Quick facts: Utah requirements
- Specialty contractor license
- 25-hour pre-licensure course, $1M/$2M liability insurance
- Handyman registration
- $45 fee, $1M/$3M liability insurance, no course required
Fees, insurance minimums, and rules change. Verify every item with the responsible agency before you rely on it.
Utah runs two distinct paths depending on the scope of your work - a full specialty contractor license, or a lighter-weight handyman registration.
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What starting a Utah contracting business actually involves
The specialty contractor license starts with a real education requirement. Specialty contractors have to complete a 25-hour pre-licensure course from an approved provider - ABC, UHBA, or AGC - before they can move forward with licensing.
Insurance minimums are fixed and specific, with DOPL named on the certificate. You need general liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per incident and $2,000,000 in total, with the Division of Professional Licensing listed as certificate holder. You also need a registered business entity with the Division of Corporations where applicable, and a federal EIN.
Workers' compensation depends on whether you actually have employees. If you do, you need a certificate of workers' compensation insurance with DOPL as certificate holder. If you don't, you instead submit a Workers' Compensation Coverage Waiver from the Utah Labor Commission - one or the other is required either way.
Handyman registration is a separate, lighter path - not a scaled-down version of the same license. It costs a flat $45 registration fee and requires general liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per incident and $3,000,000 aggregate, with the Division of Professional Licensing named as certificate holder. It does not require the 25-hour pre-licensure course. If you have employees, you still need an EIN, state withholding tax registration, an unemployment registration account, and either workers' comp insurance or a coverage waiver - the same employer obligations apply regardless of which path you're on.
Where people get stuck
The mistake is assuming handyman registration is simply an easier version of the specialty contractor license with the same coverage. The insurance aggregate is actually higher for handyman registration ($3,000,000 vs $2,000,000), even though the per-incident minimum and the course requirement are lower - confirm your actual scope of work fits the handyman category before registering under it.
Not sure whether your work fits handyman registration or needs the full specialty license? Contractor Lane sorts it out with you.
Where Contractor Lane comes in
Contractor Lane helps you determine whether handyman registration or a full specialty contractor license fits your scope of work, and gets your insurance and employer paperwork lined up either way.
Build your free roadmap to get the sequence for your specific trade and target project size.
General educational information for people starting a business in Utah. Requirements and fees change. Contractor Lane is not a law firm or tax advisor.
Common questions
What does it take to get a Utah specialty contractor license?
Specialty contractors complete a 25-hour pre-licensure course from an approved provider (ABC, UHBA, or AGC), carry general liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per incident and $2,000,000 aggregate with DOPL as certificate holder, register the business entity with the Division of Corporations if applicable, obtain a federal EIN, and provide either a workers' compensation insurance certificate (with employees) or a Workers' Compensation Coverage Waiver from the Utah Labor Commission (without employees). Source: Utah DOPL, Specialty Contractor License.
What is Utah's handyman registration, and how does it differ from a specialty contractor license?
Handyman registration is a separate, lighter-weight path: a $45 registration fee, general liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per incident and $3,000,000 aggregate with the Division of Professional Licensing as certificate holder, and the same employer requirements (EIN, state withholding registration, unemployment account, and either workers' comp insurance or a coverage waiver) if you have employees. It does not require the 25-hour pre-licensure course that specialty contractors complete. Source: Utah DOPL, Handyman Pre-Registration Checklist.