Alaska

Alaska law requires that contractors be registered with the Department of Community and Economic Development. 

To find out if a general, mechanical, or specialty contractor has been licensed by the Alaska Division of Occupation Licensing, click on   http://www.dced.state.ak.us/occ/pcon.htm or call (907) 465-2546 or (907) 465-3035. To find out if a plumbing, electrical, asbestos abatement, hazardous paint, explosives, or boiler contractor has been certified by the Alaska Department of Labor/Mechanical Inspection, call (907) 269-4925 or click on http://labor.state.ak.us/lss/mihome.htm.

• Nonresidential General Contractor's License

• Residential General Contractor's License

• Certificates of Fitness for the Trades
   
• Electrical Administrator's License
   
• Mechanical Administrator's License

• Department of Transportation (DOT)

• Out-of-State Corporations

Alaska recognizes the following types of contractors:
    General (excluding residential endorsement)
    General (including residential endorsement)
    Mechanical
    Specialty
    Residential Endorsement

Specialty contractor trades include the following:

You can be licensed as a specialty contractor in only three distinct nonmechanical trades from this list.

Nonresidential General Contractor's License

To apply for a general contractor license which doesn't allow you to do undertake construction or alteration, or submit a bid of a privately owned residential structure. Alteration work may be done as long as the value of the work is less than 25% of the value of the structure being altered.

Department of Community and Economic Development Division of Occupational Licensing 333 Willoughby Avenue, 9th Floor P.O. Box 110806 Juneau, AK 99801-0800 (907) 465-2546 http://www.dced.state.ak.us/occ/

On the application, you will be asked for:

• proof of liability insurance -- at least $20,000 property damage, $50,000 injury or death to one person, $100,000 injury or death to more than one person
• proof of workers' compensation insurance
• surety bond -- $10,000 for a general contractor or $5,000 for a specialty or mechanical contractor

Nonresidential general contractor's license fees: Alaska doesn't require an exam for the nonresidential type of license. It will cost $50 nonrefundable to apply and $200 for the license. Licenses expire December 31 of even years.

You can purchase a new license or renew your current license online at http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/CBP/. 

Residential General Contractor's License

There's quite a bit more involved in getting a general contractor's license that lets you work on residential construction. First you must successfully complete the Alaska Craftsman Home Program (ACHP) or its equivalent, or a post-secondary course in Arctic engineering or its equivalent. You have to complete the course within two years before you apply for the license. ACHP is a private, nonprofit organization which holds workshops around the state. You can contact the ACHP at:

ACHP 3400 Spenard Rd Ste 9 Anchorage, AK 99503 (907) 258-2247 http://www.achpalaska.com

After completing the course, the next step is to get an Endorsement Application for Residential Construction from:

Department of Community and Economic Development Division of Occupational Licensing 333 Willoughby Avenue, 9th Floor P.O. Box 110806 Juneau, AK 99811-0806 (907) 465-3035 http://www.dced.state.ak.us/occ/

You will apply directly through the testing agency, Experior Assessments. You can contact them at:

Prometric http://www.prometric.com

This exam is given every three months in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau. You have to apply at least 45 days before the exam date. The four-hour exam is open book, with 100 multiple choice questions. Exam content includes:

Residential general contractor's license fees: They'll send you an application and information on their Residential Contractor Endorsement Examination. It will cost $50 nonrefundable to apply and $200 for the license. The exam will cost $75. 

You will also need to apply for a business license from the Business Licensing Section. You can contact them at:

Department of Community and Economic Development Business Licensing Section 333 Willoughby Avenue, 9th Floor P.O. Box 110806 Juneau, AK 99811-0806 (907) 465-2550 http://www.dced.state.ak.us/occ/buslic.htm

The business license will cost you $200 nonrefundable and it's good for two calendar years. If you'll be registering as a corporation, you need to contact:

Corporations Section Division of Banking, Securities and Corporations Department of Community and Economic Development P.O. Box 110807 Juneau, AK 99811-0807 (907) 465-2521 http://www.dced.state.ak.us/bsc/corps.htm

Certificates of Fitness for the Trades

The Alaska Department of Labor requires a Certificate of Fitness for plumbers, electricians, and workers with asbestos abatement, hazardous paint, explosives, and boilers.  

