How to Get a General Contractor License in SC

To get a general contractor license in SC, you apply to the South Carolina Contractors’ Licensing Board after passing two exams, documenting at least two years of relevant experience through a designated qualifying party, and proving the financial capacity that matches the size of projects you want to take on. The license is required for any commercial, industrial, or institutional project where the regulated work exceeds $10,000.¹

One boundary to settle first: this license does not cover home building. Residential construction runs through the Residential Builders Commission, which regulates houses and small apartment buildings up to three floors and sixteen units when the cost exceeds $5,000.² If you plan to do both, you need both licenses.

Pick Your Classification and Group

South Carolina splits general contractor licenses two ways. The classification identifies the type of work (Building limited and unlimited, Highway, Bridges, Marine, Concrete, Grading, Roofing, Swimming Pools, and others), and the group caps the dollar size of any single project.³ You must hold the right classification for every kind of work you perform.

The five groups each carry a project ceiling and a matching financial requirement:

Group 1: projects up to $50,000. Net worth of $10,000.
Group 2: projects up to $400,000. Net worth of $60,000 or working capital of $40,000.
Group 3: projects up to $1,000,000. Net worth of $150,000 or working capital of $100,000.
Group 4: projects up to $3,000,000. Net worth of $250,000 or working capital of $175,000.
Group 5: unlimited. Net worth of $350,000 or working capital of $250,000, and an audited balance sheet from a licensed CPA at initial application.⁴

A surety bond can substitute for proving net worth at any group level. Bond premiums track your credit and financial history.

Designate a Qualifying Party

Every application names a primary qualifying party (PQP), the individual whose experience and exam results carry the company’s license. The PQP must show at least two years of relevant work in the specific classification within the past five years, and that experience should come primarily from commercial projects. Only the Nonstructural Renovation classification allows the PQP to rely entirely on residential work.³

Choose this person carefully. The company’s license lives or dies by them, and losing your PQP without a replacement will suspend the license.

Pass Both Exams

Before you submit the application, the qualifying party must pass two exams: the South Carolina Business Management and Law for Commercial Contractors exam, which everyone takes, and a technical trade exam matched to your classification.³ For Unlimited Building, the NASCLA Accredited Commercial General Building Contractor exam is an accepted option and is honored in multiple states.

PSI Services administers both. You register through the PSI portal at test-takers.psiexams.com/sccon. Passing score is 70%. The business and law exam covers project management, estimating, bidding, contracts, and South Carolina construction law.

If You Fail

You can retake a technical trade exam after a 72-hour wait, but only twice within any 12-month window. After a second failure, the wait between attempts jumps to six months. The business and law exam has no cap on retakes within a 12-month period, still with the 72-hour wait between sittings.

Assemble the Application

The forms are all on the LLR website. Gather everything before you start so nothing bounces back for incomplete submission.

Doc #165: General and Mechanical Contractor Application for Licensure — the main company form.
Doc #168: PQP/QP Certification Initial Application — identifies your qualifying party.
Doc #167: Work Experience Affidavit — documents the PQP’s two years.
Doc #172: Owner-Prepared Financial Statement — for Groups 1 through 4 that skip a CPA statement.⁵

If the business is a corporation, partnership, or LLC, include verification from the South Carolina Secretary of State that you are authorized to do business in the state. Sole proprietors are exempt.³

Match your financial documentation to your group. Groups 1 through 4 can use an owner-prepared statement. Group 5 requires an audited balance sheet from a licensed CPA on the initial application.⁴

Submit, Pay, and Wait

Send the complete package to the Contractors’ Licensing Board by mail (PO Box 11329, Columbia, SC 29211), in person at 110 Centerview Drive in Columbia, or by email to contact.clb@llr.sc.gov.³ The initial license fee is $350.⁶

Review can take several weeks. Track your file through the LLR online services portal at scllr.joportal.com. Because licenses expire October 31 of every even-numbered year, an application filed late in the cycle may be prorated.

If You Are Already Licensed in Another State

South Carolina may waive the technical trade exam if you hold a current license in good standing from another state and that state and classification appear on the board’s Technical Exam Waiver Agreement List. The out-of-state board has to complete an Examination Waiver form and send it directly to South Carolina; copies of your license or exam scores are not enough.³

Two limits worth knowing. If your out-of-state license came through a waiver or grandfathering rather than an exam, you do not qualify for reciprocity here. And the business and law exam is never waived, because it tests South Carolina law.

Keeping the License Active

When Your Qualifying Party Leaves

If your PQP departs, the company or the departing PQP must notify the board in writing within 15 days. Miss that window and the board can cancel both the license and the PQP’s certificate.⁷ Notify on time and the license stays in good standing for 90 days while you find a replacement. After 90 days without a new PQP, the board suspends the license.

Renewal

Licenses run on a two-year cycle, expiring October 31 of every even-numbered year. The next renewal window for the 2026–2028 cycle opens in August 2026.⁸ The base fee is $135, and late penalties climb fast:

By October 31: $135
November 1–30: $235 ($135 + $100 late fee)
December 1–31: $285 ($135 + $150 late fee)
January 1–31: $335 ($135 + $200 late fee)⁸

After January 31 the license lapses. Renewal also requires updated financial documentation for your group; at Group 5, that means a reviewed financial statement from a CPA, which is less expensive to prepare than the audited statement required at initial licensure.⁴

Working Without a License

Performing or offering regulated construction work without a license is a misdemeanor in South Carolina, punishable by up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $5,000, or both. The same penalty applies to anyone who submits false information to obtain a license.⁹ The board can also assess civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation and issue cease and desist orders; unpaid penalties can be collected through the court of common pleas.¹⁰

1
South Carolina Contractor’s Licensing Board – SCLLR. General Information
2
SC LLR. Residential Builder License
3
South Carolina Contractor’s Licensing Board – SCLLR. Licensure with the Board
4
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 40 Chapter 11 – Section 40-11-260
5
South Carolina Contractor’s Licensing Board – SCLLR. General and Mechanical Contractors Applications and Forms
6
South Carolina Contractor’s Licensing Board. Fees
7
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 40 Chapter 11 – Section 40-11-230
8
SCLLR. South Carolina Contractor’s Licensing Board – Renew My License
9
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 40 Chapter 11 – Section 40-11-200
10
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 40 Chapter 11 – Section 40-11-110