Painting Contractor License Requirements by State
Apply paint, stains, and coatings to interior and exterior surfaces. Compare painting contractor license requirements across all 50 states below.
National Licensing Overview
7 out of 50 states require a state-level license for painting contractors. In the remaining 43 states, licensing is either handled at the local level or not required at all. Only a handful of states regulate this trade at the state level — most notably California, which licenses nearly all contractor specialties.
Average license fee across states that require licensing: $144. Actual costs vary significantly by state.
Alabama
Alabama
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Alaska
Alaska
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Arizona
Arizona
$175
Total Cost
2 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Arkansas
Arkansas
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
California
California
$260
Total Cost
2 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Colorado
Colorado
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Connecticut
Connecticut
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Delaware
Delaware
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Florida
Florida
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Georgia
Georgia
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Hawaii
Hawaii
$280
Total Cost
2 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Idaho
Idaho
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Illinois
Illinois
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Indiana
Indiana
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Iowa
Iowa
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Kansas
Kansas
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Kentucky
Kentucky
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Louisiana
Louisiana
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Maine
Maine
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Maryland
Maryland
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Massachusetts
Massachusetts
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Michigan
Michigan
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Minnesota
Minnesota
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Mississippi
Mississippi
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Missouri
Missouri
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Montana
Montana
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Nebraska
Nebraska
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Nevada
Nevada
$195
Total Cost
2 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
New Hampshire
New Hampshire
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
New Jersey
New Jersey
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
New Mexico
New Mexico
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
New York
New York
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
North Carolina
North Carolina
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
North Dakota
North Dakota
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Ohio
Ohio
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Oklahoma
Oklahoma
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Oregon
Oregon
$205
Total Cost
2 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Rhode Island
Rhode Island
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
South Carolina
South Carolina
$165
Total Cost
2 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
South Dakota
South Dakota
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Tennessee
Tennessee
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Texas
Texas
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Utah
Utah
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Vermont
Vermont
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Virginia
Virginia
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Washington
Washington
$215
Total Cost
2 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
West Virginia
West Virginia
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Wisconsin
Wisconsin
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam
Wyoming
Wyoming
$0
Total Cost
0 yrs
Experience
No
Exam