Vermont Contractor License Requirements
Registration is not a licence, but here it is still mandatory. Every figure below was read off the OPR or the statute, and the sentence it came from is listed at the bottom of this page. Where a figure could not be verified this page says so rather than showing a number.
What the state requires
- Licence
- Residential Contractor registration
- Issued by
- Office of Professional Regulation, Vermont Secretary of State (Director of Professional Regulation; no contractor board — advisors assist the Director)26 V.S.A. ch. 106 (Residential Contractors), added by 2021 Act 182
- Exam
- No exam
- Exam fee
- No verified figure26 V.S.A. § 5507 sets the same fee at initial application and at biennial renewal: $75 for an individual registration, $250 for a business organization. Optional state certifications cost $75 for the first and $25 for each additional certification.
- Application fee
- $75
- Initial licence fee
- No verified figure
- Licence bond
- Not requiredNo bond. The consumer protections are the insurance minimum, the written-contract rule and the cap on down payments.
- General liability
- $1,000,000Minimum liability coverage of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, which OPR may require as a precondition to issuing or renewing the registration.
- Workers compensation
- No verified rule
- Experience
- None requiredNo experience or competency requirement: the statute says the registration system is not intended to establish standards for professional qualifications or workmanship. Optional voluntary certifications exist for demonstrated competence in subfields.
- Continuing education
- No continuing education requiredNo continuing education for the registration itself.
- Renewal
- Every 2 years
- NASCLA exam
- Not acceptedNot applicable — Vermont sets no examination for residential contractor registration.
What people get wrong
Vermont is no longer a 'no licence' state: since April 1, 2023 anyone contracting with a homeowner for residential construction worth more than $10,000 must register with OPR. It is a registration, not a competency licence — no exam, no experience, no CE — but it carries a real insurance floor ($1M/$2M) and statutory contract rules: a written contract above $10,000 stating price, dates, scope and a change-order procedure, and a down payment capped at half the labor cost or half the materials price, whichever is greater. Employees of a registered business, licensed tradespeople regulated by the Department of Public Safety, landscaping and detached-structure work are exempt. sos.vermont.gov and legislature.vermont.gov both refuse this network's requests (CloudFront 403 / no route), so both were read through a text-extraction proxy of the official URLs.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a contractor licence in Vermont?
- Not from the state. Vermont registers contractors rather than licensing them: Residential Contractor registration through the Office of Professional Regulation, Vermont Secretary of State (Director of Professional Regulation; no contractor board — advisors assist the Director). Vermont is no longer a 'no licence' state: since April 1, 2023 anyone contracting with a homeowner for residential construction worth more than $10,000 must register with OPR. It is a registration, not a competency licence — no exam, no experience, no CE — but it carries a real insurance floor ($1M/$2M) and statutory contract rules: a written contract above $10,000 stating price, dates, scope and a change-order procedure, and a down payment capped at half the labor cost or half the materials price, whichever is greater. Employees of a registered business, licensed tradespeople regulated by the Department of Public Safety, landscaping and detached-structure work are exempt. sos.vermont.gov and legislature.vermont.gov both refuse this network's requests (CloudFront 403 / no route), so both were read through a text-extraction proxy of the official URLs.
- Does Vermont accept the NASCLA exam?
- No. Not applicable — Vermont sets no examination for residential contractor registration.
Sources
“A person shall register with the Office of Professional Regulation prior to contracting with a homeowner to perform residential construction in exchange for consideration of more than $10,000.00, including labor and materials.”
https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/26/106/05501“A person regulated under this chapter shall pay the following fees at initial application and biennial renewal: (1) Registration, individual: $75.00. (2) Registration, business organization: $250.00. (3) State certifications: $75.00 for a first certification and $25.00 for each additional certification.”
https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/26/106/05507“Insurance. A person registered under this chapter shall maintain minimum liability insurance coverage in the amount of $1,000,000.00 per occurrence and $2,000,000.00 aggregate, evidence of which may be required as a precondition to issuance or renewal of a registration.”
https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/26/106/05509“The system of mandatory registration established by this chapter is intended to protect against fraud, deception, breach of contract, and violations of law but is not intended to establish standards for professional qualifications or workmanship that is otherwise lawful.”
https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/26/106/05503“This chapter does not apply to: (1) an employee acting within the scope of his or her employment for a business organization registered under this chapter; (2)(A) a professional engineer, licensed architect, or a tradesperson licensed, registered, or certified by the Department of Public Safety acting within the scope of his or her license, registration, or certification”
https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/26/106/05502“APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN! Registration for Residential Contractors is required as of April 1, 2023.”
https://sos.vermont.gov/residential-contractors/