FindLaw | Find a Lawyer. Find Answers.
Are you a legal Professional?
< prev < home ^ up index > next >
Useful Addresses
STATE LICENSING BOARDS FOR CONTRACTORS
Alabama
Requires statewide licensing for commercial contractors. No testing, bond, or insurance required.
- Contact: State Licensing Board for General Contractors
- 400 South Union Street, Suite 235
Montgomery, AL 36130
(205) 242-2839
Alaska
Requires statewide licensing of all contractors. No test required, although pending legislation will soon require testing of general contractors doing residential work. Contractor must be bonded and insured.
- Contact: Department of Commerce and Economic Development
- P.O. Box 110400
Juneau, AK 99811-0400
(907) 465-2500
Arizona
Requires statewide licensing of all contractors. Requires four years' experience and completion of licensing test. Contractor must be bonded and insured.
- Contact: Arizona Registrar of Contractors
- 800 West Washington, 6th Floor
Phoenix, AZ 85007
(602) 542-1525
Arkansas
Requires license for nonresidential contractors. Applicants must show experience, pass a licensing test, and post a bond. Insurance is optional. Residential construction is not state regulated.
- Contact: Contractors Licensing Board
- 621 East Capitol
Little Rock, AK 72202
(501) 372-4661
California
Requires statewide licensing for all contractors. Requires four years' verified experience and completion of licensing test. Requires contractor have both bond and insurance.
- Contact: Contractors State Licensing Board
- 9835 Goethe Road
Sacramento, CA 95827
(916) 366-5153 or (800) 321-2752
Colorado
No statewide licensing of building contractors.
Contact: Building department in city or county where construction is to be performed.
Connecticut
Requires statewide registration of home-improvement contractors. No experience or testing required. Contractors must carry worker's compensation insurance but no liability insurance required. No bonding required; contractors pay annually into a home-improvement warranty fund.
- Contact: Department of Consumer Protection
- Occupational Licensing Division
165 Capital Avenue
Hartford, CT 06106
(203) 566-2822
Delaware
Requires statewide licensing for all contractors. Some licenses also issued by cities and counties. No experience or testing required. Contractors must be bonded and insured.
- Contact: Division of Revenue
- PO. Box 2340
Wilmington, DE 19899-2340
(302) 577-5800 or (302) 577-3369
Florida
Requires statewide licensing of all contractors. Requires experience and completion of test. Requires contractor have bond and insurance.
- Contact: Construction Industry Licensing Board
- P.O. Box 2
Jacksonville, FL 32201
(904) 359-6310
Georgia
Requires statewide licensing of plumbing, electrical, heating and air-conditioning, alarm, and utility contractors. Experience and testing required. No insurance or bond required.
- Contact: Georgia Construction Industry Licensing Board
- 166 Pryor Street, SW
Atlanta, GA 30303
(404) 656-3939
City or county where construction work is to be performed.
Hawaii
Requires statewide licensing for all types of contractors. Requires successful completion of licensing test. Bonding required for some classifications of contractors. Requires worker's compensation insurance; other insurance optional.
- Contact: Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs
- Board of Contractors
1010 Richards Street
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 586-2700
Idaho
Requires statewide license for public works contractors only Some cities also license residential contractors. Requires open-book license test; no bond or insurance.
- Contact: Contractors Licensing Board
- 500 South 10th Street, Suite 105
Boise, ID 83720-7000
(208) 334-2966
City or county where construction work is to be performed.
Illinois
No statewide licensing of building contractors.
- Contact: Building department in city or county where construction is to be performed.
Indiana
No statewide licensing of building contractors.
- Contact: Building department in city or county where construction is to be performed.
Iowa
Requires statewide licensing of all contractors. No testing or experience required. Contractor must be insured and bonded.
- Contact: Division of Labor
1000 East Grand Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50319
(515) 281-3606
Kansas
No statewide licensing of building contractors.
- Contact: Building department in city or county where construction is to be performed.
Kentucky
Requires statewide licensing for plumbing, sprinkler, and boiler contractors only. Requires completion of licensing test. Insurance required; no bond.
