How to check a contractor license in New York

New York State doesn't license general or home improvement contractors. Licensing is local: New York City and Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Putnam and Rockland counties require a home improvement contractor license. In New York City, search the contractor in DCWP's business license search. Elsewhere, ask your town or county building department who licenses contractors there.

How do I check if a contractor is licensed in New York?

It depends on where the job is, because New York licenses home improvement contractors locally. In New York City, search the business in the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection's Search Business tool. In Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Putnam and Rockland counties, check with the county that issues the license, and anywhere else ask the town or county building department.

For a job in New York City, the steps look like this. Outside the city, start with the county or town office named above.

Get the business name or the DCWP license number from the contractor.
Open DCWP's Search Business tool. You don't need an account to search. We last checked this lookup on 2026-10-19. The tool is a web app that needs a full browser to load, so open it in a regular web browser, or start from DCWP's Check License Status page, which links to it.
Confirm the business holds an active Home Improvement Contractor license and that the name matches your contract.
Check DCWP's list of unlicensed home improvement contractors. It names businesses that were cited in the last 12 months for working without a license and are still unlicensed.

In the city, a contractor needs the license for home improvement work that costs more than $200 on any residential building. DCWP updates the unlicensed list monthly and its search daily, so the search is the one to trust for current status.

Does New York State require a contractor license?

No. The Department of State's Division of Building Standards and Codes says it doesn't handle licensing of contractors or electricians. The Attorney General lists New York City and Suffolk, Nassau, Westchester, Putnam and Rockland counties as the places where home improvement contractors must be licensed.

The New York City license has real requirements behind it. Applicants pass a 30-question exam, get fingerprinted, show workers' compensation coverage or an exemption, and either join the Home Improvement Business Trust Fund or post a $20,000 surety bond. In a county with no license, a contractor may have done none of that.

How do I verify a plumber is licensed in New York State?

Check locally. In New York City, the Department of Buildings licenses master plumbers and master electricians, and its License Search shows a license's status and any disciplinary actions. Outside the city, ask the town or county building department whether plumbers need a local license there and how to look one up.

The DOB License Search covers master plumbers, electrical contractors, general contractors and other trades. You can search by last name, business name or license number, and partial words work. Set the view to Active if you only want current licenses.

What should you check outside the licensing counties?

Without a local license, you're relying on the contractor's paperwork and the building department. Ask for a current certificate of insurance, because the Attorney General warns that a homeowner could be held liable if a worker is hurt or property is damaged and the contractor doesn't carry the required insurance. Confirm that the contractor pulls permits from the local building department.

Get a written contract too, since state law requires one for home improvement work. The Attorney General says it should include a timeline, a payment schedule and details such as the types or brands of materials. None of this tells you whether the work will be good, so keep it as the minimum before you refer anyone.

Contractors from New Jersey and Connecticut work in New York all the time. The state-by-state guide has those states' lookups, but a job in New York City still needs a DCWP license.

A job near a state line can involve a contractor based next door, so check that state's records too. The lookups for Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania are on their own pages.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Rules change, so confirm details with your city or county licensing office.

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 New York 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.