The short answer: license the entity and certify the QP
New Mexico CID issues the contractor license to a qualified business entity that employs or is owned by at least one CID-certified Qualifying Party. CID application guide The entity and the QP do different jobs: the entity holds the license, while the QP supplies the experience, examinations and technical scope behind it.
The order matters. Choose the classification first, qualify the person second, then submit the entity application. A sole operator can fill both roles, but the license and QP certificate remain separate records.
Choose the classification before testing
A New Mexico license authorizes only the work covered by the classification printed on the entity license and QP certificate. 14.6.3.8 NMAC The classification rule uses G for general construction, E for electrical and M for mechanical/plumbing, followed by letters and numbers that narrow the scope. 14.6.6.8 NMAC
For example, GB-98 is general building. It requires four years of foreman-level practical or related trade experience, including at least two years of commercial experience, and excludes structures covered by the EE, MM, GA or GF classifications. 14.6.6.9 NMAC It is not an all-trades license. Work outside the prime contractor scope must go to an entity licensed in the appropriate classification.
The application path in seven steps
- Define the work you plan to bid and select the matching CID classification.
- Name the individual who will serve as Qualifying Party.
- Document the required recent experience on separate affidavits from each affiant.
- Submit the notarized QP application, experience affidavits and $36 fee to PSI for preapproval.
- Satisfy the trade examination and the Contractor’s Business and Law requirement; CID allows an approved Business and Law course in lieu of that exam.
- Assemble the company application, fees, bond, tax registration, entity records and QP certificate or scores.
- Submit the complete license packet to PSI.
CID says emailed and faxed QP applications are not accepted; complete submissions go to the PSI Albuquerque office by hand or mail. CID application guide
Scope matters more than the bureau label
CID organizes licenses across general construction, electrical, mechanical/plumbing and other regulated programs, but the enforceable boundary is the classification scope. The rule says all subcontracted work must be performed by an entity validly licensed for that work. 14.6.6.8 NMAC
A GB-98 contractor may bid certain mixed projects under the prime-contractor rule, but work outside the GB-98 scope still has to be subcontracted to the appropriately licensed entity. Read the classification text, not just the label, before pricing a mixed-scope job.
Build a verifiable QP experience file
CID says QP applicants need the number of years required by the chosen classification, and the experience must be within the ten years immediately before the application. CID application guide Classification-specific rules then set the duration and level. GB-2, for example, requires two years of foreman-level practical or related trade experience; GB-98 requires four, including two commercial.
The QP packet uses work-experience affidavits. Each person attesting to the work must use a separate form, complete the affiant portion and have the signature notarized. CID application guide Use the experience-verification guide to organize dates, scope, role and verifier details before requesting signatures.
PSI preapproval, exams and score deadlines
QP applicants must pass the examinations applicable to the classification and satisfy the Contractor’s Business and Law requirement. CID allows an approved Business and Law course instead of the Business and Law exam. CID application guide
The rule sets the passing score at 75 percent or higher. 14.6.3.8 NMAC CID also says every Construction Industries exam is administered by PSI and that a passing score is valid for one year. Use the current PSI candidate bulletin for the exact exam, fee, allowed references and scheduling instructions tied to your classification.
There is also a narrow exam waiver in the rule: the bureau chief may waive the state-specific written trade exam for a QP who passed the applicable NASCLA-accredited general construction, electrical or electrical journeyman exam and completes the other requirements. That is not a blanket waiver of every exam or application step.
Company packet, $10,000 bond and narrow reciprocity
After the QP passes, the entity submits a $36 application fee plus applicable license fees, a license bond, New Mexico tax-registration certificate, applicable entity certificate and the QP certificate or scores. Workers’ compensation coverage is required for all licensed entities. CID application guide
The financial-responsibility rule requires a $10,000 bond from a corporate surety authorized to transact business in New Mexico for initial licensure and renewal. 14.6.3.8 NMAC Budget that separately from PSI exam fees and license charges; the contractor-license cost guide can help keep one-time and recurring items apart.
Reciprocity is narrower than the old page claimed. CID currently says the only reciprocated journeyman classification is EE-98J, requiring 8,000 hours, and lists Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming. CID application guide That is journeyman certificate reciprocity, not automatic recognition of a company contractor license.
Frequently asked questions
Does CID license the person or the company?
CID licenses a qualified business entity. The individual Qualifying Party holds the certification that supports the entity license.
How recent must QP experience be?
CID says the required experience must fall within the ten years immediately before the application. The required duration depends on classification.
Do all QPs take two exams?
The general path requires the applicable classification exam plus Business and Law, but an approved Business and Law course may replace that exam. A narrow NASCLA-based waiver can apply to the state-specific written trade exam.
How much is the contractor bond?
The rule requires $10,000 for initial licensure and renewal, underwritten by a corporate surety authorized in New Mexico.
Which journeyman certificates have reciprocity?
CID currently identifies only EE-98J residential and commercial electrical reciprocity, with 8,000 hours and a specified state list.
Do not confuse a QP certificate with the entity license
A QP certificate may authorize technical qualification in a classification, but the rule says a QP may perform that work only while validly attached to a validly licensed entity. 14.6.3.8 NMAC If the entity loses its QP, both sides must notify CID, and the license can no longer float on the former relationship.
Keep the entity records, bond and QP attachment current as separate compliance items.