Contractor licensing by state
How to Get a Contractor License in Oklahoma
Oklahoma requires a state license for roofing, plumbing, electrical work, and HVAC work. It has no state license for foundation repair, general contracting, and concrete flatwork, so cities and counties set any rules for that work. The official sources do not settle the state rule for landscape irrigation, drainage and detention work, and demolition. Of the 4 trades we could rate, roofing is the easiest to get licensed for and plumbing the hardest.
State license requirements for each trade in Oklahoma
| Foundation repair | No state license | Not rated | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General contracting | No state license | Not rated | |||
| Roofing | Roofing Contractor Registration | $75 | None listed | None listed | Easy · 7 |
| Plumbing | Plumbing Contractor license | $330 | Oklahoma Plumbing exam | None listed | Moderate · 36 |
| Electrical | Electrical Contractor license | Oklahoma electrical contractor exam | None listed | Moderate or harder · 28+ | |
| HVAC | Mechanical Contractor license | $330 | Mechanical trade exam | None listed | Moderate · 36 |
| Irrigation | Not settled | Not rated | |||
| Concrete flatwork | No state license | Not rated | |||
| Drainage and detention | Not settled | Not rated | |||
| Demolition | Not settled | Not rated |
Tap a column to sort. Difficulty covers the state license only. Checked October 18, 2026.
Trades ranked from easiest to hardest in Oklahoma
- Roofing, easy (7)
- Electrical, moderate or harder (28+)
- HVAC, moderate (36)
- Plumbing, moderate (36)
Foundation repair, general contracting, landscape irrigation, concrete flatwork, drainage and detention work, and demolition are not rated because their rules are not fully published.
Details for each trade
Foundation repair
No state license covers foundation repair; the CIB covers only plumbing, electrical, mechanical and roofing. Local contractor registration and permit rules apply.
Ask the city building department whether the repair needs a permit and an engineer's design.
Check the city's contractor registration and permit rules.
Checked October 18, 2026 against CIB, active contractor requirements.
General contracting (residential remodels, additions and home improvement)
No state general contractor license.
Permits come from the city or county.
Check local contractor registration and permit rules.
Checked October 18, 2026 against CIB, active contractor requirements.
Roofing
| License | Roofing Contractor Registration (commercial endorsement for commercial work; Residential Roofing Endorsement required for residential roofing from January 1, 2028) |
|---|---|
| Board | Oklahoma Construction Industries Board |
| Fee | $75 (registration fee set by the Roofing Contractor Registration Act (same for renewal); the commercial endorsement costs more) |
| Insurance | At least $500,000 general liability for residential only roofers and $1,000,000 for any commercial roofing, with the CIB as certificate holder, plus workers' compensation or an exemption. |
| Renewal | Annual. |
Roofing without registration is a misdemeanor with a fine up to $500. Under HB 1628 and SB 1873, roofers registered in good standing by January 1, 2027 can be grandfathered into the Residential Roofing Endorsement with 10 hours of approved education or the exam; after January 1, 2028 the endorsement is required for residential roofing. From January 1, 2027 it is unlawful to subcontract with an unregistered labor only crew.
Reroof permits come from the city; the CIB registration is checked statewide.
- Buy $500,000 general liability ($1,000,000 if any commercial work) and workers' compensation.
- Register with the CIB.
- Before January 1, 2028, get the Residential Roofing Endorsement (grandfathered if registered by January 1, 2027).
Difficulty 7, easy (fees 2, insurance 5).
Checked October 18, 2026 against CIB, active roofing contractor requirements; CIB, residential roofing endorsement news; Roofing Contractor Registration Act.
Plumbing
| License | Plumbing Contractor license (or Residential Plumbing Contractor) |
|---|---|
| Board | Oklahoma Construction Industries Board |
| Fee | $330 (license fee $300 plus $30 application processing) |
| Exam | Oklahoma Plumbing exam; Plumbing Business and Law exam. Given by PSI. |
| Experience | Journeyman requirements plus one more year of lawful plumbing experience. |
| Insurance | At least $50,000 commercial general liability with the CIB as certificate holder. |
| Bond | $5,000 corporate surety bond payable to the CIB. |
An inactive contractor can drop the bond and insurance but may work only as a journeyman.
Plumbing permits come from the city building department.
- Meet the journeyman experience plus one year.
- Apply ($330) and pass the trade and business and law exams.
- File the $5,000 bond and $50,000 liability certificate.
Difficulty 36, moderate (exams 15, business and law exam 5, fees 7, bond 4, insurance 5).
