Alaska contractor license requirements

Licenses and registrations

General Contractor registration

Contractors whose work uses more than three trades, or who supervise mechanical or specialty subcontractors. Covers commercial work and residential remodeling.

• Good to know: No minimum job size; a person may not submit a bid or work as a contractor without a certificate of registration. Bond $25,000.

General Contractor with Residential Contractor Endorsement (Residential Contractor)

General contractors who build privately owned residential structures of one to four units, or alter them.

• When it applies: Alteration means changes that have a value greater than 25 percent of the value of the structure being altered.
• Good to know: The endorsement is held by an individual (sole proprietor, partner, officer, member or employee) and assigned to the registered general contractor. Bond $20,000 when doing exclusively residential work.

Specialty Contractor registration

Contractors working in no more than three listed specialty trades (for example roofing, painting, flooring).

• Good to know: Work in more than three trades requires a General or Residential Contractor registration. Electrical contractors are specialty contractors with an Electrical or Communications trade. Bond $10,000.

Handyman Contractor registration

Small jobs by a contractor not otherwise registered as a general or specialty contractor.

• When it applies: Projects with an aggregate contract of $10,000 or less for each project, including all labor, materials and other items.
• Good to know: Bond $5,000.

Mechanical Contractor registration

Plumbing, heating, HVAC or refrigeration contracting.

• Good to know: Requires a Mechanical Administrator license held by the business or an assigned individual. Bond $10,000.

What you need to qualify

• Exams: No exam for general, specialty or handyman registration. The residential endorsement requires passing the residential contractor endorsement exam (scheduled through PSI); results are valid for one year and the endorsement must be applied for within 12 months of passing.
• Experience: Residential endorsement: within the two years before applying, complete the Alaska Craftsman Home Program or equivalent, or a postsecondary arctic engineering course or equivalent. The division's contractor page describes this as a 16-hour cold climate course. No experience requirement for other registrations.
• Insurance: Public liability and property damage insurance of at least $20,000 for property damage, $50,000 for injury or death to one person and $100,000 for injury or death to more than one person. The statute says the liability requirement does not apply to projects with an aggregate contract price of $2,500 or less. Proof of workers' compensation insurance is required if the business uses employee labor.
• Bond: General Contractor $25,000; General Contractor with Residential Endorsement (exclusively residential) $20,000; Specialty or Mechanical Contractor $10,000; Handyman $5,000. A cash deposit equal to the bond may be used instead.
• Business registration: An Alaska business license is required before engaging in business (AS 43.70); contractor registration does not replace it. Names on bond and insurance documents must exactly match the application.
• Also required: Bond and insurance documents must be dated no more than 30 days before the division receives them.

Fees, renewal and continuing education

• Fees: Initial registration: $100 nonrefundable application fee plus $250 registration fee ($350 total) for general contractor with residential endorsement, handyman, and residential endorsement applications. Biennial endorsement renewal: $125 (prorated $62 for endorsements first issued on or after October 1, 2025).
• Renewal: Contractor registrations are issued for two years and expire December 31 of even-numbered years. Residential endorsements run on a two-year period (current period October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2028).
• Continuing education: Residential endorsement holders must document 16 contact hours of approved continuing education per two-year licensing period (12 AAC 21.650). No more than 8 hours may be business topics; up to 16 may be technical topics such as codes, remodeling and construction techniques. Endorsements first issued in the second year of a period need 8 hours, and new endorsements may need none for the first renewal.

Contracts and homeowner protections

The division advises written contracts listing the work, materials, dates, total cost and payment schedule. Alaska has a five-business-day cancellation period for sales solicited and signed away from the contractor's place of business. A homeowner may be able to recover from the contractor's bond for negligent work. No state recovery fund was found.

Electrical, plumbing and HVAC work

Electrical Administrator and Mechanical Administrator licenses are issued by the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing, and electrical and mechanical (plumbing/HVAC) contractors must hold or assign one. Individual electricians and plumbers need a Certificate of Fitness, verified through the Mechanical Inspection Section of the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

Working without a license

Administrative fine of up to $1,000 for a first violation and up to $1,500 for later violations of the registration requirement, plus civil penalties of up to $1,000 per violation and injunctions; each day after a citation is a separate violation. Knowingly working unregistered after a prior conviction or fine is a Class B misdemeanor. An unregistered contractor cannot sue to collect payment for work that required registration.

What to confirm with the state

We couldn't confirm these on an official page when we checked. Ask the licensing office before you rely on them:

• Registration fees for general contractor (without endorsement), specialty and mechanical contractors.
• Exact course-hour length of the Alaska Craftsman Home Program requirement (16 hours per the division web page; the statute and application do not state hours)
• Local (borough or city) contractor licensing requirements
• Which agency issues electrician and plumber certificates of fitness (Department of Labor only confirmed as the verification point)

Sources

1. Construction Contractors - Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing
2. Bond and Insurance Quick Facts
3. Contractor Statutes and Regulations (AS 08.18 and 12 AAC 21), Rev. 09/21/2023
4. Statutes and Regulations page
5. Applications and Forms
6. General Contractor with Residential Endorsement application (08-4819)
7. Handyman Contractor application (08-4816)
8. Residential Contractor Endorsement application (08-4161)
9. Residential Contractor Endorsement renewal (08-4204)
10. Residential Endorsement Exam
11. Hiring a Contractor
12. Hiring a Contractor (Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development)