Nevada · welder licensing · verified July 2026
Nevada welder license requirements
The short answer
As of July 2026, Nevada has no occupational license for individual welders, a welder employed on a W-2 under a contractor's direction needs no state credential (NRS 624 excludes such employees from the definition of contractor). However, anyone who contracts, bids, or offers to perform welding/steel work as a business must hold a Nevada State Contractors Board license in a classification whose scope includes welding, such as C-14b Structural Steel or A-14 Steel Erection and Industrial Machinery, both of which expressly cover 'related riveting, welding and rigging' under NAC 624.
Do you need a license to work as a welder in Nevada?
Nevada regulates this trade at the contractor level rather than licensing individual welders.
NRS 624.020/624.031: W-2 employees working under the direction and control of a licensed contractor are not 'contractors' and need no license. Nevada State Public Works Division adopted standards require welding and welder qualifications per AWS D1.1 on public works, a project spec, not a license. Nevada does not run a state welder certification program; boilers/pressure vessels fall under NAC 455C (Division of Industrial Relations) with no individual welder license. Note: NSCB uses the .com domain nvcontractorsboard.com, it is the official state board site.
What licenses does Nevada issue?
The Nevada State Contractors Board (licenses welding/steel contractors, not individual welders) issues the credentials below for this trade. Boards often list further classes for specialties and business licenses; these are the ones this page covers.
Hours are what each class asks for on its own terms. Where a senior class shows fewer than a journeyman, the board is counting time served after the earlier license rather than from the start; the prerequisite column says which.
| License | On-the-job hours | Classroom hours | Exam |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contractor license, subclassification C-14b Structural Steel (scope includes welding) | not published | not published | Yes |
| Contractor license, subclassification A-14 Steel Erection and Industrial Machinery (scope includes welding) | not published | not published | Yes |
Source: Nevada State Contractors Board (licenses welding/steel contractors, not individual welders) (nvcontractorsboard.com). Verified July 2026.
What exam does Nevada require?
Business and Law (CMS) examination, required for NSCB contractor licensure. Administered by PSI (for the Nevada State Contractors Board).
Trade examination for the requested classification (e.g., C-14b/A-14). Administered by PSI (for the Nevada State Contractors Board).
How does the apprenticeship route work?
For the contractor-license tier, apprenticeship-to-journeyman experience counts directly toward the 4-year experience requirement (journeyman-level experience is the baseline qualification), and NSCB allows training from accredited programs to substitute for up to 3 of the 4 years. Individual welders who stay employees need no state credential and instead pursue AWS Certified Welder or ASME Section IX qualifications, which employers and project specs demand.
How does Nevada compare to neighboring states?
Requirements stop at the state line, which matters if you live near one or expect to move. Here is what the neighboring states ask of the same trade.
| State | Journeyman hours | Licensing model |
|---|---|---|
| Nevada | not published | Contractor level only |
| California | not published | Contractor level only |
| Oregon | not published | Contractor level only |
Source: state licensing boards. Verified July 2026.
Sources and verification
Every fact on this page traces to one of these
- Nevada State Contractors Board, License Classifications (A/B/C framework; A-14 Steel Erection)
- Nevada State Contractors Board, License Requirements (4-year experience, PSI exams, bond/financial requirements)
- NSCB compilation of NRS 624 & NAC 624 (C-14b Structural Steel and A-14 scopes including welding; employee exclusion), PDF downloaded and text-extracted this session
- Nevada State Contractors Board, Contractor's License Application
Last verified July 2026. Found an error? Report it and it will be corrected and logged on the corrections page.
Other states with published requirements for this trade: New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, West Virginia, Wisconsin.
Price the whole path with the license cost estimator, or weigh earning against paying for school with the apprenticeship comparison. Back to welders overview.
Licensing requirements change between our verification sweeps. This page is informational only, so confirm current requirements with Nevada State Contractors Board (licenses welding/steel contractors, not individual welders) before making decisions. Not legal advice.