Handyman License Requirements by State
There is no national handyman license. Whether you need one — and what it's called — depends on your state, and often your county and city on top of that. Many states set a dollar threshold: repairs under a certain job value can be done without a contractor license, while anything above it requires one.
Use the overview below as a starting point, then open the detailed guide for your city. Licensing rules change, so always confirm the current requirements with your state's licensing board before you rely on them.
How handyman licensing works
Most states regulate contracting rather than "handyman" work specifically. The key questions are: Does my state require a contractor license? Is there a dollar threshold under which small jobs are exempt? And do my county or city add their own license or registration on top? The answers determine what you can legally take on.
State-by-state overview
The table below summarizes what we've researched for each state. It reflects our latest research and is meant as a starting point — the licensing board for your state is always the final authority.
| State | License Threshold | Major City Guides |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $50,000 Alabama’s Home Builders Licensure Board (HBLB) generally requires a home builder license for residential construction/repair/improvement when the “cost of the undertaking” is more than $10,000. Separately, the Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors (GC Board) generally requires a general contractor license for commercial/industrial work when the project is $50,000 or more. A typical handyman doing small residential jobs under $10,000 (and not performing licensed trades) is usually outside HBLB licensure; small commercial jobs under $50,000 are usually outside GC licensure. | Huntsville · Birmingham · Montgomery · Mobile · Tuscaloosa |
| Alaska | None Alaska does not use a simple dollar-threshold “handyman exemption” for contractor licensing. If you advertise/contract to perform construction, repairs, or improvements for compensation, you generally must be registered as an Alaska contractor unless a narrow statutory exception applies (e.g., certain owner-builders working on their own property, certain government-related work, or specific exempt activities). | Anchorage · Fairbanks · Juneau · Wasilla · Sitka |
| Arizona | $1,000 Arizona’s contractor licensing exemption commonly relied on by handymen is for work where the total aggregate contract price (labor + materials) is under $1,000 for a single job, and the work is truly of a minor/repair nature. Advertising and representation cannot imply you are a licensed contractor if you are not licensed, and splitting a larger project into smaller invoices to stay under the cap is not allowed. | Phoenix · Tucson · Mesa · Chandler · Gilbert |
| Arkansas | $2,000 Projects costing $2,000 or less (including all labor and materials) are exempt from Arkansas contractor licensing requirements. This applies to residential building and home improvement work. The threshold was last updated by Act 2021, No. 1072, effective January 1, 2022. The Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board has indicated proposed rule amendments may be forthcoming based on 2025 Legislative Session acts, so verify current threshold before relying on this figure. | Little Rock · Fayetteville · Fort Smith · Springdale · Jonesboro |
| California | $1,000 Effective January 1, 2025 (AB 2622), an unlicensed person may perform construction work up to $1,000 total (combined labor, materials, and all other costs) without a contractor license, provided: (1) no building permit is required for the work, (2) the person does not hire any workers to assist or perform the work, and (3) the work does not involve behind-the-wall mechanical, electrical, or plumbing systems. The $1,000 limit applies to the entire project—you cannot split a larger project into smaller jobs to avoid the threshold. | Los Angeles · San Diego · San Jose · San Francisco · Fresno |
| Colorado | None Colorado has no state-level dollar-based handyman exemption. Licensing requirements are determined by individual cities and counties, and typically depend on whether the work requires a building permit rather than project cost. Homeowners performing work on their own primary residence are exempt from contractor licensing requirements. | Denver · Colorado Springs · Aurora · Fort Collins · Lakewood |
