Virginia: General Contractor License
In order to work as a contractor in Virginia, the first thing you must do is register your business in the state. Even if your business is registered in another state, you must register it in Virginia. Working without a valid business license can result in costly fines and penalties. In Virginia, operating without a Contractor’s License can lead to fines of up to $500 per day.
There are three types of construction contractor licenses in Virginia: Class A, Class B, and Class C.
The difference between each license is in the following table:
Types of Licenses:
*New amounts. Updated 08/2025
The exam is in English. It is mandatory to take the 8-hour class.
To obtain a Class A license, you must pass the following parts of the exam:
Part 1 - Virginia Portion (Rules and Regulations)
Part 2 - General Portion
Part 3 - Advanced Portion
To obtain a Class B license, you must pass the following parts of the exam:
Part 1 - Virginia Portion (Rules and Regulations)
Part 2 - General Portion
To obtain the Class C license, you must pass the specialty exam.
For more information about this exam, please contact us at 571-332-0083
VIRGINIA PORTION consists of 24 Questions
Passing Score: 18
Time: 48 minutes
- 7 questions about Contractor Regulation
- 5 questions about Board Rules and Regulations
- 5 questions about Building Codes
- 5 questions about the Transaction Recovery Fund
- 2 questions about Virginia Regulations for Erosion and Sediment Control
PART 2-GENERAL PORTION consists of 50 Questions
Passing Score: 35
Time: 100 minutes
- 2 questions about business organization
- 10 questions about estimating and bidding
- 10 questions about contract management
- 7 questions about project management
- 3 questions about risk management
- 5 questions about safety
- 3 questions about labor laws
- 5 questions about financial management
- 4 questions about federal and state taxes
- 1 question about liens laws
PART 3-ADVANCED PORTION consists of 24 Questions
Passing Score: 17
Time: 60 minutes
- 1 question about estimation and bidding
- 4 questions about contract management
- 1 question about project management
- 2 questions about risk management
- 2 questions about safety
- 4 questions about Labor Laws
- 5 questions about financial management
- 4 questions about federal and state taxes
- 1 question about Liens Laws
Once you have passed the exam, you must submit an application with several documents and demonstrate your experience in de the field. After your application is reviewed, you will be required to take a specialty exam, which is available in both English and Spanish. This exam consists of 50 questions related to your specific trade or area of work. Depending on your specialty, the exam content will focus on the skills, regulations, and best practices relevant to your field.
For more information about the application, please contact us at 571-332-0083