How to Verify a General Contractor's License

Quick answer

Search your state's contractor licensing board or registrar. In states with statewide licensing (California, Florida, Texas, Arizona, etc.) the lookup is centralized. In locally licensed states (New York, Illinois, Colorado), verify with the city or county where work will occur. Always separately verify bonding and insurance — these are not confirmed by the license search alone.

State licensing vs. local licensing

General contractor licensing in the U.S. falls into three categories:

Category	How it Works	Example States
Statewide licensing	State issues a single license valid throughout the state; central online lookup available	California, Florida, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana
Local licensing	Cities and counties issue licenses; a license from one jurisdiction may not be valid in another	New York, Illinois, Colorado, Ohio (for residential), Minnesota
Registration only / no statewide license	State requires business registration but not a technical license; or has no statewide requirement at all	Kansas, Missouri (except specialty trades), Vermont (some categories)

Always ask the contractor which jurisdiction issued their license and confirm that license is valid for the location where work will be performed. A California C-B General Building contractor license does not authorize work in Nevada.

State contractor license lookups

State contractor license portals (selected)

California: CSLB — cslb.ca.gov; License Check; search B (General Building) or A (General Engineering)
Florida: DBPR — myfloridalicense.com; search Certified General Contractor or Registered General Contractor
Texas: No statewide GC license; verify through local building departments; some specialty trades require TDLR licenses
Arizona: ROC — roc.az.gov; License Search; search B-1 (General Commercial) or B-2 (General Residential)
Nevada: Nevada State Contractors Board — nvcontractorsboard.com; License Search
North Carolina: NC Licensing Board for General Contractors — nclbgc.org; License Verification
Georgia: Secretary of State / GCOC — sos.ga.gov; search General Contractor
Louisiana: LSLBC — lslbc.louisiana.gov; License Verification
Maryland: MHIC (for home improvement) — dllr.state.md.us; License Search
Virginia: DPOR — dpor.virginia.gov; search Class A, B, or C Contractor
Washington: L&I — verify.lni.wa.gov; search General Contractor

The NASCLA exam

The National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies (NASCLA) offers the Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractor, accepted in 17+ states as a substitute for or supplement to state-specific licensing exams. A contractor holding a NASCLA-accredited credential can often obtain reciprocal licenses in multiple member states more easily.

However, passing the NASCLA exam does not mean a contractor holds an active license in any state. The exam is one part of a state licensing application. Always verify the final state license, not just the exam credential.

NASCLA member states (exam accepted)

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming, and others. States update participation periodically — verify at nascla.org.

License classifications to understand

In states with classification-based licensing, a "General Contractor license" may have a dollar-value limit or project-type restriction. Common classifications:

Unlimited / Class A: No dollar or project-type restriction; broadest authorization; typically requires most experience and largest bond.
Intermediate / Class B: Project value cap (e.g., projects under $1M in some states); or restricted to certain project types.
Limited / Class C / Residential: Restricted to residential or small commercial work; lowest bond requirements.

Confirm the contractor's classification is appropriate for the scale and type of your project before signing any contract.

Bonding and insurance verification

Licensing does not confirm current bonding or insurance. These must be verified separately, and they can lapse independently of the license.

Surety bond: Protects the owner if the contractor fails to complete the work or pay subcontractors and suppliers. Bond amount requirements vary by state and license class (typically $10K–$100K+). Bond status may appear on the license record, but also request the current bond certificate from the contractor.
General liability insurance: Covers property damage and bodily injury during construction. Minimum $1M per occurrence for most residential projects; $2M+ for commercial. Request a Certificate of Insurance (COI) naming you as additional insured.
Workers' compensation insurance: Required for employees. If the contractor uses subcontractors, confirm each sub carries their own workers' comp.
Builder's risk / installation floater: Covers materials and work-in-progress during construction. Often carried by the project owner, but confirm who holds the policy.

Additional verification steps

BBB and state consumer protection complaints: Check for patterns of complaints about incomplete work, payment disputes, or code violations.
Lien history: Mechanics liens filed against previous projects indicate payment disputes with subcontractors or suppliers. Search your county recorder's office.
Active permits: Ask the contractor to identify past projects and pull public permit records from local building departments to confirm they actually performed and closed out permitted work.
Disciplinary actions: Contractor license records typically include complaint and disciplinary history. Review before hiring.

Verification checklist

1. Determine whether licensing is state-issued or local for the project jurisdiction
2. Search the state contractor licensing board or local licensing authority — confirm Active status, classification, and expiration date
3. Confirm the license classification is appropriate for the project scope and value
4. Request the current surety bond certificate — verify bond is active and amount is sufficient
5. Request a Certificate of Insurance (COI) — verify general liability and workers' comp, with you named as additional insured
6. Review disciplinary and complaint history on the license record
7. Check BBB and state consumer protection complaint history
8. For larger projects, verify mechanics lien history through the county recorder

Verify trade school and apprenticeship accreditation

General contractors and project managers who trained at vocational schools or construction management programs should have graduated from accredited institutions. Use VerifyED to confirm school accreditation before accepting educational credentials.

Search Schools and Accreditation →