Pennsylvania Contractor License Lookup

Pennsylvania has no state contractor license. Home improvement contractors must register with the Office of Attorney General unless their home improvement work totals less than $5,000 a year. Contact the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Bureau of Consumer Protection (Home Improvement Contractor Registration) to confirm a license or registration, and see the rules for trades and the job price where each applies. Runs in your browser; nothing is stored.

Pennsylvania rules checked against official sources on October 25, 2026.

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Labor and materials together, in dollars. Leave it blank to see the state's dollar limits.

Pennsylvania: Remodel, repair or home improvement

  • This rule depends on the contractor's work over a whole year, not on one job's price. Credential: home improvement contractor registration.

    Contractors doing home improvements, including remodeling, repairs, roofs, siding and central heating or air conditioning, must register with the Attorney General. People whose home improvement work totals less than $5,000 a year are exempt. Registration is not a competency license. Source: 73 P.S. 517.2, 517.3, 517.12 (HICPA ss. 2, 3, 12)

    Conditions and exceptions for this rule:

    • Building a new home is not a home improvement under this law.
    • Contractors who are not registered are prohibited from performing home improvements in Pennsylvania.
    • Large home improvement retailers (net worth over $50 million) are exempt.
    • Jobs with a total price of $500 or less are not 'home improvements' under the Act.
    • The Act covers electrical and plumbing work on a home like any other home improvement. It leaves in place local licensing of electricians, plumbers and other trades, so a city license may also be needed.

Look up a contractor on the official site

Go to Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Bureau of Consumer Protection (Home Improvement Contractor Registration)

Use the 'Verify a Contractor's HICPA Registration' button on the Attorney General's registration page.

What to check on the board's record

  • The name or business on the record matches the name on your contract or estimate.
  • The status is active, not expired, suspended or revoked.
  • The license type or class covers your kind of job.
  • The license number in the contractor's ads and contract is the same one.

This summarises state rules from official sources. Only the board's own record can confirm one contractor's license. Checked October 25, 2026.

How Pennsylvania licenses contractors

Pennsylvania has no state contractor license. Home improvement contractors must register with the Office of Attorney General unless their home improvement work totals less than $5,000 a year. Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act (Act 132 of 2008), 73 P.S. 517.1 et seq.

Contractors who are not registered are prohibited from doing home improvement work in Pennsylvania. Home improvement fraud under the Act is a misdemeanor or felony depending on the amount involved. HICPA; AG application instructions

Rules by type of work

Home improvement, electrical work, plumbing, HVAC and roofing

  • home improvement contractor registration (residential): Contractors doing home improvements, including remodeling, repairs, roofs, siding and central heating or air conditioning, must register with the Attorney General. People whose home improvement work totals less than $5,000 a year are exempt. Registration is not a competency license. Issued by Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Bureau of Consumer Protection (Home Improvement Contractor Registration). 73 P.S. 517.2, 517.3, 517.12 (HICPA ss. 2, 3, 12)
    • Building a new home is not a home improvement under this law.
    • Contractors who are not registered are prohibited from performing home improvements in Pennsylvania.
    • Large home improvement retailers (net worth over $50 million) are exempt.
    • Jobs with a total price of $500 or less are not 'home improvements' under the Act.
    • The Act covers electrical and plumbing work on a home like any other home improvement. It leaves in place local licensing of electricians, plumbers and other trades, so a city license may also be needed.

Building a new home

We could not confirm a statewide Pennsylvania rule for this work from official sources. Ask the contractor which license covers it, check that license with the agency that issued it, and ask your city or county building department.

Where to look up contractors in Pennsylvania

  • Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Bureau of Consumer Protection (Home Improvement Contractor Registration): official website. Use the 'Verify a Contractor's HICPA Registration' button on the Attorney General's registration page.

On the record, check that the name matches your contract, the status is active (not expired, suspended or revoked), the license type covers your job, and the license number matches the one the contractor gave you.

What this tool does not do

  • It does not check any one contractor. Only the board's own record shows whether a license is active and what it covers.
  • It covers state rules. Cities and counties can add their own licenses and permits, and the tool cannot list every local rule.
  • It does not decide whether a contractor broke the law or what you can recover. For a dispute, contact the board or a lawyer.
  • It does not cover every specialty trade a state licenses (for example pest control, elevators or well drilling).

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I look up a contractor license in Pennsylvania?

Contact the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Bureau of Consumer Protection (Home Improvement Contractor Registration) through its official website to confirm a license or registration; we did not find a working online search. Check that the status is active and covers your job.

Does Pennsylvania require a contractor license?

Contractors doing home improvements, including remodeling, repairs, roofs, siding and central heating or air conditioning, must register with the Attorney General. People whose home improvement work totals less than $5,000 a year are exempt. Registration is not a competency license.

What happens if a Pennsylvania contractor works without a required license?

Contractors who are not registered are prohibited from doing home improvement work in Pennsylvania. Home improvement fraud under the Act is a misdemeanor or felony depending on the amount involved.

Sources

Checked against official Pennsylvania sources on October 25, 2026.

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