Contractor license · New Hampshire

New Hampshire contractor license requirements

By Oussama Chicha, EditorUpdated October 8, 2026Checked against primary sources · not yet reviewed by a licensed professionalFact-checked October 8, 2026

Quick answer

The New Hampshire state government issues no general contractor license. A consumer article on contractor insurance from the New Hampshire Insurance Department says general contractors in New Hampshire are not required to hold a state license, though certain specialty trades such as electricians and plumbers are regulated. RSA chapter 359-G sets notice steps for residential construction defect claims.

New Hampshire · Contractor licenseVerified 2026-10-08

State license: No state general contractor license; The New Hampshire state government issues no general contractor license. The New Hampshire Insurance Department's consumer article on contractor insurance says that in New Hampshire, general contractors are not required to hold a state license, though certain specialty trades such as electricians and plumbers are regulated.
Agency: New Hampshire Insurance Department

What the state licenses

No state general contractor license. The New Hampshire state government issues no general contractor license. The New Hampshire Insurance Department's consumer article on contractor insurance says that in New Hampshire, general contractors are not required to hold a state license, though certain specialty trades such as electricians and plumbers are regulated.

In New Hampshire, general contractors are not required to hold a state license, though certain specialty trades such as electricians and plumbers are regulated.

Contractor insurance, consumer article, New Hampshire Insurance Department · archived copy, captured 2026-03-23

Other state rules for contractors

Notice of the right to resolve defects, RSA 359-G:7. Under New Hampshire's residential construction defects law, upon entering into a purchase agreement or contract for the construction or improvement of a residence in which the contract amount exceeds $5,000, the contractor shall give the owner of the residence written notice of the contractor's right to resolve alleged construction defects before a homeowner may commence litigation against the contractor. The notice shall be conspicuous and may be included as part of the contract. Source: N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 359-G:7, I
Notice of claim and response, RSA 359-G:4. In every action subject to the law, the homeowner shall, no later than 60 days before initiating an action against a contractor, serve a written notice of claim on that contractor. Within 30 days after that service, each contractor that received the notice shall serve on the homeowner, and on any other contractor that received it, a written response that discloses any evidence in the contractor's possession that depicts the nature and cause of the construction defect, and that offers to settle the claim by monetary payment, the making of repairs, or a combination of both, without inspection; proposes to inspect the residence; or wholly rejects the claim. Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, if the contractor fails to respond, wholly rejects the claim, or will neither remedy the alleged construction defect nor settle the claim, the homeowner may immediately bring an action against the contractor for the claims described in the notice of claim without further notice, except as otherwise provided under applicable law. A homeowner and a contractor may alter this notice of claim procedure by written mutual agreement. Source: N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 359-G:4, I; N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 359-G:4, II; N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 359-G:4, III; N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 359-G:4, XIII

Upon entering into a purchase agreement or contract for the construction or improvement of a residence in which the contract amount exceeds $5,000, the contractor shall provide written notice to the owner of the residence of the contractor's right to resolve alleged construction defects before a homeowner may commence litigation against the contractor. Such notice shall be conspicuous and may be included as part of the contract.

N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 359-G:7, I · Archived copy of the official text, captured 2023-03-22

In every action subject to this chapter, the homeowner shall, no later than 60 days before initiating an action against a contractor, provide service of written notice of claim on that contractor.

N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 359-G:4, I · Archived copy of the official text, captured 2023-03-22

Within 30 days after service of the notice of claim by the homeowner required in paragraph I, each contractor that has received the notice of claim shall serve on the homeowner, and on any other contractor that has received the notice of claim, a written response to the claim or claims, which discloses any evidence in the possession of the contractor that depicts the nature and cause of the construction defect, and: (a) Offers to settle the claim by monetary payment, the making of repairs, or a combination of both, without inspection; (b) Proposes to inspect the residence that is the subject of the claim; or (c) Wholly rejects the claim.

N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 359-G:4, II · Archived copy of the official text, captured 2023-03-22

Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, if the contractor fails to respond to the homeowner under paragraph II, wholly rejects the claim, or will neither remedy the alleged construction defect nor settle the claim, the homeowner may immediately bring an action against the contractor for the claims described in the notice of claim without further notice except as otherwise provided under applicable law.

N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 359-G:4, III · Archived copy of the official text, captured 2023-03-22

A homeowner and a contractor may alter, by written mutual agreement, the procedure for the notice of claim process described in this section.

N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 359-G:4, XIII · Archived copy of the official text, captured 2023-03-22

Trade licenses

Electrical: NH Office of Professional Licensure and Certification, Electricians' Board
Plumbing and mechanical: NH Office of Professional Licensure and Certification, Mechanical Licensing Board

General contractors in New Hampshire

The New Hampshire state government issues no general contractor license. In a consumer article on contractor insurance, the New Hampshire Insurance Department writes that general contractors in New Hampshire are "not required to hold a state license", and in that same sentence it adds that certain specialty trades are regulated, giving electricians and plumbers as examples ^[1].

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical boards

For electrical work, the state board is the NH Office of Professional Licensure and Certification, Electricians' Board, and for plumbing and mechanical work it is the NH Office of Professional Licensure and Certification, Mechanical Licensing Board.

Residential construction defect claims

Apart from the licensing question, New Hampshire has a residential construction defects law, RSA chapter 359-G, which sets out written notices that pass between a contractor and a homeowner before a defect dispute goes to court ^[2].

The first notice comes at signing. On a purchase agreement or contract to build or improve a residence where the contract amount is more than $5,000 ^[2], the contractor has to give the owner written notice of the contractor's right to resolve alleged construction defects before the homeowner can sue. That notice has to be conspicuous, and the contract itself can carry it ^[2].

Once a dispute arises, a homeowner bringing an action under the chapter has to serve the contractor with a written notice of claim first, no later than 60 days before starting the action ^[2]. Each contractor that receives it then must serve on the homeowner, within 30 days, a written reply that discloses any evidence it holds on the nature and cause of the defect and that either offers to settle through payment, repairs or both without an inspection, proposes to inspect the residence, or rejects the claim entirely ^[2]. The reply must also be served on any other contractor that received the notice of claim ^[2].

In some cases the homeowner can go to court right away. When the contractor gives no response, rejects the whole claim, or will neither remedy the alleged defect nor settle, the homeowner may bring an action at once on the claims named in the notice, with no further notice, except as otherwise provided under applicable law ^[2].

A homeowner and a contractor can change the notice of claim procedure if both agree to the change in writing ^[2].

contractor license requirements by state

Sources

Contractor insurance, consumer article, New Hampshire Insurance Department (archived copy, captured 2026-03-23)
RSA chapter 359-G, Residential Construction Defects; Dispute Resolution, New Hampshire General Court (text as of March 22, 2023) (archived copy, captured 2023-03-22)

Changelog

2026-10-09: 4 more jurisdictions published: Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
2026-10-08: Page published.
2026-10-08: 2 more jurisdictions published: District of Columbia and Vermont.
2026-10-07: 9 more jurisdictions published: Arkansas, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Mississippi, New Mexico, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
2026-10-07: 9 more jurisdictions published: Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania.
2026-10-06: 10 more jurisdictions published: Alabama, Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Washington and West Virginia.
2026-10-04: Dataset first published: 10 of 51 jurisdictions published.