Georgia General Contractor License Requirements (2026)
By Ilan Sender, Independent Researcher — not a lawyer, not a licensing official · Last verified 2026-07-02
I am not a lawyer and not a licensing official. Everything here is independent research traced to official sources, but rules and fees change — always verify with the official board before acting. Official board for this page: Georgia State Licensing Board for Residential and Commercial General Contractors (Secretary of State). How we verify.
Yes — Georgia has required a statewide general contractor license since 2008 (O.C.G.A. Title 43, Chapter 41). General contractors may not self-perform electrical, plumbing, or HVAC work (O.C.G.A. § 43-41-2).[src] Requirements below are cited to the Board's rules (Dept. 553), verified directly at rules.sos.ga.gov.
[src] links to the official source (.gov / licensing board) each fact was verified against; [src†] marks facts corroborated by multiple non-official sources. An unverified badge marks a detail we could not confirm against an official source — confirm it with the state board before relying on it. Hover any marker for the last-verified date. See our methodology.
Commercial GCs have NO CE requirement in Georgia
If you hold (or are pursuing) a Georgia commercial general contractor license — unlimited or Limited Tier — Board Rules Chapter 553-12 imposes zero continuing-education hours. Vendors selling “Georgia general contractor CE” are selling to the residential division (3–6 hrs/yr) or selling you something you don't need. Your real costs here are the exam and the application — which is why the provider table below is exam-prep focused.
License tiers
| Tier | Contract limit / scope | Financial requirement |
|---|---|---|
| General Contractor (unlimited) | No contract limit[src] | Net worth of $150,000[src] |
| General Contractor — Limited Tier Many third-party sites still publish a stale '$500,000 per project / $1.5M aggregate' cap. The current Board rule (Ch. 553-4) sets the Limited Tier cap at $1,000,000 per contract. | Contracts of $1,000,000 or less[src] | Net worth of $25,000[src] |
Correction: the Limited Tier cap is $1,000,000 — not $500,000
A large share of third-party licensing guides still claim the Limited Tier is capped at “$500,000 per project / $1.5M aggregate.” That figure is stale. The current Board rule (Chapter 553-4) sets the Limited Tier at $1,000,000 per contract with a $25,000 net worth requirement. If a site quotes $500k, treat the rest of its Georgia data with suspicion.
Initial requirements
Exams
| Exam | Testing vendor | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Business & Law exam + trade exam PSI's own exam-sitting fee is not published here — widely-quoted figures are third-party only. Don't confuse it with the Board's exam APPLICATION fee, which is published on the Board's fee schedule (see the cost section). | PSI (passing score 70%)[src†] | Not verified — check with the vendor/board |
Disclosure: some links to course providers on this page may become affiliate links — if you purchase through them, we may earn a commission. This never influences our comparisons: providers with no affiliate program are listed on equal footing, and every price shows its source. How we stay neutral.
Exam prep is the course money that matters in Georgia — compare: RocketCert.
Experience
Experience qualifications and experience-waiver routes are set by Board Rules Chapter 553-2 (including routes based on proven project experience and prior local licensure).[src]
Insurance
| Coverage | Requirement |
|---|---|
| General liability | At least $500,000 per occurrence (Board Rule Ch. 553-4 / O.C.G.A. § 43-41-6)[src] |
| Workers' compensation | Required per Board Rule Ch. 553-4 / O.C.G.A. § 43-41-6[src] |
Fee amounts are from the Board's published fee schedule (marked 'Revised 06/22'), which pre-dates the GOALS portal launch (November 2025) — GOALS shows the live amount at filing, so confirm there before budgeting.
Residential-Basic and Residential-Light Commercial licenses are a separate division of the Board with their own rules, fees, and CE.
What a Georgia general contractor license costs
The fees we could verify against an official Georgia source, in one place. We do not print a single “total”: exam fees are set by the testing vendor and insurance is a premium that depends on your business, so any all-in number would be a guess dressed up as a fact.
Application fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Exam application (incl. $10 processing fee) | $210 ($200 application + $10 processing)[src] |
| Reciprocity application (incl. $10 processing fee) | $210 ($200 application + $10 processing)[src] |
Renewal
Deadline: Biennial — renew by June 30 of even-numbered years[src]
| Renewal type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Renewal (by June 30 of even-numbered years) | $100[src] |
| Late renewal | $200[src] |
| Reinstatement (incl. $10 processing fee) | $310 ($300 application + $10 processing)[src] |
Licenses not renewed by December 31 of the renewal year are revoked[src]
Several third-party sites quote the renewal fee as ~$75 — the Board's own published fee schedule says $100 ($200 if late). The schedule is marked 'Revised 06/22' and pre-dates GOALS, so confirm the live amount in the portal when you file.
