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Quick answer
The Mississippi State Board of Contractors issues a certificate of responsibility for commercial contracting and a residential license for residential builders and remodelers. Every commercial applicant takes the Mississippi Law and Business Management exam. As of January 1, 2016, the commercial application fee is $400 per application.
Certificate of responsibility; residential license (residential and commercial)
The Mississippi State Board of Contractors says commercial and residential contractors and roofers are required to be licensed by the board. Mississippi law makes it unlawful for any person who does not hold a certificate of responsibility to submit a bid, enter into a contract, or otherwise engage in the business of a contractor, and, except as Section 73-59-15 or Section 33-1-39 provides, requires residential builders and residential remodelers to be licensed by the board annually.
Commercial: all applicants take the Mississippi Law and Business Management exam; some specialty classifications do not require a trade exam; Residential: a uniform written examination prescribed by the board
Certificate of responsibility; residential license (residential and commercial). The Mississippi State Board of Contractors says commercial and residential contractors and roofers are required to be licensed by the board. Mississippi law makes it unlawful for any person who does not hold a certificate of responsibility to submit a bid, enter into a contract, or otherwise engage in the business of a contractor, and, except as Section 73-59-15 or Section 33-1-39 provides, requires residential builders and residential remodelers to be licensed by the board annually.
Threshold. Commercial: the certificate of responsibility chapter does not apply to any contract or undertaking on a public or private project, by a prime contractor, subcontractor or sub-subcontractor of any tier, of less than $50,000.00. Residential builder: the total cost of the undertaking exceeds $50,000.00. Remodeler: the total cost of the improvements to an existing residence exceeds $10,000.00.
Commercial and residential contractors and roofers are required to be licensed by the Mississippi State Board of Contractors. For all the details on how to obtain a commercial or residential license, view our instructional video.
(1) It shall be unlawful for any person who does not hold a certificate of responsibility issued under this chapter to submit a bid, enter into a contract, or otherwise engage in or continue in this state in the business of a contractor, as defined in this chapter.
Miss. Code Ann. § 31-3-21(1) (MSBOC Commercial Laws and Rules, Revised 2022) · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-06
(1) Except as otherwise provided in Section 73–59–15 or Section 33–1–39, the following persons or entities shall be licensed by the board annually as an active licensee or inactive licensee, as appropriate: (a) Persons or entities acting in the capacity as a residential builder; (b) Persons or entities acting in the capacity as a residential remodeler;
Miss. Code Ann. § 73-59-3(1) (MSBOC Residential Laws and Rules, Revised 2022) · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-06
It is further provided that nothing herein shall apply to:
Miss. Code Ann. § 31-3-1 (MSBOC Commercial Laws and Rules, Revised 2022) · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-06
Any contract or undertaking on a public or private project by a prime contractor, subcontrac- tor or sub-subcontractor of any tier involving erection, building, construction, reconstruction, repair, maintenance or related work where such contract, subcontract or undertaking is less than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00);
Miss. Code Ann. § 31-3-1 (MSBOC Commercial Laws and Rules, Revised 2022) · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-03
of any building or structure which is not more than three (3) floors in height, to be used by another as a residence, when the total cost of the undertaking exceeds Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00).
Miss. Code Ann. § 73-59-1(b) (MSBOC Residential Laws and Rules, Revised 2022) · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-03
undertakes or offers to undertake the construction, or superintending of the construction, of improvements to an existing residence when the total cost of the improvements exceeds Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00).
Miss. Code Ann. § 73-59-1(c) (MSBOC Residential Laws and Rules, Revised 2022) · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-03
License classes
Class
Scope
Source
Commercial certificate of responsibility, major classifications
Building Construction; Heavy Construction; Highway, Street and Bridge Work; Mechanical Work; Electrical Work; or Municipal and Public Works Construction
Construction of a building or structure not more than three floors in height, to be used by another as a residence, when the total cost of the undertaking exceeds $50,000.00
The major classifications are Building Construction; Heavy Construction; Highway, Street and Bridge Work; Mechanical Work; Electrical Work; or Municipal and Public Works Construction.
