How to get a contractor license in Alaska: general contractor registration and the Residential Contractor Endorsement
Alaska licenses general contractors at the state level. Alaska issues a statewide certificate of registration for general contractors with no trade exam, but contractors building or remodeling residential structures must add a Residential Contractor Endorsement, which requires a 16-hour cold climate course and an endorsement exam scheduled through PSI.
- Licensing level
- state
- Exam vendor
- PSI
- Verified
- Official source
Alaska contractor licenses at a glance
| License | Issued by | How you get it |
|---|---|---|
| General contractor registration | Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing | Application, surety bond, liability insurance and an Alaska business license. No trade exam. |
| Residential Contractor Endorsement | Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing | Required to build or remodel residential structures: a 16-hour Alaska cold climate course, then the endorsement exam scheduled through PSI, added to the general contractor registration. |
| Handyman registration | Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing | A limited registration for small jobs under the dollar cap the Division publishes. |
| Mechanical and electrical administrator licenses | Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing | Separate licenses for the administrator responsible for mechanical (HVAC, plumbing) and electrical work. |
Start at the source
Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing (Construction Contractors Program), Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development is the official authority. Its site, www.commerce.alaska.gov, carries the current requirements, applications and any candidate bulletin. Everything on this page routes back to it, because requirements change and the agency's version is the one that counts.
The path, wherever you are
- Confirm the licensing level above with the authority, then pull the current application checklist from its site.
- Where a trade exam is required, get the candidate bulletin: it names the exam vendor, the topics, and the exact reference editions allowed on the table.
- Buy the referenced code books in the exact editions listed, and tab them yourself within whatever marking the bulletin permits.
- Train the lookup, not just the knowledge: contractor trade exams are commonly open book, which makes finding the governing section fast the actual tested skill.
- Expect a separate business and law exam in many jurisdictions, with its own reference book.
Why open book changes your prep
An open-book exam gives you the answers and takes away the time to find them. The candidates who fail are rarely the ones who knew the least; they are the ones who found things slowest. That lookup skill is what this site trains:the free timed drill shows you your seconds-per-lookup in two minutes.
Not sure whether you need a contractor license or an ICC inspector certification? The two are issued by different bodies and scored differently: seeinspector certification vs contractor licenseand why the ICC passing score is a scaled 75.
Frequently asked questions
What are the Alaska general contractor license requirements?
A general contractor registration from the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing: the application, a surety bond, proof of liability insurance and a state business license. There is no trade exam for the registration itself. Contractors who build or remodel homes must add the Residential Contractor Endorsement.
How do I apply for the Alaska general contractor license and residential endorsement?
File the general contractor registration with the Division, then complete the 16-hour Alaska cold climate course and pass the Residential Contractor Endorsement exam through PSI; the endorsement is added to your registration. The Division's construction contractors pages carry the forms, bond amounts and the exam bulletin.
Does Alaska have an HVAC license?
HVAC work in Alaska falls under the mechanical administrator license issued by the same Division: a licensed mechanical administrator must be responsible for the mechanical work a contractor performs. The administrator license has its own exam and experience requirements, separate from the general contractor registration.
Does Alaska require a state contractor license?
Alaska licenses general contractors at the state level. Alaska issues a statewide certificate of registration for general contractors with no trade exam, but contractors building or remodeling residential structures must add a Residential Contractor Endorsement, which requires a 16-hour cold climate course and an endorsement exam scheduled through PSI.
Who do I contact to get licensed in Alaska?
Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing (Construction Contractors Program), Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development is the state authority. Its official site carries the current application requirements.
Is the Alaska contractor exam open book?
Where Alaska or its localities require a trade exam, contractor trade exams are commonly open book against the adopted code and reference list, administered by PSI. The candidate bulletin for your specific exam is the authority, and it names the exact editions allowed on the table.
Sources
- www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/cbpl/professionallicensing/constructioncontractors.aspx
- www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/cbpl/ProfessionalLicensing/ConstructionContractors/ResidentialEndorsementExam.aspx
- www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/cbpl/BusinessLicensing/ContractorsFAQs.aspx
Other states
| West Virginia | state |
| Wisconsin | hybrid |
| Wyoming | local |
| Alabama | state |
| Arizona | state |
| Arkansas | state |
| California | state |
| Colorado | local |
The kit that goes on the table
2024 IRCThe book itself
2021 IRC + tabsIf you register on 2021
2024 Fast-TabsPlace them yourself
Construction Master ProFeet-inch math, no errorsMatch the book and tabs to the edition you register for.Confirm which, first.
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