You have a contractor’s name and license number and need to verify the business you will hire. Start with the official North Carolina board for the work. Search the claimed license and compare the returned entity with the agreement. Record the status, scope, any applicable limitation, and check date.
NC uses separate public systems for general contractors, electrical contractors, and plumbing, heating, and fire sprinkler contractors. Check each required credential in the appropriate system.
Choose the board before searching
Start with the work you are hiring the contractor to do. For whole-project general contracting, start with the NC Licensing Board for General Contractors. For electrical work, use the electrical board. For plumbing, heating, fuel-gas piping, and fire sprinkler work, use the board responsible for those licenses. Electrical licensing, plumbing and heating board.
Use this search map:
Scroll to read all columns.
| Work or credential being checked | Official search | Useful starting information |
|---|---|---|
| General contracting | GC License/Qualifier Search | License number or company name; qualifier number for a qualifier question |
| Electrical contracting | Electrical Verify License Search | License number, company name, or person name |
| Plumbing, heating, or fire sprinkler contracting | Trade-board Verify License Search | License number, company name, or person name |
For another regulated activity, ask the relevant agency which credential applies. Do not rely on a GC-only search for landscape, irrigation, security, or other specialty work. Identify the scope before deciding that a missing result means no license is required.
Read the NC GC threshold guide when you need to establish whether the proposed general-contracting undertaking requires licensure. A lookup verifies the license record. Check separately whether the work requires that license.
Search the GC license and the qualifier separately
The GC public portal accepts classification, license number, qualifier number, company name, person name, phone, and location fields. It requires at least one field. Start with the supplied license number to narrow the search. GC public search fields.
If the result does not identify the proposed contracting business, search its company name. Review possible matches rather than choosing the first similar name. Ask the contractor for its exact licensed name and number.
Keep a qualifier search separate. The GC board explains that qualifiers hold the examination credential used for licensure, while licenses are issued to specific legal entities. A qualifier-name result alone does not establish that your contracting entity is licensed. Board contractor FAQ.
Use NC classifications and limits to evaluate the scope and capacity of a matching GC record. Ask the board about unfamiliar classification labels or limitations before relying on them.
Use the electrical search for electrical credentials
The electrical portal accepts license type, license number, company name, first and last names, phone, and location fields. Its form also requires at least one field. Start with the claimed electrical number and compare the matching business information. Electrical public search.
Read the displayed license type and its applicable scope. Ask the electrical board about restrictions relevant to the proposed job. Check what work the license covers even when its status is active.
Use the NC electrical licensing page for the related classification questions. Keep the electrical result alongside the GC result when the project involves separate contracting entities. Do not record “licensed” once for the house and assume it describes everyone performing regulated work.
Check plumbing, heating, and fire sprinkler licenses
The plumbing, heating, and fire sprinkler portal accepts classification, license number, company name, person name, phone, and location fields. It requires at least one field. Use the supplied number, then review the entity and classification shown. Trade-board public search.
Ask the board whether that classification covers the proposed installation. Identify the actual plumbing, HVAC, fuel-gas, or fire sprinkler scope. A general business description can be broader than the credential you found.
Read NC plumbing and heating licenses when preparing those scope questions. Keep separate records when different businesses perform the mechanical and plumbing packages. Keep unclear credentials open for review. Do not group them under the builder’s name.
Match the entity before relying on status
Compare the official result with the legal entity on the proposal and agreement. The GC board states that its licenses are valid only for their named entities. A personal GC license does not automatically authorize another corporation’s work. Board entity guidance.
Follow the entity-matching checklist when the proposal and board record show different names.
Suppose the owner of a contracting business supplies a personal license number. The proposed agreement names a different entity. Ask for the entity’s record. If the relationship is still unclear, ask the board.
Use business names and addresses as matching evidence, not as a substitute for the license number. Ask the board about trading names or changed entity details that make the result unclear. Save the answer with the lookup record.
Resolve inactive status and missing matches
Do not treat an inactive GC record as current authorization to perform licensed contracting. The board’s published laws include the inactive-status provisions and the process for returning to active status. Ask the board to explain the displayed status and any project-specific restriction. 2026 board laws and regulations.
Other status issues have different rules. G.S. 87-10 addresses renewal, invalidation, archival, and the departure of a qualifier. It restricts new contracts after a qualifier’s departure during the statutory period. Do not reduce those provisions to a blanket grace-period permission. G.S. 87-10(c1), (e), and (f).
For electrical or plumbing-board status labels, ask that board about their meaning. Do not apply the GC board’s process to another board’s licenses. Keep the question open until the appropriate board answers.
If the search returns no match, check the number you entered. Ask the contractor to confirm the exact licensed name. Try the relevant company or person fields without assuming a similar result is the same business. If the match remains uncertain, send the claimed credential and contracting details to the board.
Keep the unsuccessful search terms in your record. Another reviewer can then repeat the search and check whether the problem is a name mismatch or an open license question. Record the board’s clarification separately from the contractor’s explanation. Close the question once official information confirms the entity and covers the work you intend to hire it for.
Record the check so it can be repeated
Record these fields when checking the contractor:
- Proposed contracting entity and the agreement being reviewed.
- Work scope and board searched.
- Official URL and retrieval date.
- Search terms, matched license number, and returned name.
- Displayed status, classification, and applicable limitation.
- Identity or scope questions still open.
- Saved result or permitted copy of the relevant record.
- Board contact, response, and date where clarification was needed.
Use the subcontractor prequalification checklist to organize the wider review. Recheck before award when the earlier search was preliminary. Consider another check when the entity, scope, or reported status changes.
Keep insurance separate. The GC board says obtaining its license does not require insurance. A successful license lookup does not establish current liability or workers’ compensation coverage. Ask the licensed agent or insurer for the separate evidence. Board insurance FAQ.
Where Cercha fits
Cercha profiles display credential badges, portfolios, and endorsements that help begin your review. Messages lets you request the member’s licensed entity and number. Complete the regulatory check through the appropriate official NC board and retain the dated result.