General contractor continuing-education requirements by state
By Ilan Sender, Independent Researcher · State data 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.
Continuing-education rules for general contractors are nothing like each other from state to state — annual in one, biennial in the next, and, for commercial general contractors in some states, none at all. The most expensive mistake here is buying hours you do not owe. Each rule below is cited to the state's own board.
[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.
CE requirements compared
| State | CE hours (commercial GC) | Cycle | Full rules |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 14 hours per biennial renewal cycle, from Board-approved providers[src] | Biennial — Certified licenses renew by August 31 of even-numbered years[src] | Florida CE rules |
| Georgia | NONE for commercial general contractors — Georgia commercial GCs (including Limited Tier) have no continuing-education requirement.[src] | 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] | Georgia CE rules |
| North Carolina | 8 hours per YEAR — a 2-hour mandatory Board course plus 6 elective hours from Board-approved providers[src] | Annual — the CE year runs January 1 through November 30[src] | North Carolina CE rules |
| Tennessee | Commercial general contractors (e.g. BC / BC-B classifications): no continuing-education requirement. Continuing education applies only to RESIDENTIAL classifications — see the cycle and notes below.[src†] | Residential classifications (BC-A, BC-A/r, BC-A,b(sm)) first licensed on or after January 1, 2009: 8 hours of Board-approved Residential Continuing Education (RCE) during the two-year period before each renewal (biennial). No carryover between renewal periods (Rule 0680-09-.02; T.C.A. § 62-6-112(g)).[src] | Tennessee CE rules |
“Commercial GC” column: residential classifications can owe different hours — open the state guide for the residential rules and mandatory topics.
Where to take your hours
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.
Florida
Florida sets mandatory topics and only counts Board-approved courses. Compare the vendors that carry the Florida package:
Florida CE providers we compare: AYPO (At Your Pace Online), 360training, RocketCert, Gold Coast Schools.
Georgia: commercial GCs owe zero CE — don't buy a course you don't need
Georgia's commercial general contractors (including the Limited tier) have no continuing-education requirement at all. If a vendor tries to sell you “Georgia general contractor CE,” check which license you actually hold — only the separate residential division owes hours. See the Georgia guide for the residential rules.
North Carolina
North Carolina's mandatory course is Board-produced — offered in person or in virtual classrooms by approved providers, with only the self-paced online version exclusive to the Board's online provider; the elective hours are fully open. The deadline mechanics (no December completions) and the full provider breakdown live in the dedicated North Carolina CE guide. Compare the providers:
North Carolina elective-CE providers we compare: RocketCert.
Tennessee
Tennessee splits by classification: commercial general contractors owe no CE at all, while residential classifications owe biennial Residential Continuing Education from Board-approved providers — with trade-association membership and college coursework able to stand in for hours. Check which classification you hold, then compare the providers:
Tennessee residential-CE providers we compare: RocketCert.
Frequently asked questions
- Do all general contractors need continuing education?
- No — it varies sharply by state. Some require hours every year, some every two years, and some require none at all for commercial general contractors. The table compares each state; the state guide has the full rule and the mandatory topics.
- Can one course package cover every state's hours?
- Rarely. Approved-provider lists and mandatory topics differ by state, and at least one state requires a Board-produced course whose self-paced online version is sold by a single Board-designated provider. Check the state guide before you buy a package that claims to cover everything.
- Where do I take board-approved CE?
- Each state board publishes an approved-provider search; the state guides link it directly. We also compare the course vendors neutrally — including ones that pay us nothing — so you can see coverage and price side by side.