| Connecticut | $200 Connecticut's Home Improvement Act (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-419) does not require HIC registration for single jobs at or under $200 (labor + materials). However, any single job exceeding $200 triggers registration, and cumulative work exceeding $1,000 in any rolling 12-month period requires registration regardless of individual job size. The exemption applies to basic maintenance and property upkeep that does not constitute 'home improvement' as defined in the statute. | Bridgeport · Stamford · New Haven · Hartford · Waterbury |
| Delaware | $50,000 Handymen and contractors performing work on projects under $50,000 are exempt from the Department of Labor's Contractor Registration requirement. However, this exemption does NOT apply to trade-specific work (electrical, plumbing, HVAC) which requires professional licenses regardless of dollar amount. Additionally, all contractors must still obtain a Delaware state business license and comply with building permit requirements. | Wilmington · Dover · Newark · Middletown · Smyrna |
| District of Columbia | None DC does not have a dollar-amount handyman exemption. Any person performing residential remodeling, alterations, or repairs for compensation in DC must obtain a Basic Business License (BBL) with Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) endorsement, regardless of project value. One third-party source mentions a $1,000 threshold, but this does not appear on official DLCP pages and cannot be independently confirmed. The conservative legal position is that all paid home improvement work requires the BBL/HIC endorsement. | Washington |
| Florida | $2,500 As of July 1, 2020, handyman jobs where the total construction costs (labor + materials combined) are below $2,500 are exempt from state licensure requirements when the jobs are of a casual, minor, or inconsequential nature. Work must not require a building permit to qualify for the exemption. Examples of exempt work include painting, basic carpentry, minor drywall patching, furniture assembly, pressure washing, and minor cosmetic maintenance. | Jacksonville · Miami · Tampa · Orlando · Saint Petersburg |
| Georgia | $2,500 Residential projects under $2,500 (labor and materials combined) are exempt from Georgia state contractor licensing requirements under O.C.G.A. §43-41. Commercial projects under $100,000 are also exempt. This exemption applies to general contracting work such as drywall repairs, fence repairs, painting, and minor carpentry. | Atlanta · Columbus · Augusta · Macon · Savannah |
| Hawaii | $1,000 Work valued at $1,000 or less (total project cost including labor and materials combined) does not require a state contractor license. This exemption has not been increased since 1992. A 2018 legislative attempt to raise it to $5,000 did not pass. Intentionally dividing a project into smaller contracts to stay under the threshold violates the law. | Honolulu · Hilo · Kailua · Kapolei · Kaneohe |
| Idaho | $2,000 Any construction job with a combined total value of labor and materials not exceeding $2,000 does not require state contractor registration. This exemption applies to discrete repair and maintenance work performed by unregistered individuals or small contractors. The exemption is Idaho's de facto 'handyman exemption' under Idaho Code § 54-5205. | Boise · Meridian · Nampa · Idaho Falls · Caldwell |
| Illinois | None Illinois does not publish a statewide dollar-threshold handyman exemption. Unlike California ($1,000 as of Jan. 1, 2025) or Arizona ($1,000), Illinois has no safe-harbor dollar amount under which unlicensed contracting is permitted. Licensing and permitting requirements are determined entirely at the local (city/county) level. | Chicago · Aurora · Joliet · Naperville · Rockford |
| Indiana | None Indiana has no statewide handyman dollar-threshold exemption. Licensing and contractor requirements are determined entirely by local municipalities and counties. The closest statewide trigger is the Home Improvement Contract Act (HICA, IC § 24-5-11-1), which applies to residential home improvement contracts over $150 and requires a written contract with specific terms, but this is a consumer-protection law, not a licensing exemption. HICA does not exempt contractors from local licensing or permit requirements. | Indianapolis · Fort Wayne · Evansville · Fishers · South Bend |
| Iowa | $2,000 Iowa exempts contractors whose total annual gross receipts from construction work are less than $2,000 per year. This is an annual cumulative threshold, not a per-job threshold. Once annual receipts reach $2,000 or more, registration with DIAL is mandatory. Work performed exclusively on one's own property (not offered as a service to others) is also exempt. | Des Moines · Cedar Rapids · Davenport · Sioux City · Ankeny |