Exam. Commercial: all applicants take the Mississippi Law and Business Management exam; some specialty classifications do not require a trade exam. Source: MSBOC, Apply For A License (video transcript)
Financial. Commercial: a reviewed financial statement showing a net worth of $50,000 or greater for a major classification, or $20,000 or greater for a specialty classification. Source: MSBOC, Apply For A License (video transcript)
Liability insurance. Commercial: coverage of $300,000 per occurrence or $600,000 aggregate at a minimum; residential: proof of coverage, with no minimum amount. Source: MSBOC, Apply For A License (video transcript)
the applicant shall be examined by the board at its next meeting using a uniform written examination prescribed by the board.
Miss. Code Ann. § 73-59-5 (MSBOC Residential Laws and Rules, Revised 2022) · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-03
The reviewed financial statement must demonstrate a net worth of $50,000 or greater if applying for a major classification, or a net worth of $20,000 or greater if applying for a specialty classification.
Commercial applicants must show coverage in the amounts of $300,000 per occurrence or $600,000 aggregate at a minimum. There is no minimum coverage amount required for residential applicants, just proof of coverage.
Term and renewal. Original commercial certificates expire one (1) year from the date of issuance. Except as provided in Section 33-1-39, a residential license expires on the last day of the twelfth month following its issuance or renewal and becomes invalid unless renewed.
Continuing education. The board may require continuing education for any residential builder or remodeler, no more than two hours per year; a residential builder or remodeler who held a valid license before July 1, 2015, is exempt.
All original certificates and shall expire one (1) year from the date of issuance.
Miss. Code Ann. § 31-3-13 (MSBOC Commercial Laws and Rules, Revised 2022) · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-03
(5) Except as provided in Section 33–1–39, the license shall expire on the last day of the twelfth month following its issuance or renewal and shall become invalid unless renewed.
Miss. Code Ann. § 73-59-3(5) (MSBOC Residential Laws and Rules, Revised 2022) · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-06
(g) The board may require continuing education for any residential builder or remodeler licensed under this chapter; provided, how- ever, that any residential builder or remodeler who has held a valid license under this chapter before July 1, 2015, shall be exempt from any continuing education requirements. No more than two (2) hours of continuing education shall be required by the board per year.
Miss. Code Ann. § 73-59-11(g) (MSBOC Residential Laws and Rules, Revised 2022) · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-06
Contracting without a license
Commercial: no contract for a public or private project may be issued or awarded to a contractor who did not have a current certificate of responsibility, or a similar certificate from a board of another state that recognizes the board's certificates, when the bid was submitted, and a contract awarded in violation is null and void; knowingly and willfully submitting a bid without holding a certificate of responsibility number, as and if required, is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000.00, imprisonment for not more than six months, or both; in addition, upon a finding of a violation of the chapter and after notice and hearing, the board may issue an order of abatement directing the contractor to cease all actions constituting violations of the chapter until the contractor complies with Mississippi state law, and to pay the board a civil penalty of not more than three percent (3%) of the total contract being performed by the contractor. Residential: undertaking or attempting to undertake residential construction without a valid license is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $100.00 and not more than $5,000.00, or 30 to 60 days in the county jail, or both, and the board may issue a citation and stop work.
No contract for public or private projects shall be issued or awarded to any contractor who did not have a current certificate of responsibility issued by said board at the time of the submission of the bid, or a similar certificate issued by a similar board of another state which recognizes cer- tificates issued by said board. Any contract issued or awarded in violation of this section shall be null and void.
Miss. Code Ann. § 31-3-15 (MSBOC Commercial Laws and Rules, Revised 2022) · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-06
In addition, any person violating this section by knowingly and willfully submitting a bid for projects without holding a certificate of responsibility number issued under this chapter, as and if herein required, at the time of the submission or opening of such bid shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine of not more than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or by imprisonment for not more than six (6) months, or by both such fine and im- prisonment.
Miss. Code Ann. § 31-3-21(1) (MSBOC Commercial Laws and Rules, Revised 2022) · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-06
(4) In addition to any other penalties provided in this chapter, and upon a finding of a violation of this chapter, the State Board of Contractors may, after notice and hearing, issue an order of abatement directing the contractor to cease all actions constituting violations of this chap- ter until such time as the contractor complies with Mississippi state law, and to pay to the board a civil penalty to be deposited into the State Board of Contractors' Fund, created in Section 31-3-17, of not more than three percent (3%) of the total contract being performed by the contractor.
