Transfer Your Contractor License to Mississippi: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)

Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Mississippi State Board of Contractors (MSBOC) ↗

Mississippi offers trade-specific reciprocity through the Mississippi State Board of Contractors (MSBOC), covering general building, electrical, plumbing, HVAC work for licensees from states including Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and others. These agreements waive the relevant trade exam — not the business and law exam, bond, or registration. Fee: Application/reciprocity fees are published in the MSBOC Schedule of Fees on the Forms page; not captured here to avoid an unverified figure.. Select your trade and origin in the checker for the exact answer.

Moving to Mississippi from a specific state?

Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.

Run the Reciprocity Checker →

Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

Read Mississippi's agreements one trade at a time — that is the mistake most contractors make here. A deal that waives the electrical exam says nothing about general building, and a commercial agreement rarely covers residential work. The tables below separate them so you can see exactly which of your licenses travels and which does not.

MSBOC publishes the most detailed official per-board reciprocity matrix of any state. Reciprocity waives the trade exam only, varies by classification, and all applicants must pass the MS Business and Law exam. Partner boards: AL, AR, CA, FL, GA, LA (score recognition only after the formal agreement ended), NC, OH, SC, TN. NASCLA Accredited Commercial General Building exam accepted in lieu of the MS building exam.

Mississippi requirements at a glance

Out-of-state contractor license transfer requirements for Mississippi, verified 2026-07-21
Exam	Reciprocity waives only the trade examination and varies by state and classification; the Mississippi Business and Law exam is required of all applicants. A commercial general building applicant may substitute the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building.
Additional requirements	Pass the Mississippi Business and Law examination (required of all applicants) Hold a current, active license in good standing in the reciprocal state Have taken the qualifying trade examination in the reciprocal state Meet the reciprocal state disciplinary-history clearance (1 to 5 years, varies by state) Submit the MSBOC Reciprocity Verification Form
Fees	Application/reciprocity fees are published in the MSBOC Schedule of Fees on the Forms page; not captured here to avoid an unverified figure.
Processing time	Board does not publish a fixed processing time; varies by application review cycle.

Step by step

Confirm Mississippi's current requirements on the Mississippi State Board of Contractors (MSBOC) website — rules change.
Submit the endorsement application to the Mississippi State Board of Contractors (MSBOC) (application linked on this page).
Arrange license verification from your current state.
Pass the Mississippi Business and Law examination (required of all applicants).
Hold a current, active license in good standing in the reciprocal state.
Have taken the qualifying trade examination in the reciprocal state.
Meet the reciprocal state disciplinary-history clearance (1 to 5 years, varies by state).
Submit the MSBOC Reciprocity Verification Form.
Pay the fees (Application/reciprocity fees are published in the MSBOC Schedule of Fees on the Forms page; not captured here to avoid an unverified figure.) and allow Board does not publish a fixed processing time; varies by application review cycle..

Official links

Mississippi State Board of Contractors (MSBOC) ↗Mississippi application ↗

Coming from a specific state?

Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Mississippi:

Alabama → Mississippi Arkansas → Mississippi California → Mississippi Florida → Mississippi Georgia → Mississippi Illinois → Mississippi Louisiana → Mississippi Michigan → Mississippi New York → Mississippi North Carolina → Mississippi Ohio → Mississippi Pennsylvania → Mississippi South Carolina → Mississippi Tennessee → Mississippi Texas → Mississippi

Frequently asked questions

Does my contractor license transfer to Mississippi?

Which states does Mississippi have general building contractor reciprocity with?

Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee (verified 2026-07-21 against the Mississippi State Board of Contractors (MSBOC)). Trade-exam waiver only; MS Business and Law exam still required. California limited to Commercial Building Construction. Louisiana agreement formally ended but MSBOC still recognizes LA passing scores. NASCLA Accredited Commercial General Building exam also accepted.

Which states does Mississippi have electrical contractor reciprocity with?

Alabama, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina (verified 2026-07-21 against the Mississippi State Board of Contractors (MSBOC)). Electrical trade-exam waiver; NASCLA Accredited Electrical Examination accepted (AZ, LA, MS, SC).

Does reciprocity waive all of Mississippi's requirements?

No. Mississippi's reciprocity waives the relevant trade exam only; the business/law exam, financial statement, bond, and insurance still apply.

What does a Mississippi contractor license cost and how long does it take?

Application/reciprocity fees are published in the MSBOC Schedule of Fees on the Forms page; not captured here to avoid an unverified figure.; processing Board does not publish a fixed processing time; varies by application review cycle..

Sources

Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.

MSBOC - Reciprocity ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
MSBOC - Classifications ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)

Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21

How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]