Nevada contractor license requirements

This guide summarizes what Nevada requires to run a contracting business, with a link to the state's own source for every requirement. Licenses for individual electricians, plumbers and HVAC technicians are separate; see the trade guides linked below. Rules change; check the linked source before you apply.

License classes

NSCB licenses contractors by classification: A (general engineering), B (general building, with subclassifications such as B-2 residential and small commercial), AB (both A and B), and specialty C classifications for individual trades, such as C-1 plumbing and heating, C-2 electrical and C-21 refrigeration and air-conditioning. A separate application is required for each classification. (source)

Experience and exams

The applicant, or the qualifying individual who qualifies on its behalf, must have at least 4 years of experience as a journeyman, foreman, supervising employee or contractor in the classification applied for, within the 15 years before applying (the 15-year limit does not apply to someone who previously qualified in the same classification). Training in a program at an accredited college or university, or an equivalent program the Board accepts, can count for up to 3 of those years. A restricted license for remodeling existing single-family homes, added in 2025, requires 2 years of experience instead. (source)

The qualifying individual must pass the Business and Law (CMS) exam and, if the classification has one, a trade exam for the classification requested. Applicants by endorsement can have the trade exam waived but must still pass the Business and Law exam. NSCB has contracted with PSI to give the exams. Each exam can be attempted three times per application; after a third failure the application is void, and the applicant may reapply 30 days after the last exam. (source)

Bond and insurance

Every Nevada contractor's license requires a license bond, either a surety bond or a cash deposit. NSCB sets the amount when it approves the license, from $1,000 to $500,000, considering the license type, monetary limit, financial responsibility, experience and character of the applicant. (source)

Before issuing or renewing a license, NSCB requires proof of industrial insurance (workers' compensation) covering the applicant's employees, a self-insured employer certificate, or an affidavit that the applicant is not subject to those laws because it has no employees and does not work or bid as a subcontractor. Failing to maintain the required coverage is grounds to deny, revoke, suspend or refuse to renew a license. (source)

Fees and renewal

NSCB charges a non-refundable $300.00 application fee and a $600.00 biennial license fee. Residential contractors who provide qualified services also pay a Residential Recovery Fund assessment before the license is issued and every two years at renewal. NSCB lists $200.00 for monetary limits up to $1,000,000, $500.00 for limits over $1,000,000 but limited, and $1,000.00 for unlimited licenses. (source)

Nevada contractor licenses expire 2 years after issue and are renewed every two years with the renewal fee. A license not renewed on or before its renewal date is automatically suspended. If the licensee is otherwise in good standing with no pending complaints, it can be reinstated within 6 months by applying for renewal and paying an added reinstatement fee; otherwise the Board must require a CPA-prepared financial statement or set other conditions for reinstatement. A license not reinstated within 6 months may be cancelled. (source)

Check a contractor's license

Nevada's public contractor license lookup: https://app.nvcontractorsboard.com/Clients/NVSCB/Public/ContractorLicenseSearch/ContractorLicenseSearch.aspx