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Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board · checked 2026-10-21
Arkansas General contractor License Requirements
The Contractors Licensing Board licenses commercial contractors for projects of $50,000 or more (labor and materials) and issues home improvement licenses for specialty work on a single-family home over $2,000. Commercial contractor license: the source states no minimum time, plus an exam.
- 1HI · Home improvement license time not stated
- 2COM · Commercial contractor license time not stated
License levels in Arkansas
The Arkansas path has 2 steps on this page: Home improvement license and Commercial contractor license.
| Level | Experience | Classroom | Time from start | Exam | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HI Home improvement license | none stated | — | time not stated | Not stated | Not printed |
| COM Commercial contractor license | none stated | — | time not stated | Yes | Not printed |
Home improvement license (HI)
Covers specialty work on a single-family residence where the project exceeds $2,000 including labor and materials. The part of the page read states no exam for it. Source: Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board, Apply for contractors license/registration.
Commercial contractor license (COM)
Required for commercial projects of $50,000 or more including labor and materials; a business and law test is required, with instructions in the application. A 90-day temporary commercial license can be issued once. Source: Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board, Apply for contractors license/registration.
Exam
1 of the 2 levels listed here requires an exam: Commercial contractor license. The source does not print a pass mark.
Fees
The Arkansas source read prints no dollar amounts for this license. The page says each initial application carries a non-refundable fee but prints no amount. Residential building thresholds were in a part of the page that could not be read.
When a license is needed: Commercial license at $50,000 or more; home improvement license above $2,000 on a single-family residence (labor and materials). (Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board, Apply for contractors license/registration)
Reciprocity
The Arkansas sources read for this trade name no reciprocity agreement and no route for out-of-state licensees.
Seen from the other side: Alabama lists Arkansas among its partners on its own board page (Alabama). Each state applies its own conditions, so read both pages.
How Arkansas compares
Arkansas's source states no minimum time for the commercial contractor license, so it is not ranked against the other states on this site.
Same trade elsewhere: California · Florida · Pennsylvania · North Carolina · Michigan. All states side by side: General contractor license requirements by state.
Other trades in Arkansas
- Electrician: Master electrician: the source states no minimum time, plus an exam.
All covered trades on one page: Arkansas trade licenses.
Background reading: From apprentice to master: how long each state takes · How trade license exams work.
Questions
Who issues the general contractor license in Arkansas?
Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board, Department of Labor and Licensing. The Contractors Licensing Board licenses commercial contractors for projects of $50,000 or more (labor and materials) and issues home improvement licenses for specialty work on a single-family home over $2,000.
How long does it take to qualify for the Commercial contractor license in Arkansas?
The source read (Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board, Apply for contractors license/registration) states no minimum time for the Commercial contractor license. Required for commercial projects of $50,000 or more including labor and materials; a business and law test is required, with instructions in the application. A 90-day temporary commercial license can be issued once.
Does Arkansas have general contractor license reciprocity?
The Arkansas sources read name no reciprocity agreement for this trade.
Sources and last checked
| What | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Issuing authority | Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board, Department of Labor and Licensing | 2026-10-21 |
| HI requirements | Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board, Apply for contractors license/registration | 2026-10-21 |
| COM requirements | Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board, Apply for contractors license/registration | 2026-10-21 |
| Law cited | Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board application page (statute not read) | 2026-10-21 |
This page summarises what the Arkansas source said on 2026-10-21. It is general information, not legal advice; the board's own page and the statute are the authority and can change. Confirm with Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board before applying. The free official route is the board itself: its page, application forms and staff answer eligibility questions.