| Kansas | None Kansas has no statewide handyman exemption or dollar threshold because Kansas has no statewide contractor licensing law at all. Licensing is entirely local/municipal. However, this does NOT mean handymen can work without limits—trade work (electrical, plumbing, HVAC, mechanical) is ALWAYS licensed at the local level in Salina regardless of project size or cost. Non-trade handymen work (painting, drywall repair, carpentry, etc.) is generally unregulated at the state level but may be subject to local permitting and zoning rules. | Wichita · Overland Park · Kansas City · Olathe · Topeka |
| Kentucky | None Kentucky has no statewide dollar-threshold handyman exemption. General construction work (carpentry, painting, drywall, flooring, tile, basic repairs) does not require a state license. However, this is not an 'exemption' — it is the absence of a statewide general contractor licensing requirement. All work still requires local building permits and compliance with local zoning/occupational tax rules. | Louisville · Lexington · Bowling Green · Owensboro · Covington |
| Louisiana | $7,500 Work on existing residential structures valued under $7,500 (including labor and materials) does not require a state LSLBC license. This is the primary 'handyman zone' in Louisiana. Work between $7,500–$74,999 on residential structures requires a Home Improvement Registration. New residential construction $75,000+ requires a full Residential Contractor license. | New Orleans · Baton Rouge · Shreveport · Lafayette · Lake Charles |
| Maine | Unlimited Maine has no state-level general contractor licensing requirement. Handymen and general contractors can perform work of any dollar value without a state license, provided they do not perform licensed trades (electrical, plumbing, fuel work). This is not technically an 'exemption' but rather the absence of a state licensing requirement altogether. LD 1226, which would have required licensing for residential projects over $15,000 starting January 1, 2027, died on adjournment April 29, 2026 and is not current law. | Portland · Lewiston · Bangor · South Portland · Auburn |
| Maryland | None Maryland has NO handyman exemption. The MHIC license requirement applies to ANY paid residential home improvement work, regardless of dollar amount. Even a $50 repair requires an MHIC license. This is a strict regulatory framework with no dollar threshold. | Baltimore · Columbia · Germantown · Silver Spring · Frederick |
| Massachusetts | $1,000 Work on existing owner-occupied residential properties (1–4 units) totaling less than $1,000 in combined labor and materials is exempt from Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration under M.G.L. Chapter 142A. This exemption applies to 'ordinary repairs' such as painting, wallpapering, and minor maintenance. | Boston · Worcester · Springfield · Cambridge · Lowell |
| Michigan | $600 Michigan allows unlicensed handymen to perform residential maintenance, alteration, and repair work on projects totaling less than $600 (including both labor and materials). This exemption covers carpentry, concrete work, waterproofing, excavation, insulation, masonry, roofing, siding, gutters, screen/storm installation, tile work, and house wrecking. The exemption is codified in MCL § 339.2403 (Public Act 299 of 1980). | Detroit · Grand Rapids · Warren · Sterling Heights · Ann Arbor |
| Minnesota | $15,000 Minnesota exempts residential contractors from state licensing if their annual gross receipts from residential work are less than $15,000 AND they work in only ONE of the eight special skill areas (carpentry, masonry/concrete, excavation, interior finishing, exterior finishing, roofing, mechanical, or similar). This is an annual gross-receipts test, not a per-job dollar limit. A handyman doing ten $2,000 jobs in carpentry alone stays exempt; the same handyman doing both carpentry and masonry triggers the licensing requirement if combined annual receipts exceed $15,000. | Minneapolis · St. Paul · Rochester · Duluth · Bloomington |
| Mississippi | $10,000 Residential remodeling and roofing work under $10,000 in combined labor and materials does not require an MSBOC residential contractor license. General residential work under $50,000 also falls outside the licensing requirement. However, this exemption does NOT apply to electrical, plumbing, HVAC, or fire sprinkler work, which require trade-specific licensing regardless of job value. | Jackson · Gulfport · Southaven · Biloxi · Hattiesburg |
