A contractor's license number is the fastest way to confirm you are dealing with a real, accountable business. It takes two minutes on the state's own website, and it is free. This guide lists the official licensing body for plumbers, electricians, HVAC contractors and builders in each state, with links straight to the board.
How to check a license in three steps
- Ask for the license number and the exact business name that will appear on the contract. A legitimate contractor gives both without hesitation.
- Look it up on the official board for your state and trade in the table below. Use the board's own website, not a third-party lookup.
- Check three things on the record: the license is active (not expired, suspended or revoked), its class covers your kind of job, and the name matches the business on your contract.
Then ask for a certificate of insurance (general liability, and workers' compensation if they have employees), and get the scope, price and payment schedule in writing. A license tells you a contractor met the state's requirements; it does not tell you about quality, so read reviews and compare quotes too.
Licensing boards by state and trade
"Licensed by cities and counties" or "No state license" means the state itself issues no license for that trade, so check with your city or county. A dash means we have not yet verified the state body on its official website; it does not mean the trade is unlicensed there. Search for "[your state] [trade] license board" and use the result on a .gov site.
| State | Plumbers | Electricians | HVAC | Builders and contractors |
|---|
| Alabama | Alabama Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examining Board | Alabama Electrical Contractors Board | Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors | Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board |
| Alaska | — | — | — | — |
| Arizona | Arizona Registrar of Contractors | Arizona Registrar of Contractors | Arizona Registrar of Contractors | Arizona Registrar of Contractors |
| Arkansas | — | — | Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing, HVAC/R section | Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board |
| California | California Contractors State License Board | California Contractors State License Board | California Contractors State License Board | California Contractors State License Board |
| Colorado | Colorado State Plumbing Board | Colorado State Electrical Board | — | — |
| Connecticut | Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, Occupational and Professional Licensing Division | Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, Occupational and Professional Licensing Division | Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, Occupational and Professional Licensing Division | Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection |
| Delaware | Delaware Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners | Delaware Board of Electrical Examiners | Delaware Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners | — |
| District of Columbia | DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection | DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection | DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection | DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection |
| Florida | Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board | Florida Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board | Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board | Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board |
| Georgia | Georgia State Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Master and Journeyman Plumbers | Georgia State Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Electrical Contractors | Georgia State Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Conditioned Air Contractors | Georgia State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors |
| Hawaii | Hawaii Board of Electricity and Plumbing | Hawaii Board of Electricity and Plumbing | — | Hawaii Contractors License Board |
| Idaho | Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses | Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses | Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses | Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses |
| Illinois | Illinois Department of Public Health, Plumbing Program | — | — | — |
| Indiana | Indiana Plumbing Commission | — | — | — |
| Iowa | Iowa Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board | Iowa Electrical Examining Board | Iowa Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board | Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing |
| Kansas | Licensed by cities and counties | Licensed by cities and counties | Licensed by cities and counties | Licensed by cities and counties |
| Kentucky | Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction | Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction | Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction | — |
| Louisiana | — | — | — | Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors |
| Maine | Maine Plumbers' Examining Board | Maine Electricians' Examining Board | Maine Fuel Board | — |
| Maryland | Maryland State Board of Plumbing | Maryland State Board of Master Electricians | Maryland State Board of HVACR Contractors | Maryland Home Improvement Commission |
| Massachusetts | Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters | Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians | — | — |
| Michigan | Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes | Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes | Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes | Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes |
| Minnesota | Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, plumbing licensing | Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, electrical licensing | — | Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, residential contractor licensing |
| Mississippi | — | — | — | Mississippi State Board of Contractors |
| Missouri | Licensed by cities and counties | Licensed by cities and counties | Licensed by cities and counties | Licensed by cities and counties |
| Montana | Montana Board of Plumbers | Montana State Electrical Board | — | — |
| Nebraska | — | Nebraska State Electrical Division | — | — |
| Nevada | Nevada State Contractors Board | Nevada State Contractors Board | Nevada State Contractors Board | Nevada State Contractors Board |
| New Hampshire | — | New Hampshire Electricians' Board | New Hampshire Mechanical Licensing Board | — |
| New Jersey | New Jersey State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers | New Jersey Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors | New Jersey State Board of Examiners of Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors | New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs (home improvement contractor registration) |
| New Mexico | New Mexico Construction Industries Division | New Mexico Construction Industries Division | New Mexico Construction Industries Division | New Mexico Construction Industries Division |
| New York | No state license; check your city or county | No state license; check your city or county | No state license; check your city or county | Cities and counties (in NYC, the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection) |
| North Carolina | North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors | North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors | North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors | North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors |
| North Dakota | — | — | — | — |
| Ohio | — | — | — | — |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma Construction Industries Board | Oklahoma Construction Industries Board | Oklahoma Construction Industries Board | — |
| Oregon | Oregon Building Codes Division | Oregon Building Codes Division | — | Oregon Construction Contractors Board |
| Pennsylvania | No state license; check your city or county | No state license; check your city or county | No state license; check your city or county | Pennsylvania Attorney General (home improvement contractor registration) |
| Rhode Island | Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, Professional Regulation | Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, Professional Regulation | Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, Professional Regulation | Rhode Island Contractors' Registration and Licensing Board |
| South Carolina | South Carolina Residential Builders Commission | South Carolina Residential Builders Commission | South Carolina Residential Builders Commission | South Carolina Residential Builders Commission |
| South Dakota | South Dakota State Plumbing Commission | South Dakota State Electrical Commission | — | — |
| Tennessee | Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors | Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors | — | Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors |
| Texas | Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners | Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), Electricians program | Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors | No state license; check your city or county |
| Utah | — | — | — | — |
| Vermont | Vermont Division of Fire Safety | Vermont Division of Fire Safety | — | Vermont Office of Professional Regulation |
| Virginia | Virginia Board for Contractors, Tradesman program | Virginia Board for Contractors, Tradesman program | Virginia Board for Contractors, Tradesman program | Virginia Board for Contractors |
| Washington | Washington State Department of Labor and Industries | Washington State Department of Labor and Industries | — | Washington State Department of Labor and Industries |
| West Virginia | West Virginia Division of Labor | — | — | West Virginia Contractor Licensing Board |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services | Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services | Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services | Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services |
| Wyoming | — | — | — | — |
Red flags when a contractor talks about licensing
- They will not give you a license number, or the number belongs to a different business name.
- The license class does not match the work (for example, a handyman registration for electrical panel work).
- They offer to skip the permit to save you money. Permits are usually pulled by the licensed contractor, and skipping one can cause problems with insurance claims and when you sell.
- They ask for a large cash deposit up front. See contractor scams to avoid and how RateDeed escrow holds payments until work is done.
Find a contractor near you
Each state name in the table links to RateDeed's page for that state, with local contractors, housing data and, for each trade, the licensing body. Permit rules are set by your city: see building permit offices in U.S. cities.
How this list is maintained
Every board listed was checked on its official website (the page had to load on the agency's own site and describe licensing for that trade), most recently on 2026-11-05. A few state sites block automated checks; those were confirmed by hand. Licensing rules change, so the board's own website is always the final word. 130 state-and-trade entries are listed.
