Mississippi Contractor License: State Board of Contractors Thresholds, Classifications and Fees

If you build, remodel, roof or repair property in Mississippi for pay, someone will eventually ask for your contractor license number. The licensing authority is the Mississippi State Board of Contractors (MSBOC), and its rules decide which jobs need a license, which class you apply for, and what the process costs. This guide explains the published thresholds and classifications, the fees you should expect, and the figures you must confirm with the Board before you bid.

This guide is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Thresholds and fees change, and the agency's current rules control. For a complex project, a new entity, or a dispute, talk to a qualified attorney or CPA.

Who needs a license from the State Board of Contractors

MSBOC licenses two groups: commercial contractors, who hold a certificate of responsibility, and residential contractors. It is unlawful to do residential construction or improvement work without a residential license. It is also unlawful to bid or contract as a commercial contractor without a commercial certificate of responsibility (MSBOC, 2026). The thresholds below determine when a job falls under those rules.

Mississippi does not have a separate Residential Builders Commission. Residential builders, remodelers and the trade classes listed later in this guide all go through the same State Board. That is why a search for a Mississippi residential builder license leads back to MSBOC.

The Board's phone number is 800-880-6161. Call before you assume a job is exempt, because the answer depends on the dollar value and the type of work.

Commercial vs. residential: the thresholds

Thresholds are dollar values that separate work requiring a commercial certificate from work requiring a residential license. The figures below come from published contractor guides. The MSBOC FAQ sets the exact limits, so check it before you commit to a bid.

Type of work	Published threshold (per guides)	What to confirm with MSBOC
Commercial work	$50,000	The exact limit and how the Board counts related work on one project
Residential new construction	Over $50,000	The exact limit in the MSBOC FAQ
Residential remodeling or roofing	Over $10,000	The exact limit in the MSBOC FAQ

Treat these figures as working numbers, not settled rules. Published guides are secondary sources. Get the current threshold from MSBOC before you sign a contract or submit a bid.

If a project sits near a threshold, ask MSBOC how it counts related work before you split the job into smaller contracts. The Board's reading of the rules controls, not the way a contract is written.

Local permits still apply below the state thresholds. A job that does not require a state license may still require a city or county permit, so the state threshold is never the only question.

Commercial contractor license: majors and specialties

Commercial licensing is organized by major. The commercial majors include Building Construction and Electrical. The list also includes specialties such as HVAC and plumbing, and each specialty requires a test. For that test, MSBOC accepts a trade exam or a NASCLA exam. Ask which exam it accepts for your specialty before you schedule anything.

A commercial certificate of responsibility is the license that lets you bid and contract on commercial work. This is the closest thing Mississippi has to a general contractor license for commercial projects. The general steps below are a starting point. Confirm each one with MSBOC, because the Board sets the requirements.

How to apply for a commercial certificate

1. Pick your major and specialties. Match them to the work you will actually bid, not the work you hope to win later.
2. Complete the required test. Confirm whether a trade exam or a NASCLA exam applies to your specialty.
3. Complete the commercial application. It must be notarized and mailed to MSBOC. Plan for mailing time, because this is not a same-day submission.
4. Pay the application fee and any specialty fees. Use the MSBOC Schedule of Fees on the Forms page.
5. Ask about insurance. Ask MSBOC what insurance it requires for your license before you mail the application.

Residential license classes

MSBOC issues residential licenses in nine classes:

• Builder
• Remodeler
• Roofer
• Electrical
• HVAC
• Plumbing
• Mechanical
• Solar
• Construction Manager

Choose the class that covers the work you actually perform. If your business does more than one kind of work, ask MSBOC which classes you need. One class may not cover all of it, and working outside your class is a licensing problem, not a paperwork detail.

Many homeowners and first-time contractors search for a general contractor license in Mississippi when they mean a license to build a house. For a home, the residential Builder class is the one to ask about. For a commercial building, the answer is the commercial certificate. Ask which one applies before you quote the job.

Fees: what MSBOC charges and what to confirm

MSBOC publishes its fees in the Schedule of Fees, which is on the Forms page of the Board's website. This guide does not state the application fee. The schedule controls, so read the current amount from the source before you budget. Confirm these costs when you request the application:

• Application fee: confirm the current amount on the Schedule of Fees.
• Each extra specialty: $100 for each specialty beyond the one included in the application fee.
• Notarization and mailing: the commercial application must be notarized and mailed, so include those costs in your budget. This guide does not list amounts for them.
• Insurance: ask MSBOC what coverage it requires. Do not assume a figure from a contractor forum.

If you form a company to hold the license or do the work, the Secretary of State fees are separate from MSBOC fees. These are the current figures from the Secretary of State's published schedule:

Filing	Fee	Timing
LLC Certificate of Formation (Form F0100)	$50	One time, filed online
LLC Annual Report (Form F0108)	$0	Due April 15 each year
Articles of Incorporation (Form F0001)	$50	One time
Corporate Annual Report (Form F0008)	$25	Due April 15 for profit corporations
Fictitious business name (Form F0070)	$25	Filed with the Secretary of State, not the county
Name reservation	$25	Holds the name for 180 days

Tax treatment also depends on how the entity is organized. The Mississippi franchise tax applies to corporations, not to an LLC taxed as a partnership. For tax year 2026 it is $0.50 per $1,000 of capital above $100,000, with a $25 minimum, and it is repealed effective January 1, 2028. Confirm your entity's tax status with a CPA before you choose a structure.

Local privilege licenses and permits still apply

A state contractor license does not replace local requirements. Mississippi issues no single statewide general business license. Instead, every city, town and village issues its own privilege license under Miss. Code 27-17, and counties license only businesses located outside municipalities.

The Department of Revenue sales tax permit is a tax registration, not a contractor license, and there is no fee for it. A bond may be required for applicants with no permanent Mississippi location. Contractors who make taxable retail sales should register with the Department of Revenue. Confirm your sales tax obligations with DOR or a CPA, because contractor billing can be treated differently from retail sales.

Before you start a job, check with the city or county where the work is located. Confirm the privilege license and permit requirements and fees there, because they vary by location.

How to verify a contractor's license before you hire

Before you sign anything, ask the contractor for the license number and check it with MSBOC. The Board can confirm the license class and status. Make sure the class matches the work in your contract, because a valid license in one class does not cover work in another.

Searches for a Mississippi contractor license lookup often return third-party sites. Confirm the current lookup method directly with MSBOC rather than relying on a site that may not be current.

Common mistakes that delay or cost you a license

• Bidding a commercial job without a commercial certificate of responsibility.
• Assuming a city privilege license is a state license. It is not, and it does not authorize the work the state license covers.
• Forgetting that each specialty beyond the one in the application fee adds $100.
• Mailing a commercial application that is not notarized.
• Choosing the wrong residential class, then bidding work outside it.
• Skipping the local permit because the job falls below the state threshold.

Where to confirm the numbers

1. Mississippi State Board of Contractors: 800-880-6161. Ask for the current FAQ, the Schedule of Fees and the application forms.
2. Mississippi Secretary of State, Business Services Division: https://www.sos.ms.gov/business-services. Search existing business names at corp.sos.ms.gov.
3. Mississippi Department of Revenue: https://www.dor.ms.gov/, including the sales tax registration page.
4. Mississippi Small Business Development Center Network: https://www.mississippisbdc.org/, which can help with business planning questions.

Verify each figure on the agency's own page before you rely on it. Thresholds, fees and classifications can change, and this guide reflects the sources listed above as of its research date. For complex projects, a new entity, or any question about liability, consult a qualified attorney or CPA.