Requirements by state

Nevada contractor license requirements

Quick answer

Nevada contractor license requirements

Nevada licenses contractors through the NSCB across General Engineering (A), General Building (B), and Specialty (C) classes. You need 4 years of trade experience, must pass a business-and-law exam plus a trade exam at 70 percent, pay a $300 application fee and $600 biennial license fee, and post a bond the Board sets between $1,000 and $500,000 after approval.

Last reviewed 2026-07-28 by Contractor Exam Pro editorial team

At a glance

Agency
Nevada State Contractors Board (NSCB)
Exam
Nevada State Contractors Board (NSCB) exam (PSI)
Vendor
PSI
Fees
Application fee $300; Biennial license fee $600
NASCLA accepted
Yes
Last reviewed
2026-07-28

License classes

A
General Engineering
B
General Building
C
Specialty

Nevada regulates contracting through a state-level general contractor license. This page lays out exactly what Nevada requires: the licensing agency, who must be licensed, experience, exams, fees, the financial responsibility mechanism, and reciprocity, every figure sourced and dated below.

Who must be licensed in Nevada

Nevada State Contractors Board (NSCB) is the licensing authority. State license required for construction contracting.

Experience and qualification

4 years of trade experience is generally required before the Board will consider an application.

License classes

  • A (General Engineering)
  • B (General Building)
  • C (Specialty)

Exam

Two exams: the Construction Management Survey (business and law) and a trade exam for the classification, 70% passing score.

Fees

  • Application fee: $300
  • Biennial license fee: $600

Financial responsibility

Nevada uses surety bond ($1,000 to $500,000) as its financial-responsibility mechanism. The Board sets the bond amount, from $1,000 to $500,000, after approving the application and setting the license’s monetary limit. A Residential Recovery Fund assessment also applies for qualifying residential work.

Reciprocity and the NASCLA exam

Nevada accepts the NASCLA Accredited Examination for the commercial building classification, confirmed against NASCLA’s own participating-agencies list. If you already hold a NASCLA credential from another participating state, it can satisfy Nevada’s trade exam requirement (any state-specific business and law exam is still required). See the NASCLA exam explained and contractor license reciprocity for the full picture, and the 50-state comparison for which other states accept it.

Official source

Verify everything at the source: Nevada State Contractors Board (NSCB), nvcontractorsboard.com. The NASCLA participating-agencies determination above is drawn from NASCLA’s own list, nascla.org, confirmed 2026-07-24.

Sources: Nevada State Contractors Board (NSCB) (nvcontractorsboard.com, reviewed 2026-07-28); NASCLA participating state agencies list (nascla.org, confirmed 2026-07-24). Fee, bond, and experience figures are compiled from the agency's published requirements and current industry compliance guides as of 2026-07-28; treat any figure not independently reconfirmed against a fetched primary-source page as reported pending the next freshness review, per this site's standard practice.

Frequently asked questions

How is Nevada's contractor bond amount set?
The Nevada State Contractors Board approves the application, sets the license's monetary limit, and only then sends an approval letter specifying the required bond, which can range from $1,000 to $500,000. Submitting a bond before that letter wastes money.
Can I use the NASCLA exam in Nevada?
Yes. Nevada accepts the NASCLA Accredited Examination in place of the state trade exam for eligible classifications.