How to check a contractor in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania does not license most contractors. What it has is a registration for home improvement contractors, kept by the Office of Attorney General. This is how to check it, and what it does and does not prove.

1. Ask for the registration number

A registered home improvement contractor has a number that starts with PA, for example PA123456. The Attorney General's office says contractors must include it in their advertisements, contracts, estimates and proposals.

2. Look the number up

• Use the Attorney General's Home Improvement Contractor Search. You can search by registration number, business name, city, ZIP code or county. It shows active registrations only.
• Or call the registration hotline on 1-888-520-6680.

3. Know who has to register

The office says anyone who offers or performs home improvements in Pennsylvania must register, with two exceptions: a contractor who does less than $5,000 of such work in a year, and a retailer with a net worth of more than $50 million. A home improvement is work at a private residence priced above $500, such as repair, replacement, remodeling or installation. Building a new home is not a home improvement under the law.

4. Know what registration proves

• To register, a contractor must show insurance of at least $50,000 for personal injury and $50,000 for property damage. A registration is valid for two years.
• The office says registration is not an endorsement, recommendation or approval of a contractor's competency or skill. It advises you also to check references, get more than one bid and look for complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau.

5. Check the local rules

• The Department of Labor and Industry says the state has no licensure or certification requirements for most construction contractors. The exceptions it lists are manufactured housing installers, home improvement contractors (the registration above), crane operators, and asbestos and lead removal contractors.
• It adds that some municipalities have their own requirements, typically for home improvement, electrical and plumbing contractors, and that the municipality where the work will be done is the only place to ask.
• Philadelphia licenses contractors itself. The city says a business that works only on existing one- or two-family homes does not need the city's Contractor License and registers with the state as a home improvement contractor instead. The city's contractor lookup lists actively licensed contractors and any licensing violations they have.

6. Get it in writing

For a home improvement of more than $500, the Attorney General's office says the contract must be in writing and signed by you and the contractor, and must include a description of the work, approximate start and completion dates, the total price and notice of your right to cancel. The office says a Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling, which it reported in May 2026, means you can cancel within three business days of signing by any means, as long as the contractor actually receives the notice.

7. If something goes wrong

You can report an unregistered contractor on 1-888-520-6680. The office says an unregistered home improvement contractor faces civil penalties of $1,000 or more. Consumer complaints go to the Attorney General through its online forms.

What the registration line on this site means

On a business page here, "HIC #PA123456 (provided by owner)" means the business gave us the number and we have not checked it. "(checked against the PA Attorney General registry)" means one of our editors looked it up. Either way, look the number up yourself before you hire.

Sources

Read on November 10, 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice.

• Frequently Asked Questions: Home Improvement Contractor Registration, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
• Home Improvement Contractor Registration, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
• Home Improvement Contractor Verification, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
• Home Improvement Contractor Search, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
• PA Supreme Court Upholds Consumer Right-to-Cancel Home Improvement Contracts Within Three Days Regardless of Medium, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
• Submit a Complaint, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
• Contractor Licensing, Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry
• Get a Contractor License, City of Philadelphia
• Find a licensed contractor and contractor information, City of Philadelphia