"General Contractor Licensing Act;" provides for regulation of general contractors and general contracting businesses.*

A3899 2R

[Second Reprint]

ASSEMBLY, No. 3899

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman ROBERT J. KARABINCHAK

District 18 (Middlesex)

Assemblywoman VERLINA REYNOLDS-JACKSON

District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)

Assemblyman WILLIAM B. SAMPSON, IV

District 31 (Hudson)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblymen Miller, Spearman and Assemblywoman Bagolie

SYNOPSIS

���� �General Contractor Licensing Act;� provides for
regulation of general contractors and general contracting businesses.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As reported by the Assembly State and Local
Government Committee on June 23, 2026, with amendments.

��

An Act
providing
for the
1
[
licensure
]

regulation
1
of
general contractors
1
and
general contracting businesses
1

and supplementing Title 45 of the Revised Statutes.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

����� 1.��
This act shall be known and may be cited as the �General
Contractor Licensing
1
and General Contractor Business Registration
1
Act.�

���� 2.��� As used in this act:

���� �Board� means the New Jersey
State Board of General Contractors.

���� �General contractor� means an
individual or business that shall be or can be classified in trade 006, 007,
008, or 009 by the Division of Property Management and Construction in the New
Jersey Department of the Treasury.

���� 3.��� There is created within
the Division of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Law and Public Safety the
New Jersey State Board of General Contractors. The board shall consist of nine
members who are residents of the State, two of whom shall be public members
appointed by the Governor pursuant to subsection b. of section 2 of P.L.1971,
c.60 (C.45:1-2.2) and one of whom shall be designated by the Governor to
represent the Executive Branch pursuant to subsection c. of section 2 of
P.L.1971, c.60 (C.45:1-2.2). Each of the remaining six members shall be
appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, and shall
be residents of New Jersey who have practiced general contracting for at least
10 years immediately preceding their appointments.� Of the members first
appointed, other than the member representing the Executive Branch, four shall
serve for a term of three years, three shall serve for a term of two years, and
one shall serve for a term of one year. Thereafter, all members shall serve for
a term of three years, and no member, other than the member representing the
Executive Branch serving ex officio, shall serve for more than three consecutive
terms.

���� 4.��� The board shall:

���� a.����
Establish
the standards required for licensure as a general contractor;

���� b.��� Review the
qualifications of applicants for licensure as a general contractor under this
act;

���� c.���� Ensure the proper
conduct and standards of examination;

���� d.��� Issue and renew licenses
to general contractors, pursuant to the provisions of this act;

���� e.���� Suspend, revoke, or not
renew the license of a general contractor, pursuant to the provisions of
P.L.1978, c.73 (C.45:1-14 et seq.);

���� f.���� Prescribe or change the
charges for examinations, licensures, renewals and other services performed
pursuant to P.L.1974, c.46 (C.45:1-3.1 et seq.);

���� g.��� Maintain a record of
every general contractor licensed in this State, and the date and number of
that license, and publish annually a list of the names and addresses of all
licensees; and

���� h.��� Adopt rules and
regulations pursuant to the �Administrative Procedure Act,� P.L.1968, c.410
(C.52:14B-1 et seq.).

����� 5.�� No
person shall practice, attempt to practice, or indicate an ability to practice
general contracting unless that person is licensed in accordance with the
provisions of this act
1
or is
providing general contracting under the direction or supervision of an
individual licensed by the board
1
.

����� 6.�� To
be eligible for licensure as a general contractor, an applicant shall fulfill
the following requirements:

����� a.�� Be
at least 18 years of age;

����� b.�� Complete:

����� (1)
a

program
accredited by a regional accreditation agency recognized by the United States
Department of Education leading to a degree in construction or project
management, with at least 60 credits earned from courses in construction, and
have two years of field experience under the supervision of:

����� (a)� a
general contractor; or

����� (b)� a
general contractor licensed pursuant to this act; or

����� (2)� (a)
an apprenticeship program in a building or construction trade accredited and
approved by the United States Department of Labor; the New Jersey Department of
Labor and Workforce Development; or affiliated unions; and

����� (b)
four years of field experience under the supervision of either:

����� (i)�� a
general contractor; or

����� (ii)� a
general contractor licensed pursuant to this act; and

����� �c.� Successfully
pass
1
[
an
]

the Certified Professional Constructor
1
examination
1
[
prepared by or approved
]

and a supplemental examination developed
1
by the board
1
[
to determine the applicant�s competence to practice
general contracting
]

in
consultation with the American Institute of Constructors pursuant to subsection
c. of section 7 of this act
1
.

����� 7.�� a.�� The examination required by
subsection c. of section 6 of this act shall be held within the State at least
two times a year at a time and place to be determined by the board.� The board
may contract or otherwise arrange for reasonably required physical accommodations
and facilities to conduct examinations.

����� b.�� The
board may, by regulation, establish standards and procedures to provide that
the examination be offered via the Internet.

