Roofing license by state
Roofing license requirements by state
Do you need a license to roof in your state? This is a plain-English, state-by-state starting point — who needs a license, the exams, bonds, insurance, and fees — each page linked to the official state board so you can confirm the current rules yourself.
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Each state page answers the licensing question up front, then covers the license type, exams, bond, insurance, fees, renewal, and how to get licensed — sourced from the official board.
All 50 states
License required
Florida
Yes — Florida requires a state roofing license: a certified roofing contractor can work statewide, and a registered roofing contractor can work only in the local jurisdictions that license them.
Florida roofing licenseNo state license
Texas
No — Texas does not license roofing contractors at the state level. Roofing is handled locally, so check the city or county where you work for registration and permit rules.
Texas roofing licenseLicense required
California
Yes — California requires a CSLB C-39 Roofing contractor license for any roofing job of $1,000 or more in combined labor and materials, which in practice covers nearly all roofing work.
California roofing licenseLicense required (larger jobs)
Georgia
Mostly no — Georgia has no roofing-specific state license, but residential roofing jobs over $2,500 require a state residential or general contractor license from the Secretary of State's board.
Georgia roofing licenseLicense required
Arizona
Yes — Arizona requires a roofing license from the Registrar of Contractors for any roofing job over $1,000 in labor and materials.
Arizona roofing licenseLicense required (larger jobs)
North Carolina
Partly — small roofing jobs need no state license, but roofing work costing $40,000 or more requires a North Carolina general contractor license (roofing classification) from the state board.
North Carolina roofing licenseLicense required
Illinois
Yes — Illinois is one of the few states with a dedicated roofing license: every roofing contractor must hold a state license from the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.
Illinois roofing licenseLicensed locally
Colorado
No state license — Colorado has no statewide roofing license. Roofers are licensed and permitted city by city, so you register with each local jurisdiction where you work.
Colorado roofing licenseLicense required
Oklahoma
Yes — Oklahoma requires every roofing contractor to register with the state Construction Industries Board before doing or offering roofing work.
Oklahoma roofing licenseLicense required (larger jobs)
Louisiana
Yes — as of January 1, 2026, Louisiana requires a state residential roofing (or residential construction) license for any residential roofing job valued at $7,500 or more, plus commercial licensing for larger commercial work.
Louisiana roofing licenseLicense required
Tennessee
Yes — roofing subcontractors in Tennessee must hold a state contractor license for any job amount, and roofing is licensed by the state Board for Licensing Contractors.
Tennessee roofing licenseLicense required
South Carolina
Yes — South Carolina licenses roofers through the state: smaller residential roofing is done as a registered Residential Specialty (roofing) contractor, while commercial and larger jobs need a general contractor license with a roofing classification.
South Carolina roofing licenseLicense required
Minnesota
Yes — a company doing residential roofing in Minnesota must hold a state residential roofer (or residential building contractor) license from the Department of Labor and Industry.
Minnesota roofing licenseLicense required
Michigan
Yes — Michigan roofers need a state Maintenance & Alteration Contractor license with the roofing specialty, licensed by LARA, to work on residential structures.
Michigan roofing licenseLicense required
Virginia
Yes — Virginia roofers need a state contractor license (Class A, B, or C by project size) from DPOR's Board for Contractors, plus the roofing specialty designation.
Virginia roofing licenseRequired above $2,500 (roofing)
Alabama
Yes — Alabama requires a license to work as a residential roofer once a job's cost exceeds $2,500, and a separate commercial Roofing and Sheet Metal Contractor license for commercial/public work of $50,000 or more.
Alabama roofing licenseLicense required
Alaska
Yes — Alaska requires roofers to register as a Specialty Contractor with the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing before contracting for compensation; there's no project-value exemption and no trade exam, but a bond and liability insurance are required.
Alaska roofing licenseRequired above $2,000 (residential)
Arkansas
Yes — Arkansas requires residential roofers to register with the Contractors Licensing Board once a roofing job (labor and materials combined) exceeds $2,000, and requires a full commercial contractor license for non-residential roofing work of $50,000 or more.
