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Trade license guides
Plain-English explanations of electrician, plumber, HVAC and contractor licensing. We write the explanations; every requirement, number and fee is quoted from an official page with its link and the date we checked it.
Licensing requirements by state
- Electrician License Requirements by State and Province (Verified, With Sources)
Ask ten electricians how licensing works and you'll get ten answers, because it depends entirely on where you work. Each state and province sets its own… - HVAC License Requirements by State and Province (Verified, With Sources)
HVAC is one of the hardest trades to research online. The work might be licensed as "HVAC", "mechanical", "refrigeration" or "air conditioning" depending… - General Contractor License by State and Province (Verified Requirements)
"Do I need a general contractor license?" sounds like a yes-or-no question, but the honest answer is "it depends where." Some states license general… - How to Become a Plumber: Licensing Steps by State and Province
Plumbing is a trade where you earn while you learn. Most people start by working under a licensed plumber, build up documented experience, pass an exam,… - How to Become an Electrician: Apprenticeship, Hours, Exams and Licensing by State
Electricians are in demand across North America, and the path into the trade is well established: train as an apprentice, build supervised hours, pass an… - Journeyman vs Master Electrician: Differences in Experience, Exams and Licensing
Most electricians move through the same ladder: apprentice, then journeyman , then master. A journeyman can do electrical work independently. A master… - Master Plumber License: Requirements by State (Experience, Exams, Fees)
A master plumber license is usually the top individual plumbing credential. In many states it's what you need to run a plumbing business, pull permits or…
State guides
- California Contractor License (CSLB): B, C-10, C-36 and C-20 Requirements
If you want to run your own trade business in California, the question isn't only "am I skilled enough?" but "which contractor license do I need, and what… - Florida Contractor License: General, Electrical, Plumbing and HVAC (Verified Facts)
Planning to contract in Florida? The first thing most people learn is that the official information is scattered across several board pages, and forum… - Arizona Contractor License Requirements: General, Electrical, Plumbing and HVAC
Arizona is one of the states where people search for contractor licensing the most, and the official information is spread over several Registrar of… - Nevada Contractor License Requirements: General, Electrical, Plumbing and HVAC
Nevada contractor licensing draws a lot of searches from people relocating or expanding into the state. This guide brings together what the official… - Georgia Contractor License Requirements: General, Electrical, Plumbing and HVAC
Georgia splits trade and contractor licensing across separate boards, which is why it's easy to read the wrong page. This guide collects the verified… - Oregon Contractor License Requirements: General, Electrical, Plumbing and HVAC
Oregon licenses construction contractors through the Construction Contractors Board, and trade licenses for electricians and plumbers have their own… - Washington Contractor License Requirements: General, Electrical, Plumbing and HVAC
In Washington, contractor registration and trade certification are handled by Labor & Industries. This guide explains what we've verified about general… - North Carolina Plumbing and HVAC License: Exams, Experience, Fees and Renewal
North Carolina licenses plumbing and heating contractors through a single state board, and many people search for those rules every month. This guide… - Utah Contractor, Electrician and Plumber License Requirements
Utah is a popular state for contractors and tradespeople moving in from elsewhere, and people regularly search for how licensing works there. This guide… - Louisiana Contractor and Plumbing License Requirements (Verified, With Sources)
Louisiana contractor licensing is among the most-searched state licensing topics. This guide sets out what the official Louisiana pages say about… - Tennessee Contractor, Electrician, Plumber and HVAC License Requirements
Many people search for Tennessee contractor licensing, often because they want to bid larger jobs or are moving their business into the state. Tennessee… - Michigan Electrician, Plumber and Residential Builder License Requirements
Michigan licenses electricians and plumbers through state rules, and the path from apprentice to journeyman is clearly defined. This guide collects the… - Alabama Contractor, Electrician, Plumbing and HVAC License Requirements
Alabama runs separate boards for general contractors, electrical contractors, plumbing and heating and air conditioning, so the rules for each trade live… - North Carolina Electrician License: Requirements, Exam and Experience
North Carolina electrician licensing gets more searches than the state's plumbing and HVAC licensing combined, so it has its own guide. Below you'll find… - North Carolina General Contractor License Requirements (Verified, With Sources)
North Carolina general contractor licensing is searched about as often as the state's electrician license, and lookups for NC contractors are even more… - Rhode Island Contractor Registration (and the 2028 Residential License)
Rhode Island contractors deal with a state registration board, and the official pages describe a change coming for residential builders. This guide quotes… - Ontario 309A Electrician: Certificate of Qualification, Exam and Requirements
In Ontario, the construction and maintenance electrician trade is compulsory: you need a Certificate of Qualification, or to be a registered apprentice,…
Checking a license
- CSLB License Lookup: How to Check a California Contractor (and What the Results Mean)
Checking a California contractor's license before you hire them is one of the simplest ways to protect yourself. Many people search for how to do it every… - How to Verify a Contractor License in Any State or Province (Official Lookups)
Hiring a contractor, plumber, electrician or HVAC company? Checking their license takes a couple of minutes and is the best way to avoid unlicensed work.… - TDLR License Lookup: Check a Texas Electrician or A/C License
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation publishes license records for electricians and air conditioning and refrigeration contractors, among…
Moving and Canada
- Electrician License Reciprocity Explained: Which States and Provinces Accept Your License
Moving for work is common in the electrical trade, and the first worry is usually "will my license still count?" Sometimes the answer is yes, with a… - Red Seal Certification Explained: Trades, Provinces and Trade Names
If you work in a skilled trade in Canada, Red Seal is the endorsement that makes your certificate recognizable across provinces and territories. People… - Moving Your Trade License to Another State or Province: Reciprocity for Electricians, Plumbers and HVAC
Moving for work, or taking jobs across a border, raises one big question: will your license carry over? Sometimes there's a formal reciprocity agreement.…
En français (Québec)
- Licence RBQ et certificats au Québec : exigences vérifiées pour les métiers de la construction
Au Québec, travailler dans la construction veut souvent dire composer avec plusieurs organismes : la Régie du bâtiment pour les licences d'entrepreneur,… - Vérifier une licence RBQ : comment consulter le registre et lire le résultat
Avant d'engager un entrepreneur au Québec, vérifier sa licence RBQ ne prend que quelques minutes. Le registre officiel de la Régie du bâtiment permet de…
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