The Easiest Way to Complete a Virginia Contractor Pre-License Course

When you decide that you’re going to get your contractor license in the state of Virginia, you have some hoops to jump through. The Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational  (DPOR) Regulation requires you to complete several steps before they’ll issue you a contractor license. From naming your company to completing specific Virginia contractor pre-license education, there are a few to-dos. 

The process to get your Virginia contractor license

The DPOR doesn’t issue contractor licenses to individuals. Instead, they give the license to businesses. If you’re ready to set out on your own, you’ll need to set up your business before you can get your contractor license so the state has somewhere to send it. 

Just because your company is the entity that gets the license doesn’t mean you’re off the hook for some personal to-dos. You’ll need to take some individual action, too.  

Fortunately, the state issues a step-by-step guide to walk you through it. It’s a five-page document, though, so if you’re looking for a quicker overview, we’ve got you covered. Here are the steps you need to take to get your contractor license. 

1. Create a business entity and name your business
2. Register your business under that name
3. Decide on your license type, which means determining your license class (this is based on the maximum dollar amount of projects you anticipate working on) and your specialty
4. Name your “responsible management,” or the individuals who will be responsible for keeping your license up to date and abiding by all relevant regulations
5. Name your “qualified individuals,” or the individuals who have appropriate experience and knowledge in the specialty or specialties you chose for your license
6. Identify your “designated employee,” who will need to pass the Virginia contractor examination
7. Have your responsible management or designated employee complete the required pre-license education
8. Fill out and submit your license application, along with the necessary fees
9. Wait for your license to get processed (this usually takes about 30 days)

Clearly, there are quite a few steps. But it doesn’t have to be overly complex. Your responsible management, qualified individual, and designated employee can all be yourself. In that case, all you need to do it create and register your business, complete the pre-license education, pass the exam, and submit your application. 

That means the biggest to-do on your list is knocking out the education portion. Let’s take a look at the easiest way to do it.

How to complete your Virginia contractor pre-license education quickly and easily

Finishing your pre-license education might sound daunting, but we have two pieces of good news for you. First, you only need to take eight hours. Compare that to other states — like the 60 required hours in Michigan — and you realize it’s not too bad.

Secondly, you don’t have to physically go to a classroom to knock out your hours. You can take them online, meaning you can finish them at your convenience and at your pace. What’s more, you can choose hours that align with your specialty and help you get ready to pass the contractor exam. 

Be advised, though, that you have to take your hours from an education provider that’s been approved by the DPOR. When you’re looking at your options, make sure they’ve got the necessary state approval. For example, you can scroll down to the bottom of this page to see the DPOR approval letter.

Opt to take your Virginia contractor pre-license education hours online and finishing this to-do gets a lot more convenient. This way, you can get started whenever you’re ready.