How to check a contractor license in Alaska

Search the contractor in the state's professional license search, run by the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing. Alaska requires every contractor to register before bidding or working. To build or substantially alter a home of one to four units, a general contractor also needs a residential contractor endorsement, so look for it on the record.

How do I look up a contractor license in Alaska?

Use the professional license search run by the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing. Alaska calls the credential a certificate of registration, and under AS 08.18.011 a contractor can't submit a bid or do the work without one.

Get the contractor's registration number, or the exact business name that will go on the contract.
Open the Division's professional license search and search by number or name. The state's site may only load in a regular web browser, so open it there if a link preview fails.
Confirm the registration is current and that the business name matches your contract.
Check the registration type. Alaska law separates general contractors, specialty contractors, mechanical contractors and electrical contractors, so make sure the type fits the job.
If the job is building a home or a large remodel of one, look for the residential contractor endorsement.
For plumbing, heating or wiring, check that the business is registered as a mechanical or electrical contractor.

We last checked this lookup on 2026-10-19. If the search won't open, call the Division's professional licensing office in Juneau at (907) 465-2550. The Division's forms also point to License Search at ProfessionalLicense.Alaska.Gov for current licensee records. Contractors in other states are covered in how to check a contractor license, state by state.

Does a contractor need a residential endorsement in Alaska?

Yes, when a general contractor builds or substantially alters a privately owned home of one to four units. Under AS 08.18.025, an alteration counts when the changes are worth more than 25 percent of the structure's value, and the rule also covers bidding on or advertising that kind of work.

The endorsement takes more than paperwork. The contractor must already hold a general contractor registration and pass a residential contractor exam, which can test arctic building and insulation techniques. Within the two years before applying, the contractor must also finish the Alaska Craftsman Home Program or an equivalent, or a college course in arctic engineering. A repair worth less than a quarter of the home's value doesn't trigger the endorsement, but the contractor still needs a registration.

What bond and insurance does an Alaska contractor need?

Every contractor files a surety bond and proof of insurance with the state when registering, and the bond amount depends on the type of registration. AS 08.18.071 sets these amounts.

Registration	Bond
General contractor	$25,000
General contractor with a residential endorsement doing only residential work	$20,000
Mechanical or specialty contractor	$10,000
Contractor whose work on one project totals $10,000 or less	$5,000

Under AS 08.18.101, a contractor also files proof of workers' compensation coverage where state law requires it, plus liability insurance of at least $20,000 for property damage, $50,000 for injury to one person and $100,000 for injury to more than one person. The liability requirement doesn't apply to a contractor whose projects each cost $2,500 or less. Remember that a bond pays only up to its amount, which is small next to the cost of a new roof. The same chapter also bars contractors from advertising that they're "bonded and insured" just because they met these minimums.

Who licenses electricians and plumbers in Alaska?

Electrical and plumbing contractors register with the same Division, and each registration needs a licensed administrator behind it. Under AS 08.18.026, an electrical contractor must be or employ a licensed electrical administrator, and under AS 08.18.028, a mechanical contractor must be or employ a licensed mechanical administrator.

Alaska law counts plumbing and pipe fitting as mechanical work, so a plumbing business should show up as a mechanical contractor. This article doesn't cover how individual electricians and plumbers are certified. If you want to check the person doing the work, call the Division at (907) 465-2550 and ask.

What does an Alaska license lookup not tell you?

It doesn't tell you whether the contractor does good work. A current registration means the paperwork, bond and insurance were on file, and that's all it means.

It says nothing about quality. Only past customers can tell you whether a contractor is slow, hard to reach or careless.
Insurance may not be current today. Proof of insurance is filed at registration and renewal, so ask for a current certificate of insurance before a big job.
A bond is limited. A $25,000 bond can be used up quickly on a home remodel gone wrong.
Complaints only appear if someone filed them. A clean record can mean unhappy customers never called the state.
It doesn't confirm who's at the door. Make sure the person on site works for the business on the registration.

If the contractor has also worked in another state, check that state's records too. The lookups for Washington and Hawaii are on their own pages.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Rules change, so confirm details with the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing.

Sources

Agents can keep these contractors in Proferral

Proferral is a free app real estate agents use to keep a go-to list of the providers they trust and to remember every referral they send. Its license checks cover Oregon and Washington only, so for Alaska you still run the lookup above by hand. Here's how Proferral's license checks work.

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