Contractor License from Vermont to Michigan: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Michigan Dept. of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Construction Codes — Residential Builders; Electrical Administrative Board ↗
A contractor license transfers from Vermont to Michigan by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Michigan Dept. of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Construction Codes — Residential Builders; Electrical Administrative Board, verify your Vermont license, and meet Michigan's endorsement requirements. The Michigan Residential Builder and Maintenance & Alteration Contractor license offers NO reciprocity — applicants complete 60 hours of prelicensure education and pass the Michigan exam. Michigan electrical licensure (Electrical Administrative Board, Skilled Trades Regulation Act) provides a licensure-by-equivalency/endorsement path for out-of-state electricians, evaluated for substantial equivalence rather than via a fixed reciprocal-states list..
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Michigan does not have a trade agreement covering Vermont for the selected trade, so this move runs on Michigan's case-by-case endorsement process. If you do commercial general-building work, check whether Michigan accepts the NASCLA exam — passing it once can replace the trade exam here and in about fourteen other states. Electricians should check Michigan's NERA status.
What changes, Vermont → Michigan
| Vermont (current) | Michigan (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $90–$150 (Division of Fire Safety trade licenses are 3-year: Electrical Master $150, Electrical Journeyman $115, Electrical Specialist $115 per field; Plumbing Master $120, Plumbing Journeyman $90, Plumbing Specialist $50 per field. Exam fees are not included in the application. The separate OPR residential-contractor registration carries its own fee, which is published only behind OPR's online fee page and is not asserted here.) | Not verified — board site inaccessible. |
| Processing time | No week range is published. Applications must be postmarked or delivered to the Division of Fire Safety two weeks before the board meeting date or they are held for a later agenda, and incomplete applications are returned. | Not verified — board site inaccessible. |
| Licensing authority | Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety (electricians and plumbers); Vermont Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation (residential contractor registration) | Michigan Dept. of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Construction Codes — Residential Builders; Electrical Administrative Board |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Michigan sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Michigan's current requirements on the Michigan Dept. of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Construction Codes — Residential Builders; Electrical Administrative Board website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Michigan Dept. of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Construction Codes — Residential Builders; Electrical Administrative Board.
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Residential builder: complete 60 hours of prelicensure education and pass the Michigan builder exam (no reciprocity path).
- Electrical: hold an equivalent out-of-state license and show substantially equal licensing requirements.
- Pay the fees (Not verified — board site inaccessible.) and allow Not verified — board site inaccessible..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Michigan accept a Vermont contractor license?
A contractor license transfers from Vermont to Michigan by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Michigan Dept. of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Construction Codes — Residential Builders; Electrical Administrative Board, verify your Vermont license, and meet Michigan's endorsement requirements. The Michigan Residential Builder and Maintenance & Alteration Contractor license offers NO reciprocity — applicants complete 60 hours of prelicensure education and pass the Michigan exam. Michigan electrical licensure (Electrical Administrative Board, Skilled Trades Regulation Act) provides a licensure-by-equivalency/endorsement path for out-of-state electricians, evaluated for substantial equivalence rather than via a fixed reciprocal-states list..
What still applies even if reciprocity covers my trade?
Michigan's business and law exam, financial statement, bond, and registration — reciprocity waives the trade exam only, not these.
What does the Vermont-to-Michigan move cost and how long does it take?
Not verified — board site inaccessible.; processing Not verified — board site inaccessible..
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 Michigan is one on the Michigan Dept. of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Construction Codes — Residential Builders; Electrical Administrative Board site.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Michigan LARA — Bureau of Construction Codes ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- VT Division of Fire Safety — Electrician License Application (Master $150 / Journeyman $115 / Specialist $115; Maine and New Hampshire residents only; universal-license route) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- VT Division of Fire Safety — Instructions for Applying for a Vermont Electrical License (fees; two-week pre-meeting filing deadline) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- VT Division of Fire Safety — Plumbers License Application Instructions (Master $120 / Journeyman $90 / Specialist $50; universal-license route and hour requirements) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- VT Secretary of State OPR — Residential Contractors, Apply or Renew ($10,000 threshold, liability insurance, written contract, registration not licensure) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]