Rhode Island Contractor Registration and Credential Types

Rhode Island classifies credentials broadly but in three separate families: 8 rows are seeded across the CRLB general contractor / subcontractor registration — the universal credential every contractor and subcontractor must hold for residential or commercial work on a structure — the four CRLB regulated licences, and the three DLT trade licences administered by a different agency. There is no exam-based statewide general contractor licence and no standalone solar credential.

Verified 2026-10-058 classifications8 credential shapesone universal registrationIndexation gate: passed

01 One universal registration, four regulated licences, three trade licences

CRLB REGISTRATION (universal)+4 CRLB LICENCES+3 DLT TRADE LICENCES

The universal registration — R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-65-3(a): no one may undertake, offer or bid work as a contractor on a structure without a current, valid certificate of registration. (Rule RI-REGISTRATION.) S-RI-5-65-3
Broad scope, no dollar threshold — § 5-65-1(7) reaches wells, decks, pools, fences, driveways and parking lots; § 5-65-1(19) covers commercial buildings and buildings with residences. S-RI-5-65-1
Every subcontractor too — § 5-65-3(i) names roofers, carpenters, drywall, tile, floor covering and more. S-RI-5-65-3
Insurance, not a bond — a $500,000 combined single limit plus workers' compensation. S-RI-5-65-7
No exam-based statewide licence — the registration is not a licence. S-RI-CRLB-REG

02 CRLB general contractor / subcontractor registration — the universal credential

Code	Credential	Classification	Official scope	Citation	Source
GENERAL-CONTRACTOR-REGISTRATION	General Contractor / Subcontractor Registration (RI Contractors' Registration and Licensing Board, CRLB — R.I. Gen. Laws title 5 ch. 65; universal registration for residential AND commercial construction including ALL subcontractors; 1-year term; $500,000 combined single-limit liability/property-damage insurance plus workers' compensation; state-approved 5-hour pre-registration course, 2.5-hour continuing education on renewal; $150 fee + $50 late; the chapter is exclusive against cities and towns and no building permit may issue to an unregistered contractor; reciprocity unavailable)	General Contractor / Subcontractor Registration (CRLB)	R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-65-3(a) verbatim: 'A person shall not undertake, offer to undertake, or submit a bid to do work as a contractor on a structure unless that person has a current, valid certificate of registration for all construction work issued by the board.' § 5-65-1(7) defines 'contractor' as a person who, in the pursuit of an independent business, undertakes, offers to undertake or submits a bid, or for compensation constructs, alters, repairs, improves, moves or demolishes a structure and its appurtenances (expressly including wells, garages, porches, patios, decks, docks, sheds, gazebos, walkways, fencing, driveways, retaining walls, swimming pools, sidewalks, masonry walls and parking lots); § 5-65-1(7)(iii) requires a certificate for EACH business entity.	R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 5-65-3(a), 5-65-1(7)	S-RI-5-65-3

A registration, not a licence — and it preempts a local registration fee

There is no examination and no surety bond; the conditions are the 5-hour pre-registration course, the $500,000 insurance and the $150 fee. Once registered, § 5-65-3(g) makes the chapter exclusive — no city or town may require its own contractor registration or charge a registration fee — while a general, non-discriminatory business-licence fee survives. S-RI-CRLB-RESIDENTIAL

