Contractor licensing, state by state
"Licensed and insured" means very different things depending on where you live. In some states it is a real credential you can look up. In others there is no general contractor licence at all and the phrase means nothing. We checked all 51, and this is what we found.
Statewide licence (32 states)
This state licenses contractors at state level, so there is a single register to check and a licence number that means something everywhere in the state.
Alaska
5,957 listed here
Alabama
2,980 listed here
Arkansas
12,869 listed here
Arizona
43,014 listed here
California
245,675 listed here
Connecticut
36,611 listed here
District of Columbia
1,117 listed here
Florida
132,039 listed here
Georgia
12,882 listed here
Hawaii
5,088 listed here
Idaho
19,495 listed here
Louisiana
19,679 listed here
Massachusetts
43,102 listed here
Maryland
7,616 listed here
Michigan
2,298 listed here
Minnesota
15,603 listed here
Mississippi
Not yet listed
North Carolina
22,710 listed here
North Dakota
6,332 listed here
New Jersey
42,587 listed here
New Mexico
1,636 listed here
Nevada
12,231 listed here
Oregon
36,455 listed here
Rhode Island
Not yet listed
South Carolina
717 listed here
Tennessee
35,903 listed here
Utah
Not yet listed
Virginia
39,572 listed here
Vermont
6,244 listed here
Washington
71,233 listed here
Wisconsin
2,228 listed here
West Virginia
8,019 listed here
Only specific trades are licensed (17 states)
This state licenses individual trades such as electrical, plumbing and HVAC, but issues no general contractor or remodeler licence. Anyone can call themselves a general contractor here. Licensing for the rest happens at city level, if at all.
Colorado
36,182 listed here
Delaware
12,562 listed here
Iowa
8,738 listed here
Illinois
29,611 listed here
Indiana
5,657 listed here
Kansas
1,979 listed here
Kentucky
2,404 listed here
Maine
16,631 listed here
Missouri
4,008 listed here
Montana
10,552 listed here
Nebraska
3,514 listed here
New Hampshire
Not yet listed
Ohio
25,271 listed here
Oklahoma
3,411 listed here
South Dakota
1,287 listed here
Texas
72,886 listed here
Wyoming
496 listed here
Licensed by city or county (2 states)
There is no statewide licence. Whether your contractor needs one depends on which city or county you live in, and the rules differ between neighbouring towns.