| Missouri | None Missouri has no statewide handyman dollar-threshold exemption. The state does not issue general contractor licenses. Exemptions are determined entirely by local (city and county) ordinances. O'Fallon and St. Charles County may have local exemptions—contact their respective licensing offices to confirm. | Kansas City · St. Louis · Springfield · Columbia · Independence |
| Montana | No dollar threshold Montana exempts independent contractors (solo operators with NO employees) from the Construction Contractor Registration requirement. The exemption is based on employment status, not project value. A solo handyman working alone without hiring any employees can operate under this exemption. However, the exemption does NOT apply to corporations, manager-managed LLCs, or any contractor with employees. Additionally, all independent contractors must either obtain an Independent Contractor Exemption Certificate (ICEC) or carry workers' compensation insurance on themselves. | Billings · Missoula · Great Falls · Bozeman · Butte |
| Nebraska | $5,000 Contractors earning less than $5,000 annually from construction services are exempt from Nebraska Department of Labor registration. The exemption applies to sole proprietors with no employees performing general repair and maintenance work. Property owners performing work on their own occupied property are also exempt. | Omaha · Lincoln · Bellevue · Grand Island · Kearney |
| Nevada | $1,000 Nevada has a practical exemption for minor repair and maintenance work valued under $1,000 (including materials and labor) that does not require a building permit. However, this exemption is narrow and disputed. The Nevada State Contractors Board does not explicitly codify a dollar-amount exemption in NRS 624.031. Work that requires a building permit, or any electrical, plumbing, HVAC, pool/spa, asbestos, or mold remediation work, is excluded from this exemption regardless of cost. Projects cannot be artificially split to stay under $1,000. An unlicensed handyman cannot work as a subcontractor on larger projects. | Las Vegas · Henderson · Reno · North Las Vegas · Sparks |
| New Hampshire | Unlimited New Hampshire has no dollar-threshold exemption. Instead, the state does not require a general contractor license at any level. Handymen can legally perform general construction work (carpentry, painting, drywall, flooring, decking, tile work) without state licensure at any project value. The exemption is effectively unlimited for non-trade work. | Manchester · Nashua · Concord · Dover · Rochester |
| New Jersey | None New Jersey does not have a dollar-amount handyman exemption. All paid residential home improvement work—including construction, remodeling, renovations, repairs, installations, and demolitions—requires state Home Improvement Contractor Business (HICB) registration regardless of project value. A widely cited '$500 threshold' appears to be outdated; current Division of Consumer Affairs guidance indicates registration is required for all residential home improvement work. | Newark · Jersey City · Paterson · Elizabeth · Lakewood |
| New Mexico | None New Mexico has NO dollar-amount handyman exemption. All construction work performed for compensation requires a valid CID contractor license, regardless of project value or scope. The ONLY exemption is for owner-occupants performing work on their own personal residence (not for sale or business purposes). This makes New Mexico one of the strictest licensing states in the nation. | Albuquerque · Las Cruces · Rio Rancho · Santa Fe · Roswell |
| New York | $1,500 New York General Business Law Article 36-A defines a 'home improvement contractor' as one whose total cash price of home improvement contracts exceeds $1,500 in any 12 consecutive months. Individual home improvement contracts are defined as those with an aggregate price exceeding $500. Contractors below these thresholds are not technically 'home improvement contractors' under state law and are not bound by Article 36-A's written contract mandates. | New York · Buffalo · Rochester · Yonkers · Syracuse |
| North Carolina | $40,000 Unlicensed handymen and contractors can perform general construction work (non-structural repairs, painting, basic carpentry, fixture replacement) on projects valued under $40,000 in total labor and materials. This threshold applies to the entire project and cannot be split across multiple invoices to avoid licensing requirements. The threshold was increased from $30,000 to $40,000 by House Bill 488 (NCGS §87-1(a)). | Charlotte · Raleigh · Greensboro · Durham · Winston-Salem |
| North Dakota | $4,000 Any single construction contract valued at $4,000 or less (labor + materials combined) does not require a state contractor license. This is a per-job threshold, not cumulative. Work includes carpentry, drywall, painting, flooring, tile, and general repairs. The exemption applies to the total contract value, not individual line items. | Fargo · Bismarck · Grand Forks · Minot · West Fargo |
