All states New York

1. Get the license number from the contractor

   Ask for the license number before anything else. A licensed contractor has it on the bid, the contract, the business card and often the truck. If someone says "we're licensed and insured" but can't produce a number on the spot, treat that as your first answer.

   New York State has no contractor license. In New York City, a home improvement contractor has a DCWP license number ending in -DCA or -DCWP, and plumbers, electricians and general contractors have Department of Buildings license or registration numbers. Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester counties issue their own.

2. Search the number on the official site

   Search the number on the official site. In New York that is the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) (opens official site) search for New York City at nyc.gov. Search by the number first; a name search can miss a business that is licensed under a different legal name.

   You can also look the contractor up here . Our results come from New York's own published license file, so they are a fast first check, but the official record is live and also shows complaints and discipline.

3. Read the record: status, name, expiration

   Three things have to line up. The status should say active, current or valid, not expired, inactive, suspended or revoked. The name on the license should be the business or person on your contract. The expiration date should be after the day the work finishes, not just after the day you sign.

   Look for a complaints or discipline section on the record. Most New York license searches show open complaints, past discipline and sometimes bond claims. One old complaint on a long-running license is normal; several recent ones are not.

4. Check that the license covers your job

   New York has no statewide general contractor license, so there is no single state record that tells you what a contractor is allowed to do. Your city or county license (next step) is the one that matters, and it usually names the trade.

   Hiring for one trade? New York may license it through a different board. See electricians in New York , plumbers in New York or HVAC contractors in New York .

5. Check the city or county license too

   This is the main check in New York. Cities and counties issue the contractor licenses, so search the building department for the place where the work will happen, not where the contractor's office is.

   Local searches we've confirmed: New York City (opens official site) (NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP)); New York City (opens official site) (NYC Department of Buildings); Suffolk County (opens official site) (Suffolk County Department of Consumer Affairs); Nassau County (opens official site) (Nassau County Office of Consumer Affairs); Westchester County (opens official site) (Westchester County Department of Consumer Protection). Not listed? Call the building department for your city or county.

6. Know the small-job line

   Because licensing is local in New York, the small-job threshold is set by each city or county. Ask the building department what the limit is where you live.

7. Ask for proof of insurance

   Whatever the state requires, ask for a certificate of insurance made out to you, and call the insurer on the certificate to confirm it is current. A license search tells you the contractor met the requirement when the license was issued or renewed, not that the policy is still paid.

8. Make sure the permit is pulled in the contractor's name

   Any job that needs a permit should have the permit pulled by the contractor, under the contractor's license. A contractor who asks you to pull the permit as the homeowner is usually hiding a license problem. Building permits in New York (opens official site) .

9. If something goes wrong, file with the board

   If the contractor stops showing up, does work the permit doesn't cover, or the license turns out to be wrong, put it in writing to them first, stop paying, then file a complaint in New York (opens official site) . Boards can suspend licenses, which gets attention a lawsuit doesn't.