BOND REQUIREMENTS

The Board determines the amount of the bond at the time of license approval. The bond can vary in amount from $1,000 to $500,000 based on the type of license, monetary limit, past, present or future financial responsibility, experience, and character of the applicant.

After the approval of the license, you will receive notification of the amount of bond required prior to the issuance of the license. A surety bond or a cash deposit will be required for that amount.

In addition to the bond requirements listed above, swimming pool contractors may be required to obtain a consumer protection bond.

Before granting a contractor’s license to, or renewing the contractor’s license of, an applicant who performs or will perform work concerning residential pools or spas, the Board shall, in addition to any other conditions for the issuance or renewal of a license, require the applicant to file with the Board a bond solely for the protection of consumers in an amount fixed by the Board; or in lieu of filing a bond, establish with the Board a cash deposit as provided in this section.

Failure of an applicant or licensee to file or maintain in full force the required bond or to establish the required cash deposit constitutes cause for the Board to deny, revoke, suspend or refuse to renew a license.

The amount of each consumer protection bond or cash deposit required by this section must be fixed by the Board with reference to the contractor’s financial and professional responsibility and the magnitude of his operations, but must be not less than $10,000 or more than $400,000.

Under certain conditions, the Board may require a residential pool and spa contractor to obtain a performance bond in an amount equal not less than 50 percent of the amount of the contract. The performance bond must be solely for the protection of the owner of the property to be improved. The contractor may also be required to obtain a payment bond in an amount equal to not less than 50 percent of the amount of the contract. The payment bond must be solely for the protection of persons supplying labor or materials to the contractor, or to any of his subcontractors, in carrying out the provisions of the contract. In lieu of a performance or payment bond, the contractor may obtain an equivalent form of security approved by the Board.

You may purchase a surety bond from a surety company authorized to transact business in the State of Nevada, and whose long-term obligations are rated “A” or better, or

Cash bonds must be in the form of a Cashier’s Check payable to the State Contractors Board for the full amount of the bond. A biennial administrative fee of $200.00 will be assessed for all cash bond deposits.

If you choose to post a cash deposit, please note that following termination of the license or relief of the bond requirement, the Nevada State Contractors Board is required to hold the cash deposit for an additional two (2) years. The requirement is based on the statute of limitations for filing claims.

Bonds must be continuous in form. A surety may cancel the bond by giving 60 days notice to the Nevada State Contractors Board. Your license must have a continuous bond with no lapse in coverage. Failure of an applicant or licensee to file or maintain in full force the required bond or to establish the required cash deposit constitutes cause for the Board to deny, revoke, suspend or refuse to renew a license.

EXAMINATION REQUIREMENTS

The qualifying individual for a contractor’s license is required to pass the Business and Law (CMS) and trade examination specific to the classification requested, unless he or she meets the requirements for waiver.

Once the application is submitted and the experience requirement has been met, the qualified individual you will receive an Examination Eligibility form with their Candidate ID number to be able to schedule an exam date.  Please note, an examination cannot be scheduled until after the application is submitted and an Examination Eligibility form has been received.

The Nevada State Contractors Board has contracted with PSI Licensure (PSI) to conduct the testing required for a contractor’s license.  Please visit PSI’s website for the Candidate information bulletins, examination content outlines, examination fee amounts, reference lists and additional information.

Quick links:

There are three PSI testing centers located in the State of Nevada to choose from. The PSI examination sites are located at:

  • LAS VEGAS
    5740 S Eastern, Suite 200
    Las Vegas, NV 89121
  • RENO
    Airport Plaza Office Building 1755 E Plumb Lane Ste 108
    Reno, Nevada 89502
  • ELKO
    225 Silver Street Ste 102
    Elko, Nevada 89801

PSI will also allow applicants to take the Nevada specific examinations at PSI owned sites in other states. Please contact PSI at 800.733.9267 to see if there’s a testing site near you.

You have three attempts to pass each exam.  A candidate who tests unsuccessfully must wait two weeks before retaking the examination. If the examination is failed three times, the application becomes void pursuant to NAC 624.600(3). The applicant may reapply with a new application and applicable fee after 30 days from the date of the last examination.

Under certain circumstances the Nevada State Contractors Board will waive the trade examination requirement and the experience certification requirement for applicants.

Please review the Contractor’s License Application for more information regarding the examination requirements and to check if your qualified individual is eligible for waiver of the trade examination.

EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

In order to receive a contractor’s license, you must demonstrate that an individual(s) in your business is (are) qualified to oversee the day-to-day business transactions and actual work being performed. This section is intended to provide you information on the qualifications of such individuals and the experience requirements that they must meet to be the trade qualified individual.

Pursuant to NRS 624.260, the qualifier can be an owner, officer, member, manager or employee of the company. Each qualifier must be a bona fide member or employee of this company, and actively engaged in the contracting business.

The person who will act as the trade qualified individual must have had, within the fifteen years immediately before the filing of the application, at least four full years of experience as a journeyman, supervising employee or contractor in the specific classification requested.  For a list of license classifications, please review our License Classification Page.

The Board will accept the following types of documentation in support of your experience.

  1. Four (4) Certification of Work Experience Forms (Certificates) for EACH Trade Qualifier; or
  2. A current masters certification issued by a governmental agency in a discipline substantially similar to the requested classification; or,
  3. Proof of transferrable military experience and training.

Training received in a program offered at an accredited college, university or equivalent program accepted by the Board may be used to satisfy up to, but not more than 3 years of experience. You will need to provide written documentation of any training or education claimed in place of experience.  Acceptable documentation includes copies of apprenticeship certificates and college transcripts.