03 The four CRLB regulated licences — commercial roofing, home inspector, underground utility, well and pump

Code	Credential	Classification	Official scope	Citation	Source
COMMERCIAL-ROOFING	Commercial Roofing License (RI CRLB regulated licence — a licence the Board issues on top of the universal contractor registration; fee/term not published on the official pages read, NOT_VERIFIED)	Commercial Roofing License (CRLB)	RI CRLB verbatim (page read 2026-10-05): 'Regulated Licenses: Commercial Roofing; Home Inspectors; Underground Utility; Pump Installers, Well Drillers, Water Filtration.' Commercial Roofing is a REGULATED LICENCE the Board issues on top of the universal contractor registration.	RI CRLB — Regulated Licenses	S-RI-CRLB-LICENSES
HOME-INSPECTOR	Home Inspector / Associate Home Inspector License (RI CRLB regulated licence — fee/term NOT_VERIFIED)	Home Inspector / Associate Home Inspector License (CRLB)	RI CRLB verbatim (page read 2026-10-05): Home Inspector / Associate Home Inspector is one of the four REGULATED LICENSES the Board issues.	RI CRLB — Regulated Licenses	S-RI-CRLB-LICENSES
UNDERGROUND-UTILITY	Underground Utility License (RI CRLB regulated licence — fee/term NOT_VERIFIED)	Underground Utility License (CRLB)	RI CRLB verbatim (page read 2026-10-05): Underground Utility is one of the four REGULATED LICENSES the Board issues.	RI CRLB — Regulated Licenses	S-RI-CRLB-LICENSES
WATER-FILTRATION-WELL-DRILLING-PUMP-INSTALLER	Water Filtration, Well Drilling and Pump Installer License (RI CRLB regulated licence — fee/term NOT_VERIFIED)	Water Filtration, Well Drilling and Pump Installer License (CRLB)	RI CRLB verbatim (page read 2026-10-05): 'Pump Installers, Well Drillers, Water Filtration' is one of the four REGULATED LICENSES the Board issues. Note that § 5-65-1(7)(i) already brings the installation/alteration/repair of wells connected to a structure (title 46 ch. 13.2) inside the 'contractor' definition, so a well job can require BOTH the registration and this licence.	RI CRLB — Regulated Licenses	S-RI-CRLB-LICENSES

Four regulated licences — stacked on the registration

Commercial Roofing, Home Inspector, Underground Utility and Water Filtration / Well Drilling / Pump Installer are licences the CRLB issues beside the universal registration. Their fees and terms were not published on the pages read, so they are marked NOT_VERIFIED. S-RI-CRLB-LICENSES

04 The DLT trade licences — electrical, mechanical/HVAC and plumbing (a separate agency)

Code	Credential	Classification	Official scope	Citation	Source
ELECTRICAL	Electrical licence (RI Department of Labor & Training, Board of Examiners of Electricians — a SEPARATE agency from the CRLB; directed by the CRLB registration page; scope, hours and fees NOT_VERIFIED here)	Electrical licence (DLT — Board of Examiners of Electricians)	RI DLT verbatim (page read 2026-10-05): Professional Regulation 'review[s] and license[s] all applicants for the Board of Examiners of Electricians, Board of Hoisting Engineers, Mechanical Board, Board of Examiners of Plumbers, and Board of Telecommunications System Contractors and Technicians' and 'gives exams to electricians, hoisting engineers, pipefitters, refrigeration technicians, fire protection sprinkler fitters, sheet metal workers, plumbers, and telecommunication system contractors and installers.' The CRLB registration page separately directs contractors: 'Please contact Rhode Island Dept. of Labor & Training for the below License Trades: Electrical, HVAC, Mechanical, Plumbing.'	RI DLT Professional Regulation; RIGL 5-6 (Board of Examiners of Electricians)	S-RI-DLT-PROFREG
MECHANICAL-HVAC	Mechanical / HVAC licence (RI Department of Labor & Training, Mechanical Board — SEPARATE agency from the CRLB; scope, hours and fees NOT_VERIFIED here)	Mechanical / HVAC licence (DLT — Mechanical Board)	The CRLB registration page verbatim (read 2026-10-05): 'Please contact Rhode Island Dept. of Labor & Training for the below License Trades: Electrical, HVAC, Mechanical, Plumbing.' DLT's Professional Regulation unit oversees the Mechanical Board and examines pipefitters, refrigeration technicians and sheet-metal workers.	RI DLT Professional Regulation (Mechanical Board)	S-RI-CRLB-REG
PLUMBING	Plumbing licence (RI Department of Labor & Training, Board of Examiners of Plumbers — SEPARATE agency from the CRLB; scope, hours and fees NOT_VERIFIED here)	Plumbing licence (DLT — Board of Examiners of Plumbers)	The CRLB registration page verbatim (read 2026-10-05): 'Please contact Rhode Island Dept. of Labor & Training for the below License Trades: Electrical, HVAC, Mechanical, Plumbing.' DLT's Professional Regulation unit oversees the Board of Examiners of Plumbers.	RI DLT Professional Regulation (Board of Examiners of Plumbers)	S-RI-CRLB-REG

A separate agency — DLT, not the CRLB

The CRLB itself directs contractors: "Please contact Rhode Island Dept. of Labor & Training for the below License Trades: Electrical, HVAC, Mechanical, Plumbing." These stack on the registration rather than replacing it. S-RI-DLT-PROFREG

