Required Board notice — takes effect upon course approval (21 NCAC 12B .0301)
“THE NORTH CAROLINA LICENSING BOARD FOR GENERAL CONTRACTORS HAS APPROVED THIS COURSE ONLY AS TO ITS RELEVANCE TO THE PRACTICE OF GENERAL CONTRACTING IN NORTH CAROLINA. THE COURSE PROVIDER AND INSTRUCTOR ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT AND COMPLIANCE WITH ALL STATE AND FEDERAL LAWS DURING THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE COURSE.”
This notice is reproduced here verbatim for review. It does not yet apply: the Board has not approved this course.
NORTH CAROLINA · CONTINUING EDUCATION · ELECTIVE
North Carolina General Contracting: Business, Licensing and Liability
A 4-credit-hour elective (200 minutes of instruction) on the business and law of holding a North Carolina general contractor license: what makes an undertaking require one, what your classification and limitation actually authorize, the financial responsibility behind them, the qualifier your license stands on, contracts and the payment chain, permits and inspections, disciplinary and criminal exposure, the Homeowners Recovery Fund, and the renewal and recordkeeping duties that keep a license in good standing.
Provider: MasonByte LLC.
- 4 CE credit hours
- 200 minutes · estimated completion time
- 10 modules, in order
- 20 knowledge checks · no final exam
Asynchronous e-learning — study on your own schedule, at your own pace.
How this course works
- Read the modules in order. Each one unlocks when the module before it is complete.
- Only active time counts. The timer runs while you are in the course tab and pauses when you leave or go idle. Come back any time; your place, time and checks are saved.
- Knowledge checks come after the middle of each module and at its end. The answer and a short explanation appear right away, and the time counts. There is no final exam: finish all 10 modules and reach 200 credited minutes.
Before you start — required notices
- How your time is counted
- This is a 4-credit-hour course: 200 minutes of verified active instruction time, including the 20 knowledge checks. The course is gated by engagement time — the timer pauses when you are inactive or leave the tab, and each module unlocks in sequence. You may leave and return; your place, time, and completed checks are saved.
- Qualifier ID
- At registration — and each time you access the course — you must provide your NCLBGC Qualifier ID number and the Qualifier name on file with the Board. Look both up on the Board’s qualifier search at nclbgc.org/qualifier-search. Open the Board's qualifier search →
- 90-day completion window
- You have 90 days from enrollment to complete this course. If you do not complete it within 90 days, you must retake the entire course on re-enrollment.
- When the course is available
- This course cannot be purchased, started, or completed after November 30, or at any time during the month of December.
- What you need to run it
- A modern browser (current Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari) with JavaScript and cookies enabled, on desktop, tablet, or phone. A stable internet connection is required for time tracking; no speakers, printer, or plugins are needed. Content blockers may interfere with progress tracking. Supported systems: Windows 10 or later, macOS 12 or later, iOS 16 or later, Android 10 or later, or a Chromebook, each with a current browser.
- Support
- Technical support: support@masonbyte.com — monitored business days (Eastern); include "NC CE" in the subject for fastest routing.
Course outline & estimated time per module
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Module 1 · What Makes You a General Contractor ≈ 20 min
- State the statutory definition of “general contractor” and the $40,000 cost threshold that triggers it.
- Apply the § 87-1(b) exemptions, including the owner-occupant exemption and its 12-month occupancy presumption.
- Distinguish “cost of the undertaking” and “value” as defined terms rather than everyday words.
-
Module 2 · Classifications and Limitations ≈ 20 min
- Identify the five license classifications and the specialty subcategories each one carries.
- State the project-value ceiling for Limited, Intermediate and Unlimited licenses.
- Explain what a limitation excludes — land cost and ancillary costs to improve it.
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Module 3 · Financial Responsibility: Your Statements and the Bond Alternative ≈ 20 min
- State the working-capital or net-worth requirement for each license limitation.
- Explain when an agreed-upon procedures report or audited financial statement is required.
- Evaluate the surety-bond alternative and its amounts as a substitute for demonstrated working capital.
- Recognize the twelve-month currency rule and the bankruptcy-disclosure requirement.
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Module 4 · The Qualifier — Your License’s Single Point of Failure ≈ 20 min
- Apply the “responsible managing” test — 20 hours per week or a majority of hours worked.
- Explain the W-2 requirement for a qualifier who is not an owner, officer or partner.
- State the 90-day replacement window and what the licensee may not do during it.
- Describe how examination credentials archive after four consecutive inactive years.
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Module 5 · Contracts, Bids and the Payment Chain ≈ 20 min
- Explain why § 22C-2 makes “pay-when-paid” unenforceable between contracting tiers.
- State the 25% cap on general-contracting work performed under § 87-1.1.
- Distinguish licensed construction management from the development-consultant exclusions.
- Describe the licensure requirements that apply to a joint venture.
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Module 6 · Permits, Inspections and the Lien-Agent Trigger ≈ 20 min
- State what a permit applicant must prove about licensure and workers’ compensation.
- Identify when a lien agent must be designated and named on the permit.
- Explain the owner-exemption affidavit and the consequences of claiming it wrongly.
- Describe the licensee’s duty to obtain permits and see inspections through to compliance.
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Module 7 · Liability Exposure: Discipline, Unlicensed Practice, Injunctions ≈ 20 min
- List the grounds on which the Board may refuse, revoke, suspend or restrict a license.
- State the Board’s authority to recover administrative costs up to $5,000.
- Explain why unlicensed practice is a Class 2 misdemeanor and who else is exposed.
- Describe “misconduct” as the rule defines it, including lending a license or credential.
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Module 8 · The Homeowners Recovery Fund ≈ 20 min
- Explain what the Fund is for and how the $10 permit fee finances it.
- State what makes a loss “reimbursable” and who is excluded from claiming.
- Describe the exhaustion-of-remedies requirement and the filing deadlines.
- Explain the 10% per-claim cap and the Board’s subrogation against the contractor.
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Module 9 · Renewal, CE, Inactive Status and Coming Back ≈ 20 min
- State the annual requirement as two mandatory hours plus six elective hours.
- Explain the four-hour elective carry-forward and the January 1 – November 30 window.
- Describe inactive status, what it costs, and what it suspends.
- Apply the reinstatement ladder for licenses invalid one, two, three or four years.
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Module 10 · Records, Reporting and Staying in Good Standing ≈ 20 min
- State the requirement that the license number appear on all contracts and bids.
- Describe the 30-day notice duties for name, ownership, address and coordinator changes.
- Explain the 60-day duty to report criminal convictions and disciplinary actions.
- Summarize the licensure paths available to military-trained applicants and spouses.
A certificate of completion is issued when all modules are complete and the 200-minute instructional-time requirement is met. Continuing-education hours are reported to the Board by the provider per 21 NCAC 12B .0204.
Independent contractor-education provider. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting for the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors. GC Prep does not issue or grant a contractor license. This course is education, not legal advice — verify current statutes with the NC General Assembly and requirements with the Board.