you need a Georgia contractor licence?
For residential work, yes, once the job is worth more than $2,500. Georgia’s statute defines a residential contractor by work where “the total value of the work or activity or of the compensation to be received by the contractor for such activity or work, whichever is the higher, exceeds $2,500.00.” Note the “whichever is higher”: the test uses the larger of the job’s value and your fee, so you cannot keep under it by charging labour only on an expensive job.
For commercial work, the statute sets no dollar threshold. The $2,500 figure sits in the residential definition only. Several guides apply it to “residential or commercial” projects, but the commercial general contractor definition contains no equivalent number. The construction of commercial, institutional, industrial and public buildings for an owner is reserved to licensed commercial general contractors.
A few things fall outside the requirement altogether:
- Specialty trades. A specialty contractor doing limited, trade-specific work for an owner does not need a general contractor licence. The Board decides which trades qualify, by rule.
- Repairs. Repair work is exempt if you tell the owner you hold no licence and the work does not affect the structural integrity of the property.
- Building your own home. You may build for your own use, but not to sell or lease. If you sold one you built yourself within the previous 24 months, the next one needs a licence or a licensed contractor.
The stakes are real. A contract signed by an unlicensed contractor for work that needed a licence is unenforceable by that contractor, with no lien or bond claim. If the client does not pay, you have no legal route to the money.
Is there a Georgia handyman licence?
No, but Georgia gives handyman work more room than most states, through the repair exemption above. You can take repair work without a licence provided you disclose that you are unlicensed and the work does not affect structural integrity. Outside repairs, residential work over $2,500 needs a residential licence. Electrical, plumbing and HVAC work needs the separate trade licence at any value.
The four licence types
| Licence | What it covers | Net worth | Liability insurance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential Basic | Detached one- and two-family homes and one-family townhouses up to three storeys, and their accessory buildings | $25,000 | $300,000 |
| Residential Light Commercial | Residential Basic, plus multifamily and light commercial buildings under four storeys and under 25,000 sq ft of framed or similar construction | $25,000 | $500,000 |
| Commercial General Contractor — Limited Tier | Any type of work, up to $1,000,000 per contract | $25,000 | $500,000 |
| Commercial General Contractor | Any type of work, no contract limit | $150,000 | $500,000 |
A commercial general contractor may also do residential work. Residential Light Commercial also covers pre-engineered steel buildings up to 50,000 sq ft.
The Limited Tier figure, and why it matters
The Board’s rules limit the Limited Tier “as to any contract of no more than one million dollars ($1,000,000.00),” and its FAQ confirms that it is “the only category with a $1 Million per project limitation.” Change orders cannot push a contract past that cap.
If you size your licence using the $500,000 figure you may see elsewhere, you will rule yourself out of work between $500,000 and $1,000,000 that the Limited Tier actually allows. The step up to the unlimited licence is expensive: net worth goes from $25,000 to $150,000. Know the real ceiling before you choose.
The 2024 name change
Since 1 July 2024, Georgia law calls the commercial licence Commercial General Contractor, and the board is the State Licensing Board for Residential and Commercial General Contractors. Older guides say “general contractor”. It is the same licence under a new name, but search for the new name when you look for forms.
Experience requirements
Everyone must be at least 21. Beyond that, it depends on the licence.
Residential Basic is the lightest. You need at least two years of proven experience as, or working for, a residential contractor, and significant responsibility for at least two completed projects within the two years before you apply.
Residential Light Commercial and both Commercial General Contractor licences give you three routes:
- a four-year degree in a qualifying field, plus at least one year of experience;
- college credits and practical experience adding up to four years; or
- four years of construction experience, with at least two working as or for the relevant type of contractor. For the commercial licences, at least one year must be in a functional area such as estimating or project management.
Residential Light Commercial also requires two qualifying projects within the previous four years, and a reference letter from a Georgia-registered architect, engineer or other acceptable professional.
Insurance and net worth
Insurance is a condition of applying and of keeping the licence. General liability is $300,000 per occurrence for Residential Basic and $500,000 for every other category. That is a real cost and the main recurring one; the premium depends on your trade, payroll and claims history. See how this compares across states in how much a contractor license costs.
