STATE LICENSE
ConditionalDelaware Division of Revenue (Department …
Delaware's Title 24 (Professions and Occupations) has no general, residential, or home improvement contractor chapter, so there is no state exam or experience requirement to build. Instead, 30 Del. C. § 2502 requires anyone in business as a contractor — general or sub, resident or nonresident — to hold a Division of Revenue contractor license ($75 per year, expiring December 31). The license will not issue until you file a Department of Labor certificate of notice and a workers' compensation certificate, and it must be in hand before or with signing a contract; on competitively bid contracts over $50,000 the application must be started before the bid.
Contractors also pay a gross receipts license fee of 0.6472% after a $100,000 monthly deduction (§ 2502(c)). A nonresident contractor must file a surety bond of 6% of any contract — or calendar-year aggregate — of $20,000 or more before construction starts (§ 375), and Delaware contractors must report contracts with nonresident subs within 10 days (§ 2503). On home jobs, 11 Del. C. § 916 makes home improvement fraud a crime ranging up to a class B felony.
The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.
Delaware's contractor license is a state Division of Revenue license; it does not test competency and does not replace local requirements. The Division of Revenue says your city and/or county may also require its own business license, and building permits and inspections come from New Castle, Kent, or Sussex County or the municipality where the work is. Electrical work is inspected statewide by Board-licensed third-party inspection agencies (24 Del. C. § 1420), and counties and municipalities may adopt plumbing, HVACR, and fuel gas codes that do not conflict with state licensing law (24 Del. C. § 1832).
The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every Delaware county on file.
Each row names the issuing authority, cost, timeline, citation, and status behind the requirement — verified against the official source.
Published fees from the issuing authorities, as of October 2026. Local permit fees vary by project and jurisdiction — the basis is stated where a flat number does not exist.
Delaware's contractor license comes from the Division of Revenue: a fee, workers' comp proof, and gross receipts filings — no exam and no experience requirement.
Sums paid to licensed subcontractors under a written agreement stating the exact amounts are excluded from your gross receipts (§ 2501(2)(a)).
Electrical work needs a DPR electrician license; plumbing and gas piping need a master plumber; HVACR needs a master HVACR license. The contractor license covers none of them.
A practical sequence for a new general contracting contractor in Delaware. Actual agency processing times are noted in the ledger above.
Each item names the issuing authority, cycle, and citation.
Statutory consequences with their citations — not estimates, not “commonly cited” guesses.
A nonresident contractor that fails or refuses to file the required surety bond or give notice of completion.
A contractor, construction manager, architect, or engineer who fails to report a contract with a nonresident contractor within 10 days.
False promises, misstatements, or failing to apply a homeowner's money to the job.
Inside city limits, the city office listed here issues the permit; the county office serves unincorporated areas. Every office links to its official page.
Every fact in this file was checked against these official sources on October 2026.
Pending verification: Current value of the $1,500,000 quarterly-filing lookback threshold in 30 Del. C. § 2502(c)(2), which is adjusted annually under § 515 (adjusted figure not retrieved) · The specific penalty for contracting without a Division of Revenue contractor license — chapter 25 itself states none; the general Title 30 enforcement provisions were not retrieved · Which Delaware cities and counties require their own business or contractor licenses and at what fee — the Division of Revenue FAQ says some do but lists none · Whether any 2024–2026 bill creating a Delaware home improvement contractor registration was enacted — none appears in the current Title 24 chapter list, but session laws were not searched · Department of Labor procedure and any fee for the certificate of notice in 30 Del. C. § 2502(b)(2) (DOL page not retrieved)
General information, not legal advice. Always confirm requirements, deadlines, and forms with the issuing authority before filing or contracting.
Store licenses, permits, policies, and renewal dates in one place.