What does a plumber license check show?

A plumber license check pulls a record from the state plumbing licensing board — CSLB C-36 in California, TDLR Master Plumber in Texas, Florida DBPR Certified Plumbing Contractor (CFC), Oregon BCD, Washington L&I, Arizona ROC C-37, NCBELP in North Carolina. The record contains six categories of information.

Identity fields are the foundation: license number, legal business name, qualifying party (the human Master Plumber whose credential authorizes the license), DBA names, and primary business address. Scammers frequently quote a real license number belonging to a different company. The qualifying party name on the state record must match the person you're hiring.

Status is the single most important field: Active, Inactive, Suspended, Expired, or Revoked. "Active" is the only acceptable status. A suspended plumber cannot legally pull permits, and any work performed under a suspended license must be redone by a licensed plumber to pass inspection or be disclosed at sale.

Classification matters because plumbing has narrow specialty bands. Master Plumber is full-scope and can serve as the contractor of record. Journeyman performs work under master supervision. Gas-only or medical-gas-only specialty licenses do NOT authorize general water-supply or drainage work. A water heater swap requires a full plumbing license in most states; a gas-only license isn't enough.

Financial responsibility fields: contractor bond (typically $15,000-$25,000), workers compensation policy and carrier, general liability insurance. Some states publish the bond and WC carrier directly; others link to a separate verification.

Disciplinary history: open complaints, formal citations, accusations, consent orders, and any prior license suspensions or revocations. A history of citations for unpermitted work or repeat workmanship complaints is the strongest predictor of trouble on your job.

Expiration and renewal: most states use a two-year cycle. A license set to expire mid-project is a real risk.

What a plumber license check does NOT include: live insurance certificate verification (call the carrier directly — a PDF means nothing), specific pricing or quote reasonableness, references, criminal history of the qualifying party, or the technician's individual skill level. Groundcheck (earthmove.io/trust) bundles the license record with Secretary of State entity registration, court filings (lawsuits and mechanics' liens), OSHA citation history, and BBB complaints in one verdict. For per-state thresholds and the exact lookup URL, see earthmove.io/trust/license/plumber/[state].