05 Deterministic scope limits

ri:commercial-roofer — crlb commercial roofing licence in addition to the registration (RI CRLB — Regulated Licenses) S-RI-CRLB-LICENSES
A licence family separate from the registration (rule RI-ROOFING).
ri:general-contractor — residential construction and repair after registration (R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-65-3(a)) S-RI-CRLB-REG
The registered scope: any structure work for a registered contractor (rule RI-REGISTRATION).
ri:general-contractor — each named subcontractor must hold its own registration (R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-65-3(i)) S-RI-5-65-3
A separate CREDENTIAL obligation the state imposes on the sub, not a different licence class (rule RI-SUBCONTRACTOR).
ri:general-contractor — dlt electrical hvac mechanical plumbing licence where the trade applies (RI DLT Professional Regulation; CRLB registration page) S-RI-DLT-PROFREG
A SEPARATE AGENCY the state does not own: the CRLB registration and the DLT trade licence stack (rules RI-ELECTRICAL, RI-MECHANICAL, RI-PLUMBING).
ri:general-contractor — employee of a registered contractor needs no registration (CRLB general-contractor-registration page) S-RI-CRLB-REG
The exemption turns on EMPLOYMENT — a hired sub who is not an employee must register (rule RI-EXEMPT).
ri:general-contractor — homeowner working on their own residence needs no registration (CRLB general-contractor-registration page) S-RI-CRLB-REG
A residence the owner does NOT occupy is outside the exemption — a homeowner flipping a second property for sale can be a 'contractor' under § 5-65-3(e).
ri:general-contractor — building permit only with a current valid registration (R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-65-3(c)) S-RI-5-65-3
The enforcement mechanism: the permit counter gates on registration (rule RI-PERMIT).
ri:general-contractor — no city or town may require its own contractor registration or fee (R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-65-3(g)) S-RI-5-65-3
A state registration that is EXCLUSIVE locally — the mirror image of Pennsylvania's § 517.12, which preserves municipal TRADE licences (rule RI-PREEMPTION).
ri:general-contractor — insurance instead of a bond (R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-65-7) S-RI-5-65-7
Rhode Island's financial condition is insurance, not a bond (rules RI-INSURANCE, RI-NO-BOND).
ri:well-pump-installer — crlb well drilling and pump licence with the registration (RI CRLB — Regulated Licenses; R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-65-1(7)(i)) S-RI-CRLB-LICENSES
Wells are an enumerated appurtenance, so the registration and this licence stack (rule RI-WELL-PUMP).
roof-replacement — registration for residential roof replacement plus the dlt trades if any (R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-65-3(i)) S-RI-CRLB-REG
Roofers are a named registration subcontractor (rules RI-REGISTRATION, RI-SUBCONTRACTOR).
bathroom-remodel — registration plus the dlt plumbing layer (R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-65-3(a); RI DLT Professional Regulation) S-RI-CRLB-REG
Two layers: a state registration and a separate DLT trade licence (rules RI-REGISTRATION, RI-PLUMBING).
solar-installation — registration for residential pv installation (R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-65-3(a); RI CRLB Regulated Licenses) S-RI-CRLB-LICENSES
Project-scope row (no solar classification exists). 'reported' because the conclusion is ASSEMBLED from the registration duty plus the absence of a solar credential (rule RI-SOLAR).
minor-work — registration turns on employee or homeowner status (CRLB general-contractor-registration page; R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-65-3) S-RI-CRLB-REG
C_not_determined reflects that the answer depends on employment/homeowner status — there is NO dollar threshold in Rhode Island, unlike Pennsylvania's $500/$5,000 (rules RI-REGISTRATION, RI-EXEMPT, RI-NO-GC-LICENSE).

These limits feed the deterministic rules (RI-REGISTRATION, RI-SCOPE, RI-SUBCONTRACTOR, RI-SOLAR, RI-PENDING-2028) that project pages evaluate — missing facts return NOT_DETERMINED, never a forced answer. There is no state bond: S-RI-5-65-7

06 Sources

S-RI-5-65-3statute

Rhode Island General Assembly — Contractors' Registration and Licensing Board chapter (R.I. Gen. Laws title 5, ch. 65)

R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-65-3 — Registration for work on a structure required; permits; duties of contractors (FindLaw mirror)

https://codes.findlaw.com/ri/title-5-businesses-and-professions/ri-gen-laws-sect-5-65-3/