Arkansas roofing licenseLicense required
Connecticut
Yes — Connecticut requires roofing contractors to register as Home Improvement Contractors with the Department of Consumer Protection before contracting on any residential job over $200; it's a registration with an insurance requirement, not a trade exam or license.
Connecticut roofing licenseNo state license
Delaware
No — Delaware doesn't issue a roofing-specific state license. Every construction business, including roofers, must register with the Delaware Department of Labor's Office of Contractor Registration before starting work, and counties like New Castle add their own local roofing contractor licensing on top of that.
Delaware roofing licenseLicense required
Hawaii
Yes — Hawaii requires a state contractor license for roofing work: the C-42 Roofing Contractor specialty classification (with sub-classes for metal, wood shingle/shake, tile, urethane foam, and roof coatings), issued by the Contractors License Board.
Hawaii roofing licenseRegistration required over $2,000
Idaho
Not exactly a license — Idaho doesn't test or exam-license roofers, but any contractor (including roofers) taking on a construction job exceeding $2,000 in labor and materials must register with the Idaho Contractors Board before doing the work.
Idaho roofing licenseNo state license
Indiana
No — Indiana does not license roofing or general contractors at the state level (the state licenses plumbers, not roofers). Roofing licenses, if required at all, are issued locally — check the city or county building department where the work will happen.
Indiana roofing licenseRegistration required over $2,000/year
Iowa
Not a trade-tested license — Iowa doesn't exam-license roofers, but any contractor earning at least $2,000 a year from construction work, including roofing, must register as a Construction Contractor with the state.
Iowa roofing licenseRegistration required over $2,000/year
Kansas
Yes, in practice — Kansas doesn't call it a "license," but under the Kansas Roofing Registration Act, every roofing contractor doing $2,000 or more of roofing work a year must get a Roofing Contractor Registration Certificate from the Kansas Attorney General before working.
Kansas roofing licenseNo state license
Kentucky
No — Kentucky does not license general or roofing contractors at the state level. Roofing is regulated only through local city/county permits and registration, plus a state consumer-protection law that limits what roofing contractors can do around insurance claims.
Kentucky roofing licenseNo state license
Maine
No — Maine does not license or regulate home contractors, including roofers, at the state level. Jobs over $3,000 must be backed by a written contract under Maine's Home Construction Contracts law, and a 2025 bill that would have created a state contractor license died in the legislature without funding.
Maine roofing licenseLicense required
Maryland
Yes — Maryland requires roofing contractors to hold a Home Improvement Contractor license from the Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC) before contracting to repair, replace, or install residential roofing.
Maryland roofing licenseHIC registration required above $1,000
Massachusetts
Yes — most Massachusetts roofing work needs two different state credentials: a Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration for jobs over $1,000 on an owner-occupied 1-4 unit home, and a Construction Supervisor License (CSL) — often the Roofing/Cladding/Siding specialty — for whoever is the supervisor of record, especially on structural roof work.
Massachusetts roofing licenseRequired only above $10,000 (residential) or $50,000 (commercial)
Mississippi
Yes, but only above a dollar threshold: Mississippi requires a State Board of Contractors license for residential roofing/remodeling work over $10,000, and for new residential construction or commercial work over $50,000. Smaller jobs don't require a state license.
Mississippi roofing licenseLicense required
Missouri
Yes, in a limited way — Missouri requires roofing contractors to register (not a competency-tested license) with the Department of Commerce and Insurance before doing business, on top of whatever separate contractor license the city or county where you work requires. Note: the state registration law (SB 326) is set to expire Aug 29, 2026 unless the legislature renews it — check DCI for the current status before relying on it.
Missouri roofing licenseLicense required
Montana
Yes — Montana requires anyone acting as a construction contractor, including roofers, to register with the Department of Labor & Industry before doing business; it's a registration that proves you carry workers' comp (or qualify for a solo-operator exemption), not a trade exam or competency license.
Montana roofing licenseLicense required
Nebraska
Yes — Nebraska requires every contractor doing construction work in the state, including roofers, to register with the Department of Labor under the Contractor Registration Act; it's a registration that confirms who you are and that you carry workers' comp, not a trade exam or competency license.
