New Hampshire does not issue a statewide general contractor license for residential or commercial construction. Contractor regulation in New Hampshire runs through trade-specific licensing boards within the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC), plus local building and code-enforcement offices. Trade-specific state licenses. - Electricians: NH OPLC Electricians' Board issues Master, Journeyman, Apprentice, and specialty credentials under RSA 319-C. A Master Electrician license is required to contract for electrical work and pull permits. Source: NH OPLC Electricians' Board (https://www.oplc.nh.gov/electricians-board). - Plumbers, Gas Fitters, Domestic Appliance Technicians: NH OPLC Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board issues Master and Journeyman Plumber, Fuel Gas Fitter, and related credentials under RSA 329-A. A Master Plumber license is required to contract and pull plumbing permits. Source: NH OPLC Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board (https://www.oplc.nh.gov/mechanical-safety-and-licensing-board). - HVAC (refrigeration and air-conditioning): not licensed at the state level. Federal EPA Section 608 certification applies to refrigerant work (https://www.epa.gov/section608). - Boiler Operators: regulated by the New Hampshire Department of Labor under RSA 157-A. Source: NH DOL (https://www.nh.gov/labor/). Local building and code enforcement. New Hampshire enforces building and mechanical permits through local building officials in each city and town under the State Building Code adopted by the State Building Code Review Board (RSA 155-A). A contractor pulling permits for general construction typically registers with each municipality where they work; requirements vary by jurisdiction. Source: NH State Fire Marshal, State Building Code (https://www.nh.gov/safety/divisions/firesafety/bld/index.html). Home improvement and consumer protection. New Hampshire does not run a standalone Home Improvement Contractor registration program comparable to Massachusetts or Pennsylvania. General consumer-protection obligations run through the NH Department of Justice Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau under RSA 358-A (Consumer Protection Act). Source: NH DOJ Consumer Protection (https://www.doj.nh.gov/consumer/). To operate as a trade contractor in New Hampshire you generally need: the applicable state trade license (Master Electrician, Master Plumber, Gas Fitter as applicable), formation documents filed with the New Hampshire Secretary of State if operating as an LLC or corporation (https://www.sos.nh.gov/corporate-division), a federal EIN from the IRS, NH business registration through the Department of Revenue Administration, and whatever municipal registration the local building official requires. Verify each requirement against current statutes and local rules before you assume you are compliant.
NH · Contractor licensing
Contractor licensing in New Hampshire
State contractor license requirements, bond, and insurance minimums.
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