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
3,836 listed here
Alabama
2,723 listed here
Arkansas
12,564 listed here
Arizona
43,015 listed here
California
244,740 listed here
Connecticut
35,721 listed here
District of Columbia
1,098 listed here
Florida
137,090 listed here
Georgia
13,510 listed here
Hawaii
5,088 listed here
Idaho
19,789 listed here
Louisiana
19,906 listed here
Massachusetts
43,322 listed here
Maryland
7,672 listed here
Michigan
2,371 listed here
Minnesota
15,747 listed here
Mississippi
Not yet listed
North Carolina
24,282 listed here
North Dakota
6,371 listed here
New Jersey
43,371 listed here
New Mexico
1,649 listed here
Nevada
12,279 listed here
Oregon
36,668 listed here
Rhode Island
Not yet listed
South Carolina
756 listed here
Tennessee
35,944 listed here
Utah
Not yet listed
Virginia
39,632 listed here
Vermont
6,217 listed here
Washington
71,590 listed here
Wisconsin
2,258 listed here
West Virginia
7,966 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
35,949 listed here
Delaware
12,780 listed here
Iowa
9,125 listed here
Illinois
30,339 listed here
Indiana
5,715 listed here
Kansas
1,992 listed here
Kentucky
2,493 listed here
Maine
16,631 listed here
Missouri
3,985 listed here
Montana
10,288 listed here
Nebraska
3,587 listed here
New Hampshire
Not yet listed
Ohio
25,296 listed here
Oklahoma
3,454 listed here
South Dakota
1,157 listed here
Texas
74,231 listed here
Wyoming
517 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.