Every state's licensing authority, what it actually covers, and the questions that get you a straight answer. We link you to the board instead of reprinting requirements — because those change, and you should not bet a business on a page someone wrote two years ago.
Plenty of sites will tell you a state wants 4,000 hours and a $15,000 bond. Some of those numbers are right. You cannot tell which from reading them, and the ones that are wrong are wrong in a way that costs money — an unlicensed contract is unenforceable in several states, meaning you cannot sue to collect on work you have already done.
So this directory does the part that stays true: it names the authority, says what that authority covers, links straight to it, and gives you the questions that get a usable answer in one phone call. Where we have verified a specific fact against the board itself, it appears on the state page and says so.
These are where most contractors get caught out, regardless of where they work.
A state contractor licence does not replace a city or county licence, a business registration, or a permit. Many jurisdictions require their own registration on top, and the local rule is often the stricter one.
Most states set a project-value threshold below which unlicensed work is legal. That number is the single most important thing to confirm, because crossing it unlicensed can void your right to be paid for the job.
In several states a contract performed without a required licence cannot be enforced in court — meaning you cannot sue to collect, and in some jurisdictions the customer can recover what they already paid. This is the expensive version of getting it wrong.
Electrical, plumbing, HVAC and sometimes roofing are usually licensed by their own boards with their own experience requirements, even in states with a single contractor board. Holding a general licence does not let you self-perform them.
Boards want verifiable evidence — employer affidavits, tax records, pay stubs. Start keeping that paperwork before you need it, because reconstructing four years of experience retroactively is painful.
Some states recognise licences from named states for named trades, often only at journeyman level and usually still requiring an application and a law exam. Never assume your licence travels.
In order. Write the answers down with the date and the name of who told you — boards change staff and guidance, and a dated note is worth having.
Every authority link was checked to resolve. Some state sites block automated requests while working normally in a browser — those were confirmed another way. This is a signpost, not legal advice: confirm anything consequential with the board, and with a construction attorney if money turns on it.
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