Oklahoma · Roofing licensing · official-source guide
Oklahoma requires roofing contractors to register with the Construction Industries Board under the Roofing Contractor Registration Act. Registration needs liability insurance of $500,000 for residential or $1,000,000 for commercial work, plus workers compensation proof. Commercial work needs an exam-based endorsement, and residential work needs a new endorsement by January 1, 2028.
Verified against agency sources on 2026-09-28. Rules and fees change; confirm with the named authority before relying on this guide.
Oklahoma licenses roofing at the state level, and it calls the credential a registration. The Roofing Contractor Registration Act, found at Title 59, Section 1151.1 and following of the Oklahoma Statutes, makes it unlawful to act as a roofing contractor without a current and valid roofing contractor registration. The same section makes it unlawful to act as a commercial roofing contractor without a commercial roofer endorsement, unless the person is exempt. The Act also bars an unregistered roofer from bringing a claim, action, suit or proceeding in any state court over that roofing business, so a contractor who works without a registration can lose the ability to sue for payment. The rule applies to resident and nonresident contractors alike, and to anyone who offers to do roofing work by advertisement, not only to those who finish a job. That reach matters for marketing, because a website, a yard sign or a social media post that offers roofing services counts as offering to engage in the business. Registration is annual and cannot be transferred to another person or company. Oklahoma stacks two endorsements on top of the base registration: a commercial roofer endorsement, already in force, and a new residential roofing endorsement that phases in from 2027 to 2028. Both are described in later sections. The Construction Industries Board runs the program, and its public statement on general contractors notes that Oklahoma does not require a state license for general contracting itself, while trade registrations are required for trade work. Roofing is one of those trades. A roofing company in Oklahoma should therefore describe itself as a state-registered roofing contractor, and where it holds one, as commercially endorsed.
Sourcesoklahoma.gov 1oklahoma.gov 2oklahoma.gov 3oklahoma.gov 4
The Construction Industries Board, known as the CIB, is the state agency that administers the Roofing Contractor Registration Act. Its office is at 2401 NW 23rd Street, Suite 2F, in Oklahoma City. Section 1151.4 of the Act gives the Board the power to issue, refuse, suspend or revoke a registration, to write rules, to promulgate forms, to collect fees and fines, and to enter property to inspect roofing work and worker registrations. The Board's own mission statement describes its job as licensing and inspecting the related trades. Two bodies sit under the Board for roofing. The Committee of Roofing Examiners has seven members, including a licensed architect and a licensed engineer who each have five years of experience in commercial roof design, and it advises on exams and on which continuing education courses count. The Roofing Hearing Board handles administrative discipline, and it can ask a court for an injunction against acts the Act prohibits. A contractor whose application is denied can ask for a hearing before the Committee of Roofing Examiners, and the written appeal must reach the registrar within fourteen days of the denial notice. The CIB also publishes the permanent rules for roofing, which sit in Title 158, Chapter 85 of the Oklahoma Administrative Code, and the Act itself, both on its roofing page. The CIB enforces the registration and endorsement requirements and the roofing administrative rules. It says it does not enforce workmanship or general business disputes such as unfinished work, financial disputes or insurance disputes, unless the Act or the rules expressly give it that authority.
Oklahoma sorts roofing credentials into three layers, and each contractor needs to know which layers apply to the work it sells. The base layer is the roofing contractor registration. Every roofing contractor needs it, and a residential roofer currently needs nothing above it. The second layer is the commercial roofer endorsement, which the Act has required since July 1, 2015 for any contractor offering or performing commercial roofing work. The CIB states that a registration in good standing must exist before a commercial endorsement is approved, so the endorsement cannot stand alone. The third layer is the residential roofing endorsement, created by House Bill 1628 in 2025 and adjusted by Senate Bill 1873 and House Bill 3800 in 2026. Under the CIB's current guidance the residential endorsement becomes mandatory on January 1, 2028 for all residential roofing projects, after a transition period that begins January 1, 2027. Registrations and endorsements are tied to a qualifying party, the individual who answers for the business, and they expire on the last day of that person's birth month. An endorsement expires on the same date as the registration that supports it. A firm, partnership or corporation can hold a single registration number used by designated roofing contractors who act as its agents, as long as the application listed each member, officer and agent. The certificate cannot be shared with or used by any other business. The CIB also lets a commercial endorsement be placed in inactive status, which removes the insurance requirement but keeps the annual renewal and continuing education duties.