All renewals now go through the GOALS online portal (launched November 2025); paper filings are no longer accepted.
How to get your Georgia general contractor license
The path in order. The specifics — amounts, exams, and deadlines — are in the sourced sections above, each traced to its official source.
- Confirm a state license applies to your project — check the requirement and dollar threshold above before you bid.
- Document the experience the Georgia State Licensing Board for Residential and Commercial General Contractors (Secretary of State) requires for the classification you want.
- Show the financial capacity your license tier requires — net worth, working capital, a credit benchmark, or a surety-bond alternative, depending on the state.
- Pass the required exam(s) for your classification.
- Arrange any insurance and bonding your classification requires.
- Submit your application to the board with the required fee and supporting documents.
- Keep the license current — track your renewal deadline and any continuing-education hours your classification owes.
Continuing education
NONE for commercial general contractors — Georgia commercial GCs (including Limited Tier) have no continuing-education requirement.[src]
Residential division, for contrast: Not applicable to commercial GCs. For the residential division: CE year runs July 1 – June 30 (Residential-Basic 3 hrs/yr; Residential-Light Commercial 6 hrs/yr).[src]
- Residential-division licensees may complete at most 50% of CE hours online (Rule 553-12-.03).
- If a vendor tries to sell you 'Georgia general contractor CE', check which license you actually hold — commercial GCs owe zero hours.
- From January 1, 2026, licensees who DO have CE requirements (residential division) must report CE through CE Broker.
What changed in 2025–2026
GOALS online licensing portal (November 2025)
The Secretary of State launched the GOALS portal in November 2025. Applications and renewals are online-only — no more paper filings. Source (corroborated).
CE Broker mandatory from January 1, 2026
Licensees with CE requirements (the residential division — NOT commercial GCs, who have no CE) must report hours through CE Broker starting January 1, 2026. Source (corroborated).
Board renamed
The Board is now the 'State Licensing Board for Residential and Commercial General Contractors', reflecting its two divisions. Source.
Exam-prep providers compared
Because Georgia commercial GCs owe no CE, the only course money worth spending here is exam prep (PSI Business & Law + trade exams, 70% to pass). Neutral comparison, including vendors with no affiliate program:
| Provider | What they sell | Verified pricing | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
RocketCert GC exam prep across FL/GA/NC plus NC CE; sells book bundles for open-book exams. | Exam prep + Continuing education | Visit site | |
1Exam Prep Contractor exam prep specialist (courses, tabs, and book rentals). No affiliate relationship with this site. | Exam prep | Not yet price-verified — see site | Visit site No affiliate program — listed for completeness |
Contractor Training Center Exam prep and licensing-application services. No affiliate relationship with this site. | Exam prep | Not yet price-verified — see site | Visit site No affiliate program — listed for completeness |
Prices were verified on provider sites on the date shown (hover a price's source marker) and can change — confirm on the provider's checkout page. Inclusion is not an endorsement.
Statutes and rules cited
Primary sources
Beyond the statutes and rules cited above, each fact links to the official form, board page, or filing it was verified against:
Compare across states
Other state guides
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a state license to be a general contractor in Georgia?
- Yes. Georgia has required a statewide general contractor license since 2008 under O.C.G.A. Title 43, Chapter 41, issued by the State Licensing Board for Residential and Commercial General Contractors. General contractors may not self-perform electrical, plumbing, or HVAC work — those trades are licensed separately.
- Do Georgia general contractors have continuing education requirements?
- Commercial general contractors — including the Limited Tier — have NO continuing-education requirement in Georgia. Only the residential division has CE: Residential-Basic owes 3 hours per year and Residential-Light Commercial owes 6 hours per year (CE year July 1 – June 30, at most 50% online).
- What is the Georgia Limited Tier contract cap?
- $1,000,000 per contract under the current Board rules (Chapter 553-4). Many third-party sites still publish a stale '$500,000 per project / $1.5M aggregate' figure — that is out of date.
- What are the net worth requirements for a Georgia GC license?
- Net worth of $150,000 for the unlimited General Contractor tier and $25,000 for the Limited Tier (contracts of $1,000,000 or less), per Board Rules Chapter 553-4.
- When do Georgia general contractor licenses renew?
- Biennially, by June 30 of even-numbered years, and a license not renewed by December 31 of the renewal year is revoked. The Board's published fee schedule sets renewal at $100 ($200 if late; $310 reinstatement after revocation). Renewals go through the GOALS online portal — confirm the live amount there when you file.
- What changed for Georgia contractor licensing in 2025–2026?
- Three things: the GOALS online licensing portal launched in November 2025 (no more paper filings); CE Broker reporting became mandatory on January 1, 2026 for licensees who have CE requirements (the residential division — not commercial GCs); and the Board was renamed the State Licensing Board for Residential and Commercial General Contractors.