Contractor license guides & exam study guides
How to get licensed in your state, and what's on every exam, written for people who work in the trade.
Licensing guides
How to get a contractor license in Arizona (2026)
To get a contractor license in Arizona, you apply to the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) with a qualifying party who has the required experience (four years for general classes like B, B-1 and B-2) and has passed the Statutes and Rules Exam plus a trade exam.
How to Get a Contractor License in California (2026)
To get a California contractor license, you need at least four years of journey-level experience in the last 10 years, a $450 application to the Contractors State License Board (CSLB), and passing scores on the Law and Business exam plus a trade exam for most classifications.
How to Get a Contractor License in Florida (2026)
To get a statewide Florida contractor license, you prove 4 years of experience (or a mix of college and experience), pass the state exams, and apply to the Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) through DBPR with a credit report, insurance, workers' comp and fingerprints.
How to get a general contractor license in North Carolina (2026)
In North Carolina you need a general contractor license from the NC Licensing Board for General Contractors (NCLBGC) for any project that costs $40,000 or more.
How to Pass an Open-Book Contractor Exam: A Step-by-Step Study Plan
You pass an open-book contractor exam by finding answers fast, not by memorizing the books.
NASCLA Commercial exam: states that accept it and how to pass (2026)
The NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors is one open-book trade exam that 20 licensing agencies in 17 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands accept in place of their own commercial trade exam.
Exam study guides
NASCLA Commercial study guide
9 topics, key facts with sources, flashcards and a mind map.
Business & Law study guide
8 topics, key facts with sources, flashcards and a mind map.
CSLB Law & Business study guide
7 topics, key facts with sources, flashcards and a mind map.
CSLB Class B study guide
9 topics, key facts with sources, flashcards and a mind map.
Florida Business & Finance study guide
9 topics, key facts with sources, flashcards and a mind map.
Florida Contract Admin study guide
7 topics, key facts with sources, flashcards and a mind map.
Florida Project Mgmt study guide
7 topics, key facts with sources, flashcards and a mind map.
NC Building study guide
8 topics, key facts with sources, flashcards and a mind map.
NC Residential study guide
9 topics, key facts with sources, flashcards and a mind map.
Arizona SRE study guide
8 topics, key facts with sources, flashcards and a mind map.
Math & Estimating study guide
8 topics, key facts with sources, flashcards and a mind map.
OSHA Safety study guide
8 topics, key facts with sources, flashcards and a mind map.