The Act applies to anyone who engages in or offers to engage in roofing contracting in Oklahoma, but Section 1151.9 lists exemptions that a contractor should read closely. Property owners are exempt when they act as their own roofing contractor on a single-family home they occupy, supervise the work themselves, and install materials to the International Residential Code or the manufacturer's instructions. The statute treats a sale or rental of that house within one year after completion as presumptive evidence that the work was meant for sale or rent, which removes the exemption. Owners of commercial property, and of residential rental property with four dwelling units or fewer, get a similar exemption when they supervise the work. Government employees, churches and charities doing free roof repair with volunteer labor, licensed engineers and architects working within their license, and suppliers who only sell materials without installing them are also exempt. Prime contractors, general contractors, property managers and project managers who bid roofing together with other trades are exempt only if they subcontract the roofing to a registered roofer in good standing. If the bid is solely for roofing, registration is required. Metal building erectors who install pre-engineered metal building packages are exempt. An employee of a registrant is exempt only while working as that registrant's employee and not advertising or contracting independently. Any public body that enters roofing contracts must require individual roofing contractor registration from bidders. Anyone unsure about an exemption should ask the CIB in writing before relying on it.
Sourcesoklahoma.gov
To register, the qualifying party must be at least eighteen and file an application under oath on the CIB form. The application states the party's roofing experience and qualifications, confirms the party has read the Act, and discloses any registration in another state and any discipline there. A nonresident applicant appoints the Oklahoma Secretary of State as legal service agent. The application also needs the business name and address, the federal tax ID or the owner's Social Security number, and the state employer account number. Applicants who apply for a commercial endorsement add entity documents and a certificate of good standing or trade name report from the Secretary of State. Liability insurance is set in the statute. A certificate of liability insurance must show at least $500,000 for residential roofing work and at least $1,000,000 for commercial roofing work, and the CIB must be listed as certificate holder. The CIB also says the policy must specifically include roofing work, confirmed by the carrier. If the policy is cancelled or lapses, the registration is suspended on the cancellation date and stays suspended until proof of insurance reaches the registrar. Workers compensation is separate. The applicant must show coverage under the Workers' Compensation Act or file an affidavit of exemption or self-insurance, and every contract must state that all individuals performing the work are covered. An exemption affidavit can be used only on residential projects, and commercial jobs require every worker to be covered as an employee of the registrant. The registrar must approve or deny an application within twenty-five calendar days from the date of application. The statute gives no minimum years of experience for the base registration.
The statute sets the roofing contractor registration fee at $75 for the annual certificate and $75 for each annual renewal, and both are paid to the registrar. Application and renewal fees are not refundable. The CIB prorates initial fees so that every registration and endorsement ends on the last day of the qualifying party's birth month, and new registrations can be issued for up to eighteen months to reach that date. After that, no registration is issued for longer than one year. The endorsement fees are listed by the CIB on its endorsement information: $230 for the initial residential roofing endorsement application and $100 for the residential endorsement renewal, and the CIB states that initial and renewal costs for the residential endorsement match the commercial endorsement. The statute sets the commercial endorsement renewal at $100 and adds a $100 late fee for an endorsement renewed more than thirty days after it expires. No late fee applies to a registration or endorsement that lapsed while the holder was on active military duty, if the holder applies within one year of discharge. A renewal application must be filed by the last day of the birth month and includes sworn statements that income and employment taxes due in Oklahoma have been filed, and whether a court has found the qualifying party in violation of the Act. A registration that falls out of good standing is suspended on the sixtieth day after notice and revoked on the ninetieth day. The contractor can reinstate by paying the required fees and meeting all issuance requirements. Fees change by statute and rule, so confirm the current figure with the CIB before filing.
A contractor who offers or performs commercial roofing work in Oklahoma must pass the commercial roofing examination and hold the commercial roofer endorsement. The exam is uniform and practical, in whole or in part written, and offered at least monthly. After the CIB approves the application, the contractor receives the contact details of the third-party testing vendor, PSI, and books the sitting directly. An applicant who fails must wait thirty days before the second attempt and ninety days before any later attempt, except that the registrar can make the exam available more often in a declared state of emergency. The endorsement cannot be granted until the contractor also holds a registration in good standing and pays the application and endorsement fee. Continuing education is required for renewal. The CIB roofing page states that commercial roofers complete four hours of approved continuing education every thirty-six months, starting three years after passing the current exam. House Bill 3800 changed that. According to the CIB, commercial endorsement holders must complete four hours of approved continuing education annually to renew, beginning January 1, 2027. A contractor holding both endorsements must complete eight hours a year, four for each. The Committee of Roofing Examiners approves the courses, and the CIB separates the course list into residential, commercial and grandfathering categories, so a contractor should confirm that a course counts for the endorsement being renewed. An endorsement in inactive status still requires annual renewal and continuing education, though it does not require insurance.