- Contact: Department of Housing, Buildings, and Construction
- Division of Building Codes Enforcement
1047 US. 127 South, The 127 Building
Frankfort, KY 40601-4337
(502) 564-8090
Louisiana
Requires contractors be licensed for construction projects valued at $50,000 or more. Requires asbestos removal and hazardous waste contractors be licensed. Licensing test is required for all of these categories. No experience required. Bonding and insurance are optional.
- Contact: Department of Commerce
- Contractor's Licensing Board
PO. Box 14419
Baton Rouge, LA 70898-4419
(504) 765-2301
Maine
Requires statewide licensing for plumbers and electricians.
- Contact: Professional and Financial Regulation Department
- License and Enforcement Division
State House 35
Augusta, ME 04333
(207) 582-8723
Maryland
Requires statewide licensing of home-improvement contractors. Licensing test required; worker's compensation insurance required; bonding and other insurance optional.
- Contact: Department of Licensing and Regulation
- Home Improvement Commission
501 St. Paul Place
Baltimore, MD 21202
(301) 333-8120
Also requires that contractors engaged in new residential construction be licensed, which is essentially a revenue license. No test required. Requires worker's compensation insurance; bonding optional.
- Contact: Department of Revenue
- 301 West Preston Street, Room 404
Baltimore, MD 21201
(301) 225-1550
Massachusetts
Requires statewide licensing for all contractors. Contractor must be at least eighteen years old, show three years' verified experience, and pass a licensing test. Bond and insurance are optional.
- Contact: Commonwealth of Massachusetts
- Registration Division, Room 1301
1 Ashburn Place
Boston, MA 02108
(617) 727-3200
Michigan
Requires statewide licensing for residential and commercial construction and remodeling. Requires licensing test. No insurance or bond required.
- Contact: Department of Licensing and Registration
- Builders Unit
P.O. Box 30245, 611 West Ottawa
Lansing, MI 48909
(517) 373-0678
Minnesota
No statewide licensing of building contractors.
- Contact: Building department in city or county where construction work is to be performed.
Mississippi
Requires statewide licensing for contractors doing public work valued at over $100,000 or private work valued at over $50,000. Requires licensing test. No bond or insurance required.
- Contact: Mississippi State Contractor's Board
- 2001 Airport Road, Suite 101
Jackson, MS 39208
(601) 354-6161
Missouri
No statewide licensing of building contractors.
- Contact: Building department in city or county where construction work is to be performed.
Montana
Requires licensing for electrical, plumbing, and public works contractors only. No test, bond, or insurance required.
- Contact: Montana Department of Commerce
- Building Codes Bureau
Capitol Station
Helena, MT 59620
(406) 444-3933
Nebraska
No statewide licensing of building contractors.
- Contact: Building department in city or county where construction work is to be performed.
Nevada
Requires statewide licensing for all contractors. Requires four years' verified experience and completion of licensing test. Requires contractor have both bond and insurance.
- Contact: State Contractor's Board
- 1800 Industrial Road
Las Vegas, NV 89158
(702) 486-3500
State Contractor's Board
70 Linden Street
Reno, NV 89502
(702) 688-1141 or 688-1144
New Hampshire
No statewide licensing of building contractors.
- Contact: Building department in city or county where construction work is to be performed.
New Jersey
Requires statewide registration for new-construction contractors. Requires insurance and bond covering a 10-year limited warranty on the home. No requirements for remodeling contractors.
- Contact: Bureau of Home Owner Protection
- New Jersey Department of Community Affairs
CN 805
Trenton, NJ 08625-0805
(609) 530-6357
New Mexico
Requires statewide licensing of all contractors. Requires two to four years' experience and completion of a licensing test. Contractors required by state labor department to be insured. Bond is one option of proof of financial responsibility.
- Contact: Regulation and Licensing Department
- Construction Industries Division
P.O. Box 25101
Santa Fe, NM 87504
(505) 827-7030 or 827-7059
New York
No statewide licensing of building contractors.
- Contact: Building department in city or county where construction work is to be performed.
North Carolina
Requires statewide licensing for contractors. No experience required but licensing test must be passed. No bond or insurance required.