| Ohio | None Ohio does not have a formal statewide handyman exemption with a dollar threshold. However, residential general contracting over $25,000 triggers Home Construction Service Supplier (HCSS) registration under ORC Chapter 4722. Work below $25,000 is not categorically exempt—it remains subject to building codes, permit requirements, and local contractor registration rules. Any work in state-regulated trades (electrical, plumbing, HVAC, refrigeration, hydronics) requires the appropriate state license and local registration regardless of contract value. | Columbus · Cleveland · Cincinnati · Toledo · Akron |
| Oklahoma | Unlimited Oklahoma does not use a dollar-threshold exemption model. Instead, Oklahoma structurally does not require a state license for general contractors, handymen, or home improvement specialists performing general construction work (carpentry, painting, drywall, flooring, landscaping, general repairs) for any dollar amount. This is not a dollar-based exemption but rather the absence of a state general contractor licensing requirement altogether. | Oklahoma City · Tulsa · Norman · Broken Arrow · Edmond |
| Oregon | $1,000 A person working on one structure or project, under one or more contracts, when the aggregate price of all contracts for labor, materials, and all other items is less than $1,000 and the work is of a casual, minor, or inconsequential nature is exempt from Oregon Construction Contractors Board (CCB) licensure under ORS 701.010(4). | Portland · Salem · Eugene · Gresham · Hillsboro |
| Pennsylvania | $5,000 Handymen and home improvement contractors are exempt from Pennsylvania's Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act (HICPA) registration if they perform less than $5,000 in gross annual revenue from home improvement work on residential properties in a calendar year. This threshold is based on annual aggregate revenue, not per-project value. For example, two $3,000 jobs in the same calendar year would trigger the $5,000 threshold and require registration. | Philadelphia · Pittsburgh · Allentown · Erie · Reading |
| Rhode Island | None Rhode Island has no meaningful handyman exemption. The Contractors' Registration Act (R.I. General Laws § 5-65 et seq.) requires registration for virtually all paid construction, remodeling, alteration, and repair work regardless of contract value. Exemptions are extremely limited and apply only to property owners working on their own residence and employees of registered contractors. Any handyman performing work for compensation must register with the CRLB. | Providence · Cranston · Warwick · Pawtucket · East Providence |
| South Carolina | $5,000 Residential work under $5,000 total cost does not require a Residential Builder license from the SC Residential Builders Commission. However, residential specialty work (single trade) over $500 requires a Residential Specialty Contractor license. Commercial work under $10,000 does not require a Commercial General Contractor license. These exemptions do NOT apply to electrical, plumbing, HVAC, or gas fitting work, which always require state specialty licenses regardless of project cost. | Charleston · Columbia · North Charleston · Mount Pleasant · Rock Hill |
| South Dakota | None South Dakota does not have a state-level dollar-threshold handyman exemption. The state does not issue a general contractor license at any project size. However, at the city level (Spearfish), owner-occupants are exempt from needing a contractor license to work on their own primary residence. This is an identity-based exemption, not a dollar-threshold exemption. | Sioux Falls · Rapid City · Aberdeen · Brookings · Watertown |
| Tennessee | $3,000 Projects under $3,000 in combined labor and materials do not require a Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (TBLC) license. This exemption covers general repair, carpentry, painting, drywall patching, fence repair, and basic maintenance work. | Nashville · Memphis · Knoxville · Chattanooga · Clarksville |
| Texas | Unlimited Texas has no dollar-threshold handyman exemption because the state does not issue a general contractor license. Handymen, general contractors, and builders are categorically exempt from state licensing for general construction work including framing, drywall, roofing, carpentry, remodeling, landscaping, and general repairs. This exemption is unlimited in scope and project value. | Houston · San Antonio · Dallas · Austin · Fort Worth |
