Which Maryland Contractor License Should I Check?

Hiring someone for work on your home? Pick the type of work to see which Maryland license to check, where to check it, and what to match before you hire.

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Which license to check, by type of work

Check the Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC)

Maryland law requires a contractor license from MHIC for home improvement: work on an existing home or the land next to it, including driveways, fences, garages, landscaping, decks, porches, pools and work on individual condo units.

If a salesperson sells you the job, they need an MHIC salesperson or contractor license too.

New home construction, work on apartment buildings with four or more units, and condo common areas aren't "home improvement" under the law.

MHIC's home improvement license may not apply to this property

Maryland's home improvement law excludes work on apartment buildings with four or more units and work on a condo's commonly owned areas. So an MHIC license, and MHIC's contract rules and Guaranty Fund, may not apply to this job.

Trade licenses still apply. Plumbing, electrical and heating or air-conditioning work needs the right trade license, so check those.

Check with your county or city's permitting office about permits for the work.

The building's management or condo association can tell you its own rules, but it isn't the licensing authority. To confirm whether an MHIC license is needed, ask MHIC: 1-888-218-5925 (toll free) or 410-230-6231.

  • Ask which licenses the contractor will work under, and check each one in the official search.
  • If any part is plumbing, electrical or heating and air-conditioning work, check that trade license.
  • Ask who is getting the permits, and confirm with your county or city.
  • Not sure the job is excluded? Ask MHIC before you sign.

Check WSSC Water's plumber and gasfitter licenses

WSSC Water says you must use a WSSC Water-licensed and registered plumber or gasfitter in its area.

Questions: WSSC Water Permit Services, 301-206-4003.

Check a Baltimore County plumbing license

Baltimore County licenses its own plumbing and gasfitting contractors. Only a Baltimore County licensed plumbing or gasfitting contractor can apply for a plumbing or gasfitting permit there.

Baltimore County's plumbing page doesn't offer an online license lookup. Its Plumbing and Gasfitting Inspections office is at 410-887-3620.

Check the Maryland State Board of Plumbing

Outside Baltimore County and the WSSC Water area, plumbers are licensed by the State Board of Plumbing.

Check a Maryland electrician license

The state electricians board says a state-issued license is required to provide electrical services.

The board says local jurisdictions may also require a registration. Ask your county or city.

Check a Maryland HVACR license

Heating, air conditioning and refrigeration contractors are licensed by the state HVACR board.

Check two licenses: MHIC and an electrician

MHIC says a home improvement contractor license is required to install solar panels for a homeowner, and a licensed master electrician must connect them to the electrical system.

Ask the company who will do the electrical connection, and check that person or company.

Check the Home Builder Registration list

MHIC's license doesn't cover new home construction. New home builders register with the Maryland Attorney General's Home Builder Registration Unit.

Questions: the Home Builder Unit, 410-576-6573, or toll-free in Maryland, 1-877-259-4525.

Check a Maryland Licensed Tree Expert

Maryland's Department of Natural Resources says all tree care professionals practicing in Maryland must have a license.

DNR's search may need your browser's pop-up blocker turned off.

Ask which license covers each part of the job

Maryland's home improvement law exempts licensed plumbers, electricians and HVACR contractors only when they work within the scope of their trade (or install a central heating or air-conditioning system). A job that goes beyond one trade is assessed separately.

Ask the contractor which licenses they'll work under for each part, then check each one.

Not sure whether the job needs an MHIC license? Ask MHIC: 1-888-218-5925 (toll free) or 410-230-6231.

These usually aren't "home improvement"

MHIC says demolition and clean-up, cleaning chimneys, and interior window treatments aren't within the definition of home improvement. So an MHIC license may not be required for this specific work.

Extra work can change the answer. Building, reinforcing or capping a chimney needs an MHIC license, and the law counts installing storm windows or awnings as home improvement. If the job includes repairs or building work, pick that work instead.

Not sure what the job includes? Ask MHIC: 1-888-218-5925 (toll free) or 410-230-6231.

  • Get the full scope of the job in writing before you agree.
  • If any part is building, repair or installation work, check the license for that part.
  • Ask about any permits the work needs, and confirm with your county or city.

Before you hire someone who needs a license

  • The name in the official search matches the person or business you're hiring, or the trade name on their paperwork.
  • The license number on the contract, estimate or vehicle matches the search.
  • The license is active, and its type fits the work.
  • Not found? That isn't proof either way. Try the trade name or the license number, then contact the agency.
  • Want to know about complaints or discipline? Ask the agency. MHIC says to contact it for disciplinary information.

For MHIC home improvement jobs only

Required by law for MHIC home improvement contracts

  • A written, legible contract signed by both of you.
  • The contractor's name, address and MHIC license number, a description of the work and materials, and approximate start and finish dates.
  • A signed copy for you before work starts.
  • No more than one-third of the contract price as a deposit, and no payment until the contract is signed.

MHIC's advice before you hire

  • Never pay cash.
  • Check the license number on the contractor's vehicle, too.
  • Get a current general liability insurance certificate, and workers' compensation if they'll work at your home.
  • Get at least two bids and a local reference.
  • Make sure any required building permits are pulled.

If something goes wrong

  • MHIC's Guaranty Fund may compensate eligible homeowners for actual losses (the cost to restore, repair, replace or complete the work). It isn't guaranteed repayment.
  • The most it pays is $30,000 or what you paid that contractor, whichever is less, and $250,000 in total for all claims against one contractor.
  • To be eligible, you generally must live in the home or own no more than three residences. Relatives and employees of the contractor can't file.
  • It isn't available if you hired an unlicensed contractor.
  • A claim must be filed within three years after you discovered the loss, or reasonably should have.
  • A complaint and a Fund claim are separate steps. You file a written complaint with MHIC first; a claim form may follow if it isn't resolved. MHIC can fine a contractor or suspend or revoke a license, but it can't order a contractor to come back.

If the sale was made at your home

For home improvement sales covered by Maryland's Door-to-Door Sales Act, you can cancel until midnight of the fifth business day after the sale, or the seventh business day if you're 65 or older. It can cover a salesperson you invited to your home, for sales of $25 or more. Under that law, business days include Saturdays but not Sundays or listed holidays. Whether it applies depends on the sale, so check the law and the cancellation notice the contractor must give you.

Sources

Checked November 2, 2026.

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Kalm Kode is an independent guide, not a Maryland agency. An active license is a licensing check, not our endorsement of the contractor, and this page isn't legal advice. Rules can change; confirm with the agency that issues the license.