Sourcesoklahoma.gov 1oklahoma.gov 2oklahoma.gov 3oklahoma.gov 4
House Bill 1628 became law on May 28, 2025 and created the residential roofing endorsement. Senate Bill 1873, effective in May 2026, moved the start of the transition period to January 1, 2027 and extended the deadline for existing roofers to January 1, 2028. House Bill 3800, signed May 12, 2026, added continuing education for the residential endorsement and gave the CIB enforcement authority. The result is a dated sequence. Anyone registered and in good standing on or before January 1, 2027 can be grandfathered. Between January 1, 2027 and January 1, 2028, that contractor applies, pays the fee, and either completes ten hours of continuing education approved for grandfathering or passes the residential exam. Roofers who already hold a commercial endorsement on January 1, 2027 apply and pay, and the CIB issues the residential endorsement without more education or testing. After January 1, 2028 grandfathering ends, and even commercially endorsed roofers must pass the residential exam. New applicants who were not registered by January 1, 2027 cannot sell, offer, bid, inspect or perform residential roofing until the endorsement is issued, and the statute lets the Board issue it no sooner than thirty days after the exam is passed. The residential exam requires a score of at least 70 percent, is administered by PSI, and carries the same thirty-day and ninety-day retake waits. Renewal requires four hours of continuing education a year beginning January 1, 2028. Marketing teams should not describe a company as residentially endorsed until the CIB shows it.
Sourcesoklahoma.gov 1oklahoma.gov 2
Oklahoma regulates who is allowed to be on the roof, and the rules reach the contractor that hires the crew. Labor-only crews that install asphalt shingles, tile shingles, synthetic shakes or wood shakes on a sloped roof must be registered, though the statute does not require them to hold a commercial endorsement. The residential endorsement will not apply to a labor contractor that only supplies labor, works directly for a registered roofer holding a residential endorsement, and provides no materials. The CIB lists the enforcement dates. Beginning January 1, 2027, it is unlawful for a roofing contractor to subcontract with an unregistered labor-only crew, and citations can go to all parties. Beginning that date it is also unlawful to obstruct a CIB investigation by refusing to identify yourself on a job site. Beginning January 1, 2028, labor-only crews must work directly for a roofer with a residential endorsement and keep proof of that on the job site. The CIB also states that the prime contractor and each registered roofer must make sure every roofing subcontractor is registered and holds the endorsement the work requires, and that subcontracting to an unregistered or unendorsed contractor is a violation. Enforcement can reach each person working on the roof and each subcontractor up to the contractor who contracts with the owner. Section 1151.22 adds that a registrant cannot use an out-of-state company or independent contractor that lacks Oklahoma registration and required workers compensation coverage. Subcontractors must also give the general contractor proof of liability insurance, and the general contractor is responsible for checking it.
The Act uses both criminal and administrative penalties. Under Section 1151.3, a person who advertises, offers or acts as a roofing contractor without the required registration and endorsement commits a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500 for each violation. More than one misdemeanor in a twelve-month period is grounds to suspend the registration and can make the person ineligible to register for up to twenty-four months after the sentence and probation are complete. A misdemeanor conviction or plea is also grounds for revocation, with ineligibility for up to twelve months. Instead of sending a case to the district attorney, the Board can issue administrative fines of up to $500 per violation, and a first offense for acting without a registration may be handled by the Roofing Hearing Board after notice and a hearing. A business entity that advertises or acts as a roofing contractor without a valid registration can be given an administrative penalty of up to $5,000. Courts accept a permit or the employment of a person on a roofing project as prima facie evidence that a contract existed, and an unregistered roofer cannot sue over that business. The CIB adds that, starting July 1, 2026, it no longer has to give first-time warnings to residential roofers for violations. Building officials are directed to refuse a roofing permit unless the applicant shows registration or an exemption. A contractor whose registration is not in good standing must stop soliciting and entering new jobs on the notice date, must tell homeowners about the change, and the homeowner then has the option to cancel.
