50 states · 11 project types · 550 deep-link checklist pages
Contractor licensing & permit rules by state
The single biggest predictor of a contractor disaster is hiring someone who wasn't legally allowed to do the work. This cluster gives you the licensing authority + lookup URL + permit checklist for any project × state in the country, plus the deal-breakers (no statewide GC license, no bond, no workers comp).
50 states — at a glance
Each state links into its 11 project-specific licensing pages. Statewide licensing (green) gives consumers a single authority to verify against; municipal-only states (amber) mean you have to check city/county too.
Alabama
Statewide: Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board
License threshold: $10,000+
Alaska
Statewide: Alaska Division of Corporations
Arizona
Statewide: Arizona Registrar of Contractors
License threshold: $1,000+
Arkansas
Statewide: Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board
License threshold: $2,000+
California
Statewide: California Contractors State License Board
License threshold: $500+
Colorado
Municipal / trade-specific only
Connecticut
Statewide: Connecticut Dept. of Consumer Protection
License threshold: $200+
Delaware
Statewide: Delaware Division of Revenue
Florida
Statewide: Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board
Georgia
Statewide: Georgia State Licensing Board for Residential & General Contractors
License threshold: $2,500+
Hawaii
Statewide: Hawaii Contractors License Board
License threshold: $1,500+
Idaho
Statewide: Idaho Division of Occupational & Professional Licenses
License threshold: $2,000+
Illinois
Municipal / trade-specific only
Indiana
Municipal / trade-specific only
Iowa
Statewide: Iowa Division of Labor
License threshold: $2,000+
Kansas
Municipal / trade-specific only
Kentucky
Municipal / trade-specific only
Louisiana
Statewide: Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors
License threshold: $75,000+
Maine
Municipal / trade-specific only
Maryland
Statewide: Maryland Home Improvement Commission
Massachusetts
Statewide: Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs
License threshold: $1,000+
Michigan
Statewide: Michigan Dept. of Licensing & Regulatory Affairs
License threshold: $600+
Minnesota
Statewide: Minnesota Dept. of Labor & Industry
License threshold: $15,000+
Mississippi
Statewide: Mississippi State Board of Contractors
License threshold: $50,000+
Missouri
Municipal / trade-specific only
Montana
Statewide: Montana Dept. of Labor & Industry
Nebraska
Statewide: Nebraska Contractor Registration Act
License threshold: $5,000+
Nevada
Statewide: Nevada State Contractors Board
License threshold: $1,000+
New Hampshire
Municipal / trade-specific only
New Jersey
Statewide: New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs
License threshold: $500+
New Mexico
Statewide: New Mexico Regulation & Licensing Dept.
New York
Municipal / trade-specific only
North Carolina
Statewide: North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors
License threshold: $40,000+
North Dakota
Statewide: North Dakota Secretary of State
License threshold: $4,000+
Ohio
Municipal / trade-specific only
Oklahoma
Municipal / trade-specific only
Oregon
Statewide: Oregon Construction Contractors Board
Pennsylvania
Statewide: Pennsylvania Attorney General
License threshold: $5,000+
Rhode Island
Statewide: Rhode Island Contractors' Registration & Licensing Board
South Carolina
Statewide: South Carolina Residential Builders Commission
License threshold: $5,000+
South Dakota
Municipal / trade-specific only
Tennessee
Statewide: Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors
License threshold: $25,000+
Texas
Municipal / trade-specific only
Utah
Statewide: Utah Division of Professional Licensing
License threshold: $3,000+
Vermont
Statewide: Vermont Office of Professional Regulation
License threshold: $10,000+
Virginia
Statewide: Virginia Dept. of Professional & Occupational Regulation
License threshold: $1,000+
Washington
Statewide: Washington State Dept. of Labor & Industries
West Virginia
Statewide: West Virginia Division of Labor
License threshold: $2,500+
Wisconsin
Statewide: Wisconsin Dept. of Safety & Professional Services
Wyoming
Municipal / trade-specific only
What "licensed" actually means (and where it doesn't)
Statewide licensing states (CA, FL, NC, NV, OR, etc.) run a single board that screens contractors for competency, requires bonds and insurance, and lets consumers verify licenses online in one click. They also typically run a Recovery Fund that compensates consumers when a licensed contractor goes under.
Municipal-only states (NY, IL, PA, TX, OH, MO, etc.) have no statewide GC license — meaning a "Texas contractor" is just a person with a business name. Some trades (electrical, plumbing) are licensed at the state level; everything else is up to the city. NYC, Chicago, Indianapolis, Kansas City, and St. Louis all require their own GC license + bond.
Permits are separate from licensing. A licensed contractor still needs to pull a permit for any plan-reviewed work. The biggest red flag when hiring is a contractor who proposes to do the job "without a permit" to save you money — that almost always becomes the homeowner's problem at resale (failed inspection, forced retro-permitting, lien).
If a contractor has already given you trouble, run the /contractor-dispute-calculator for a state-aware lawsuit/small-claims verdict.