Nebraska roofing licenseLicense required
Nevada
Yes — Nevada requires a state contractor's license to work as a roofer, issued by the Nevada State Contractors Board under the C-15 Roofing and Siding classification, earned through experience, a bond and financial review, and two exams.
Nevada roofing licenseNo state license
New Hampshire
No — New Hampshire does not license or register roofing contractors, or general contractors, at the state level. The state's own consumer-protection guidance is blunt about it: contractors here aren't required to hold any professional license, so the burden is on the homeowner to vet who they hire, and building-permit oversight happens at the local level.
New Hampshire roofing licenseLicense required
New Jersey
Yes — New Jersey requires roofing contractors to register as a Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) with the Division of Consumer Affairs before doing any residential roofing work; it's a registration, not an exam-based trade license.
New Jersey roofing licenseLicense required
New Mexico
Yes — New Mexico requires a state contractor license for roofing work: a GS-21 Roofing specialty license (or a GB-2/GB-98 general building license, which also covers roofing) issued by the Construction Industries Division.
New Mexico roofing licenseLicensed locally
New York
No — New York does not issue a statewide roofing or general contractor license. Licensing is set locally: New York City, and Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Putnam, and Rockland counties, all require a Home Improvement Contractor license, while most other areas have little or no local licensing.
New York roofing licenseLicense required for jobs over $4,000
North Dakota
Yes, above a dollar threshold — North Dakota requires a state contractor license for any job, including roofing, valued over $4,000. There's no roofing-specific trade license; roofers apply for the same general contractor license as any other builder.
North Dakota roofing licenseLicensed locally
Ohio
No — Ohio does not issue a state license for roofing contractors. The state's own contractor board (OCILB) licenses only electrical, HVAC, plumbing, hydronics, and refrigeration trades; roofing is regulated by individual cities and counties, such as Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cleveland.
Ohio roofing licenseLicense required
Oregon
Yes — Oregon requires anyone who performs construction work for compensation, including roofing, to hold a CCB (Construction Contractors Board) license; roofers typically hold this under a Residential or Commercial Specialty Contractor endorsement.
Oregon roofing licenseNo state license
Pennsylvania
No — Pennsylvania does not license or certify roofing contractors at the state level. But if you do at least $5,000 of home-improvement work per year (roofing is explicitly included) on private residences, you must register — not license — as a Home Improvement Contractor with the PA Attorney General's Office, and some individual municipalities layer on their own local contractor licensing.
Pennsylvania roofing licenseLicense required
Rhode Island
Yes — Rhode Island requires roofers to register with the Contractors' Registration and Licensing Board (CRLB): a General Contractor Registration covers most residential roofing work, and a separate, stricter Commercial Roofing License is required for roofing on commercial buildings.
Rhode Island roofing licenseNo state license
South Dakota
No — South Dakota does not license roofing contractors at the state level. Every contractor doing construction work in the state, including roofers, must instead hold a Contractor's Excise Tax License from the Department of Revenue, and many cities layer on their own local contractor licensing (Sioux Falls, for example, has its own Residential Roofing & Repair Contractor License).
South Dakota roofing licenseLicensed for jobs $3,000+
Utah
Yes — Utah requires roofing contractors to hold a Specialty Contractor license (classification S280 – Roofing) issued by the Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL), unless the job qualifies for Utah's narrow "handyman" exemption for work under $3,000.
Utah roofing licenseRegistration required for jobs over $10,000
Vermont
Yes — Vermont requires residential contractors, including roofers, to register with the Secretary of State's Office of Professional Regulation before starting any job worth more than $10,000 in labor and materials; it's a registration (no exam or minimum experience), not a traditional trade license.
Vermont roofing licenseLicense required
Washington
Yes — Washington requires every contractor, including roofers, to register with the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) before doing any work for compensation, no matter how small the job; roofing is regulated as one of L&I's specialty contractor classifications.
