Verify a Contractor's License by State

Why "are they licensed?" isn't always a yes/no question

Most consumer advice says "always verify your contractor is licensed" without mentioning that licensing itself works completely differently from state to state. Some states run a genuine competency-tested license, verified through a robust state database. Others only require registration — proof of insurance and identity, with no actual skill test — which is real protection, but not the same thing as a tested license. And in a real handful of states (Texas, New Hampshire, Wyoming, Kansas, Missouri, Indiana among them), there's no general state contractor license at all — regulation, if it exists, happens at the city or county level instead. None of that means "anything goes" in those states; it means you need to check local requirements specifically, since the state-level check this page provides won't apply.

Northeast

• Connecticut: eLicense lookup via the Dept. of Consumer Protection — select "Home Improvement Contractor" or "New Home Construction Contractor."
• Maine: No general contractor license exists yet — only electricians, plumbers, and oil technicians are state-licensed via the Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation. A new residential GC license law takes effect January 1, 2027.
• Massachusetts: Two separate credentials to check — Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration and a separate Construction Supervisor License (CSL); a contractor can hold one without the other, so ask which one applies to your project.
• New Hampshire: No state or general municipal contractor licensing exists — New Hampshire relies on the building permit process itself as its main consumer protection.
• Rhode Island: Contractors' Registration and Licensing Board search.
• Vermont: Residential Contractor Registry (select "Residential Contractor") — registration required for jobs $10,000 and up.
• New Jersey: Home Improvement Contractor Registration verification — this is a registration, not a competency-tested license.
• New York: No statewide license or search tool — at least 27 counties and cities license contractors separately (NYC, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Buffalo, and others). NYC's own lookup is a useful example, but homeowners elsewhere in the state need their specific county or city office.
• Pennsylvania: Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act registry, run by the Attorney General — a registration (required for $5,000+/year in work), not a tested license.

Midwest

• Illinois: No general state contractor license — only roofing contractors are state-licensed, via the IDFPR lookup. General contracting is regulated city-by-city (Chicago has its own licensing).
• Indiana: No state licensing agency at all — check your specific city or county (Indianapolis/Marion County's Dept. of Business and Neighborhood Services, for example).
• Michigan: LARA Residential Builders search — select "Residential Builder" as the license type.
• Ohio: No general contractor license — only electrical, HVAC, plumbing, hydronics, and refrigeration trades are state-licensed, via the Ohio eLicense lookup. Residential contracts over $25,000 separately require Ohio Attorney General registration (no public online search — call 877-244-0515).
• Wisconsin: DSPS license lookup covers the residential "Dwelling Contractor Qualifier" credential only — there's no license for commercial general contracting in Wisconsin.
• Iowa: DIAL contractor registration search — a registration (required over $2,000/year in construction income), not a tested license.
• Kansas: No state licensing agency — check locally (Sedgwick County, Wyandotte County, and other local building departments).
• Minnesota: DLI license and registration lookup.
• Missouri: No state licensing agency — check locally (St. Louis's Construction Industry license, Kansas City's Planning & Development department).
• Nebraska: Contractor Registration search via the Dept. of Labor — a registration, not a tested license.
• North Dakota: Secretary of State contractor search — covers contracts of $4,000 or more; electrical and plumbing are licensed separately by their own boards.
• South Dakota: No general contractor license. Electrical licensing exists but has no online lookup — verify by phone with the Electrical Commission (605-773-3573).

South

• Alabama: Licensing Board for General Contractors search — covers commercial/general work $50,000 and up; residential home builders are licensed separately by the Home Builders Licensure Board, not covered by this search.
• Arkansas: Contractors Licensing Board search.
• Delaware: No contractor license exists — only a general business license via the Division of Revenue search, which confirms registration, not competency.
• Florida: DBPR license search.
• Georgia: Secretary of State license verification for the State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors.
• Kentucky: No general contractor license — the Dept. of Housing, Buildings & Construction only licenses electrical, plumbing, and HVAC trades. GC licensing, where it exists, is local (Louisville, Lexington, Bowling Green).
• Louisiana: State Licensing Board for Contractors search.
• Maryland: Maryland Home Improvement Commission search.
• Mississippi: State Board of Contractors search.
• North Carolina: Licensing Board for General Contractors search — covers projects of $30,000 or more.
• Oklahoma: No general contractor license — the Construction Industries Board links out to separate roofing and electrical/mechanical/plumbing search tools.
• South Carolina: LLR Contractors Licensing Board search.
• Tennessee: Board for Licensing Contractors search — covers work of $25,000 or more.
• Texas: No general state license for contractors. Only electricians and HVAC techs (TDLR search) and plumbers (TSBPE) are state-licensed — general contracting is regulated locally, city by city, if at all.
• Virginia: DPOR license lookup — covers work valued above $1,000.
• West Virginia: Contractor Licensing Board search — covers work of $2,500 or more.
• Washington, D.C.: DLCP business license search — look for a Basic Business License with a construction endorsement.

West

• Alaska: Professional licensing search via the Dept. of Commerce, Community & Economic Development.
• Arizona: Registrar of Contractors search.
• California: CSLB license check.
• Colorado: No state general contractor license — the state only licenses electricians and plumbers via DORA's lookup. General contracting is regulated city by city (Denver, Colorado Springs, Boulder, and others).
• Hawaii: DCCA contractor license search.
• Idaho: DOPL registration search — a registration (required over $2,000 in project value), not a tested license.
• Montana: Contractor registration lookup via the Dept. of Labor and Industry — a registration, not a tested license.
• Nevada: State Contractors Board license search.
• New Mexico: Construction Industries Division search — no minimum dollar threshold, one of the broadest licensing requirements in the country.
• Oregon: Construction Contractors Board search.
• Utah: DOPL license search.
• Washington: L&I contractor verification.
• Wyoming: No state general contractor license — only an Electrical Board exists at the state level. Regulation, where it exists, is purely local, city by city or county by county.

Pro tip from our network contractors

If your state's license is actually a "registration" rather than a competency-tested license (common — several states above work this way), it confirms the contractor is a real, identifiable business carrying required insurance, but it says nothing about their skill or work quality. In those states, checking references and past work matters even more than usual.

If your state has no general contractor license

This doesn't mean you're on your own — it means the check happens at a different level. Contact your city or county building/permitting department directly and ask what, if anything, they require for the specific trade you're hiring (many require a local business license or registration even where the state doesn't). Pulling a permit for the work, where one is required, is itself a form of verification, since most permitting offices require proof of insurance. See our DIY vs. hiring a contractor decision guide and bathroom remodel permit guide for more on when a permit is the right signal to look for.