Sourcesoklahoma.gov 1oklahoma.gov 2
Oklahoma is specific about what a roofer must display, and marketing materials are covered. Section 1151.17 requires the registration number on every business sign, card, piece of correspondence and contract used to solicit and conduct roofing work. Section 1151.7 requires each registrant to post the business name, any endorsement, the registration number and a telephone number at each job site, and on all media that carry the registrant's name, including magnetic vehicle signs, business cards, contracts, bids, letterhead, signs and advertisements. The statute defines advertising broadly, to include telephone directory ads, vehicle signage, radio, television and electronic solicitations, which puts websites, online listings and social posts in scope. Vehicles used to transport materials and tools must show the firm name and the registration number preceded by the initials OK, in letters and numerals at least two inches high, in a conspicuous spot on both sides in a contrasting color. A commercially endorsed contractor must also show its endorsement information on the vehicles in the same size. The CIB's enforcement reminder repeats that the endorsement type, residential or commercial, registration number and phone number must appear on vehicles, cards, contracts, bids, letterhead, signs and advertisements. The registration number must be valid and in good standing when the contractor solicits a project and during the work. A contractor should not advertise as registered or endorsed if the credential has lapsed, since advertising without the required registration is itself a violation. The statute does not name a fine specific to missing display information, so those violations fall under the general penalty provisions.
Sourcesoklahoma.gov 1oklahoma.gov 2
Registration is a state credential, and the Act ties it directly to local permitting. A roofing contractor must give the permit official its registration number when applying for any state or local government permit for roofing work, and the official must write the number on the permit. Section 1151.3 tells building officials and other permit authorities in cities, towns and counties to refuse a roofing permit for work that requires registration unless the applicant shows it is registered or exempt. Local governments cannot turn this around and require a second state credential as a condition of permitting when the contractor is exempt. Section 1151.24 goes further and says no political subdivision may use the Roofing Contractor Registration Act to impose any additional registration or permitting requirement. That language limits cities from stacking their own roofing registration on the state one through this Act. It does not remove local building codes, permit fees or inspection duties. A registrant must comply with state laws and local ordinances on standards and permits, and must pay taxes due in Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Uniform Building Code Commission adopts the building codes that the owner-builder exemption refers to, including the International Residential Code and International Building Code. The CIB also tells consumers and contractors to contact local jurisdictions about local requirements. A roofer working in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Norman or any other city should call that city's permit office to confirm permit thresholds, fees and any local business license, because those details vary by city and were not verified for this page. Public bodies that award roofing contracts must require individual registration from bidders.
Sourcesoklahoma.gov 1oklahoma.gov 2
Storm work is where Oklahoma roofing rules bite hardest. Section 1151.30 bars a residential or commercial roofer who repairs or improves property paid from an insurance policy from advertising or promising to pay all or part of the insurance deductible, directly or indirectly, or offering to compensate the insured for any service, as an inducement to the sale. If a roofer breaks the rule, the insurer that received the claim is not obligated to consider the roofer's estimate. Every roofing contractor must give a written notice of this requirement with its initial estimate, and the adjuster or insurer must include the same notice in its initial estimate. Anyone may file a verified complaint with the registrar. The registrar forwards those complaints to the Insurance Department and the Attorney General and to the district attorney, and the statute says the registrar cannot itself investigate or prosecute this violation. Section 1151.21 gives homeowners a cancellation right. When a written roofing contract is to be paid from an insurance claim, the insured can cancel within seventy-two hours after receiving written notice that all or part of the claim was denied. Before signing, the contractor must give a boldface twelve-point statement of that right and a completed Notice of Cancellation form. Within ten days of cancellation the contractor returns any payments, though it keeps the reasonable value of emergency services the insured acknowledged in writing. A violation is treated as a violation of the Act. Every registrant must use a valid written contract, and fraud in signing or altering a roofing contract is itself a violation.
Sourcesoklahoma.gov
Oklahoma treats adjusting as a separate, Insurance Department licensed activity. The Insurance Adjusters Licensing Act defines a public adjuster as a person who presents to the public that they represent the interests of an insured or third party for a fee, and public adjusters may investigate claims and negotiate losses to property. A roofer who is not licensed as a public adjuster should not offer to negotiate the claim for the homeowner or take a percentage of the settlement for doing so. The Act limits an adjuster's authority to what the license allows, and it bars an insurer from knowingly referring a claim to a person who is not a licensed adjuster. Several public adjuster rules also protect consumers from contractor conflicts. Section 6220.1 says an adjuster cannot own or hold a financial interest in a business that provides construction services or supplies on the claim the adjuster is handling. Section 6223 bars a public adjuster from steering the insured to repair services from anyone with whom the adjuster has a financial interest or from whom the adjuster may receive compensation for the referral, and from accepting a power of attorney that gives the adjuster authority to choose who does the repairs. The insured has the right to cancel a public adjuster contract until midnight of the third business day. Public adjusters cannot solicit an insured during a loss-producing occurrence, and in a declared catastrophe the fee is capped at ten percent of the settlement, except for commercial entities. A roofer can document damage and give an estimate, but should leave claim negotiation to the insurer and the insured.