Washington roofing licenseLicense required for jobs over $5,000 (residential)
West Virginia
Yes — West Virginia requires a state contractor license for any construction work, including roofing, valued at $5,000 or more for residential jobs or $25,000 or more for commercial jobs; roofing is licensed as a Specialty Contractor classification.
West Virginia roofing licenseLicense required
Wisconsin
Yes, for residential work — Wisconsin requires anyone pulling a building permit for a one- or two-family dwelling to hold (or employ someone who holds) a Dwelling Contractor Qualifier certification, and the business itself must hold a Dwelling Contractor certification. This covers roofing done on houses, but Wisconsin doesn't separately license roofing on commercial buildings.
Wisconsin roofing licenseLicensed locally
Wyoming
No — Wyoming does not license roofing contractors at the state level (the only trade the state itself licenses is electrical). Roofing licensing is handled city by city, so check the rules for wherever you're working — for example, Cheyenne and Casper both require a local roofing contractor license.
Wyoming roofing licenseAt a glance
Roofing contractor bond amount by state
Bond requirements vary widely — some states set a fixed amount, others leave it to cities, and some require none at the state level. Confirm the current figure with the linked board.
Across all 50 states: 38 license roofing at the state level (14 of them only above a job-size or earnings threshold), 8 have no state license, and 4 leave it to cities and counties.
| State | License? | Bond (roofing) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | License required | No fixed state bond; applicants with a credit score below 660 must post a surety bond or an irrevocable letter of credit as a condition of licensure. | myfloridalicense.com |
| Texas | No state license | None at the state level; some cities require a contractor bond to pull permits. | tdlr.texas.gov |
| California | License required | A $25,000 contractor bond filed with the CSLB is required to activate the license. | cslb.ca.gov |
| Georgia | License required (larger jobs) | No statewide roofing bond; some local jurisdictions require a bond to pull permits. | sos.ga.gov |
| Arizona | License required | A contractor license bond (about $9,000, scaled to your work volume) must be posted; residential licensees also pay into the Residential Contractors' Recovery Fund. | roc.az.gov |
| North Carolina | License required (larger jobs) | No standard state roofing bond; a bond or higher financial threshold can apply depending on the license limitation. | nclbgc.org |
| Illinois | License required | Surety bond of $10,000 for a Limited license or $25,000 for an Unlimited license. | idfpr.illinois.gov |
| Colorado | Licensed locally | Varies by city; several jurisdictions require a contractor or roofing bond to pull permits. | dora.colorado.gov |
| Oklahoma | License required | No surety bond is required for roofing registration, unlike some of Oklahoma's other trades. | oklahoma.gov/cib |
| Louisiana | License required (larger jobs) | No standard roofing bond; commercial licensing requires meeting the board's financial and net-worth criteria. | lslbc.gov |
| Tennessee | License required | From July 1, 2026, a contractors' surety bond (at least 50% of the requested monetary limit) can replace the CPA-reviewed or audited financial statement. | tn.gov/commerce |
| South Carolina | License required | A $5,000 surety bond is required when a project's total cost exceeds $5,000 (residential specialty). | llr.sc.gov/clb |
| Minnesota | License required | A $15,000 surety bond is required. | dli.mn.gov |
| Michigan | License required | No statewide roofing bond required by LARA; local permits may require one. | michigan.gov/lara |
| Virginia | License required | No standard state bond; Class A and B require proof of financial responsibility (net worth or working capital of $45,000 for Class A, $15,000 for Class B). | dpor.virginia.gov |
| Alabama | Required above $2,500 (roofing) | A $10,000 license/permit bond naming the Home Builders Licensure Board as obligee is required for the Residential Roofers License (confirmed on the Board's how-to-get-licensed page). | hblb.alabama.gov |
| Alaska | License required | A $10,000 surety bond (or an equivalent cash deposit / certificate of deposit / negotiable security filed with the Department in lieu of a bond) is required to register as a Specialty Contractor, per Alaska Statutes 08.18.071. The bond must remain continuously in effect. | commerce.alaska.gov/web/cbpl/ProfessionalLicensing/ConstructionContractors |
