Contractor License from West Virginia to Pennsylvania: Does It Transfer? (2026)
There is no Pennsylvania license to transfer into: Pennsylvania issues no contractor license or trade license and requires only a state registration. Register with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General rather than applying for reciprocity.
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Verdict
No state license to transfer
There is nothing at state level to transfer your West Virginia license into: Pennsylvania issues no contractor license or trade license and requires only a registration. Register with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and work from its rules; your West Virginia license and experience may help there, but no state agreement applies to general contracting.
What changes, West Virginia → Pennsylvania
| West Virginia (current) | Pennsylvania (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $59.95 (Contractor Licensing Board examinations are $59.95 each, first sitting or retake, and the Contractor Licensing Act exam is always required. The contractor licence fee itself, and the State Fire Marshal's individual electrician licence fee, are billed separately. Retried 2026-09-01 and still not verifiable: wvclboard.wv.gov again refused all connections, and the Division of Labor's fee index at labor.wv.gov/fees publishes only HVAC technician, plumber and manufactured-housing fees, with no contractor licence fee page. W. Va. Code 30-42-7/30-42-8 sets only a statutory ceiling (application and annual licence fees not to exceed $150), not the amount actually charged, so it cannot be used as the figure. Left null rather than guessed.) | Registration 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.) |
| Processing time | Neither the Contractor Licensing Board nor the State Fire Marshal publishes a processing-time range; set null rather than estimated | 2–3 weeks (Registration certificate arrives by mail within 2 to 3 weeks unless the application is incomplete.) |
| Licensing authority | West Virginia Contractor Licensing Board (Division of Labor); individual electricians licensed by the WV State Fire Marshal | Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General — Home Improvement Contractor Registration (HICPA) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Pennsylvania sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Register with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General: Pennsylvania issues no contractor license or trade license, so there is no license to transfer by reciprocity.
- Check the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General (linked on this page) for its current registration requirements and fee — rules change.
- Register as a Home Improvement Contractor with the PA Office of Attorney General if performing $5,000 or more of home improvements per year.
- Carry commercial general liability insurance of at least $50,000 personal-injury and $50,000 property-damage coverage.
- Display the assigned PA contractor number (PA#) on all advertisements, contracts, estimates and proposals.
- Pay the registration 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.)) and allow 2–3 weeks (Registration certificate arrives by mail within 2 to 3 weeks unless the application is incomplete.).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Pennsylvania accept a West Virginia contractor license?
There is no Pennsylvania license to transfer into: Pennsylvania issues no contractor license or trade license and requires only a state registration. Register with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General rather than applying for reciprocity.
What applies in Pennsylvania without a state general contractor license?
Pennsylvania's contractor registration with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General — there is no state general contractor license or exam to transfer into. Trade licenses Pennsylvania does issue are a separate question for the checker.
What fees apply in Pennsylvania, and how long does processing take?
Registration 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.). Registration processing: 2–3 weeks (Registration certificate arrives by mail within 2 to 3 weeks unless the application is incomplete.)
Would the NASCLA exam help for this move?
Not for general contracting: Pennsylvania issues no state general contractor license, so there is no state GC exam for NASCLA to replace.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 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)
- WV Contractor Licensing Board — Candidate Information Bulletin (classification list, Contractor Licensing Act exam, $59.95 per exam) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- WV Division of Labor — Licensing section (Contractor Licensing Board, HVAC and Plumber certification programmes) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- TN Board for Licensing Contractors — Trade Exam Waiver (Reciprocity) with Tennessee (West Virginia row: Residential, Commercial, Industrial Building, Electrical, Mechanical, Masonry; waiver limited to the trade exam) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board — Master Electrician Reciprocity Verification of Licensure (requires WV Master Electrician licence from the WV State Fire Marshal plus WV Contractor Electrical Licence) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NASCLA — West Virginia Contractors Licensing Board, commercial-exam participating agency (will not accept exam scores or transcripts prior to 2013-09-01) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- WV State Fire Marshal — Regulatory and Licensing Division (individual Master/Journeyman/Single Family Dwelling electrician licensing) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]