Handyman License Requirements by State
Direct answer: There is no single national handyman license. Rules depend on your state, county, and city—some allow small repairs under a dollar threshold without a contractor license; others require licensing for most work. Use this state overview to orient, open the matching city guides for local detail, and always verify current requirements with your state licensing board and city/county offices before you market or take jobs.
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 allows an unlicensed person to perform work if the TOTAL contract price is under $1,000 per job (including labor, materials, and all other costs) and the work is not part of a larger project. You may not divide a larger project into multiple smaller contracts to avoid licensure. | Phoenix · Tucson · Mesa · Chandler · Gilbert |
| Arkansas | $50,000 Arkansas’s contractor licensing threshold is commonly treated as $50,000 (labor + materials) for a project; work under the threshold may be exempt from ACLB contractor licensing, but this does NOT exempt you from required permits or from separate electrical/plumbing/HVAC licensing requirements. | Little Rock · Fayetteville · Fort Smith · Springdale · Jonesboro |
| California | $1,000 As of January 1, 2025, under Assembly Bill 2622 (Chapter 240, Statutes of 2024), an unlicensed person may perform construction work if: (1) the total contract price for labor, materials, and all other costs is less than $1,000; (2) the work requires no building permit of any kind; and (3) the work is performed by the individual alone without hiring anyone to assist. All three conditions must be satisfied simultaneously. This exemption applies equally across all trades (electrical, plumbing, HVAC, carpentry, etc.). | 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 exempts home improvement work under $200 per individual job OR under $1,000 total in any 12-month period. However, this exemption is extremely narrow. Any permanent change to residential property—including painting, drywall repair, flooring, roofing, siding, fencing, doors, windows, patios, landscaping, swimming pools, waterproofing, and alarm systems—triggers HIC registration the moment a single contract exceeds $200. Routine maintenance tasks (snow removal, lawn care, pruning, cleaning) are exempt. Work performed under a separate trade license (electrical, plumbing, HVAC) is exempt only for that specific licensed work. | 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 | Unknown—sources conflict between $1,000 and $2,500 Florida Statute §489.103(9) exempts 'minor repair and maintenance work' from contractor licensing when the total contract value (labor plus materials combined) does not exceed the threshold. However, authoritative sources disagree on whether the threshold is $1,000 or $2,500. The exemption does NOT apply if you advertise as a contractor, if the work is part of a larger operation (contract-splitting is prohibited), or if the work requires a building permit. Electrical work beyond simple fixture replacement, plumbing beyond simple fixture repair, HVAC system work, roofing, and structural alterations are NEVER covered by the exemption, regardless of dollar value. | Jacksonville · Miami · Tampa · Orlando · Saint Petersburg |
| Georgia | $2,500 No state contractor license is required for projects where the total cost (labor + materials combined) is less than $2,500 per project. This exemption applies to general contracting work such as painting, drywall repair, carpentry, deck staining, pressure washing, cabinet installation, flooring, tiling, and minor landscaping. The threshold is per-project, not annual. | 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 single construction job with a total cost of $2,000 or less (materials + labor combined) is exempt from the contractor registration requirement under Idaho Code § 54-5205(2)(f). The person performing the work must not hold themselves out as a registered contractor. | 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 exemption with a dollar threshold. The state does not impose a statewide general contractor license, so there is no corresponding exemption. Licensing and exemptions are determined at the city/county level. Crawfordsville's local rules govern what work requires registration. | Indianapolis · Fort Wayne · Evansville · Fishers · South Bend |
| Iowa | $2,000 Handymen and small contractors earning less than $2,000 annually from all construction work combined are fully exempt from Iowa contractor registration. This exemption also applies to residents working on their own real estate. The exemption is based on annual earnings, not per-project cost — there is no per-project dollar cap. | Des Moines · Cedar Rapids · Davenport · Sioux City · Ankeny |
| Kansas | Unlimited (no state threshold) Kansas has no state-level general contractor licensing requirement for any dollar amount. This effectively creates an unlimited exemption at the state level. All non-roofing general construction, remodeling, and handyman work is unregulated at the state level. However, local jurisdictions (including Manhattan) may impose their own licensing requirements for structural work. Finish work, minor repairs, painting, drywall patching, and similar tasks typically do not require a license in Manhattan unless they involve structural changes. | Wichita · Overland Park · Kansas City · Olathe · Topeka |
| Kentucky | None Kentucky generally does not have a single statewide dollar-threshold “handyman exemption” because Kentucky generally does not issue a statewide general contractor license for ordinary handyman/general remodeling work. Instead, whether you can legally do a job is determined by (1) whether the work falls into a state-licensed trade (electrical/plumbing/HVAC) and (2) local building permits/inspections and local business licensing. | 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 Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration is required for residential home improvement projects on owner-occupied one- to four-unit properties valued at $1,000 or more in combined labor and materials. Projects under $1,000 may not require HIC registration, but specialty trade licenses (electrical, plumbing, gas fitting, HVAC) apply regardless of project value. A written contract is required for all HIC work estimated at $1,000 or more. | 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 A handyman or small contractor does not need a state license if gross annual receipts from residential work do NOT exceed $15,000 in a calendar year. This exemption applies to single-skill contractors (e.g., painting only, carpentry only) but NOT to multi-skill remodelers. The threshold is calculated across ALL residential work performed in the calendar year, not per individual project. Once you cross $15,000 in annual receipts, you must be licensed as a Residential Remodeler or Residential Building Contractor. | 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 and businesses performing construction, alteration, or repair work valued at more than $5,000 per calendar year must register with the Nebraska Department of Labor. Work valued at $5,000 or less annually is exempt from state contractor registration requirements. This exemption applies to total annual construction earnings across all projects. | 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 for general handyman work. Any handyman can perform general carpentry, painting, drywall repair, flooring, landscaping, and similar work without a state contractor license, regardless of job value. The exemption is effectively unlimited for non-trade work. | Manchester · Nashua · Concord · Dover · Rochester |