Here's a summary of the requirements:

Journeyman plumber
Required training or experience: 8000 hours work experience
Application fee: (nonrefundable) $50
License Fee (refundable): $200
Exam: yes
Certificate good for 2 years

Restricted plumber (gas)
Required training or experience: 4000 hours work experience
Application fee: (nonrefundable) $50
License Fee (refundable): $200
Exam: yes
Certificate good for 2 years

Restricted plumber (utility)
Required training or experience: 1000 hours work experience
Application fee: (nonrefundable) $50
License Fee (refundable): $200
Exam: yes
Certificate good for 2 years

Trainee plumber
Required training or experience: Must be enrolled in USDOL registered approved program
Application fee: (nonrefundable) $50
License Fee (refundable): $200
Exam: no
Certificate good for 2 years

Journeyman electrician
Required training or experience: 8000 hours work experience
Application fee: (nonrefundable) $50
License Fee (refundable): $200
Exam: yes
Certificate good for 2 years, 16 hours of continuing education to renew

Residential electrician
Required training or experience: 4000 hours work experience
Application fee: (nonrefundable) $50
License Fee (refundable): $200
Exam: yes
Certificate good for 2 years

Trainee electrician
Required training or experience: Must be enrolled in USDOL registered approved program
Application fee: (nonrefundable) $50
License Fee (refundable): $200
Exam: no
Certificate good for 2 years

Journeyman lineman
Required training or experience: 8000 hours work experience
Application fee: (nonrefundable) $50
License Fee: $200 bi-ennial
Exam: yes
Certificate good for 2 years

Lineman trainee
Required training or experience: Must be enrolled in USDOL registered approved program
Application fee: (nonrefundable) $50
License Fee: $200 bi-ennial
Exam: no
Certificate good for 2 years

Reciprocal journeyman electrician
CO, MN, MT, NE, ND, SD, UT, WA, WY, NM, OK, NH, TX, AR
Required training or experience: none
Application fee: (nonrefundable) $50
License Fee: $200 bi-ennial
Exam: no
Certificate good for 2 years

Boiler operator class 1
Required training or experience: 2 years work experience or class 2 license 1 year
Fee (nonrefundable): $200 application fee, no license fee
Exam: yes
Certificate good for 3 years

Boiler operator class 2
Required training or experience: 1 year work experience or class 3 license 6 months
Fee (nonrefundable): $200 application fee, no license fee
Exam: yes
Certificate good for 3 years

Boiler operator class 3
Required training or experience: 6 months work experience
Fee (nonrefundable): $200 application fee, no license fee
Exam: yes
Certificate good for 3 years

Boiler operator class 4
Required training or experience: none
Fee (nonrefundable): $200 application fee, no license fee
Exam: yes
Certificate good for 3 years

Study guides for electricians' certificates are the National Electrical Code, Lineman and Cableman's Handbook, and the National Electrical Safety Code. Study guide for plumbers' certificates is the Uniform Plumbing Code.

To apply for a Certificate of Fitness, contact:

Alaska Department of Labor/Mechanical Inspection 3301 Eagle Street #302 Anchorage, AK 99503 (907) 269-4925 Option #1 E-mail: anchorage.lss-mi@alaska.gov http://www.labor.state.ak.us/lss/mihome.htm

Application are available online at http://www.labor.state.ak.us/lss/lssforms.htm.

