License or Registration: What the State Is Checking
Three different things get called a "license" in the building trades, and they check different things.
- An individual skills license (journeyman, master): the state checks experience hours, often classroom hours, and an exam. Massachusetts, Texas, Michigan, Maine and New Hampshire license electricians this way.
- A contractor license for the business: a named qualifier passes an exam and the business shows insurance or a bond. California's CSLB classifications, Florida's certified contractors, Georgia's divisions, North Carolina's boards and Ohio's commercial board work this way.
- A registration: the business files its details, insurance and fee. No exam is listed in the sources read.
The registration states on this site
| State | Credential | What the source requires |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | Home Improvement Contractor registration | Register with the Department of Consumer Protection before contracting with a consumer for residential work of $200 or more. The application page states no exam or experience requirement. |
| Rhode Island | Contractor registration | Proof of a state-approved 5-hour pre-registration course (exempt for work only on commercial structures), a $500,000 general liability certificate naming the CRLB, and workers' compensation if there are employees. The application page mentions no exam. |
| Pennsylvania | Home Improvement Contractor registration | Register with the Attorney General if you perform at least $5,000 of home improvements per year. The registration page lists no exam or experience requirement; the $100 fee covers two years and is non-refundable. |
Worked example: Rhode Island. The registration fee is $150, the pre-registration course is 5 hours, and the liability insurance minimum is $500,000. Nothing in the application tests building skill. See the Rhode Island page.
Worked example: Pennsylvania. Registration applies to contractors doing at least $5,000 of home improvements a year and costs $100 for two years. See the Pennsylvania page.
Licenses that only cover the business
Ohio's board licenses electrical, plumbing and HVAC contractors who do commercial work, and asks for 5 years as a tradesperson and $500,000 of liability insurance. California's CSLB asks a qualifier for 4 years of journeyman-level experience and a $25,000 bond, and leaves the individual plumber unlicensed by the state in the sources read; for electricians the state adds a separate certification (California electrician).
Licenses that require working for someone
Many journeyman licenses only let the holder work while employed by a licensed contractor. Connecticut says so for its E-2, P-2 and S-2 journeypersons; Rhode Island's Certificate A lets a firm do business but not do the work personally. Starting a business usually means a second credential.
Why it matters
A homeowner checking a contractor, or a tradesperson moving states, needs to know which kind they are looking at. A registration number shows a business is on file; a license number shows someone passed an exam. The state pages say which kind each state uses.
Sources
Each state page linked above lists its board page or statute and the date read (2026-10-20).
Questions
Is a registered contractor a licensed contractor?
Not in the sense of a tested skill. Pennsylvania's Attorney General says its home improvement registration is not an endorsement and does not assess competency.
Does registration replace trade licenses?
No. In the states on this site, electrical and plumbing work still needs the trade license where the state issues one; a home improvement registration covers the contracting business.