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How to check a contractor’s license, insurance and court record

A license number on a truck is a claim. A lookup on the licensing board’s own site is a fact. Here is the short list of checks worth doing before any deposit.

Updated
2026-10-05
Reading time
3 min
Written by
casaq editorial
Expert review
Not yet reviewed
Statute checked
No statute quoted
The short answer

Look the license up on the state (or county or city) licensing site yourself, not through a link the contractor sends. Ask for a certificate of insurance and confirm it with the insurer. Search complaints with your state attorney general or consumer office, and search your county’s court records for the business name. The FTC suggests considering only licensed and insured contractors.

1. The license lookup

Licensing differs by state and by trade. Some states license general and specialty contractors statewide; others license only some trades (often electrical and plumbing) and leave the rest to cities and counties. The FTC’s advice is to check with your state or county government to confirm a contractor’s license [1].

California, for example, runs a public license search where you can check a license’s status and classification [2]. casaq’s contractor rules pages list the official lookup for each state where it has one on file.

  • The name on the license matches the name on the contract.
  • The license is active, not expired or suspended.
  • The license classification covers the work (roofing, electrical, plumbing, HVAC).
  • You write the license number on the contract, as the FTC suggests [1].

2. Insurance

Ask for proof of insurance [1]: a certificate showing general liability and, where the contractor has employees, workers’ compensation. Call the insurance agency on the certificate to confirm it is current. A contractor without insurance can leave you exposed if someone is hurt on your property or your home is damaged.

3. Complaints and reviews

The FTC suggests checking with consumer protection officials and your local home builders association for complaints, searching the company name with words like “scam”, “review” or “complaint”, and reading reviews critically [1].

4. Court records

Many county clerks and state court systems offer an online case search by party name. Search the business name and the owner’s name for contract disputes, liens and judgments. One old dispute means little; a pattern of unpaid suppliers or unfinished jobs means a lot. Mechanic’s liens filed by a contractor’s suppliers against past customers are a specific warning sign: ask how the contractor handles lien releases.

After a storm

Unlicensed contractors and scammers often appear in recovery zones. The FTC warns about contractors who claim no license is needed, ask you to sign over an insurance check, or won’t provide copies of their license, insurance or a written contract [3].

Official license search links, and the contract rules casaq has verified for your state.

Find your state’s license lookup

Sources

  1. FTC, “How To Avoid a Home Improvement Scam” (July 2022). Retrieved 2026-10-05.
  2. California Contractors State License Board, license check. Retrieved 2026-10-05.
  3. FTC, “How To Avoid Scams After Weather Emergencies and Natural Disasters”. Retrieved 2026-10-05.

Information, not legal, insurance or engineering advice. Spot something wrong? Send a correction; accepted corrections are logged publicly with a date.