How to check a contractor license in New Mexico
New Mexico's Construction Industries Division licenses contractors, and a GB-2 license covers building, remodeling and repairing homes of up to four units. Search the contractor's business name or license number in the CID license search run by PSI. The same division licenses electrical, plumbing, mechanical and LP gas contractors, so every trade checks in one place.
How do I check a contractor license in New Mexico?
Search the Construction Industries Division's license lookup, which PSI hosts for the state. Look the company up by license number or business name, then confirm the license is active, the name matches and the classification fits the job.
- Ask the contractor for its CID license number, or write down the business name exactly as it appears on the bid.
- Open the CID license search at public.psiexams.com/search.jsp, which the CID website links to. We last checked this lookup on 2026-10-19.
- Choose Search Company and pick Contractor as the company type.
- Enter the license number or business name. The form wants at least three characters, and for a name you type at least the first word of it, symbols included, as in "B & H".
- Fill in the CAPTCHA and run the search.
- Confirm the license is active, the business name matches your bid, and the classification covers the work.
If a record is unclear, call CID. Its offices are in Albuquerque at 505-222-9800, Santa Fe at 505-476-4700 and Las Cruces at 575-524-6320, and they're open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
What is a GB-2 license in New Mexico?
GB-2 is New Mexico's residential building license. Under 14.6.6 NMAC, it lets a contractor erect, alter, repair or demolish homes and apartment houses of up to four family units, and it requires two years of foreman-level experience.
GB-98 is the general building license. It covers residential and commercial buildings, includes everything a GB-2 allows, and requires four years of foreman-level experience, two of them commercial. For a single-family remodel, either one covers the building work.
The code itself tells you something. In CID's system, G stands for the general construction field, B for building construction and 2 for residential building, so you can read the field and the type of work straight off the record.
Who licenses electricians and plumbers in New Mexico?
The Construction Industries Division does. Its electrical, plumbing and mechanical, and LP gas bureaus cover those trades, so you check an electrician or plumber in the same CID license search as a general contractor.
The classification tells you the trade. EE-98 is the electrical contractor classification for residential and commercial wiring, MM-1 is plumbing, and MM-3 is heating, ventilation and air conditioning. The electricians doing the wiring also need a journeyman certificate, and you can look one up under Search Individual by certificate number or name.
What does a New Mexico license lookup not tell you?
It tells you a license exists and what it covers, not whether the contractor does good work. Treat an active license as the minimum before you refer anyone. If the contractor is based across a state line, the state-by-state guide has the neighboring states' lookups.
- One classification doesn't cover every trade. Under CID rules, a contractor has to subcontract work outside its classification to someone licensed for it, so ask who will do the electrical and plumbing on a remodel.
- A similar name isn't the same company. Check that the name on the license matches the name on your bid, down to the symbols.
- The lookup is about the license, not insurance. For a big job, ask the contractor for a current certificate of insurance.
A job near a state line can involve a contractor based next door, so check that state's records too. The lookups for Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma and Texas are on their own pages.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Rules change, so confirm details with the Construction Industries Division.
Sources
- New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department: Construction Industries Division
- PSI: License search for the Construction Industries Division
- New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department: 14.6.6 NMAC, Classifications and Scopes (PDF)
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 New Mexico you still run the lookup above by hand. Here's how Proferral's license checks work.
It's free, no credit card needed, and you're never charged unless you choose Pro.