Additionally, each trade qualifier will need to complete a Resume of Experience.  If self-employment is being relied upon to establish any portion of the experience requirement, we will need a list of customers for whom you worked, including their complete mailing addresses and phone numbers.

You do not have to meet any education requirements in order to qualify for a contractor’s license.

The Certificates and Resume of Experience will not be required if:

  • the qualifier has served as a qualified employee in the same classification on another Nevada state contractor’s license within the last 5 years; or
  • you qualify for waiver of experience certification by endorsement based on your licensure in one of the states determined by Nevada to have substantially equivalent requirement, which are listed on the State Equivalency Chart.

In order to apply for licensure by endorsement, the trade qualified individual will need to have been actively licensed in the endorsing state for the past four (4) years and not have had any disciplinary actions, suspension or sanctions against your license.  In order to be considered for licensure by endorsement, you must submit with your application, a Request for Verification of Licensure, completed by the endorsing state.

If your endorsing state does not offer an equivalent trade examination, you will be required to pass the state specific trade examination in Nevada.

FINANCIAL STATEMENT REQUIREMENTS

A financial statement IS REQUIRED regardless of the size/amount of the monetary limit requested.

Your financial statement will need to be prepared based on the Monetary Limit you are requesting.  The Monetary Limit is the maximum contract a licensed contractor may undertake on one or more construction contracts on a single construction site or subdivision site for a single client. It is determined by consideration of the factors set forth in NRS 624.260, 624.262, 624.263, and 624.265. Please note: Staff references these statutes to assess your financial responsibility with regard to the monetary limit you are requesting.

Your financial statement will need to be prepared based on the Monetary Limit you are requesting. It is important that you read through the specific requirements below, and seek the assistance of a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) when necessary.

You must submit a current financial statement with the application that meets the following criteria.

  • Financial statements must be for the applying entity. Sole proprietorships and each general partner of a general partnership must submit their personal statement.
  • All statements must be in U.S. dollars.
  • Business statements must include a classified balance sheet.
  • Personal statements that have been prepared by a Certified Public Accountant must include a supplemental schedule disclosing working capital and net worth.

For License Monetary Limits of $25,000 or less you must provide one of the following:

  • A current financial statement prepared by an independent certified public accountant; or
  • A current business financial statement or personal financial statement submitted on a form prescribed by the Board; or
  • A current financial statement (Balance Sheet) prepared using accounting software in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and accompanied by an affidavit that verifies the accuracy of the financial statement.

*To prevent a delay in the processing of your application, if you are unfamiliar with preparing your own financial statement, you are encouraged to seek the advice of an Accountant.

Note:  Self-prepared or compiled statements must be current to within six months from the date the application is received.

For License Monetary Limits more than $25,000 but less than $500,000 you must provide one of the following:

  • A compiled financial statement prepared by an independent certified public accountant, current within 6 months from the date the application is received; or
  • A reviewed or audited by an independent certified public accountant, current within one (1) year from the date the application is received.

For License Monetary Limits of $500,000 or more but less than $1,000,000 you must provide one of the following:

  • A compiled financial statement with full disclosures, prepared by an independent certified public accountant, current within 6 months from the date the application is received; or
  • A reviewed or audited by an independent certified public accountant, current within one (1) year from the date the application is received.

For License Monetary Limits of $1,000,000 or more: You must provide a financial statement that is prepared and reviewed or audited by an independent certified public accountant, current within one (1) year from the date the application is received.

In addition to the financial statement, a Bank Verification Form must be completed by your bank and submitted with your application.

Indemnification Option:  Indemnification allows the Board to consider the financial strength of an individual or entity in addition to the applicant.  The indemnification is not required, however, provides an option to an applicant who may not otherwise qualify.  The agreement must be on a form prescribed by the Board, and accompanied by a financial statement and bank verification form.  Financial statements must meet the same criteria as set forth above.  Indemnification forms are available on the Board’s website.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

Per NRS 624.020, a contractor is a person who undertakes or offers to construct, alter, repair, add to, subtract from, improve, move, wreck or demolish any building or other structure. This includes a subcontractor or specialty contractor but not a material supplier. A contractor also includes a construction manager who performs management and counseling services on a construction project for a professional fee.  All contractors must be licensed prior to contracting (bidding, offering to engage, or negotiating a price).

To qualify to become a licensed contractor, you must demonstrate that an individual(s) in your business is (are) qualified to oversee the day-to-day business transactions and actual work being performed.  The Board refers to these positions as trade qualified individuals.  The trade qualified individual(s) must be able to meet the experience requirements and will be required to provide supporting documentation verifying his/her experience.

The contractor or other person who will act as the trade qualifying individual must have had, within the ten years immediately before the filing of the application, at least four full years of experience as a journeyman, supervising employee or contractor in the specific classification requested.  For a list of license classifications, please review our License Classification Listing.

In addition to the experience requirements, each licensee/applicant must also prove financial responsibility and will be required to provide a financial statement and bank verification form. Please see the financial statement requirements tab on this page for more information.

Licenses may be issued to individuals, partnerships, corporations, limited liability companies or joint ventures.  The license belongs to the business and not the qualifying party.

Please review the Contractor’s License Application for all licensing requirements.

Online Application

 

Attend our FREE Business Assistance Program to learn key requirements for licensure and other helpful tips.

You may view NRS 624.031 for a list of exemptions.