How to get a General Contractor license in Alaska

Alaska licenses general contractors statewide through the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing (CBPL).¹ The board lists $100 for the application² and $250 for the initial license², each a separate charge. You renew every 2 years³.

Last checked November 5, 2026 · 21 official sources

Who issues it

Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing (CBPL)

Exam

Not required⁴

Fees the board lists

Application fee: $100²
Initial license fee: $250²

Renewal

Every 2 years³

From another state

Military service members and spouses⁵ Details

On this page

Alaska general contractor licenses
Applies to every license level
Who needs a General Contractor license
Requirements for a General Contractor license
How to apply
Renewal and continuing education
General Contractor with Residential Endorsement
Handyman Contractor
Mechanical Contractor
Residential Contractor Endorsement
Specialty Contractor
City and county rules
Check a license or report a problem
Laws and rules
Common questions
General contractor licenses in other states

Alaska general contractor licenses

Alaska issues 6 general contractor credentials. Each has its own section below; the table shows what each one covers and its headline requirements.

License	What it covers	Training or experience	Exam	Application or license fee
General Contractor (without Residential Endorsement)	Business operations that require more than three trades, or mechanical or specialty contractors and subcontractors under its supervision. New homes and residential alterations above 25% of value need a residential endorsement.⁶	–	No⁴	$100²
General Contractor with Residential Endorsement	A general contractor with a residential contractor endorsement, or with an endorsement holder assigned to it, can build or alter privately owned residential structures of one to four units.¹	–	No⁴	$100²
Handyman Contractor	Projects with an aggregate contract of $10,000 or less, including labor and materials. No work requiring an electrical or mechanical administrator or a residential endorsement.⁶	–	No⁴	$100²
Mechanical Contractor	Plumbing, pipe fitting, sheet metal, heating, air conditioning, ventilating, and sprinkler and dry chemical fire protection work, under a mechanical administrator.¹	–	No⁴	$100²
Residential Contractor Endorsement	Lets an individual qualify a general contractor for residential work of one to four units. It cannot be used unless assigned to a residential contractor, or the holder also has that registration.⁶	Training 16 clock hours⁶	Yes⁴	$100²
Specialty Contractor	Work that requires the use of not more than three trades, from the approved trades list.¹	–	No⁴	$100²

Applies to every license level

These rules are the same for several of the Alaska general contractor licenses on this page, so they are shown once here, with the licenses they apply to. Each license's own section lists only what differs.

1. Every license level (all 6)

Fees

Fee	Amount	Paid to	Notes
Application fee	$100²	CBPL	Not refundable

How to apply

Application form: Form (PDF, commerce.alaska.gov)⁷⁸⁹¹⁰¹¹¹²
Processing time: Generally several weeks from a complete application; longer during renewal or heavy filing periods.¹³

Renewal

How often: Every 2 years³¹⁴¹⁵⁵¹⁶
Renewal fee: $250²
Renew online: commerce.alaska.gov³¹⁴¹⁵¹⁷¹⁶¹⁸

From another state

Route: Military service members and spouses
What the board says: Active-duty service members and spouses living with them on Alaska orders can get a 180-day temporary courtesy license, within 30 days of a complete application, if they hold a substantially equivalent license and have no discipline or open complaints. It can be extended once for 180 days.⁵

2. Every license level except Residential Contractor Endorsement

Requirements

Exam: Not required⁴
Social Security number: A US Social Security number is required for sole proprietors and partners.⁷⁸⁹¹⁰¹²
Insurance: Public liability and property damage insurance: at least $20,000 property, $50,000 injury or death to one person, $100,000 injury or death to more than one person.¹
Insurance: Workers’ compensation proof if the business uses employee labor or is a corporation or LLC.⁷⁸⁹¹⁰¹²
Business requirements: Corporations and LLCs must be registered with the Corporations section before the application is processed.⁷⁸⁹¹⁰¹²
Business requirements: An Alaska business license is also needed, obtained after the professional registration is issued.⁷⁸⁹¹⁰¹²

Fees

Fee	Amount	Paid to	Notes
Initial license fee	$250²	CBPL	Certificate of registration and license enforcement support fee, for all or part of the initial biennial registration period
"doing business as" (dba), owner, or entity change	$65²	CBPL	–
Bonding research	$30²	CBPL	–
License verification to another state	$20²	CBPL	Fee for verification or certification of an Alaska license, registration, or examination
Alaska business license	$50¹⁹	Alaska Business Licensing Section	–

Each line is a separate charge as the board lists it. The board does not publish a combined total, so none is shown here.