Checked October 18, 2026 against CIB, plumbing application; CIB, active contractor requirements.
Electrical
| License | Electrical Contractor license |
|---|---|
| Board | Oklahoma Construction Industries Board |
| Exam | Oklahoma electrical contractor exam. Given by PSI. |
| Insurance | At least $50,000 commercial general liability with the CIB as certificate holder. |
| Bond | $5,000 corporate surety bond payable to the CIB. |
| Continuing education | 12 hours every three years (6 hours of adopted code changes). |
The electrical application fee and experience requirement is not confirmed here.
Electrical permits come from the city building department.
- Meet the experience requirement and pass the PSI exam.
- File the $5,000 bond and $50,000 liability certificate.
Difficulty 28+, moderate or harder (exams 15, bond 4, insurance 5, continuing education 4).
Checked October 18, 2026 against CIB, electrical; CIB, active contractor requirements.
HVAC
| License | Mechanical Contractor license (HVAC/R and other categories) |
|---|---|
| Board | Oklahoma Construction Industries Board |
| Fee | $330 (license fee $300 plus $30 application fee) |
| Exam | Mechanical trade exam; Business and law exam. Given by PSI. |
| Experience | Journeyman requirements plus one more year of experience. |
| Insurance | At least $50,000 commercial general liability with the CIB as certificate holder. |
| Bond | $5,000 corporate surety bond payable to the CIB. |
Mechanical permits come from the city building department.
- Meet the journeyman experience plus one year.
- Apply ($330) and pass both exams.
- File the bond and insurance certificate.
Difficulty 36, moderate (exams 15, business and law exam 5, fees 7, bond 4, insurance 5).
Checked October 18, 2026 against CIB, mechanical application; CIB, active contractor requirements.
Irrigation
We could not confirm from official sources whether Oklahoma requires a state license for landscape irrigation.
Ask the city and water system about irrigation and backflow rules.
Ask the city about irrigation and backflow rules.
Checked October 18, 2026 against CIB, active contractor requirements.
Concrete flatwork (driveways, sidewalks and work in the public right-of-way)
No state concrete license; the CIB does not cover concrete work. Ask the city about right of way permits.
Ask the city or road owner what permit work at the street needs.
Ask the city about a right of way permit.
Checked October 18, 2026 against CIB, active contractor requirements.
Drainage and detention (grading, drainage, stormwater and detention ponds)
We could not confirm from official sources whether Oklahoma requires a state license for drainage and detention work.
Grading and stormwater approvals are not covered here; ask the city and Oklahoma DEQ.
Ask the city and Oklahoma DEQ which approvals apply.
Checked October 18, 2026 against CIB, active contractor requirements.
Demolition
We could not confirm from official sources whether Oklahoma requires a state license for demolition.
Demolition permits come from the city; state asbestos notice rules are not covered here.
Ask the city and the state about demolition and asbestos notice rules.
Checked October 18, 2026 against CIB, active contractor requirements.
Exams for a Oklahoma license
| Oklahoma Plumbing | PSI, for the Construction Industries Board | $92 per exam portion | $92 per portion again; wait 30 days after the first failure and 90 days after each later one | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plumbing Business and Law | PSI, for the Construction Industries Board | $92 per exam portion | $92 per portion again; wait 30 days after the first failure and 90 days after each later one | ||||
| Oklahoma Unlimited Electrical Contractor | PSI, for the Construction Industries Board | $92 per exam portion | $92 per portion again; wait 30 days before each retest | Open book | 100 scored (business and law portion: 50) | 240 minutes (business and law: 120) | 70% |
| Mechanical trade | PSI, for the Construction Industries Board | $92 per exam portion | $92 per portion again; wait 30 days after the first failure and 90 days after each later one | ||||
| Business and law | PSI, for the Construction Industries Board | $92 per exam portion | $92 per portion again; wait 30 days after the first failure and 90 days after each later one |
Tap a column to sort. Each exam name opens the provider's bulletin or exam page. A blank cell is a fact not confirmed from the provider, and the linked bulletin has the full rules.
Checked October 18, 2026 against PSI Oklahoma Construction Industries Board Candidate Information Bulletin.
Official sources
- Oklahoma Construction Industries Board (CIB), active contractor requirements
- CIB, active roofing contractor requirements
- CIB, new residential roofing endorsement (HB 1628)
- CIB, plumbing application
- CIB, mechanical application
- CIB, electrical
Licensing pages for nearby states cover Arkansas, New Mexico, and Texas.
Rules and fees change, and this is not legal advice. Confirm with the licensing board before you apply or bid.