Is your contractor actually licensed? Look them up here.

Nina needed her back stairs rebuilt. Gary gave her a license number right away. She looked it up. Active. Good standing. She almost signed.

Then she looked closer. The license belonged to Dunn Builders. Not Gary. Gary used to work there. He was using his old boss's number.

An active license only protects you if it belongs to the person you're hiring.

Check 3 things

• The license is active.
• The name matches the person or company you're hiring.
• It's for the right kind of work, like electrical, plumbing or roofing.

Hiring someone for your home? Check their license before you sign anything. It takes two minutes. It can save you thousands.

Why this matters

• An unlicensed contractor can walk off a bad job with no consequences.
• A real license means the state checked their work, their insurance, and their background.
• Some states won't let an unlicensed contractor collect payment at all - even for finished work.
• If something goes wrong, a license is often the only thing standing between you and a fight you have to handle alone.

How to check

Find your state below. Click the link. Search the contractor's name or license number. That's it.

States with an online license lookup

• Alabama - Check here
• Alaska - Check here
• Arizona - Check here
• Arkansas - Check here
• California - Check here
• Connecticut - Check here
• Delaware - Check here
• Florida - Check here
• Georgia - Check here
• Hawaii - Check here
• Idaho - Check here
• Iowa - Check here
• Louisiana - Check here
• Maryland - Check here
• Massachusetts - Check here
• Michigan - Check here
• Minnesota - Check here
• Mississippi - Check here
• Montana - Check here
• Nebraska - Check here
• Nevada - Check here
• New Jersey - Check here
• New Mexico - Check here
• North Carolina - Check here
• North Dakota - Check here
• Oklahoma - Check here
• Oregon - Check here
• Pennsylvania - Check here
• Rhode Island - Check here
• South Carolina - Check here
• Tennessee - Check here
• Utah - Check here
• Vermont - Check here
• Virginia - Check here
• Washington - Check here
• Washington DC - Check here
• West Virginia - Check here
• Wisconsin - Check here

States with no state-level contractor license

These states don't issue one statewide license for general contracting. Check with your city or county instead.

• Colorado
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Maine
• Missouri
• New Hampshire
• New York
• Ohio
• South Dakota
• Texas
• Wyoming

A word about the trades

Even in a state with no general contractor license, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC work is almost always licensed separately. Ask for that license too, no matter what state you're in.

One more thing

A license tells you they're allowed to do the work. It doesn't protect your money once the job starts. That's why PayBild holds your payment until each stage is done and approved. Never released all at once. Never released to a contractor who walked. If a job needs a license, only a verified, licensed Pro can bid on it.

See how PayBild protects your payment

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This list is for reference only. Always confirm directly with your state's licensing board before you hire. Nina and Gary are made-up examples, based on real situations. Links and rules change - the state agency is always the final word, not this page.