| Utah | $3,000 Utah Code § 58-55-301 establishes a tiered exemption system. Projects under $3,000 (labor + materials combined) require no license or registration. Projects valued between $3,000–$7,000 require filing a one-time Affirmation of Exemption with DOPL and maintaining required insurance. Projects over $7,000 require a full contractor license. The exemption applies to alteration, repair, remodeling, addition, or improvement of buildings (e.g., painting, drywall repair, trim carpentry, fence repair, basic maintenance). | Salt Lake City · West Valley City · West Jordan · Provo · St. George |
| Vermont | $10,000 Vermont exempts residential construction work valued at $10,000 or less (total contract value including labor and materials) from state registration requirements. Work exceeding $10,000 requires registration with the Vermont Office of Professional Regulation. The exemption applies to residential dwelling units and buildings with four or fewer residential units. | Burlington · South Burlington · Rutland · Essex Junction · Bennington |
| Virginia | $1,000 Projects valued at $1,000 or less (labor + materials combined) do not require a state contractor license. This exemption applies to minor repair and maintenance work such as painting, drywall repair, trim carpentry, fence repair, and basic maintenance. | Virginia Beach · Chesapeake · Norfolk · Richmond · Newport News |
| Washington | $500 RCW 18.27.090(9) exempts work or operations on one undertaking or project where the aggregate contract price for labor, materials, and all other items is less than $500. The work must be casual, minor, or inconsequential in nature. This is a narrow exemption — if the work requires a building permit, it likely does not qualify. The $500 figure is aggregate per project; you cannot break a larger job into multiple sub-$500 pieces to avoid registration. | Seattle · Spokane · Tacoma · Vancouver · Bellevue |
| West Virginia | $2,500 Handymen and small contractors are exempt from state contractor licensing for residential work where the total project cost (labor + materials combined) is under $2,500. For commercial work, the threshold is $25,000. This exemption applies to general construction, repair, remodeling, and improvement work only. | Charleston · Huntington · Morgantown · Parkersburg · Wheeling |
| Wisconsin | $1,000 Handymen can perform minor repairs and maintenance (painting, fixture replacement, drywall repair, etc.) on 1-2 family dwellings without a license as long as the project is under $1,000 in total cost and does not require a building permit. Projects over $1,000 or requiring permits require a Dwelling Contractor Qualifier (DCQ) license. | Milwaukee · Madison · Green Bay · Kenosha · Racine |
| Wyoming | None Wyoming has no statewide contractor licensing system and therefore no statewide handyman exemption threshold. The only statewide exemption is for homeowners performing their own electrical work under W.S. 35-9-123—this does not apply to hired handymen or contractors. All licensing requirements are determined at the local (city/county) level. | Cheyenne · Casper · Gillette · Laramie · Rock Springs |
Thresholds reflect our latest research and are a starting point only. Always confirm current requirements with your state's licensing board.
Check your exact city
State rules are only half the picture — counties and cities frequently add their own requirements. Our city licensing guides go deeper for specific locations, including local registration, permits, and the exact thresholds that apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every state require a handyman license?
No. Requirements vary widely. Some states require a contractor license for most work, some only above a dollar threshold, and some have no state-level handyman license at all. County and city rules can add requirements on top, so check your exact location.
What is a handyman license dollar threshold?
Many states let you do repair work under a certain job value without a contractor license, and require a license above it. The threshold amount — and whether it exists — varies by state, so confirm the current figure with your state's licensing board.
How do I find the license requirements for my city?
Start with the state overview on this page, then open our detailed city licensing guides for local rules, registration, and permits. Always verify the current requirements with your state and local authorities.
Can I do handyman work without any license?
In some areas, small repairs under a threshold can be done without a contractor license — but you may still need a local business license and should always carry insurance. The rules depend entirely on where you work.