Form CBP-1 · Rev. 26CodeBookPrep

State by state

How to get a Nevada contractors license from the Nevada State Contractors Board

Nevada licenses general contractors at the state level. Nevada requires a state license from the Nevada State Contractors Board for virtually all contracting work, using a classification system (including Class B General Building) in which qualifying individuals pass both a business and law exam and a trade exam, and each license carries an assigned monetary limit.

Licensing level
state
Exam vendor
PSI
Verified
Official source

Nevada contractor licenses at a glance

LicenseIssued byHow you get it
Class A General EngineeringNevada State Contractors BoardBusiness and law exam plus trade exam through PSI; financial statement sets the monetary limit on the license.
Class B General BuildingNevada State Contractors BoardThe general contractor license for building work: four years of qualifying experience in the last ten, both PSI exams, bond, background check and financial statement.
Class C SpecialtyNevada State Contractors BoardTrade subclassifications (plumbing, HVAC, electrical and many others) with the same application and exam path.

Updated 2026. Thresholds, fees and course hours change; the issuing agency's current page is the authority.

Start at the source

Nevada State Contractors Board is the official authority. Its site, www.nvcontractorsboard.com, 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

How do I apply for a Nevada state contractors license?

File the Nevada State Contractors Board application with proof of four years of qualifying experience within the last ten, a financial statement, the background check and bond, then schedule the business and law exam and the trade exam through PSI. The Board assigns a monetary limit to the license based on the financial statement. The Board's licensing pages list the current fees and forms.

What is a Nevada general contractors license?

The Class B General Building license, which covers construction of buildings and the trades incidental to them. Engineering work such as roads and utilities is Class A, and single trades are Class C specialties. Nearly all contracting work in Nevada needs one of the three.

Is the Nevada contractors license exam open book?

PSI administers Nevada's business and law exam and the trade exams; the candidate information bulletin for each classification states which references are allowed at the table and the exact editions. Open-book trade exams reward lookup speed, which is what the free drill on this site trains.

Does Nevada require a state contractor license?

Nevada licenses general contractors at the state level. Nevada requires a state license from the Nevada State Contractors Board for virtually all contracting work, using a classification system (including Class B General Building) in which qualifying individuals pass both a business and law exam and a trade exam, and each license carries an assigned monetary limit.

Who do I contact to get licensed in Nevada?

Nevada State Contractors Board is the state authority. Its official site carries the current application requirements.

Is the Nevada contractor exam open book?

Where Nevada 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

Other states

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Structure verified against official sources at the time of writing; requirements change, and the licensing authority is always the final word.