What does a New York general contractor license lookup show?

New York does not have a statewide general contractor license lookup because the state doesn't license general contractors at the state level. New York has no statewide general contractor license. NYC requires Home Improvement Contractor licensing through DCWP; other municipalities have their own registrations.

What this means for verification: there's no central database to query for "is this general contractor licensed in New York." Instead, New York verification leans on four sources.

Source 1 — Local jurisdiction. Cities like New York City, Buffalo, and Rochester often have local building-department registration. Check the city's website.

Source 2 — Secretary of State. New York Department of State (https://appext20.dos.ny.gov/corp_public/) shows whether the general contractor's business is a registered legal entity in good standing. Dissolved or administratively revoked = red flag.

Source 3 — Court records. Civil court judgments, UCC liens, and mechanics' liens are public record in every New York county. A general contractor with multiple unsatisfied judgments is a hard stop.

Source 4 — OSHA and BBB. Federal OSHA inspection history is public, and BBB complaints are searchable. These are the strongest substitute trust signals when there's no state license to anchor verification.

Groundcheck (earthmove.io/trust) pulls all four sources into one sourced report under 90 seconds. The contractor is never notified.

Detailed New York general contractor rules: earthmove.io/trust/license/general-contractor/new-york.