Kentucky contractor license lookup
It issues state licenses for electrical contractors, plumbing contractors and HVAC contractors. Our survey found no state-level license for general contractors and roofing contractors, so check with the city or county. Use the official lookup below to check a contractor. Information as of October 6, 2026.
Look up a license
| Trade | Credential | Board | Official lookup |
|---|---|---|---|
| General contractor | No state license: cities and counties | City or county | Our survey of official Kentucky sources found no state-level general contractor license. Check with the city or county where the work is done. |
| Electrical | State license | Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, Division of Electrical | Search electrical licenses |
| Plumbing | State license | Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, Division of Plumbing | Search plumbing licenses |
| HVAC | State license | Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, Division of HVAC | Search HVAC licenses |
| Roofing | No state license: cities and counties | City or county | Our survey of official Kentucky sources found no state-level roofing contractor license. Check with the city or county where the work is done. |
Verify a contractor
For homeowners hiring in Kentucky.
- Ask the city or county building department where the work is done how they license general contractors.
- For electrical work, also check the electrical contractor lookup from Kentucky Department of Housing.
- For plumbing work, also check the plumbing contractor lookup from Kentucky Department of Housing.
- For HVAC work, also check the HVAC contractor lookup from Kentucky Department of Housing.
- The DHBC licensee search covers electrical, plumbing and HVAC licenses; license number, issue date and expiration date show only once a license is active. source
- Complaints about an unlicensed or faulty electrician go to the DHBC Electrical Division on its formal consumer complaint form. source Complaints about an unlicensed or faulty HVAC installer go to the DHBC Division of HVAC on its formal consumer complaint form. source
Homeowner protections in Kentucky
- A plumbing license is not valid without the required liability insurance, and insurers must tell the state when that insurance is cancelled. source
- An HVAC license is not valid without the required liability and property damage insurance. source
- On an insurance-paid home repair contract, the homeowner may cancel until midnight of the fifth business day after the insurer says all or part of the claim is not covered. source
- A contractor may not offer to pay or rebate an insurance deductible to win the job. source
Get licensed
For a general contractor working in Kentucky.
- Our survey found no state-level general contractor license in Kentucky. Ask the city or county where you will work.
Other trades
- Electrical: state license, $400 fee. Requirements
- Plumbing: state license, $250 fee. Requirements
- HVAC: state license, $250 fee. Requirements
Requirements by trade
| Exam | Exam required for the electrical contractor license, passed with at least 70 percent; a business entity designates an owner, officer, director or employee to sit it. source |
|---|---|
| Experience | No experience requirement for the electrical contractor itself, which must name an affiliated master electrician; a master electrician needs 16,000 hours of verifiable electrical experience. source |
| Bond | Not found on an official source. On an official source. |
| Insurance | General liability insurance of at least $1,000,000, plus proof of workers' compensation and unemployment insurance compliance. source |
| Renewal | Licenses are valid for two years and renew by the end of the licensee's birth month (or issue month for a business) in the second year. source |
| Reciprocity | Reciprocity only with states that have a reciprocity agreement with Kentucky. source |
| Fees |
| Exam | Exam required for master and journeyman plumber licenses (written and practical sections). source |
|---|---|
| Experience | Master plumber: a journeyman plumber license held at least 2 years within the past 5 (other routes exist for engineers and out-of-state plumbers). source |
| Bond | Not found on an official source. On an official source. |
| Insurance | General liability insurance of at least $250,000, plus proof of workers' compensation and unemployment insurance compliance. source |
| Renewal | Plumber licenses renew every year by the end of the licensee's birth month. source |
| Reciprocity | Reciprocity only with states that have a statewide plumbing code, an exam at least equal to Kentucky's, and agree to reciprocate. source |
| Fees |
| Exam | Exam required for the master HVAC contractor license. source |
|---|---|
| Experience | Master HVAC contractor: at least 2 years as a journeyman HVAC mechanic under a master HVAC contractor (other routes exist for out-of-state masters and mechanical engineers). source |
| Bond | Not found on an official source. On an official source. |
| Insurance | General liability insurance of at least $500,000 and property damage insurance of at least $300,000. source |
| Renewal | HVAC licenses renew every year by the end of the licensee's birth month. source |
| Reciprocity | Reciprocity only with states that have a reciprocity agreement with Kentucky. source |
| Fees |
|
General contractor: Our survey of official Kentucky sources found no state-level general contractor license. Check with the city or county where the work is done.
Roofing: Our survey of official Kentucky sources found no state-level roofing contractor license. Check with the city or county where the work is done.
Questions
- Does Kentucky require a contractor license?
- It depends on where the work is done. Our survey of official Kentucky sources found no state-level general contractor license. Check with the city or county where the work is done.
- How do I look up an electrician license in Kentucky?
- The Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, Division of Electrical keeps the record for electrical contractors in Kentucky. Use the official lookup linked in the Look up a license table, and treat the board's own record as final.
- How do I look up a plumbing license in Kentucky?
- The Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, Division of Plumbing keeps the record for plumbing contractors in Kentucky.
- Does Kentucky have an HVAC license?
- The Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, Division of HVAC keeps the record for HVAC contractors in Kentucky.
- Do roofers need a license in Kentucky?
- Our survey of official Kentucky sources found no state-level roofing contractor license.
Sources
- https://dhbc.ky.gov/
- https://dhbc.ky.gov/Search/HBC_List_Licensees.aspx
- https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=55092
- https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=31186
- https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=52407
- https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/kar/titles/815/035/060/
- https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=46996
- https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/kar/titles/815/020/030/
- https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=47500
- https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=46948
- https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=46944
- https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/kar/titles/815/008/010/
- https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=56105
- https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=57393
- https://dhbc.ky.gov/Documents/KHBC_%20Electrical%20CONSUMER%20COMPLAINT%20Form_2021.pdf
- https://dhbc.ky.gov/Documents/HVAC_FormalConsumerComplaintForm.pdf
- https://www.ag.ky.gov/Resources/Consumer-Resources/contractor/Pages/default.aspx
This is not a government site. The licensing board's own record governs; always confirm on the official lookup. Information as of October 6, 2026.