Find a primary qualifier. Or become one.

A primary qualifier (in Florida, the primary qualifying agent) is the licensed individual through whom a construction or electrical business holds its license. The company is licensed because the qualifier passed the exams, meets the experience and financial-responsibility requirements, and takes legal responsibility for supervising the company's work and finances. Most states that license contractors at the state level use the same concept under names like qualifying party, qualifying individual, RMO/RME or responsible managing individual.

Yes, in every state that licenses contractors through a qualifier, as long as the qualifier genuinely supervises and controls the work and the business affairs the license covers. What is not legal anywhere is 'renting' a license: lending a license number to a company the qualifier does not actually oversee. Licenseology exists to build the real version of the relationship, in writing, with a lawyer-prepared agreement that spells out duties, authority, compensation and exit.

Listing a license is free and searching the directory is free. When a qualifier and a company decide to work together, the Qualifying Agreement Package covers the attorney-prepared agreement and the board application. Application preparation, processing, license defense and CILB probation packets are priced separately; every price is on the services pages.

Arrangements range from a monthly fee, to a salary as an employee or officer, to an ownership interest in the company. The number depends on the license category, the state, the volume of work and how much supervision the role requires. Our team sees the market every day and will tell both parties what is typical before anyone commits.

All 50 states. Qualifier-based licensing is most common in Florida, Georgia, California, Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Utah, Virginia, Oregon, New Mexico, Michigan, Minnesota, Hawaii, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Arkansas. In states that license general contractors locally or only license the trades, qualifiers are still needed for electrical, plumbing and mechanical contractors, and our directory covers those licenses too.