Georgia only requires workers’ compensation if you have three or more employees, which is lighter than states like Nevada that require it before they will license you at all.
Net worth must be affirmed at the figures in the table above: $25,000 for three of the four categories, and $150,000 for the unlimited commercial licence.
Applying and the exams
- Apply online through GOALS, the Secretary of State’s licensing system, choosing the licence type and whether you apply as an individual or as a qualifying agent for a business.
- A licensing analyst reviews it, and it may also go to the Board. You are emailed if more information is needed.
- Once approved, you receive an Exam Approval Letter, valid for one year, and register with the testing vendor, PSI.
- You get three sittings within that year. If you fail either exam three times, you must wait one year from your application date before reapplying.
There is no exam exemption for experience. The Board’s FAQ is explicit that the grandfather clause “expired many years ago” and every applicant must pass the required exams.
Individual or qualifying agent?
An individual licence covers work in your own name or a sole-proprietor trading name. A business — an LLC, corporation or partnership — needs at least one licensed qualifying agent. One person can qualify several companies, but needs a separate application for each, and a company can have several qualifying agents. If a qualifying agent leaves, the Board must be told within 30 days, and the company then has 180 days to finish open contracts.
A Georgia licence works statewide
This is the main contrast with states like Ohio, where general contractors are licensed city by city. Under Georgia’s statute, a state licensee may contract throughout the state, and no city or county may impose additional licensing for work the state licence covers. A small number of local requirements in force before 1 July 2004 survive, but only if they are at least as strict as the state’s, and even those cannot shut out a state licensee. You still need local permits; you do not need a second licence.
Renewal and continuing education
Commercial general contractors have no continuing education requirement. Residential contractors do: 3 hours a year for Residential Basic and 6 hours a year for Residential Light Commercial.
Since 1 January 2026, licensees who need CE must record it in CE Broker. The Board says that if you do not enter all the required hours there, “there is a high probability that you will be audited.”
Already licensed elsewhere?
Georgia has reciprocity for the unlimited Commercial General Contractor licence with Louisiana and Mississippi, and for Residential Basic with Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina. To qualify, your licence must have been obtained by passing exams, you must be a resident of that state or your business chartered there, and the licence must have been active for at least three years with no disciplinary action. From anywhere else, you apply by exam. See also our Louisiana guide.
Georgia’s neighbours do it differently. Florida also licenses statewide but tests your credit score rather than your net worth. Alabama splits licensing between two boards, one for homes above $10,000 and one for commercial work at $100,000 or more, and has no reciprocity with Georgia in either direction.
Frequently asked questions
Do general contractors need a licence in Georgia?
Yes. Residential contractors need one for work worth more than $2,500, and commercial general contractors need one for the commercial work the statute reserves to them. Specialty trades, qualifying repair work and owner-builders are exempt.
What is the Georgia General Contractor Limited Tier limit?
$1,000,000 per contract, under Board Rule 553-4-.05. It is the only Georgia licence with a project-value cap. Change orders cannot take a contract over it.
How much work can you do without a licence in Georgia?
Residential work up to $2,500, measured by the higher of the job’s value or your compensation. Repair work that does not affect structural integrity can be done unlicensed at any value, provided you tell the owner you hold no licence.
How long does a Georgia contractor licence take?
The Board does not publish a timeframe. After approval, you have one year and three exam sittings to pass. Incomplete applications are the usual delay.
Do I need workers’ compensation in Georgia?
Only if you have three or more employees. General liability is required regardless: $300,000 for Residential Basic and $500,000 for every other licence.
Sources
- O.C.G.A. Title 43, Chapter 41, sections 43-41-2 and 43-41-17 (2025 code), including Ga. L. 2024 SB 503
- Rules of the State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors, Chapters 553-3 and 553-4
- Georgia Secretary of State: Residential and Commercial General Contractors FAQ
Verified against the statute, Board rules and Board FAQ on 20 October 2026. Licensing rules change; confirm with the Board before you apply. This page is research, not legal advice.
