How to check a contractor license in Nevada

In Nevada, the State Contractors Board licenses general and specialty contractors, including plumbers and electricians. Search its free license database by license number, company name or the qualified individual's name, and check that the license classification fits the job. Homeowners who hire a properly licensed residential contractor may be able to claim from the Residential Recovery Fund.

How do I check a contractor license in Nevada?

Search the Nevada State Contractors Board's free license database. It takes a license number, a company name or the name of a principal or qualified individual.

Get the contractor's Nevada license number. If it isn't on the bid, ask for it.
Open the board's contractor license search at app.nvcontractorsboard.com.
Search by license number, company name or principal or qualified individual. Enter at least 2 characters. You don't need the whole name, and you can put an asterisk on each side of part of a name, as in *Smith*.
Confirm the license is active and the company matches the one on the bid.
Check that the classification fits the job, such as a B-2 for residential building or the right C classification for plumbing or electrical work.

We last checked this lookup on 2026-10-19. The board says the search results are a courtesy and may not reflect recent changes, so call before a big job if anything looks off. Its numbers are (775) 688-1141 in Reno and (702) 486-1100 in Las Vegas.

Does Nevada require a general contractor license?

Yes. The Nevada State Contractors Board licenses contractors in three classifications: A for general engineering, B for general building and C for specialty trades. The B-2 classification covers residential and small commercial work.

Classification C has 42 specialties, and plumbing and electrical work are among them. Because those trades have their own classifications, look at the classification on the record and not just the license number.

Can a handyman work without a license in Nevada?

Only on small jobs. The board's handyman exemption covers work to repair or maintain property valued at less than $1,000, including labor and materials. It doesn't apply when a building permit is required, and other conditions can rule it out.

A job that comes close to $1,000, or one that needs a permit, is a reason to search the handyman's name before work starts. If you're not sure the exemption fits, call the board and describe the job.

Who licenses electricians and plumbers in Nevada?

The same board does. Plumbing and electrical are C specialty classifications, so you search those contractors in the same license database.

What is the Nevada Residential Recovery Fund?

It's a fund that can pay owners of single-family homes who contracted with a properly licensed residential contractor and suffered actual damages. Claims are capped at $40,000, and the homeowner must have exhausted other means of recovery first.

The fund isn't available to homeowners who hire unlicensed contractors. That's one more reason to run the license search before anyone signs a contract. Meeting the basic conditions doesn't mean a claim will be paid, so a homeowner with a dispute should call the board early.

A license record also has limits. It doesn't show whether the work is any good, and it may lag behind recent changes. Ask for a current certificate of insurance and talk to people the contractor has worked for. If a client is moving out of Nevada, the guides for other states cover their lookups.

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

This article is general information, not legal advice. Rules change, so confirm details with the Nevada State Contractors Board.

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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 Nevada 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.