Delaware Contractor Continuing Education Requirements
Delaware doesn't require continuing education for general contractors at the state level — but the answer changes completely if you hold a specialty trade license or work in certain counties. The distinction between your general contractor registration and your trade credentials determines whether CE hours are part of your renewal cycle.
General Contractors: No State CE Requirement
The Division of Revenue business license and the Department of Labor contractor registration certificate both renew without any continuing education. You pay the renewal fee, confirm your insurance and bonding are current, and the credentials continue. There's no exam retake, no coursework, and no classroom hours.
This applies to all general contractors who don't self-perform regulated trades. If your scope of work covers framing, concrete, roofing, siding, drywall, painting, or site work — and you subcontract out all electrical, plumbing, and HVAC — you have no CE obligations.
Specialty Trade CE Requirements
The four trades regulated by the Division of Professional Regulation (DPR) through the DELPROS portal have separate renewal and education rules:
Plumbing: Starting October 31, 2026, licensed plumbers must complete five hours of approved continuing education per renewal period. This is a new requirement — plumbers who renewed before this date weren't subject to CE. Plumbing licenses expire on December 31 of even-numbered years and renew biennially.
HVACR: HVACR licenses also renew biennially on December 31 of even-numbered years. The Board of Plumbers, Gas Fitters, Fuel Burning Technicians & HVACR administers the credential; confirm any current education requirement with the board.
Electrical: The Board of Electrical Examiners handles electrical licensing through DPR. Confirm the current renewal and education requirements with the board for the applicable license.
Water Well Drilling: Water-well licenses are handled through DPR's relevant board. Confirm the current renewal and education requirements before renewing.
County-Level Training
New Castle County requires Permit Endorsed contractors to purchase ICC Digital Code Access ($10 as part of the $410 annual licensing fee). While this isn't a formal CE requirement, the county mandates that active contractors maintain access to current building codes, commentaries, and local amendments. Practically, this means staying current on code changes is built into the licensing structure even if no classroom hours are required.
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Keeping Track
If you hold both a general contractor registration and one or more trade licenses, your renewal schedule involves multiple agencies with different cycles. The state business license renews annually (December 31), the DOL registration renews annually or biennially, and trade licenses renew biennially on their own schedules.
The Delaware General Contractor License Guide includes a renewal calendar that tracks every credential, deadline, and CE requirement across state and local jurisdictions — so nothing expires while you're focused on job sites.
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