| Arkansas | Required above $2,000 (residential) | A $15,000 surety bond (the Residential Roofing Registrant Surety Bond, required by A.C.A. 17-25-604(d)(1), continuous until cancelled) is required for the Residential Roofer Registration. Commercial contractors can post a $10,000 surety bond in lieu of submitting a financial statement. | labor.arkansas.gov/licensing/arkansas-contractors-licensing-board |
| Connecticut | License required | No surety bond is required for standard HIC registration. Instead, registrants contribute to the state's Home Improvement Guaranty Fund, which reimburses consumers for certain contractor misconduct. | portal.ct.gov/dcp/license-services-division/all-license-applications/home-improvement-applications |
| Delaware | No state license | No bond is required for standard state Contractor Registration. (The Department of Labor may require a surety bond of a contractor that is the subject of an investigation or enforcement action under the registration law.) | onestop.delaware.gov/Operate_Contractors |
| Hawaii | License required | No standard fixed bond for most applicants — the Board relies on liability and workers' compensation insurance instead, though HAR §16-77-34 lets the Board require a bond from a specific licensee, applicant, or corporate contractor on a case-by-case basis. | cca.hawaii.gov/pvl/boards/contractor |
| Idaho | Registration required over $2,000 | No state-mandated surety bond for registration itself; however, a homeowner may require the contractor to post a bond, at the homeowner's expense, up to the value of the construction project. | dopl.idaho.gov/con |
| Indiana | No state license | Varies by locality — some cities and counties require a contractor's bond and/or insurance certificate as a condition of the local license; there is no statewide bond requirement. | in.gov/attorneygeneral/consumer-protection-division |
| Iowa | Registration required over $2,000/year | Only required for contractors whose principal place of business is outside Iowa — those out-of-state contractors must file a $25,000 bond; in-state contractors are not bonded by the state. | dial.iowa.gov/licenses/building/contractors |
| Kansas | Registration required over $2,000/year | No surety bond required by the state Roofing Registration Act — the Act's financial-responsibility requirement is liability insurance, not a bond. | ag.ks.gov/divisions/civil/licensing-inspections/roofing-registration |
| Kentucky | No state license | No state-required bond for roofing contractors. Some local registration programs may set their own bonding rules — check with the city or county where you'll work. | dhbc.ky.gov |
| Maine | No state license | No state-required bond. | maine.gov/ag/consumer-protection/consumer-help-topics/housing/home-construction-contracts |
| Maryland | License required | If you don't meet MHIC's financial-solvency test (net worth and credit review based on the size of your business), you can instead post a two-year, $20,000 surety bond — the same figure the state's Guaranty Fund uses to cap what it pays a homeowner per contractor. | labor.maryland.gov/license/mhic |
| Massachusetts | HIC registration required above $1,000 | No state-required surety bond for either HIC registration or CSL. | mass.gov/construction-supervisor-licensing |
| Mississippi | Required only above $10,000 (residential) or $50,000 (commercial) | No state-required surety bond for the residential builder/remodeler license — MSBOC requires proof of general liability insurance (and workers' compensation, if applicable) instead. | msboc.us |
| Missouri | License required | No surety bond is required for the state registration. | dci.mo.gov |
| Montana | License required | No surety bond is required for CR registration or the ICEC. | erd.dli.mt.gov/work-comp-regulations/montana-contractor/construction-contractor-registration |
| Nebraska | License required | No statewide bond requirement was found for Contractor Registration; check with the Department of Labor for any bond that individual local jurisdictions might add on top. | dol.nebraska.gov/conreg |
| Nevada | License required | A contractor's bond sized to your monetary limit and financial standing — the Board sets it anywhere from $1,000 to $500,000 depending on license classification, requested monetary limit, and your financial responsibility, experience, and character. | nvcontractorsboard.com |
| New Hampshire | No state license | No state-required bond for roofing contractors. | oplc.nh.gov |
| New Jersey | License required | No fixed surety-bond amount is set for HIC registration. The initial-registration application does, however, require proof of 'additional security' — a compliance bond issued by a New Jersey-authorized surety, an irrevocable letter of credit, or other securities/moneys — under N.J.S.A. 56:8-142; that security can also stand in for holding customer payments in escrow. | njconsumeraffairs.gov/ocp/Pages/hic.aspx |
