> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.cslid.nascla.memorang.app/docs/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Regulators > Compare licensing models, board structures, reciprocity patterns, and agency ownership across all 53 jurisdictions. You are comparing how different states organize construction regulation — board structures, licensing models, reciprocity agreements, and enforcement patterns. Every jurisdiction page normalizes the same data points so you can compare apples to apples. This site restructures source material for readability. It does not replace official statutes, regulatory handbooks, or inter-agency agreements. Verify all details with the relevant jurisdiction before citing them in policy analysis or official recommendations. ## What you need to know first When comparing regulatory models, four structural questions matter most: 1. **Single board or split?** — Some states route everything through one agency. Others split regulation across 5–10 boards by trade, project type, or dollar tier. The split changes how reciprocity, enforcement, and fee structures work. 2. **What triggers licensure?** — Thresholds range from zero (all work requires a license) to six figures. Some states exempt subcontractors or residential work below a threshold. 3. **How does reciprocity work?** — Statewide reciprocity is rare. Most agreements are board-specific, and some states have no formal arrangements at all. 4. **Where do local carve-outs apply?** — Several states delegate licensing to cities or counties, creating a patchwork where statewide rules do not tell the full story. The **Special considerations → Regulators** tab on every jurisdiction page gives you a structural summary before the detail sections. Use it to classify the state quickly. ## Where to look on each state page | Section | What you get | | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **At a glance** | Structural signals — thresholds, board count, reciprocity model — in a scannable table. | | **Who regulates construction** | Full regulator directory with contact details. Shows how the state distributes authority. | | **Reciprocal agreements** | Board-by-board reciprocity table with coverage badges. Identifies cooperation patterns. | | **Types of licenses** | Credential catalog by board family. Compare how states classify the same work. | | **Construction work regulated** | Threshold table showing what triggers licensure by work lane. Key for cross-state analysis. | The [comparison tables](/docs/compare/licensing-thresholds) pre-build several cross-state analyses. Check there before building your own from scratch. ## Quick-start checklist Follow these steps when evaluating a jurisdiction for regulatory comparison. Open the jurisdiction page and read the intro line and At a glance table. Determine: single board, split board, local-first, or hybrid? Review the regulator directory. Count the agencies, note which trades each board owns, and identify unusual splits (e.g., fire marshal handling blasting permits). Check the Construction work regulated table. Note which work lanes are exempt, which have dollar triggers, and which require licensure at any value. Review the reciprocal agreements table. Note whether reciprocity is statewide or board-specific, how many states are recognized, and whether NASCLA accreditation plays a role. Use the [licensing thresholds](/docs/compare/licensing-thresholds), [reciprocity rankings](/docs/compare/reciprocity-rankings), and [license types](/docs/compare/license-types) pages to see where this jurisdiction sits relative to peers. If you can classify the model, map the boards, compare thresholds, and analyze reciprocity, you have a defensible structural comparison for that jurisdiction. ## Example jurisdictions These states represent the major regulatory models. Use them as reference points when classifying a new jurisdiction. Split-board model with 8 agencies. Board-specific reciprocity. A clear example of fragmented regulation. Single-board model under CSLB. Centralized licensing with extensive trade classifications. Dual-track model. State certification and local licensing coexist, with different paths for different trades. Local-first model. State-level regulation is limited; most licensing decisions happen at the city or county level. Statewide-heavy model. Centralized regulation with a straightforward single-board structure. Territory model with trade-specific licensing. Compact jurisdiction useful as a comparison baseline. ## Related workflows * [New state evaluation](/docs/workflows/new-state-evaluation) — Step-by-step process for evaluating a jurisdiction's regulatory framework. * [Reciprocity check](/docs/workflows/reciprocity-check) — Confirm whether an out-of-state credential transfers to a target jurisdiction. ## Related comparisons Cross-state comparison of dollar triggers and exemption patterns. Which states accept the most out-of-state credentials, and through which mechanisms. How different states classify and name the same credentials. Which states require DOT or public-works prequalification and how they administer it.