����� c.�

1
The board shall, in consultation with the American
Institute of Constructors, develop a supplemental examination to be
administered with the Certified Professional Constructor examination to
determine an applicant�s competence to practice general contracting in the
State, including the applicant�s knowledge of the Uniform Construction Code
adopted pursuant to the "State Uniform Construction Code Act,"
P.L.1975, c.217 (C.52:27D-119 et seq.).

�����
d.
1
� The board shall create a study guide for
individuals to consult in preparation for the
1
supplemental
1
examination
1
and shall post, on the board�s website, a link to
the study guide created by the American Institute of Constructors for the
Certified Professional Constructor examination
1
.

���� 8.��� a. All licenses shall be
issued for a three-year period and shall be renewed upon filing of a renewal
application and payment of the corresponding fee.

���� b.��� Licensure fees shall be
determined by the board and established by regulation. Fees shall be
established, prescribed to the extent necessary to defray all proper expenses
incurred by the board and any staff employed to administer the provisions of
this act but shall not be fixed at an amount that will raise revenue in excess
of the amount estimated to be so required.

���� c.���� The board shall
promulgate rules and regulations for implementing continuing education
requirements as a condition of license renewal, which shall include the subject
matter and content of courses of study.

����� 9.�

1
a.
1�

The provisions of section 6
of this act shall not apply to:

�����
1
[
a.
]

(1)
1
�� Individuals who have had at least 10 years of experience in general
contracting prior to the effective date of this act and who have not declared
bankruptcy or altered the name of a business to deceive other parties regarding
an interest in or ownership of a previous business during that time; and

�����
1
[
b.
]

(2)
1
� Individuals licensed, certified or registered in the State in a closely
allied profession, including, but not limited to, commercial general
contracting.

�����
1
b.� The board shall issue a license to practice
general contracting to an individual who is exempt from the provisions of
section 6 of this act pursuant to this section.
1

���� 10. An individual who can
demonstrate, in a manner as determined by the board, completion of five years
of field experience prior to the effective date of this act and that was
performed under the supervision of a general contractor with at least 10 years
of experience completed prior to the effective date of this act shall qualify
for licensure upon passage of the examination required pursuant to section 6 of
this act.

���� 11. Every holder of a license
issued by the board
1
and
every individual practicing general contracting under the direction or
supervision of a holder of a license issued by the board
1
shall
have
1
[
it
]

the
license, or a copy of the license if the individual is under the direction or
supervision of a licensee,
1

available to show to the public at the work site where the holder
1
or
individual
1

is providing general contractor services.

����
1
12.�
a.� No general contractor business shall practice, attempt to practice, or
indicate an ability to practice general contracting unless registered with the
Division of Consumer Affairs in accordance with the provisions of this act.

����
b.��� Every general
contractor business shall annually register with the director.� An application
for registration shall be on a form provided by the division and shall be
accompanied by a fee set by the director.

����
c.���� Every general
contractor business required to register under the provisions of this act shall
file an amended registration within 20 days after any change in information
required to be included thereon.� No fee shall be required for the filing of an
amended registration.

����
d.��� A general contractor
business shall be required to employ at least one general contractor licensed
by the board.� A general contractor business shall disclose to the board the
identity of the licensed general contractor employed by the general contractor
business in a form and manner prescribed by the board and shall inform the
board within 10 days if the identity of the applicable licensed general
contractor changes.

����
e.���� If the sole licensed
general contractor of a general contractor business is terminated or resigns,
or is rendered incapable of fulfilling professional duties due to death,
illness, or another condition, the general contractor business shall:

����
(1)�� notify the division
of the termination, resignation, or incapacitation of the licensee; and

����
(2)�� employ a licensed
general contractor within six months of the termination, resignation, or
incapacitation of the licensee.

����
f.���� A general contractor
business that violates the provisions of this section shall be liable to a
civil penalty of not more than $15,000 for the first violation and not more
than $25,000 for the second and each subsequent violation.� A penalty may be
imposed by the director and shall be collected by summary proceedings
instituted in accordance with the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999,"
P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.).

����
g.��� The division shall
adopt rules and regulations pursuant to the provisions of the
"Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.),
to effectuate the provisions of this section.
1

����
2
h.�� This
section shall not apply to a general contractor business that constructs,
repairs, or maintains transportation infrastructure, including, but not limited
to, roads, highways, bridges, tunnels, transit systems, and related
transportation infrastructure.
2

����
2
13.�
Nothing in this act shall be construed to permit a general contractor business
registered with the division in accordance with the provisions of this act to
bid on any contract for public work as defined in section 2 of P.L.1963, c.150
(C.34:11-56.26), or for which payment of the prevailing wage is required by any
other provision of law, without first registering with the Department of Labor
and Workforce Development as a public works contractor pursuant to �The Public
Works Contractor Registration Act,� P.L.1999, c.238 (C.34:11-56.48 et seq.).
2

����� 1
[
12.
]
�
2
[
13.
1
]

14.
2
�This
act shall take effect on the 240th day next following enactment.