Last verified: Oct 24, 2026 Next check due: Jan 24, 2027 7 official sources How we verify

Do you need a contractor license in Massachusetts?

Contractors and subcontractors who solicit, bid on or perform work on an existing owner-occupied residential property with 1 to 4 units must register as a Home Improvement Contractor. (source: Mass.gov: HIC Registration and Renewal (opens in a new tab))

How: Use the MA Contractor Hub to look up a contractor's HIC registration and history before hiring. (source: Mass.gov: MA Contractor Hub (opens in a new tab))

Checked against official Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, HIC Program sources. See sources.

When do you need a license?

An HIC registration is different from a Construction Supervisor License (CSL). They are not interchangeable. (source: Mass.gov: HIC Registration and Renewal (opens in a new tab))
Contracts over $1,000 must be in writing and include the contractor's registration number. (source: M.G.L. c.142A §2 (opens in a new tab))

Working without a valid registration: fine up to $5,000, up to 2 years in prison, or both. (source: M.G.L. c.142A §19 (opens in a new tab))

Last verified: Oct 24, 2026. Next check due: Jan 24, 2027. Every fact on this page links to one of these official pages.

Mass.gov: HIC Registration and Renewal (opens in a new tab) (checked Oct 24, 2026)
Mass.gov: MA Contractor Hub (opens in a new tab) (checked Oct 24, 2026)
Mass.gov: Construction Supervisor License types (opens in a new tab) (checked Oct 24, 2026)
M.G.L. c.142A §2 (opens in a new tab) (checked Oct 24, 2026)
M.G.L. c.142A §3 (opens in a new tab) (checked Oct 24, 2026)
M.G.L. c.142A §17 (opens in a new tab) (checked Oct 24, 2026)
M.G.L. c.142A §19 (opens in a new tab) (checked Oct 24, 2026)

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