Trade Licence Total Cost Calculator

The application fee is the smallest part of getting licensed. Schooling, exam fees, the exams you fail and retake, and continuing education after you qualify all add up, and the ongoing cost never stops.

Put your state's numbers in below to see the true entry cost and what it takes to keep it.

What people underestimate

Retakes. Trade exams have low first-time pass rates, and each attempt carries a fee plus a waiting period. Budgeting for one attempt is optimistic; budgeting for two is realistic.

Time, not money. Required on-the-job hours are the long pole in almost every trade licence. The fees are payable in a month; the hours take years.

Before you pay for a programme

• Confirm the state board accepts that programme for the hours you need. Not all do.
• Ask what happens to your hours if you change employers mid-programme.
• Check whether a neighbouring state grants reciprocity — qualifying in one state and reciprocating into another is sometimes faster and cheaper than qualifying directly.