Contractor License from South Carolina to Mississippi: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Mississippi State Board of Contractors (MSBOC) ↗
Yes — Mississippi has a reciprocity arrangement covering South Carolina license holders. Apply to the Mississippi State Board of Contractors (MSBOC) under its reciprocity/endorsement track; typically you skip the national exam and complete state-specific requirements only.
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Verdict
Reciprocity agreement
Mississippi has a trade agreement covering South Carolina — but read it at the trade-and-class level before celebrating. The agreement waives Mississippi's exam for the specific trade and class named in the table below; your other licenses may not be covered. What survives for every applicant: Mississippi's business and law exam, financial statement, bond, and registration. Confirm your exact trade and class against the Mississippi State Board of Contractors (MSBOC) listing.
What changes, South Carolina → Mississippi
| South Carolina (current) | Mississippi (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $350 (General and Mechanical Contractor initial license fee $350; biennial renewal $135 (reinstatement $350). PSI exam fees are paid directly to PSI and are additional. Residential Builders Commission fees are set separately and were not published as a dollar figure on the pages read.) | 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 | Neither the Contractor's Licensing Board nor the Residential Builders Commission publishes a processing-time estimate. | Board does not publish a fixed processing time; varies by application review cycle. |
| Licensing authority | South Carolina Contractor's Licensing Board (commercial) and Residential Builders Commission (residential) — SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation | Mississippi State Board of Contractors (MSBOC) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Mississippi sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Mississippi's current requirements on the Mississippi State Board of Contractors (MSBOC) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity application to the Mississippi State Board of Contractors (MSBOC) (application linked below).
- 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
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Mississippi accept a South Carolina contractor license?
Yes — Mississippi has a reciprocity arrangement covering South Carolina license holders. Apply to the Mississippi State Board of Contractors (MSBOC) under its reciprocity/endorsement track; typically you skip the national exam and complete state-specific requirements only.
What still applies even if reciprocity covers my trade?
Mississippi's business and law exam, financial statement, bond, and registration — reciprocity waives the trade exam only, not these.
What does the South Carolina-to-Mississippi move 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..
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 Mississippi is one on the Mississippi State Board of Contractors (MSBOC) site.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- MSBOC - Reciprocity ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- MSBOC - Classifications ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- SC Contractor's Licensing Board — Waiver/Reciprocity Agreements chart (Rev. 02/2019), per-state accepted technical exams ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- SC Contractor's Licensing Board — Licensure with the Board (waiver/reciprocity path, Business Management and Law exam, $350 fee) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- SC Contractor's Licensing Board — Fees ($350 initial, $135 biennial renewal) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- SC Residential Builders Commission — Examination and Exam Waivers (builder waiver states; electrical/HVAC/plumbing waiver agreements) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- SC Code of Laws Section 40-11-290 — licensure of applicant licensed in another state ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
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