Miss. Code Ann. § 31-3-21(4) (MSBOC Commercial Laws and Rules, Revised 2022) · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-07
(1) Any person or entity required to have a license under Section 73-59-3(1) who undertakes or attempts to undertake the business of residential construction without having a valid license as required by this chapter, or who knowingly presents to the board, or files with the board, false information for the purpose of obtaining such license, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon convic- tion, shall be fined not less than One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) and not more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) or be impris- oned for not less than thirty (30) nor more than sixty (60) days in the county jail, or both.
Miss. Code Ann. § 73-59-9(1) (MSBOC Residential Laws and Rules, Revised 2022) · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-06
(3) The board shall have the authority to issue a citation and may stop work of a residential builder or remodeler performing work without having a valid license as required by this chapter.
Miss. Code Ann. § 73-59-9(3) (MSBOC Residential Laws and Rules, Revised 2022) · Official text · retrieved 2026-10-06
Mississippi splits contractor credentials along commercial and residential lines, and the Mississippi State Board of Contractors handles both. The board's home page states that commercial and residential contractors and roofers are required to be licensed by the board [1].
On the commercial side, the credential is the certificate of responsibility. State law makes it unlawful to bid, contract or otherwise carry on the business of a contractor, as the chapter defines it, without one [2]. That chapter carries an exclusion: it does not reach a contract or undertaking on a public or private project, at any tier from prime contractor down to sub-subcontractor, that is less than $50,000.00 [2].
The residential license works under a separate chapter. Except as Section 73-59-15 or Section 33-1-39 provides, residential builders and residential remodelers are to be licensed by the board annually, as active or inactive licensees [3]. A residential builder, as defined, builds a structure of no more than three floors meant as a residence for another, where the total cost of the undertaking exceeds $50,000.00 [3]. A remodeler improves an existing residence where the improvements cost more than $10,000.00 in total [3].
Classifications and what applicants show
Commercial certificates come in major classifications, which the board lists as building, heavy, highway, street and bridge, mechanical, electrical, and municipal and public works construction [4]. The board also refers to specialty classifications, and some of those carry no trade exam; every commercial applicant, though, is required to take the Mississippi Law and Business Management exam [4]. Residential applicants sit for a uniform written examination that the board prescribes [3].
For commercial applicants, a reviewed financial statement has to show a net worth of $50,000 or greater for a major classification, or $20,000 or greater for a specialty one [4]. Commercial liability coverage starts at $300,000 per occurrence or $600,000 aggregate [4], while residential applicants submit proof of coverage with no set minimum [4]. An applicant with 5 or more employees also provides proof of workers' compensation coverage [4].
Cost, expiration and education
The board's fee schedule lists application and renewal charges for each side. As of January 1, 2016, the commercial application fee is $400 per application [5]. As of January 1, 2016, the residential application fee is $50 per application [5].
An original commercial certificate expires one year after the date it is issued [2]. Except as Section 33-1-39 provides, a residential license runs out on the last day of the twelfth month after its issuance or renewal, and it is no longer valid unless renewed [3].
On the residential side, the board may require continuing education for residential builders and remodelers, capped at two hours a year [3]. A residential builder or remodeler who held a valid license before July 1, 2015, is exempt from those requirements [3].
Consequences under the commercial and residential chapters
For commercial work, a public or private project contract may not go to a contractor who lacked a current certificate of responsibility when the bid was submitted, or a similar certificate from another state's board that recognizes Mississippi's certificates, and an award made in violation is null and void [2]. Knowingly and willfully submitting a bid without a certificate of responsibility number, as and if the chapter requires one, is a misdemeanor; on conviction the fine can reach $1,000.00, the imprisonment six months, or both [2]. After notice and hearing, the board may also order a violator to stop the violating conduct until the contractor complies with state law and to pay a civil penalty of up to 3% of the total contract being performed [2].
On the residential side, undertaking or attempting residential construction without a valid license required by the chapter is a misdemeanor. Conviction brings a fine from $100.00 to $5,000.00, 30 to 60 days in the county jail, or both [3]. The board can also cite a residential builder or remodeler working without a required license and may stop the work [3].
