soliddirectory
Free · No account · Official government sources

Verify a contractor’s license, in any state

A no-nonsense directory of official contractor-licensing board lookup tools for all 50 states, DC, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands — pick a state and go straight to the source.

55jurisdictions covered
Officiallinks to the real board
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Verify by state

55 jurisdictions

There’s no unified nationwide license API, so this exists as a single reference: every entry links to the real government board, and each is either checked against the live site or clearly marked as not yet spot-checked. See how entries are verified.

Most searched California Texas Florida New York Arizona Washington

DC & territories

Guides

5 guides

A few things worth knowing beyond “is the license active” — written from what SubTrack has learned reading thousands of certificates of insurance.

License vs. Certificate of InsuranceTwo different documents proving two different things — and why a valid license says nothing about coverage. What a GC Should Collect Before a Sub Starts WorkThe short list of documents to have in hand before a subcontractor sets foot on site. Reading an ACORD 25A plain-language walkthrough of the standard certificate of insurance, box by box. Additional Insured, Waiver of Subrogation, and Primary & Non-ContributoryWhat these three endorsements actually do for you, in language that isn't the policy's. Why a Valid License Isn't Proof of InsuranceMost state boards don't track coverage at all — so a clean license lookup still leaves a gap to close.

Licensing guides

3 guides

How contractor licensing itself works — who licenses which trades, and why it varies so much from state to state.

Why Some States License Trades but Not General ContractorsElectrical and plumbing are licensed almost everywhere; general contracting often isn’t. The logic behind the split. Electrical Contractor Licensing, ExplainedApprentice, journeyman, master, contractor — what the tiers mean and how to verify an electrical license. Plumbing Contractor Licensing, ExplainedHow plumbing licensing works, why public-health rules make it one of the most-licensed trades, and how to check one.