Sourcesoklegislature.gov
Oklahoma gives customers a public search for roofing registrations. The CIB's Are They Licensed page links to a search of registered roofing contractors, and the statute requires the registrar to keep an internet verification system that confirms registration certificates and status. The system is required to note each complaint against a contractor, the contractor's response, any court disposition and any conviction under the Act. The CIB adds that showing information in the system is not an endorsement of the contractor. Electrical, mechanical, plumbing and building inspector licensees are searched in a different tool, so a roofing customer should use the roofing search. A homeowner, an insurer or a competitor can check three things before signing: that the registration is active and in good standing, whether a commercial endorsement is listed for commercial work, and whether the name and number match what appears on the contractor's truck, contract and estimate. A registered roofer should expect customers to run that check and should keep its certificate of insurance, workers compensation proof and renewal current so the record stays clean. To complain about a roofer, the CIB asks the complainant to fill out its Roofing Contractor Complaint Form and return it by mail or by email to roofingcomplaints at cib.ok.gov. Complaints about workmanship, financial disputes, insurance disputes or unfinished work generally fall outside the CIB's authority, and the CIB points those consumers to the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Unit or to a private attorney. Complaints about deductible payments are forwarded to the Insurance Department, the Attorney General and the district attorney.
Sourcesoklahoma.gov 1verifyroofing.cib.ok.gov 2oklahoma.gov 3oklahoma.gov 4
These are common details other guides publish about Oklahoma, but we could not verify them from the agency source. Confirm them directly before relying on them.
Yes, through a registration. The Construction Industries Board administers the Roofing Contractor Registration Act, and acting as a roofing contractor without a current registration is unlawful unless an exemption applies. Commercial work needs a commercial roofer endorsement, and residential work will need a residential endorsement by January 1, 2028.
The Oklahoma Construction Industries Board, at 2401 NW 23rd Street, Suite 2F, Oklahoma City. It works with a seven-member Committee of Roofing Examiners and a Roofing Hearing Board, and it publishes the roofing rules in Title 158, Chapter 85.
The statute requires a certificate of liability insurance of at least $500,000 for residential roofing and at least $1,000,000 for commercial roofing, with the CIB as certificate holder. The registrant also needs workers compensation coverage or a valid exemption affidavit.
The statute sets the annual registration and renewal fee at $75. The CIB lists $230 for the initial residential endorsement application and $100 for endorsement renewal. Confirm current fees with the CIB, since fees are set by statute and rule.
The CIB says it is required for all residential roofing on January 1, 2028. Roofers registered in good standing by January 1, 2027 can be grandfathered during 2027 by passing the exam or completing ten approved continuing education hours.
Yes. Commercial roofing requires a commercial endorsement exam, and the residential endorsement requires a residential exam with a minimum 70 percent score, administered by PSI. After a first failure the wait is thirty days, and after later failures it is ninety days.
No. Section 1151.30 bars a roofer from advertising or promising to pay all or part of an insurance deductible, or offering compensation to the insured, as an inducement. Roofers must give a written notice of this rule with the initial estimate.
Yes. If the contract is to be paid from an insurance claim, the insured can cancel within seventy-two hours after receiving written notice that all or part of the claim was denied. The contractor must return payments within ten days, minus reasonable emergency services.
The firm name and registration number, preceded by OK, in characters at least two inches high on both sides of each materials vehicle. The number also belongs on signs, cards, bids, contracts, letterhead and advertisements, along with any commercial endorsement information.
It is a misdemeanor with a fine of up to $500 per violation. The Board can instead fine administratively, an unregistered business can face a penalty up to $5,000, and the roofer cannot sue in state court over that roofing business.
Not unless licensed by the Oklahoma Insurance Department as a public adjuster. Public adjusters represent the insured, must hold a license, and face rules against holding financial interests in the construction work on the claim they handle.
Use the roofing search linked from the CIB Are They Licensed page. It shows registration status, and the statute requires it to note complaints, the contractor's response, court dispositions and convictions. Compare the number to the one on the contractor's truck and contract.
We can review the local market, your current search visibility, and paid-search fit before recommending any marketing work.