Arkansas contractor licensing: when the ACLB requires a license
Arkansas requires a commercial contractor's license for commercial work of $50,000 or more, and residential licenses or registrations above $2,000. ARDOT prequalification is a separate step.
Contractors in Arkansas are licensed by the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board (ACLB), part of the Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing. This guide summarizes the thresholds the board publishes on its application page; check the board's current rules before you bid.
Commercial work
The ACLB says a commercial license is needed when a contractor performs work of $50,000 or more, including labor and materials, on a commercial project, and that any project that is not a single-family residence is commercial. A business and law test is required. Subcontractors of properly licensed contractors can work with a subcontractor registration certificate instead of a full license; a firm that contracts directly with the owner is a prime contractor, not a subcontractor.
Residential work
- Residential builder: needed to build a single-family residence when the project is more than $2,000, unless an exception applies.
- Residential remodeler: needed for major structural changes or additions to a single-family residence above $2,000.
- Home improvement: needed for specialty work such as painting, windows or flooring on a single-family residence above $2,000.
- Residential roofer registration: needed for roofing projects above $2,000; holders of a residential builder or remodeler license do not need it.
Highway work
To bid on Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) contracts a firm must also be prequalified with ARDOT. Since March 1, 2023, ARDOT has used an updated Prequalification Questionnaire, and contractors may no longer substitute information from their ACLB file for the documents the questionnaire asks for. See our ARDOT bidding guide.
What the directory shows
The ACLB's licensee search was not reachable for an automated download, so this site's Arkansas directory starts with the 65 firms with Arkansas addresses on ARDOT's Prequalified Contractors Mailing List (Oct. 6, 2026). The list's 55 county road departments are not included. Any Arkansas contractor can add a listing.
Summary for general information, reviewed 2026-10-31. Not legal advice; check the source before relying on a deadline or threshold.
ACLB: Apply for contractors license/registration
ARDOT: Prequalification Questionnaire update notice (Jan. 27, 2023)
ARDOT Prequalified Contractors Mailing List (Oct. 6, 2026)
More guides: How to bid ARDOT highway contracts · Arkansas lien and payment bond deadlines · Selling to Arkansas government · County hubs