| New Mexico | License required | A $10,000 surety bond, underwritten by a corporate surety licensed in New Mexico, required at initial licensure and as a condition of each renewal (typically issued for the three-year licensure period). | rld.nm.gov/construction-industries |
| New York | Licensed locally | Not required by the state. Where a local HIC license applies, New York's statewide Home Improvement Practices law (General Business Law Article 36-A) requires contractors to either put customer payments in escrow or provide a bond/other security for jobs over $500. | ag.ny.gov/home-improvement-fact-sheet |
| North Dakota | License required for jobs over $4,000 | No statewide surety bond is required for the Secretary of State contractor license itself, though some individual cities (for example, Grand Forks or Jamestown) require their own local bond on top of the state license. | sos.nd.gov/business/licensing-registration/contractors |
| Ohio | Licensed locally | None at the state level. Local requirements vary — for example, Columbus requires a $25,000 bond for its General Contractor license (used for commercial roofing) but not for its residential Home Improvement Limited Contractor license. | com.ohio.gov — Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board |
| Oregon | License required | $20,000 surety bond for a Residential Specialty Contractor endorsement (the endorsement most roofers use); $25,000 for Residential General Contractor. Residential bonds range $15,000–$25,000 and commercial endorsements range $25,000–$80,000 depending on level. | oregon.gov/ccb |
| Pennsylvania | No state license | No state bond is required for HIC registration. Check whether your municipality requires one for a local contractor license. | attorneygeneral.gov/resources/home-improvement-contractor-registration |
| Rhode Island | License required | No surety bond is required for General Contractor Registration or the Commercial Roofing License — Rhode Island relies on required liability insurance instead of bonding. | crb.ri.gov/licenses |
| South Dakota | No state license | No state bond requirement. Some cities that separately license roofing contractors require their own compliance bond — check with the city where you'll work. | dor.sd.gov/businesses/taxes/contractors-excise-tax |
| Utah | Licensed for jobs $3,000+ | A surety bond is required only when the applicant does not meet DOPL's financial-responsibility standards. For specialty (S) classifications such as S280 Roofing, the amount is $15,000 (higher amounts, up to about $50,000, apply to general B/E/R classifications). Confirm the exact current amount with DOPL when you apply. | dopl.utah.gov/contracting |
| Vermont | Registration required for jobs over $10,000 | No surety bond required for registration. | sos.vermont.gov/residential-contractors |
| Washington | License required | $30,000 surety bond for General Contractors; $15,000 for Specialty Contractors such as roofing (increased from $12,000/$6,000 effective July 1, 2024 under RCW 18.27.040), or an assignment of savings in the same amount instead of a bond. | lni.wa.gov/licensing-permits/contractors/register-as-a-contractor |
| West Virginia | License required for jobs over $5,000 (residential) | No general contractor-license surety bond is required. Separately, the WV Division of Labor requires a wage bond (equal to four weeks' payroll plus 15% for benefits) from employers who have NOT been engaged in construction work in West Virginia for at least five consecutive years and who do commercial work with employees. Contractors performing only residential (single-family dwelling) work are exempt, as are those with 5+ consecutive years of WV construction activity (or sufficient assets/parent-company backing). Verify current wage-bond status with the Division of Labor's Wage & Hour Section. | wvclboard.wv.gov |
| Wisconsin | License required | The Dwelling Contractor (business) must show either a $25,000 surety bond or $250,000 in general liability insurance per occurrence — DSPS accepts either as proof of financial responsibility. | dsps.wi.gov/Pages/Professions/DwellingContractorQualifier |
| Wyoming | Licensed locally | Varies by city — bonding, if required at all, is set locally rather than by the state; check your city's building or licensing department for its current requirement. | dws.wyo.gov |
Roofing license rules change and often vary by city and county. This page is a plain-English starting point, not legal advice — always confirm the current requirements with the state board linked below before you rely on them.
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