How do you check a contractor license in your state?

Find the state agency that licenses the trade, search its public lookup by license number or business name, and read the status, the license type and any limit on the record; a lookup is an optional public-record step, and a record is not a recommendation.

Source: Contractors State License Board (California), Check A License, read 16 October 2026.
Source: Oregon Construction Contractors Board, license search, read 16 October 2026.
Source: Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Home Improvement Contractor Registration, read 16 October 2026.

The license lookup is yours to run on the state's site.

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Researched by the InstaBids editorial team. Last checked: 16 October 2026

Key facts

Oregon's Construction Contractors Board says the most accurate way to look up a license is with the CCB license number.
Source: Oregon Construction Contractors Board, license search, read 16 October 2026.
Pennsylvania's Attorney General says registration under its home improvement law is not an endorsement of a contractor's competency or skill.
Source: Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Home Improvement Contractor Registration, read 16 October 2026.
Florida's DBPR says a registered contractor may contract only in the jurisdictions where the registration was issued.
Source: Florida DBPR, Construction Industry, read 16 October 2026.

State pages

Which agency runs the contractor license lookup in each state?

Each state names its own agency, and some split the trades across several boards, so start from the state and then the trade. The list below covers the states with a page here, each with the agency's own words.

Source: Contractors State License Board (California), About Us, read 16 October 2026.
Source: Florida DBPR, Construction Industry, read 16 October 2026.
Source: North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors, license search portal, read 16 October 2026.
Source: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Electricians, read 16 October 2026.
Source: Nevada State Contractors Board, home page, read 16 October 2026.
Source: Oregon Construction Contractors Board, home page, read 16 October 2026.
Source: Virginia DPOR, Board for Contractors, read 16 October 2026.
Source: Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Home Improvement Contractor Registration, read 16 October 2026.

California: the Contractors State License Board, whose lookup page says: "Enter the contractor license number to check the status of their license."
Source: Contractors State License Board (California), Check A License, read 16 October 2026.
Florida: the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, whose construction page says: "The Construction Industry Licensing Board is responsible for licensing and regulating the construction industry."
Source: Florida DBPR, Construction Industry, read 16 October 2026.
North Carolina: for general contractors, the Licensing Board for General Contractors, whose search portal notes: "Note: All fields are optional, but at least one must be entered".
Source: North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors, license search portal, read 16 October 2026.
Texas: for electrical work, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which says: "Anyone who performs, or offers to perform, non-exempt electrical work in the state of Texas must be licensed and perform that work through a licensed electrical contractor."
Source: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Electricians, read 16 October 2026.
Nevada: the Nevada State Contractors Board, which invites you to: "Search the database of licensed contractors to ensure that a contractor you are considering working with is licensed and in good standing."
Source: Nevada State Contractors Board, home page, read 16 October 2026.
Oregon: the Construction Contractors Board, whose home page says: "Anyone can pretend to be a contractor. Check licenses."
Source: Oregon Construction Contractors Board, home page, read 16 October 2026.
Virginia: the Board for Contractors within DPOR, which says: "The Board for Contractors licenses businesses engaged in the construction, removal, repair, or improvement of facilities on property owned by others."
Source: Virginia DPOR, Board for Contractors, read 16 October 2026.
Pennsylvania: the Office of Attorney General, which registers home improvement contractors and says: "HICPA is a Pennsylvania law that requires home improvement contractors to register and follow consumer protection rules to protect homeowners."
Source: Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Home Improvement Contractor Registration, read 16 October 2026.

What does a license lookup show, and what does it leave out?

A lookup shows what the agency holds on file, such as the status and the license type, and it is most precise with a license number; it is not an endorsement of the contractor's skill, as Pennsylvania's Attorney General says of its own register.

Source: Oregon Construction Contractors Board, license search, read 16 October 2026.
Source: Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Home Improvement Contractor Registration, read 16 October 2026.

Oregon's board, read 16 October 2026, puts the number first: "The most accurate way to look up a license is with a CCB license number. Contractors must put this number on their advertising, including brochures, websites, and business cards."

Source: Oregon Construction Contractors Board, license search, read 16 October 2026.

Pennsylvania's office says of its register: "Please Note: Registration under HICPA is not an endorsement, recommendation or approval by the Office of Attorney General of the contractor’s competency or skill."

Source: Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Home Improvement Contractor Registration, read 16 October 2026.

In our reading, a lookup answers a narrow question well: does this business hold the license it says it holds, of the right type, right now. It does not answer whether the work will be good.

Does a state license cover every job and every place?

Not always. Florida separates licenses that apply statewide from registered licenses that apply only in certain local jurisdictions, and Texas licenses some trades, such as electrical work, through a state agency.

Source: Florida DBPR, Construction Industry, read 16 October 2026.
Source: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Electricians, read 16 October 2026.

The construction industry page at DBPR says: "A “registered contractor” means any contractor who has registered with the department pursuant to fulfilling the competency requirements in the jurisdiction for which the registration is issued. Registered contractors may contract only in such jurisdictions."

Source: Florida DBPR, Construction Industry, read 16 October 2026.

So read the license type on the record, not only the word active, and ask the local building department what it asks for when the state source is silent about your job.

How can you look up a contractor license yourself, step by step?

Get the license number and the exact business name from the contractor, find the agency that licenses that trade in your state, search the number first, and compare the record with the estimate. These steps are practical suggestions, not any agency's rule.

Ask the contractor for the license number and the business name that will appear on the contract.
Find your state's licensing agency for the trade on your job, using the list above or the state's own website.
Search the number first, then the business name if the number finds nothing.
Read the status, the license type or classification, and any limit shown on the record.
If the record and the estimate disagree on the name or the trade, ask the contractor to explain before you sign.

Who sees your contact details when you post a job on InstaBids?

One point about InstaBids follows. Contact details stay hidden until the homeowner picks a contractor and they confirm the connection.

Source: InstaBids process and privacy, live-page excerpts, read 16 October 2026.

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