What is Occupational Licensing?
An “occupational license” is, put simply, government permission to work in a particular field. To earn the license, an aspiring worker must clear various hurdles, such as earning a certain amount of education or training or passing an exam. In the 1950s, only one in 20 U.S. workers needed the government’s permission to pursue their chosen occupation. Today, that figure stands at almost one in four.
Glazier Contractor (Residential) Occupational Licensing
License required in 30 states
41st most burdensome licensing requirements among moderate-income occupations
Average Fee for License:$299
What They Do
Glazier contractors contract with clients to install glass in windows, skylights, store fronts and display cases, or on surfaces, such as building fronts, interior walls, ceilings and tabletops. Typically, only contractors require licenses, not the glaziers who work for them. In some states, licensing requirements differ based on the setting. Those with a residential license may work only on residential properties, while those with a commercial license may work on commercial properties. Other states require the same license regardless of the setting, and this report records that license in both settings. Many states have contract minimums before the contractor’s license applies. See Appendix B for details.
Glazier Contractor (Residential) Licensing Overview
Thirty states (more than half of states) require a licence to work as a Glazier Contractor (Residential). On average, these laws require $299 in fees, 355 days of education and about 1 exam. Glazier Contractor (Residential) Licenses have the 41st most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied.
Where is a Glazier Contractor (Residential) the most regulated?
Out of the 30 states that require an occupational license, an occupational license for a Glazier Contractor (Residential) has the highest burden in California. California requires $579 in fees, 3 exams, 4 years experience, and no education.
Where is a Glazier Contractor (Residential) the least regulated?
Out of the 30 states that require an occupational license, an occupational license for a Glazier Contractor (Residential) has the lowest burden in Nebraska. Nebraska requires $0 in fees, no exams, no experience, and no education.
Where is a Glazier Contractor (Residential) license the most expensive?
An occupational license for a Glazier Contractor (Residential) costs the most in Nevada. Nevada requires $995 in fees, 1 exams, 4 years experience, and no education.
Where is a Glazier Contractor (Residential) license the least expensive?
An occupational license for a Glazier Contractor (Residential) costs the least in Nebraska. Nebraska requires $0 in fees, no exams, no experience, and no education.
Where does it take the longest to obtain a Glazier Contractor (Residential) license?
An occupational license for a Glazier Contractor (Residential) takes the longest to obtain in California, Nevada, Hawaii, Florida.It takes 1460 days (4 years).
Where is it fastest to obtain a Glazier Contractor (Residential) license?
An occupational license for a Glazier Contractor (Residential) takes the least time to obtain in North Carolina, Tennessee, North Dakota, District of Columbia, West Virginia, Alabama, Alaska, Louisiana, Connecticut, Washington, New Jersey, Iowa, Arkansas, Idaho, Pennsylvania, Nebraska (0 days).
What states require exams for a Glazier Contractor (Residential) license?
To obtain an occupational license for a Glazier Contractor (Residential) there is at least one exam required in: California, Nevada, Hawaii, Florida, Arizona, Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia, New Mexico, South Carolina, Mississippi, Oregon, North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia. California requires 3 exams.
Thirty states license glazier contractors working on residential properties. On average, states require over a year (368 days) of education and experience, $322 in fees, and about one exam. All in all, 17 states require at least one exam (California requires three). These requirements rank as the 41st most burdensome.
States Ranked by Average Licensing Burden for 102 Lower-Income Occupations
More Burdensome Less Burdensome
Based on data released in November 2022| Burden Rank | State | Occupations Licensed | Fees | Estimated Calendar Days Lost | Education | Experience | Exams | Minimum Grade | Minimum Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 75 | $579 | 1460 | None | 4 years | 3 | 0 | 18 |
| 2 | Nevada | 75 | $995 | 1460 | None | 4 years | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 3 | Hawaii | 64 | $694 | 1460 | None | 4 years | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 4 | Florida | 55 | $364 | 1460 | None | 4 years | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 5 | Arizona | 68 | $596 | 1095 | None | 3 years | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | 50 | $500 | 1095 | None | 3 years | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 7 | Maryland | 58 | $433 | 730 | None | 2 years | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 8 | Virginia | 72 | $320 | 731 | 8 clock hours | 2 years | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 9 | New Mexico | 66 | $255 | 730 | None | 2 years | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 10 | South Carolina | 60 | $270 | 365 | None | 1 years | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Mississippi | 65 | $290 | 67 | None | 3 jobs, contractors | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Oregon | 69 | $310 | 3 | 16 clock hours | None | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 13 | North Carolina | 66 | $154 | 0 | None | None | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | 70 | $200 | 0.8 | 5 clock hours | None | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| 15 | Tennessee | 69 | $307 | 0 | None | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | North Dakota | 65 | $100 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| 17 | District of Columbia | 61 | $442 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Utah | 64 | $405 | 4 | 25 clock hours | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | West Virginia | 67 | $142 | 0 | None | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Alabama | 63 | $350 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Alaska | 64 | $350 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Louisiana | 77 | $255 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Connecticut | 65 | $220 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Washington | 76 | $118 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | New Jersey | 54 | $110 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Iowa | 71 | $50 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Arkansas | 72 | $50 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Idaho | 66 | $50 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Pennsylvania | 50 | $50 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Nebraska | 61 | $0 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
License to Work
The data and information here come from IJ’s License to Work report, released in November 2022.
View Report