How to check a contractor license in Idaho

Idaho doesn't issue a general contractor license, but most contractors must register with the Idaho Contractors Board, part of the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses. Search the registration in DOPL's online license search. Electricians, plumbers and HVAC contractors hold separate licenses from their own DOPL boards, and you can search those on DOPL too.

How do I look up a contractor in Idaho?

Search DOPL's online search for a license or registration. A general contractor, remodeler or roofer will show up as a contractor registration, while electricians, plumbers and HVAC contractors show up as licenses.

Get the contractor's business name and the owner's name.
Go to the DOPL home page and click Search for a License or Registration, or open the search directly at edopl.idaho.gov/OnlineServices.
Search the business or the person and open the contractor registration.
Confirm the registration is current and that the name matches the business on the bid.
Look for formal actions. The Contractors Board says the same public search is where it shows formal actions against registered contractors.

We last checked this lookup on 2026-10-19. The search only works in a browser with cookies turned on, and when we checked it we got a cookies message instead of the search, so open it in a regular web browser. If you get stuck, DOPL takes questions at 208-334-3233.

Does Idaho require a general contractor license?

No. Idaho doesn't issue a general contractor license, but state law makes it unlawful to work as a contractor without registering with the Idaho Contractors Board.

That rule comes from the Idaho Contractor Registration Act, at Idaho Code 54-5204. It also makes it unlawful for a contractor to hire another contractor who should be registered and can't show proof. The board calls it a registration, not a license, so treat it as a sign-up with the state and nothing more.

Some work is exempt. Idaho Code 54-5205 exempts a single casual, minor or inconsequential project with a total contract price under $2,000, so a small handyman job may have no registration behind it at all. Owners working on their own home are exempt too.

Who licenses electricians and plumbers in Idaho?

Separate DOPL boards do. The Idaho Electrical Board licenses electricians and electrical contractors, the State Plumbing Board licenses plumbers and plumbing contractors, and the HVAC Board licenses heating and air conditioning contractors.

Each board issues several levels. The Electrical Board's list runs from apprentice through journeyman and master to contractor, with limited contractor and limited installer licenses for narrower work. The Plumbing and HVAC Boards each issue contractor, journeyman and apprentice licenses, plus specialty versions. Contractors who bid on public works jobs hold yet another DOPL license, so that's a different record from the ones above.

What should you check where a registration is all there is?

Check the things the registration doesn't cover. A contractor registration shows the business signed up with the state, and that's about all it shows.

Ask for a current certificate of insurance before a remodel or a new roof.
Ask for recent customers who had similar jobs done, and call them.
Ask whether the city or county issued a permit for the work, and who pulled it.
Make sure the crew at the door works for the business named on the registration.

None of this tells you whether the work will be good. Only your clients' experience tells you that. For other states, see how to check a contractor license, state by state.

A job near a state line can involve a contractor based next door, so check that state's records too. The lookups for Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming and Montana are on their own pages.

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

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 Idaho 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.