Contractor License from Pennsylvania to Utah: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) — Contractor Licensing ↗
A contractor license transfers from Pennsylvania to Utah by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) — Contractor Licensing, verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet Utah's endorsement requirements. Utah uses licensure by ENDORSEMENT, not state-pair reciprocity, and the widely repeated '21 states' figure is not a DOPL figure. One year of licensed experience in another state, district or territory in a scope of practice similar to the Utah classification sought — with the license currently active and in good standing — satisfies the Utah exam requirement in place of the Utah Business and Law exam. Endorsement does NOT waive the approved pre-licensure course. Electricians additionally have one formal bilateral agreement, Utah-Oregon BCD# 73-0-452, under which journeyman and master/general-supervising licenses are issued without examination..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Utah does not have a trade agreement covering Pennsylvania for the selected trade, so this move runs on Utah's case-by-case endorsement process. If you do commercial general-building work, check whether Utah accepts the NASCLA exam — passing it once can replace the trade exam here and in about fourteen other states. Electricians should check Utah's NERA status.
What changes, Pennsylvania → Utah
| Pennsylvania (current) | Utah (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $100 ($100 registration every two years (non-refundable); online card payment adds a $2 processing fee. There is no state contractor license fee; electrical/plumbing licensing is handled at the municipal/local level.) | The initial contractor licence/endorsement application fee could not be verified — dopl.utah.gov returns HTTP 403 to non-browser clients and the DOPL fee schedule was not retrievable. The only official figures obtained are from the Add a Qualifier / Add Classification form: $175 per additional classification and $50 per additional qualifier added to an existing license. The frequently repeated '$226' aggregator figure is not used. |
| Processing time | 2–3 weeks (Registration certificate arrives by mail within 2 to 3 weeks unless the application is incomplete.) | DOPL does not publish a processing-time estimate for contractor endorsement. |
| Licensing authority | Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General — Home Improvement Contractor Registration (HICPA) | Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) — Contractor Licensing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Utah sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Utah's current requirements on the Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) — Contractor Licensing website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) — Contractor Licensing (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Complete an approved pre-licensure course — 25 hours for specialty classifications, 30 hours for B100/R100/E100 general and for plumbing and electrical contractors — endorsement does not waive it.
- Hold the equivalent out-of-state contractor license, active and in good standing, for at least one year and submit official license verification.
- Demonstrate that at least 50% of the ownership proposed for the Utah license matches the out-of-state license, with no more than 50% ownership change in the past year.
- Carry general liability insurance of at least $100,000 per incident and $300,000 total with DOPL as certificate holder, plus workers' compensation coverage or a Labor Commission waiver.
- Register the business entity with the Utah Division of Corporations and obtain a federal EIN.
- Pay the fees (The initial contractor licence/endorsement application fee could not be verified — dopl.utah.gov returns HTTP 403 to non-browser clients and the DOPL fee schedule was not retrievable. The only official figures obtained are from the Add a Qualifier / Add Classification form: $175 per additional classification and $50 per additional qualifier added to an existing license. The frequently repeated '$226' aggregator figure is not used.) and allow DOPL does not publish a processing-time estimate for contractor endorsement..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Utah accept a Pennsylvania contractor license?
A contractor license transfers from Pennsylvania to Utah by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) — Contractor Licensing, verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet Utah's endorsement requirements. Utah uses licensure by ENDORSEMENT, not state-pair reciprocity, and the widely repeated '21 states' figure is not a DOPL figure. One year of licensed experience in another state, district or territory in a scope of practice similar to the Utah classification sought — with the license currently active and in good standing — satisfies the Utah exam requirement in place of the Utah Business and Law exam. Endorsement does NOT waive the approved pre-licensure course. Electricians additionally have one formal bilateral agreement, Utah-Oregon BCD# 73-0-452, under which journeyman and master/general-supervising licenses are issued without examination..
What still applies even if reciprocity covers my trade?
Utah's business and law exam, financial statement, bond, and registration — reciprocity waives the trade exam only, not these.
What does the Pennsylvania-to-Utah move cost and how long does it take?
The initial contractor licence/endorsement application fee could not be verified — dopl.utah.gov returns HTTP 403 to non-browser clients and the DOPL fee schedule was not retrievable. The only official figures obtained are from the Add a Qualifier / Add Classification form: $175 per additional classification and $50 per additional qualifier added to an existing license. The frequently repeated '$226' aggregator figure is not used.; processing DOPL does not publish a processing-time estimate for contractor endorsement..
Would the NASCLA exam help for this move?
If you do commercial general-building work, possibly — about 15 states accept the NASCLA Accredited Commercial General Building exam toward licensure. Check whether Utah is one on the Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) — Contractor Licensing site.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Utah DOPL — Endorsement to Utah: Contractor (one-year requirement, ownership rules, 25-hour pre-licensure course, equivalence map) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Utah DOPL — Apply for a General Contractor License (exam requirement satisfied by one year of similar-scope out-of-state licensure) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Utah DOPL — Apply for a Specialty Contractor License (25-hour vs 30-hour pre-licensure course; insurance, EIN, entity registration) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Oregon BCD — Reciprocal Agreement BCD# 73-0-452, Utah Journeyman & Master and Oregon Journeyman & Supervisor Electrical ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Utah DOPL — Add a Qualifier / Add Classification form ($175 per classification, $50 per qualifier) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PA OAG — Home Improvement Contractor Registration System (fee, insurance, PA#, processing) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- PA OAG — Home Improvement Contractor FAQ ($5,000 threshold, out-of-state contractors must register) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
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