New York contractor license lookup

1. Who needs a license

There is no statewide contractor license in New York. In New York City, anyone doing home improvement work costing more than $200 on a residential building needs a DCWP Home Improvement Contractor license. (source: NYC DCWP: Quick tips when hiring a home improvement contractor (opens in a new tab), source: NYC311: Home Improvement Contractor License Check (opens in a new tab))

• The NYC license does not cover new home construction, plumbing or purely electrical work. (source: NYC DCWP: Quick tips when hiring a home improvement contractor (opens in a new tab))
• Home improvement contractors must also be licensed in Suffolk, Nassau, Westchester, Putnam and Rockland counties. Check with the county. (source: NY Attorney General: Home Improvement Fact Sheet (opens in a new tab))
• Statewide, home improvement contract rules apply to most improvements costing more than $500. (source: NY Attorney General: Home Improvement Fact Sheet (opens in a new tab))

Penalties under state contract law

• A customer can sue for actual damages plus a $500 penalty and attorneys' fees if the contractor used fraudulent written statements. (source: NY Attorney General: Home Improvement Fact Sheet (opens in a new tab))
• Contractors face $100 civil fines for breaking the Home Improvement Contract Law, and $250 to $2,500 for breaking the payment-protection rules. (source: NY Attorney General: Home Improvement Fact Sheet (opens in a new tab))

2. License types and classes

3. Required insurance and bonds

Bond

No bond is required. NYC: join the Trust Fund ($200) or file a $20,000 surety bond naming DCWP. (source: NYC DCWP: Home Improvement Contractor license checklist (opens in a new tab))

• Statewide, deposits taken before the job is substantially complete must go into a New York bank escrow account within 5 business days, or the contractor must give you a bond or contract of indemnity within 10 business days. (source: NY Attorney General: Home Improvement Fact Sheet (opens in a new tab))

Insurance

• Workers' comp: NYC applicants must show New York workers' comp coverage or an exemption certificate. (source: NYC DCWP: Home Improvement Contractor license checklist (opens in a new tab))

Ask for proof of insurance and check the bond on the official lookup before work starts.

4. How to look up a contractor

Check a license on the NYC DCWP website ↗ (official site, opens in a new tab)

How: NYC only: search DCWP's license search for the contractor, or call 311. Outside NYC, check with your county consumer affairs office. (source: NYC DCWP license search (opens in a new tab), source: NYC DCWP: Quick tips when hiring a home improvement contractor (opens in a new tab))

More ways to check

• Call 311 and say "Business Background Check" to check DCWP complaint history. (source: NYC DCWP: Quick tips when hiring a home improvement contractor (opens in a new tab))

Full checklist: how to check a contractor

5. Red flags when hiring

• No DCWP license for a NYC home improvement job over $200. (source: NYC DCWP: Quick tips when hiring a home improvement contractor (opens in a new tab))
• Asks for cash, or more than 25% of the price upfront. (source: NYC DCWP: Quick tips when hiring a home improvement contractor (opens in a new tab))
• Offers to arrange your financing. NYC home improvement contractors are not allowed to. (source: NYC DCWP: Quick tips when hiring a home improvement contractor (opens in a new tab))
• No written contract, or no 3-business-day cancellation notice. (source: NY Attorney General: Home Improvement Fact Sheet (opens in a new tab))
• Won't say where your deposit is held in escrow, or show a bond. (source: NY Attorney General: Home Improvement Fact Sheet (opens in a new tab))

6. Consumer protections and complaints

Contract, cancellation and deposit

• Get a written contract. You have 3 business days to cancel it. (source: NY Attorney General: Home Improvement Fact Sheet (opens in a new tab))
• Your deposit must go into an escrow account within 5 business days, or the contractor must post a bond within 10 business days. (source: NY Attorney General: Home Improvement Fact Sheet (opens in a new tab))
• In NYC, the DCWP Trust Fund only covers work by licensed home improvement contractors. (source: NYC DCWP: Quick tips when hiring a home improvement contractor (opens in a new tab))

How to complain

• In NYC, call 311 or visit nyc.gov/dcwp. The Trust Fund may repay you if a DCWP-licensed contractor did not finish or owes you money. It does not cover unlicensed contractors. (source: NYC DCWP: Quick tips when hiring a home improvement contractor (opens in a new tab))
• Outside NYC: Nassau County Consumer Affairs (516) 571-2600, Suffolk County Consumer Affairs (631) 853-4600, Westchester Consumer Protection (914) 995-2155. (source: NYC311: Home Improvement Contractor License Check (opens in a new tab))
• NY Attorney General: 1-800-771-7755. (source: NY Attorney General: Home Improvement Fact Sheet (opens in a new tab))