How do I check a general contractor's license in New York?

New York does not require a statewide general contractor license. New York has no statewide general contractor license. NYC requires Home Improvement Contractor licensing through DCWP; other municipalities have their own registrations.

When a state doesn't license a trade at the state level, verification leans on three things: (1) the local city or county building department's licensing or permit registry, (2) Secretary of State entity registration at New York Department of State, and (3) the contractor's public-record history — court judgments, liens, OSHA citations, and BBB complaints.

Step 1: Check whether the city or county where the work will be performed has a local contractor license. In New York City and Buffalo, many general contractors are required to register with the city building department.

Step 2: Confirm the business is registered with the New York Department of State (https://appext20.dos.ny.gov/corp_public/) and that the filing status is active or in good standing. A dissolved or administratively revoked entity is a red flag — especially if the same address has a new entity registered.

Step 3: Run a free Groundcheck at earthmove.io/trust. The report pulls entity registration, court judgments, OSHA inspection history, and BBB complaints into one verdict. For unlicensed-at-state-level trades like general contractors in New York, the public-record history is where the trust signal lives.

The detailed New York general contractor rules are documented at earthmove.io/trust/license/general-contractor/new-york.