- Contact: North Carolina Licensing Board for
- General Contractors
P.O. Box 17187
Raleigh, NC 27619
(919) 571-4183
North Dakota
Requires statewide licensing of all contractors. No experience or testing required. Requires worker's compensation and liability insurance; contractor must be bonded,
- Contact: Secretary of State
- Capitol Building, lst Floor
600 East Boulevard Avenue
Bismarck, ND 58505-0500
(701) 224-3665
Ohio
No statewide licensing of building contractors,
- Contact: Building department in city or county where construction work is to be performed.
Oklahoma
Requires statewide licensing for plumbing, electrical, heating and air-conditioning, and alarm contractors only. Requires completion of a test. Requires insurance and bond.
- Contact: Oklahoma Department of Health
- 1000 Northeast 10th
Oklahoma City, OK 73152
(405)271-5600
Oregon
Requires statewide licensing of all contractors. No experience or testing required. Requires worker's compensation and liability insurance; contractor must be bonded.
- Contact: Construction Contractor's Board
- 700 Summer Street, NE
Salem, OR 97310
(503) 378-4621
Pennsylvania
No statewide licensing of building contractors.
- Contact: Building department in city or county where construction work is to be performed.
Rhode Island
Requires statewide registration of contractors. No experience or test required. Contractor must carry insurance; no bond.
- Contact: Department of Labor
- Contractor Registration
220 Elmwood Avenue
Providence, RI 02907
(401) 457-1860
South Carolina
Requires statewide licensing of commercial, public works, electrical, plumbing, and heating contractors only Experience and testing required; contractor must be bonded and insured.
- Contact: South Carolina Board of Contractors
- PO. Box 5737
Columbia, SC 29250
(803) 734-8954
South Dakota
Requires statewide licensing for plumbing and electrical contractors. Must verify experience and pass licensing test.
- Contact: Department of Commerce and Regulation
- Professional and Occupational Licensing
500 East Capitol Avenue
Pierre, SD 57501-5070
(605) 773-3177
Tennessee
Requires statewide licensing for contractors doing work valued at $25,000 or more. Requires completion of test. No bond or insurance required.
- Contact: Contractor's Licensing Board
- 500 James Robertson Parkway, Suite 110
Nashville, TN 37219
(615) 741-8307
Texas
No statewide licensing of building contractors.
- Contact: Building department in city or county where construction work is to be performed.
Utah
Requires statewide licensing of all contractors. Requires four years' verified experience and completion of licensing test. Contractors must be insured; no bond required.
- Contact: Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing
- PO. Box 45805
Salt Lake City, UT 84145-0805
(801) 530-6514
Vermont
No statewide licensing of building contractors.
- Contact: Building department in city or county where construction work is to be performed.
Virginia
Requires statewide testing and licensing for all contractors. Requires insurance; may require bond at local level.
- Contact: Contractor's Board
- 3600 West Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23230
(804) 367-8511
Washington
Requires statewide licensing of all contractors. No licensing test required. Contractors must be bonded and insured.
- Contact: Department of Labor and Industries
- Contractor's Registration
PO. Box 44450, 805 Plum Street
Olympia, WA 98504
(206) 586-6085
West Virginia
No statewide licensing of building contractors.
- Contact: Building department in city or county where construction work is to be performed.
Wisconsin
No statewide licensing of building contractors.
- Contact: Building department in city or county where construction work is to be performed.
Wyoming
No statewide licensing of building contractors.
- Contact: Building department in city or county where construction work is to be performed.
FAQs
- What should I look for when trying to choose a lawyer?
- How is the court system structured?
- What sorts of cases do state courts decide?
- Does needing a lawyer's help always mean that I have a legal dispute with someone?
- What is the idea behind our legal system?
Consumer Issues Resources
Helpful tools and forms available for purchase.Connect with lawyers today! LegalConnection.
Download more than 50,000 state-specific legal forms. Real estate documents, power of attorney forms, wills, employment contracts, divorce and separation agreements and much more.
Fast and friendly legal document service from LegalZoom, the #1 online legal document service