How to check if a contractor is licensed and insured

Last reviewed Oct 17, 2026. General information from official state sources, not legal or insurance advice.

Before you hire a contractor, check three things: that the license is active, that their insurance is in force, and that the details match the business you're dealing with. It takes a few minutes, and every step uses official records.

1. Look up the license with the state

Search the state's licensing records by business name or license number. Check that the status is active, that the trade or license type matches the work, and that the business name and city match the company you're talking to. On our lookups, each listing links to the state's own lookup and shows the date we last checked the state's file.

2. Check the insurance

Some states publish the insurance a contractor has filed with them: California, Oklahoma, Oregon and Washington. Where the state publishes it, our listings show the policy type and expiration date the state has on file. A policy shown as expired on file may have been renewed without the state's record being updated yet, so confirm before you assume anything.

Most states don't publish contractor insurance. There, ask the contractor for a certificate of insurance and confirm it directly with the insurance company. Our guide on how to verify a certificate of insurance walks through it.

3. Confirm it before work starts

Call the insurance company to confirm the policy is active and covers the type of work. Use the phone number from the insurer's own website, not the number printed on the certificate, and give them the policy number. Keep a copy of the certificate with your contract. If the contractor can't or won't provide proof, treat that as a warning sign. See what can go wrong when you hire an unlicensed contractor.

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