How to apply

If you are a corporation or LLC, register the entity first.⁷⁸⁹¹⁰¹²
Send the signed application with $350 in fees ($100 of it nonrefundable).⁷⁸⁹¹⁰¹² Form (PDF, commerce.alaska.gov)¹¹
Once registered, buy your Alaska business license.⁷⁸⁹¹⁰¹²

Renewal

If it expires: No grace period. It is illegal to work once a registration has lapsed.³¹⁴¹⁵¹⁷¹⁸
Renewal needs current bonding and insurance evidence, dated no earlier than 30 days before the renewal is submitted if the department asks.⁴

3. Every license level except Handyman Contractor and Residential Contractor Endorsement

Fees

Fee	Amount	Paid to
Fee for change between specialty or mechanical and general contractor registration	$75²	CBPL

4. Mechanical Contractor and Specialty Contractor

Fees

Fee	Amount	Paid to	Notes
Other fee	$35²	CBPL	Fee for change from one specialty to another specialty, or between specialty and mechanical

How to apply

Get the $10,000 surety bond, or a cash deposit or certificate of deposit instead, and your insurance certificates. Documents must be dated within 30 days of when the division receives them, and names must match your application exactly.¹⁰¹²

Who needs a General Contractor license

Business operations that require more than three trades, or mechanical or specialty contractors and subcontractors under its supervision. New homes and residential alterations above 25% of value need a residential endorsement.⁶

Work that does not need this license:

Owners working on their own existing structure, or their own existing residence, are exempt.¹
Also exempt: government representatives, public utilities on incidental work, oil, gas and mine work by an owner or lessee, and personal property work.¹

Other rules on who may do this work:

An owner acting as their own contractor is limited to one home, duplex, triplex, four-plex or commercial building every two years, with a notice if selling within two years.¹

Requirements for a General Contractor license

More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1, group 2 and group 3 under Applies to every license level.

Surety bond: $25,000⁷

How to apply

Get the $25,000 surety bond, or a cash deposit or certificate of deposit instead, and your insurance certificates. Documents must be dated within 30 days of when the division receives them, and names must match your application exactly.⁷

Renewal and continuing education

Renewal planner

Enter the expiration date printed on your Alaska General Contractor (without Residential Endorsement). The count is worked out on your device from today's date; nothing is sent anywhere.

Expiration date

General Contractor with Residential Endorsement

A general contractor with a residential contractor endorsement, or with an endorsement holder assigned to it, can build or alter privately owned residential structures of one to four units.¹

Requirements

Surety bond: $20,000⁸
Also required: Also requires a residential contractor endorsement held by the contractor or an assigned individual.⁶

How to apply

Get the $20,000 surety bond, or a cash deposit or certificate of deposit instead, and your insurance certificates. Documents must be dated within 30 days of when the division receives them, and names must match your application exactly.⁸

More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1, group 2 and group 3 under Applies to every license level.

Handyman Contractor

Projects with an aggregate contract of $10,000 or less, including labor and materials. No work requiring an electrical or mechanical administrator or a residential endorsement.⁶

Requirements

Surety bond: $5,000⁹

How to apply

Get the $5,000 surety bond, or a cash deposit or certificate of deposit instead, and your insurance certificates. Documents must be dated within 30 days of when the division receives them, and names must match your application exactly.⁹

More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1 and group 2 under Applies to every license level.

Mechanical Contractor

Plumbing, pipe fitting, sheet metal, heating, air conditioning, ventilating, and sprinkler and dry chemical fire protection work, under a mechanical administrator.¹

Requirements

Also required: The contractor must be, or employ, a licensed mechanical administrator.¹

More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1, group 2, group 3 and group 4 under Applies to every license level.

