Trade Contractor Resources for Georgia (Licensing, Permits, Tools)

Trade contractor resources · Georgia

Trade business resources for Georgia.

Licensing board, permit offices, and trade-by-trade requirements for Georgia contractors. All links go to the official sources, not paid intermediaries.

State licensing board

Official authority

Georgia Secretary of State - Professional Licensing Boards Division

https://sos.ga.gov/professional-licensing
(478) 207-2440

Georgia does not have a single statewide general contractor license; instead, licensing requirements vary by trade and are administered through the Secretary of State's Professional Licensing Boards Division for specific trades such as electrical, plumbing, and HVAC. Local jurisdictions, especially counties and municipalities, often impose their own licensing and permitting requirements on top of any state-level credentials.

Georgia issues state-level licenses primarily for electrical contractors, plumbers, conditioned air (HVAC) contractors, and utility contractors through the respective state licensing boards. Electrical and plumbing contractors must hold a state license regardless of project size, while conditioned air contractors are licensed at the state level through the Secretary of State. General contracting is not licensed at the state level for most residential and commercial work, but contractors working on public projects over $100,000 may be subject to additional bonding and registration requirements. Specialty trades such as low-voltage and irrigation may require separate state or local registrations. Many counties and cities require a local business license or occupational tax certificate in addition to any state trade license.

License requirements by trade

Electrician
Georgia requires electrical contractors to be licensed through the State Electrical Contractors Licensing Board, with license classes including Unrestricted Electrical Contractor and Conditioned Air Electrical Contractor; applicants must pass an exam and meet experience requirements. Individual journeyman and master electrician credentials are also issued at the state level.
Plumber
Georgia licenses plumbers through the State Construction Industry Licensing Board, requiring applicants to pass a state exam and demonstrate qualifying experience for either a journeyman or master plumber license. All plumbing work on new construction and renovations requires a licensed plumber to pull permits.
HVAC
Conditioned air contractors in Georgia must hold a state license issued by the Secretary of State's Conditioned Air Contractors licensing board, which requires passing an exam and providing proof of relevant field experience. EPA 608 certification is also required for anyone handling refrigerants.
General Contractor
Georgia does not require a statewide general contractor license for most private residential or commercial construction; however, contractors must register with the local jurisdiction and obtain an occupational tax certificate. Contractors bidding on public works projects exceeding $100,000 must comply with the Georgia Prompt Pay Act and may face additional bonding requirements.
Roofing
Georgia does not have a statewide roofing contractor license, but roofers must register with local jurisdictions and obtain the required local business licenses or occupational tax certificates before performing work. Some counties and cities impose their own roofing contractor registration or insurance requirements.

Top Georgia city permit offices

Permit office

Atlanta

https://www.atlantaga.gov/government/departments/city-planning/office-of-buildings
(404) 330-6150
Permit office

Augusta

https://www.augustaga.gov/389/License-Inspections
(706) 821-1764
Permit office

Columbus

https://www.columbusga.gov/inspections
(706) 653-4371
Permit office

Savannah

https://www.savannahga.gov/749/Permits
(912) 651-6530
Permit office

Macon

https://www.maconbibb.us/permittingandzoning
(478) 751-7400

Business registration

Secretary of State

Business entity registration

https://sos.ga.gov
Tax registration

Georgia Department of Revenue

https://dor.georgia.gov

Tools for Georgia trade businesses

Compliance tracking, NEC 220 load calcs, profit calculators, and the 90-day operating system. One-time purchase. Real Excel and Sheets files. Used in truck cabs from Houston to Eureka.

Browse the 7 tools →
The information on this page links to official state and city authorities. Requirements change. Verify with the issuing authority before filing. LaunchLocal tools are research and calculation utilities, not legal or professional advice.