A Georgia general or residential contractor license requires proof of general liability insurance, and proof of workers compensation if Georgia law requires it, meaning if you have three or more employees. The general liability limit tied to the license is commonly reported at $500,000 per occurrence for the General Contractor and Residential-Light Commercial classes.
Who this is for: Georgia contractors getting or renewing a license, and figuring out which policies the state and their clients require.
The short version
- General liability is required for the license. Georgia's contractor licensing board wants proof of general liability coverage.
- Workers comp is required if the law requires it, which in Georgia means once you have three or more employees.
- The reported general liability limit is $500,000 per occurrence for the General Contractor and Residential-Light Commercial classes.
- Under three employees, the state does not require comp for the license, but clients and general contractors often do.
- Uninsured subs are your exposure. A general contractor can owe comp to an uninsured sub's injured worker (O.C.G.A. section 34-9-8).
What the license requires
Georgia licenses contractors through the State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors, under the Secretary of State. The insurance proof depends on your license class and your headcount.
| License class | General liability proof | Workers comp proof |
|---|---|---|
| General Contractor | Yes, commonly reported at $500,000 per occurrence | Required if you have three or more employees |
| Residential-Light Commercial | Yes, commonly reported at $500,000 per occurrence | Required if you have three or more employees |
| Residential-Basic | Yes, general liability proof required | Required if you have three or more employees |
Workers comp and your headcount
The license conditions workers comp on Georgia law, and Georgia law requires it once you have three or more employees regularly in service. So a contractor with three or more employees needs a policy for two reasons at once: the Act mandates it and the license asks for proof of it. A contractor with fewer than three employees is not required to carry comp for the license, but is a very common voluntary buyer, because client contracts, general contractors, and the risk of an uninsured-sub claim all push toward having it. Because the exact per-class limits can change, confirm the current numbers with the licensing board before you file.
Why contractors carry comp before they must
Two forces pull Georgia contractors into coverage early. First, the people who hire you, general contractors and commercial clients, routinely require proof of coverage before they let you on site, so a policy is often the price of the work. Second, if you act as a general contractor and hire subs, an uninsured sub can become your problem: under O.C.G.A. section 34-9-8, you can be liable to pay comp to that sub's injured worker on a job you control. Collecting a current certificate from every sub, and carrying your own policy, is how contractors keep that exposure off their books.
A Cobb County example
Illustrative, not a quote. A Cobb County general contractor holds a General Contractor license and shows proof of general liability to keep it. With four employees, the contractor also needs workers comp under Georgia law, so the license and the Act line up. Before a framing sub starts, the contractor collects the sub's certificate of coverage, so an injury on that crew does not fall back on the general contractor's policy. See our workers comp for contractors page.
Real questions Georgia owners ask
What insurance does a Georgia contractor license require?
Proof of general liability insurance, and proof of workers comp if Georgia law requires it, which means once you have three or more employees. The reported general liability limit is $500,000 per occurrence.
Do I need workers comp for a Georgia contractor license?
Only if Georgia law requires it, which is once you have three or more employees. A contractor with fewer than three is not required to carry it for the license, though clients often require it anyway.
How much general liability do I need for the license?
The limit tied to the license is commonly reported at $500,000 per occurrence for the General Contractor and Residential-Light Commercial classes. Confirm the current number with the licensing board before filing.
Who issues Georgia contractor licenses?
The State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors, under the Georgia Secretary of State. License classes include Residential-Basic, Residential-Light Commercial, and General Contractor.
I have two employees. Do I need comp for my license?
Not for the license, since two is below the three-employee trigger. Many small contractors still buy a policy because general contractors and commercial clients require proof of coverage to hire them.
Am I responsible for an uninsured subcontractor's injury?
You can be. Under O.C.G.A. section 34-9-8, a general contractor can owe comp to an uninsured sub's injured worker on a job it controls, so collect a current certificate from every sub before work starts.
Does workers comp help me win contractor work?
Often yes. General contractors and commercial clients usually require proof of coverage before hiring, so having a policy and a ready certificate can be what lets you take the job.
Why Georgia owners choose Morrow
- We shop the right market for you. In Georgia you buy workers' comp on the open market from any private insurer licensed in the state, because Georgia has no state fund, and if no carrier will take you the NCCI-run assigned risk plan is the guaranteed fallback, so we can shop your rate freely and still have a backstop for hard-to-place work.
- We catch pricing mistakes. Your price depends heavily on the category your work falls into for pricing (the class code). Put people in the wrong category and you overpay for years. We review your payroll and classifications before you buy.
- Proof of coverage, fast. Need a certificate (proof of coverage) for a general contractor or a landlord before Monday? We turn those around the same business day for most carriers.
- We help lower the score that drives your price. Insurers give you a score based on your past claims that raises or lowers your cost (the experience modification rate). We review it each year, flag errors, and connect you with return-to-work and safety resources that bring it down.
- Real people when a claim happens. When someone gets hurt, we stay involved through the life of the claim, not just at renewal.
Related Georgia guides
Every Georgia business is set up a little differently. These companion guides answer the same question for other situations, plus the national explainers behind the terms used here.
- Business insurance in Georgia (start here)
- Workers comp: the owner's overview
- I own an LLC: do I need workers comp?
- I'm a sole proprietor: do I need workers comp?
- I own a corporation (C-corp or S-corp): do I need it?
- We're a partnership: do we need workers comp?
- We're a nonprofit: do we need workers comp?
- My workers are 1099: do I still need it?
- Only part-time or seasonal staff: do I need it?
- I only employ family: do I need workers comp?
- Remote or out-of-state staff: do I need coverage?
- What happens if I don't carry workers comp?
- How much does workers comp cost?
- How do I get workers comp (even if turned down)?
- Workers compensation insurance, explained
- What workers comp costs (national guide)
- Do I need workers comp for 1099 contractors?
- What workers comp does not cover
- Georgia contractor workers comp
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Georgia rules and penalty amounts can change, so verify current requirements with Georgia State Board of Workers' Compensation or a licensed advisor before you rely on them. Last updated: July 2026.