Residential Contractor Endorsement

Lets an individual qualify a general contractor for residential work of one to four units. It cannot be used unless assigned to a residential contractor, or the holder also has that registration.⁶

Requirements

Education or training: 16 clock hours⁶
Alaska Craftsman Home Program or equivalent, or a postsecondary arctic engineering course or equivalent, within two years before applying. The division describes this as a 16-hour cold climate course.¹
Who may teach it: Listed providers include At Your Pace Online, Alaska Craftsman Home Program, Inc., and Wisdom and Associates, Inc.²⁰
Exam: Residential Contractor Endorsement Examination⁴
Given by: PSI Services, LLC⁴
Passing score: At least 70 percent⁴
When you can take it: You do not need state approval to schedule. You can apply at any time.²¹
Retakes: A person who fails pays the exam fee to retake it.¹
Time limit: Apply within 12 months after passing.²⁰
Background check: Background check required¹
Within the past seven years, no sentence for forgery, first or second degree theft, extortion, conspiracy to defraud creditors, or a felony involving dishonesty.¹
Also required: Name the licensed general contractor the endorsement will be assigned to, and submit a release of records form.²⁰

Fees

Fee	Amount	Paid to	Notes
Initial license fee	$250²	CBPL	Residential contractor endorsement fee, for all or part of the initial biennial endorsement period

The board's pages we cite do not list the exam fee; check it with the exam provider, PSI Services, LLC⁴, when you schedule.

How to apply

Complete the Alaska Craftsman Home Program or equivalent course.²⁰
Schedule and pass the PSI exam. No state approval is needed first.²¹
Send the signed, notarized application, release form, exam result, course proof and $350 within 12 months of passing.²⁰ Form (PDF, commerce.alaska.gov)¹¹

Renewal

When it expires: Endorsements expire September 30 of even-numbered years.¹³
Continuing education: 16 hours each renewal period⁴
Required topics: Up to 8 hours in business topics. Up to 16 in technical topics such as codes, materials and energy, remodeling and construction techniques.⁴
First renewal: eight hours for each complete calendar year held, and none if held under one complete calendar year.⁴
If it expires: Lapsed up to two years: renew with continuing competency proof. Two to five years: must also pass the exam again within the prior 12 months. Five years or more: new application.⁴

More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1 under Applies to every license level.

Specialty Contractor

Work that requires the use of not more than three trades, from the approved trades list.¹

Requirements

Surety bond: $10,000¹²
Also required: Electrical or communications contractors need a licensed electrical administrator assigned to the registration.¹

More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1, group 2, group 3 and group 4 under Applies to every license level.

City and county rules

General Contractor (without Residential Endorsement)A contractor registered with the state cannot be required to give bond for a similar local license.¹

Check a license or report a problem

Before you hire a general contractor in Alaska, you can confirm the license is current on the board's own search. Every board we cover in Alaska is on the Alaska license lookup page.

Look up a license: commerce.alaska.gov⁶
File a complaint: commerce.alaska.gov⁶

Laws and rules

The requirements above come from these laws and board rules.

Common questions

How often do you renew a General Contractor license in Alaska?

Every 2 years³. The renewal fee is $250².

General contractor licenses in other states

Sources

Every number and rule above links to one of these official pages. Select a footnote number to read the board's own words.

AS 08.18Alaska State LegislatureChecked November 5, 2026
Centralized Licensing RegsAlaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional LicensingDated November 1, 2026Checked November 5, 2026
con4134Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional LicensingDated October 1, 2026Checked November 5, 2026
ContractorStatutesAlaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional LicensingDated September 21, 2023Checked November 5, 2026
Centralized Licensing StatsAlaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional LicensingChecked November 5, 2026
Construction ContractorsAlaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional LicensingDated May 15, 2026Checked November 5, 2026
con4815Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional LicensingDated September 3, 2025Checked November 5, 2026
con4819Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional LicensingDated September 3, 2025Checked November 5, 2026
con4816Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional LicensingDated September 3, 2025Checked November 5, 2026
con4817Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional LicensingDated September 3, 2025Checked November 5, 2026
Applications and FormsAlaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional LicensingDated February 9, 2026Checked November 5, 2026
con4818Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional LicensingDated September 3, 2025Checked November 5, 2026
Contractor FAQsAlaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional LicensingDated May 15, 2026Checked November 5, 2026
con4135Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional LicensingDated October 1, 2026Checked November 5, 2026
con4695Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional LicensingDated October 1, 2026Checked November 5, 2026
con4204Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional LicensingDated October 1, 2026Checked November 5, 2026
con4483Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional LicensingDated July 24, 2026Checked November 5, 2026
con4481Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional LicensingDated July 24, 2026Checked November 5, 2026
AS 43.70.030Alaska State LegislatureChecked November 5, 2026
con4161Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional LicensingDated April 19, 2024Checked November 5, 2026
Residential Endorsement ExamAlaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional LicensingDated March 12, 2026Checked November 5, 2026