| New Jersey | $1,500 New Jersey does not have a traditional handyman exemption based on a dollar threshold. However, under the 2024 Home Improvement and Home Elevation Contractor Licensing Act, contractors earning no more than $1,500 per individual contract AND $25,000 per calendar year in home improvement services may register (rather than obtain the full individual license) starting February 1, 2026. This is a limited carve-out, not a full exemption—registration is still required. Any paid home improvement work triggers the registration requirement. Licensed professionals (plumbers, electricians, architects) performing work strictly within their license scope are exempt from HICB registration. Home improvement retailers with net worth exceeding $50 million and contractors working on non-profit properties are also exempt. | Newark · Jersey City · Paterson · Elizabeth · Lakewood |
| New Mexico | $7,200 An individual performing work on one undertaking or project at a time that does not exceed $7,200 in annual compensation, where the work is casual, minor, or inconsequential (such as handyman repairs, painting, drywall patching, carpentry, flooring, general maintenance), is excluded from the definition of 'contractor' and exempt from CID licensing. The individual must not advertise or maintain signage indicating they are qualified to engage in contracting. | 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 | $25,000 Residential home improvement and repair work under $25,000 in contract value does not require state Home Construction Service Supplier registration. This applies to general handyman tasks including painting, carpentry, drywall repair, landscaping, minor repairs, pressure washing, and fixture replacements performed on residential buildings. | 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 Pennsylvania's Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act (HICPA) exempts contractors earning less than $5,000 per year in gross revenue from home improvement work on residential property. The threshold is annual gross revenue, not per-job price. Once annual revenue reaches $5,000, registration is required for all subsequent contracts. | Philadelphia · Pittsburgh · Allentown · Erie · Reading |
| Puerto Rico | None Puerto Rico Law 220 of 2012 (Contractor and Subcontractor Registration Act) requires DACO registration for anyone publicly offering construction services. No bright-line dollar exemption for minor work has been confirmed in current DACO publications. Any construction, repair, or improvement work offered commercially appears to require registration regardless of project value. | San Juan |
| Rhode Island | $500 A single contract where labor, materials, and all other items combined total $500 or less may be exempt from registration. However, this exemption is extremely narrow: it applies only to one-off transactions, not to ongoing business activity. If you operate a handyman business performing multiple jobs, registration is required at any volume, regardless of individual job size. | Providence · Cranston · Warwick · Pawtucket · East Providence |
| South Carolina | $5,000 South Carolina’s contractor licensing threshold is generally tied to project value: work with a total value of less than $5,000 typically does not require a South Carolina contractor license from the state contractor board (so long as the work does not require a separate trade license such as electrical/plumbing/HVAC and you still comply with local permitting). The $5,000 figure is commonly applied as the point where a Residential Builder/General Contractor license becomes required for contracting. | Charleston · Columbia · North Charleston · Mount Pleasant · Rock Hill |
| South Dakota | None South Dakota does not have a classic handyman exemption with a dollar threshold for general repair work. All contractors engaged in construction services are required to obtain a Contractor's Excise Tax License from the SD Department of Revenue. An owner-occupant exemption exists only for homeowners personally installing electrical wiring in their own residence (SDCL 20:44:14:01(12)), but this does not apply to handymen working for hire. | Sioux Falls · Rapid City · Aberdeen · Brookings · Watertown |
| Tennessee | $25,000 Tennessee’s contractor license is generally required when the total project (labor + materials) is $25,000 or more. Handyman/small contractor work under $25,000 per project is typically exempt from the Tennessee contractor license requirement, but local licensing, permitting, and trade-license rules still apply. | Nashville · Memphis · Knoxville · Chattanooga · Clarksville |
| Texas | Unlimited Texas has NO dollar threshold for unlicensed handyman work. General construction and repair work—framing, drywall, painting, carpentry, flooring, tile, fencing, decks, landscaping, pressure washing, and minor repairs—is entirely unregulated at the state level. A handyman can legally perform these tasks on any project size without a state license. | Houston · San Antonio · Dallas · Austin · Fort Worth |
| Utah | $3,000 Utah Code § 58-55-305 (as amended by HB 483, effective May 7, 2025) establishes a three-tier system: (1) Projects under $3,000 (combined labor and materials) are fully exempt — no filing required. (2) Projects $3,000 to under $7,000 require a one-time handyman affirmation filing with DOPL documenting liability insurance and workers' compensation coverage. (3) Projects $7,000 and above require a full Utah Contractor License. The exemption applies only to general construction work and does NOT cover plumbing, electrical, HVAC, gas, fire-suppression, or radon work, which require licensed contractors regardless of dollar value. | 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 | None Washington has NO official dollar-threshold handyman exemption. RCW 18.27.020 requires all contractors to register with L&I before performing any compensated construction work, regardless of project value. Some third-party sources cite a $500 per-project floor, but this is NOT confirmed in statute and appears to describe the penalty trigger in practice, not a legal safe harbor. Treating registration as required from dollar one is the safest approach. | 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 | None Wisconsin does not use a single dollar-amount “handyman exemption” threshold like some states. Instead, the key statewide line is whether the work falls under regulated trades (electrical/plumbing/HVAC) or whether you are acting as a "dwelling contractor" on 1–2 family dwellings. There is no statewide rule that says 'under $X you don’t need licensing.' | 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.