How to check a DC contractor license

In the District of Columbia, look the business up in DLCP's free Scout database. Every home improvement contractor in the District needs a Home Improvement Contractor license and a Home Improvement Salesperson license, backed by a $25,000 surety bond and liability insurance. Trades with their own licensing boards are checked in DLCP's separate Access DC license search.

How do I check a contractor license in DC?

Search the business in Scout, the license database run by the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP), and confirm it holds an active license for home improvement work. DLCP's Quick Services page links to Scout for checking a business license.

Get the business name exactly as it appears on the estimate or contract.
Open Scout at scout.dcra.dc.gov in a regular web browser and search for the business.
Open the business license record and confirm it's active.
Check that the license covers home improvement work, and that the name and address match the business you're dealing with.
Ask the contractor to show you its DLCP-issued corporate registration, business license and proof of general liability insurance, which DLCP itself suggests.

We last checked this lookup on 2026-10-19. Scout runs as a JavaScript app, so it may need to be opened in a regular web browser; our test request that day got back an empty page. If it won't load, start from DLCP's Quick Services page and choose Verify a Business License, or call DLCP at (202) 671-4500. For contractors outside the District, the state-by-state list covers each state's lookup.

Does DC require a home improvement contractor license?

Yes. DLCP says all home improvement contractors are legally required to have a Home Improvement Contractor license and a Home Improvement Salesperson license, or a designated salesperson.

To get the contractor license, a business has to show DLCP a certificate of liability insurance, a $25,000 surety bond, a sample home improvement contract, and tax registration with a Clean Hands certification. It also needs corporate registration where that applies and, if it's based in the District, a Certificate of Occupancy or Home Occupation Permit. The salesperson license is a separate application with its own requirements.

How do I check an electrician or plumber license in DC?

Use DLCP's Access DC OPL License Search, which covers trades with their own occupational and professional licensing boards. DLCP's Quick Services page links to it for checking an occupational or professional license.

That search may ask you to sign in to an Access DC account before it shows anything, because our test request on 2026-10-19 landed on a sign-in page. If you'd rather not create an account, call DLCP at (202) 671-4500 and ask about the license. Check the electrician or plumber by name even when the general contractor's Scout record looks clean, because the two searches cover different licenses.

What does a DC license lookup not tell you?

It doesn't tell you whether the contractor does good work. A Scout record shows a business license, and it has other limits too:

It says nothing about the quality of the work. DLCP suggests checking references and getting estimates from more than one contractor.
Insurance can lapse after licensing. The contractor had to show liability insurance to get the license, so ask for current proof before work starts.
A bond is limited. A $25,000 bond can be small next to the cost of a full renovation.
A license isn't a permit. Ask the contractor whether the job needs a permit and who will pull it.
The contract is yours to read. DLCP says to put the timeline, payment schedule and materials in writing, and to have someone you trust review the contract before you sign.

A job near a state line can involve a contractor based next door, so check that state's records too. The lookups for Maryland and Virginia are on their own pages.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Rules change, so confirm details with DLCP.

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 State only, so for the District of Columbia you still run the lookup above by hand. Here's how Proferral's license checks work.

Start your list, free

It's free, no credit card needed, and you're never charged unless you choose Pro.