Compilation of Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia › Department 553 - RULES OF STATE LICENSING BOARD FOR RESIDENTIAL AND GENERAL CONTRACTORS › Chapter 553-4 - QUALIFICATIONS FOR LICENSURE - GENERAL CONTRACTOR DIVISION › Rule 553-4-.01 - Licensure Requirements for an Individual to Practice as a General Contractor in the Individual's Own Name or Doing Business as an Individual in a Trade Name or as a Sole Proprietorship

Current through Rules and Regulations filed through June 27, 2024
(1) An individual person seeking issuance of
			 a Georgia license in his or her own name for purposes of engaging in the
			 profession of general contracting in his or her own name or doing business as
			 an individual in a trade name as a sole proprietorship shall file an
			 application on a form provided by the general contractor division, accompanied
			 by an application fee as provided by the board.
(2) Additionally, such applicants must submit
			 to and successfully pass an examination approved by the general contractor
			 division, except where an applicant is otherwise qualified for licensure and
			 has satisfied the general contractor division requirements and regulations for
			 licensure pursuant to Code Section
			  43-41-8 exempting such applicant from the examination requirement.
(3) A person shall be eligible for licensure
			 as a general contractor by the general contractor division if the person:
(a) Is at least 21 years of age;
(b) Is of a good character and is otherwise
			 qualified as to competency, ability, and integrity, and financial
			 responsibility; and
(c) Meets
			 eligibility requirements according to one of the following criteria:
1. Has received a baccalaureate degree from
			 an accredited four-year college or university in the field of engineering,
			 architecture, construction management, building construction, or other field
			 acceptable to the division and has at least one year of proven experience
			 working as or in the employment of a general contractor or other proven
			 experience deemed substantially similar by the division;
2. Has a combination acceptable to the
			 division of academic credits from any accredited college-level courses and
			 proven practical experience working as or in the employment of a general
			 contractor, or other proven experience deemed substantially similar by the
			 division equaling at least four years in the aggregate. For purposes of this
			 subparagraph, all university, college, junior college, or community
			 college-level courses shall be considered accredited college-level courses;
			 or
3. Has a total of at least four
			 years of proven active experience working in a construction industry related
			 field, at least two of which shall have been as or in the employment of a
			 general contractor, or other proven experience deemed acceptable by the
			 division and at least one of which shall have been in or relating to
			 administration, marketing, accounting, estimating, drafting, engineering,
			 supervision, or project management, or functions deemed substantially similar
			 by the division.
(d) In
			 order to satisfactorily prove (a), (b) and (c) above, each applicant must swear
			 on the application for licensure that the applicant satisfies each requirement
			 and submit satisfactory proof of such when and where directed to do so by the
			 application. Applicants seeking to engage in general contracting shall affirm a
			 minimum net worth in the amount of $150,000. Additionally, in completing the
			 application and submitting it to the general contractor division, the applicant
			 consents to the division performing a background check, including a criminal
			 history, on the applicant if the division so chooses.