The following licenses are issued by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development:

Asbestos abatement
Required training or experience: 40 hours training initial, 8-hour refresher annual
Fee (nonrefundable): $50
Exam: no
Certificate good for 1 year

Hazardous paint handler
Required training or experience: 16 hours training initial, 8-hour refresher annual per license period
Fee (nonrefundable): $100
Exam: no
Certificate good for 3 years

Explosives handler
Required training or experience: 6 months work experience
Other: background fee and 2 sets of fingerprints
Fee (nonrefundable): $100
Exam: yes
Certificate good for 3 years

Contact the Department with any questions:

Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development Occupational Safety and Health Juneau: (907) 465-4855 Anchorage: (907) 269-4955 http://www.labor.state.ak.us/lss/oshhome.htm

These licenses use the same application, available online at http://www.labor.state.ak.us/lss/lssforms.htm.

Electrical Administrator's License

You must have a license to act as an electrical administrator in Alaska. 

An electrical administrator may be licensed in the following categories:

• Unlimited Commercial Wiring
• Residential Wiring
• Controls and Control Wiring
• Inside Communications
• Outside Communications
• Unlimited Line Work Outside

For licensure by examination, you will submit your application for examination to:

Prometric http://www.prometric.com

All exams are multiple-choice and open Code book. Here are details on subject areas for the various exams.

You must also apply for licensure through the Division. Contact them at:

Department of Community and Economic Development Division of Occupational Licensing Electrical Administrators 333 Willoughby Avenue, 9th Floor P.O. Box 110806 Juneau, AK 99811-0806 (907) 465-3035 http://www.dced.state.ak.us/occ/

The Division will ask for the completed application and fees, along with the following requirements:

• certified diploma or transcripts from a college, university or trade school
• resume detailing experience
• verification of qualifying experience from three licensed electrical administrators
• proof of passing the exam 

If you have passed an equivalent exam in another state, you may qualify to get your license without taking Alaska's exam. Check with the Division for details.

Electrical administrator contractor's license fees: It will cost $50 nonrefundable to apply and $350 for the license. The exam will cost $125. 

Mechanical Administrator's License

You must have a license to act as an mechanical administrator in Alaska. 

A mechanical administrator may be licensed in the following categories:

• Heating, Cooling and Process Piping
• Mechanical Systems Temperature Control
• Residential HVAC
• Residential Plumbing and Hydronic Heating
• Unlimited Commercial and Industrial Plumbing
• Unlimited HVAC/ Sheet Metal
• Unlimited Refrigeration

You'll need to submit your application for examination to:

Prometric http://www.prometric.com

All exams are multiple-choice and open Code book. Here are details on subject areas for the various exams.

You must also apply for licensure through the Division. Contact them at:

Department of Community and Economic Development Division of Occupational Licensing Electrical Administrators 333 Willoughby Avenue, 9th Floor P.O. Box 110806 Juneau, AK 99811-0806 (907) 465-3035 http://www.dced.state.ak.us/occ/

The Division will ask for the completed application and fees, along with the following requirements:

• certified diploma or transcripts from a college, university or trade school
• resume detailing experience
• verification of qualifying experience from three licensed mechanical administrators
• proof of passing the exam 

If you have passed an equivalent exam in another state, you may qualify to get your license without taking Alaska's exam. Check with the Division for details.

Mechanical administrator contractor's license fees: It will cost $50 nonrefundable to apply and $420 for the license. The exam will cost $125. 

Department of Transportation (DOT)

All firms bidding on Alaska DOT projects must be registered. Bidders must submit a registration form. Contact:

ADOT & PF Civil Rights Office P.O. Box 196900 Anchorage, AK 99519 (907) 269-0851 Fax: (907) 269-0847 http://www.dot.state.ak.us/

The form is available online at http://dot.alaska.gov/procurement/index.shtml. 

Out-of-State Corporations

Out-of-state corporations must get a Certificate of Authority to do business in Alaska from the Alaska Secretary of State. To apply for this certificate, contact:

Corporations Section Department of Community and Economic Development P.O. Box 110808 Juneau, AK 99811-0808 (907) 465-2530 Fax: (907) 465-3257 http://www.dced.state.ak.us/bsc/corps.htm

The application is available online at http://www.dced.state.ak.us/bsc/cforms.htm. 

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