What does a solar contractor license check show?
A solar contractor license check shows the license number, status (Active, Suspended, Expired, Revoked), classification (C-46 Solar in California, C-10 Electrical with solar endorsement, or general electrical license in most states), NABCEP certification (separate from state license), bond amount, workers compensation coverage, and any open complaints. Groundcheck (earthmove.io/trust) bundles state license with NABCEP and BBB.
A solar contractor license check returns data from up to three credentialing systems, because solar PV install sits at the intersection of electrical work, roof penetration, and federal interconnection rules.
The state-license track. California has both C-46 Solar and C-10 Electrical — either can perform residential PV install, though C-10 holds full electrical scope while C-46 is solar-only. Florida requires a Certified Solar Contractor (CVC) or Certified Electrical Contractor (EC) credential through DBPR. Arizona ROC issues C-39R Residential Solar or C-39C Commercial Solar. Texas requires a TDLR Electrical Contractor license — there is no Texas-specific solar license. Most other states route solar installation through the existing electrical contractor license.
The federal/professional track. NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners) issues the PV Installation Professional (PVIP) and PV Design Specialist credentials. NABCEP is not legally required in any state, but most reputable solar installers carry at least one NABCEP-certified person on staff. NABCEP can be verified at nabcep.org. Lack of NABCEP is not disqualifying, but its presence is a positive signal.
The interconnection track. Utility interconnection requires a signed agreement and inspection by the utility (PG&E, SDG&E, SCE, FPL, Duke, etc.). A solar installer who claims to be able to skip interconnection or "self-certify" the install is committing fraud — the utility will refuse to net-meter, and the homeowner gets a system that generates but cannot export.
What the license lookup returns: license number, status, classification (electrical vs. solar-specific), qualifying party, bond, workers compensation (critical — solar install combines electrical and roofing fall risk), general liability, and disciplinary history.
What the lookup does NOT show: production estimate accuracy (the inflated-production-estimate scam — see solar-contractor-scams), lease-vs-buy contract fairness, panel manufacturer warranty backing (many panel manufacturers have gone bankrupt mid-warranty), inverter monitoring quality, or interconnection agreement status. The Department of Energy and state Public Utility Commission have separate consumer-complaint channels.
Common solar contractor scams the license check helps surface: door-to-door operators using a fake license number (lookup the qualifying party name, not just the number), out-of-state operators with no in-state license, and lease/PPA bait-and-switch where the door-to-door pitch promises ownership but the contract is a 25-year lease.
Groundcheck (earthmove.io/trust) consolidates the state electrical/solar license, NABCEP status where available, Secretary of State entity registration, court filings (especially fraud judgments and class-action lease disputes), OSHA citations, and BBB complaints. For state-specific solar licensing paths, see earthmove.io/trust/license/solar/[state].
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