State Licensing Disclaimer

Last updated: July 28, 2026

Contractor licensing in the United States is not a single national system. Every state sets its own rules about which trades require a license, what that license requires, and who enforces it. And in some states, licensing is handled by cities or counties instead of the state at all.

Why requirements vary so much

• Some states license general contractors statewide (for example, California, Florida, Nevada), meaning most residential remodeling and building work requires a state-issued license above a certain project value.
• Some states only license specific trades (commonly electrical, plumbing, and HVAC) and leave general contracting and other trades to city or county rules, or to no license requirement at all.
• Some states have no statewide contractor licensing system And rely entirely on local jurisdictions, which means the "right" agency to check depends on the city or county where the work is happening, the state.

Because of this patchwork, the table below lists the primary state-level agency (or the relevant state department when there is no dedicated board) for each state, along with a note where licensing is primarily local instead of statewide. It is a starting point for your own research, not a guarantee that a given trade is licensed that way in every city within the state.

How to use these links

1. Find your state in the table and open the official agency site.
2. Look for a "license lookup," "verify a license," or "license search" tool. Most state sites have one.
3. Confirm the license is active, matches the business name and license number the contractor gave you, and covers the correct trade classification for your project.
4. If your state notes that licensing is handled locally, contact your city or county building or licensing department instead.

Keeping this list current

Government agency names, structures, and URLs change over time. We review this page periodically, but if you find a broken link or an agency that has moved, please let us know through our Contact page So we can correct it. See our Corrections & Updates Policy.

This is not legal advice

This page is provided for general informational purposes and reflects our understanding of publicly available information about state licensing structures. It is not legal advice, and licensing requirements can change. If you need a definitive answer about whether a specific trade requires a license for your project, contact the relevant state or local agency directly.