How to check a contractor license in Maryland

Look the contractor up in the Maryland Home Improvement Commission's public query, which finds active licensees by personal name, trade name, location, salesperson name or license number. Only MHIC licensees may contract with homeowners for home improvement work. Electricians, plumbers and HVAC contractors hold separate licenses from their own state boards, and each board has a search.

How do I check if a contractor is licensed in Maryland?

Search for the contractor in the Home Improvement Public Query, which the Maryland Department of Labor runs for the Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC). You can search by the contractor's last name, trade name, city or zip code, the salesperson's last name, or the license number, and the results show active licensees.

Get the MHIC license number from the contract, the estimate or the contractor's ad. If you can't find it, ask for it.
Open the Home Improvement Public Query and search by license number. We last checked this lookup on 2026-10-19.
If the number finds nothing, search the trade name and the owner's last name too, since a typo on the paperwork can hide a record.
Search the salesperson by name as well. The MHIC licenses salespersons along with contractors, and the query has its own salesperson search.
Check that the trade name on the record matches the name on your contract.
Ask the MHIC about disciplinary actions. The query page says to contact the commission for that information.

The query only lists active licensees. A contractor who doesn't come up may have an expired license or may never have held one, and the MHIC can tell you which. Call the commission at 410-230-6231 or toll free at 1-888-218-5925.

Does Maryland require a home improvement license?

Yes. Only contractors licensed by the MHIC may enter into contracts with homeowners to do home improvement work, which means the alteration, remodeling, repair or replacement of a building or part of a building used as a home. That includes work inside an individual condominium unit, but not the common areas of a condominium or buildings with four or more single-family units.

The license also gives homeowners a place to turn when a job goes wrong. The MHIC Guaranty Fund repays actual money lost to poor workmanship or a contractor who didn't perform, up to the amount paid to the contractor and no more than $30,000. If the awards against one contractor pass $250,000, each homeowner's share is pro-rated.

Who licenses electricians and plumbers in Maryland?

Separate boards in the Maryland Department of Labor do. The State Board of Electricians licenses master, journeyperson and apprentice electricians, the State Board of Plumbing licenses plumbers and gas fitters, and the Board of HVACR Contractors licenses people who do residential and commercial heating, cooling and refrigeration work.

Electricians: use the Master Electricians Public Query to search by name, location or license number.
Plumbers and gas fitters: use the Plumbers Public Query. The board's licenses are required everywhere in the state except Baltimore County and the areas the WSSC serves in Prince George's and Montgomery counties, so for a job there, ask the county or the WSSC which license applies.
HVAC contractors: use the HVACR Public Query to search by name, location or license number.

Each board keeps its own records, so the MHIC query won't show a trade license. If a remodel includes new wiring, a gas line or ductwork, look up the person doing that part of the job too.

What does an MHIC lookup not tell you?

It tells you the license is active, not whether the contractor does good work. The record has a few other gaps you should know about before anyone signs a contract.

It doesn't show complaints or discipline. Ask the MHIC, as the query page suggests.
It doesn't show insurance. Ask the contractor for a current certificate of insurance before work starts.
It says nothing about the quality of the work. Only past customers can tell you that.
The Guaranty Fund has a cap. It pays no more than $30,000 to a homeowner, which can fall short on a large remodel.

Every state runs its own board and its own search. If the contractor also works across a state line, the guide on how to check a contractor license, state by state covers the other lookups.

A job near a state line can involve a contractor based next door, so check that state's records too. The lookups for Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia are on their own pages.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Rules change, so confirm details with the Maryland Home Improvement Commission.

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 Maryland you still run the lookup above by hand. Here's how Proferral's license checks work.

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