Renewal Information
All residential contractor licenses in Georgia must be renewed biannually. Renewal is completed online and is required by June 30th of even numbered years. Late renewal period is July 1 – July 31. The Residential and General Contractors Licensing Board is encouraging all licensed contractors to renew before the deadline to avoid any delays that may be encountered as the deadline approaches. Licensed contractors can go to the following website: https://sos.ga.gov/how-to-guide/how-guide-general-contractors to renew online. In the alternative, licensed contractors can call 404.463.1100 and submit a request to have the renewal application mailed directly to them. However, keep in mind that renewal applications sent by mail are individualized for each builder with a bar code.
The Residential and General Contractor Licensing Board has established a $100 nonrefundable renewal fee, which can be paid by credit card online. Once a renewal application has been submitted, a builder’s status will be shown on-line as “renewal pending.” According to the Secretary of State’s office, a builder can continue to work and contract while under this status.
Renewal Fees
There is a late renewal fee of $200 for renewal applications submitted between July 1 and December 31. However, during this extended renewal period, a builder’s license is considered lapsed and not valid.
After December 31, all licenses that have not been renewed will be treated as revoked. At that juncture, reinstatement is at the discretion of the board, which could require the submission of a new application and/or the re-taking of the licensing examination.
Renewal Application
The renewal application includes a series of yes/no questions concerning citizenship, criminal offenses, disciplinary actions, financial condition, judgments, payment of taxes, bankruptcy and insurance coverage. Depending on the answer provided, some of the questions may require the submission of additional documentation. For example, if license holder answers “yes” to the question concerning criminal convictions, a certified copy of the court disposition will need to be submitted to the board. If no additional documents are required to be submitted, the application may be processed within twenty-four to forty-eight hours. If additional documentation or letters of explanation are required, it could take much longer and may even require board review. Even if not specifically noted on the renewal application, the Board retains the right to request documentation pertaining to any of the questions included in the renewal application. If a license holder has previously asked to be placed on inactive status, the license holder will need to reactivate the license prior to renewal. The renewal of a qualifying agent license automatically renews the corresponding company license. It does not, however, renew all of the other qualifying agent licenses for that same company, if the company has more than one qualifying agent. Because each company may have multiple qualifying agents, each qualifying agent will need to renew their license separately. If you have any questions or encounter any problems during the renewal process, call the Secretary of State call center at 478.207.2440. Continuing education credits are being required for renewal for residential basic and residential-light commercial contractors. Residential basic contractors must have 3 hours of continuing education and residential-light commercial contractors must have 6 hours of continuing education per year. Please ensure that the Board has your current email address on record so that you may receive your renewal notification. If you are unable to receive email notifications, a renewal reminder postcard will be mailed out approximately 90 days prior to the expiration date of June 30. Renewals will be processed online. If you do not have access for online processing, you must contact the Board office at 478-207-2440 to request a paper renewal form.
