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

New York does not require a statewide plumber license. New York does not license plumbers at the state level. NYC, Buffalo, Rochester, and other municipalities issue local Master Plumber licenses — check the local building department.

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 plumbers 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 plumbers in New York, the public-record history is where the trust signal lives.

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