Maryland Contractor License Requirements
Maryland has no project-value general-contractor license. It licenses the business of home improvement through the MHIC home improvement contractor license (Business Regulation Art. Title 8), which covers residential alteration, remodeling and repair on 1–3 unit buildings; it licenses the trades separately — electricians (Business Occupations and Professions Title 6), plumbers/gas fitters (Title 12) and HVACR contractors (Business Regulation Title 9A) — and it registers new-home builders with the Home Builder Registration Unit. Every claim below is traced to an official source with a verification date.
01 The Maryland model
Maryland is not a value-threshold state: there is no general-contractor license keyed to project value. What exists is a scope licence (the MHIC home-improvement contractor), a set of individual trade licences, and a separate new-home builder registration.
- No project-value GC license — verified absence — the MHIC licence is a home-improvement scope licence and new-home construction is expressly excluded. (Rule MD-NO-GC-LICENSE.) S-MD-BR-8-101
- Home improvement is a licensed business — §8-301(a) requires a contractor licence to act as a contractor; only an MHIC licensee may contract with a homeowner. (Rule MD-MHIC-LICENSE.) S-MD-BR-8-301
- Trades are exempt within scope — §8-301(c)(4) exempts a licensed electrician, plumber or HVACR contractor acting within scope (or installing a central heating/AC system) from the MHIC licence. (Rule MD-MHIC-TRADE-EXEMPTION.) S-MD-BR-8-301
- New homes are registered, not home-improved — new-home construction is excluded from home improvement and every builder must register with the Home Builder Registration Unit. (Rules MD-NEW-HOME-NOT-HI, MD-HBRU-REGISTRATION.) S-MD-MHIC-FAQ
We publish the MHIC licence as a home-improvement scope licence, not a GC licence. The General Assembly's Annotated Code and the boards' own pages are the sources; the MHIC fees/insurance discrepancy renders as CONFLICT-MD-001 and the Guaranty Fund cap as CONFLICT-MD-002 below. Local permit fees and the electrician/plumbing/HVACR/Home-Builder fees are NOT_VERIFIED.
02 Who regulates
The official host of the Annotated Code of Maryland. Every statute cited in this seed was read on mgaleg.maryland.gov on 2026-10-05 with HTTP 200. Primary authority: Business Regulation Article Title 8 (Maryland Home Improvement Commission — §8-101 definitions, §8-301 license required, §8-302.1 general liability insurance, §8-408 Guaranty Fund, §8-501 contract contents + rooftop-solar wildlife barrier); Business Regulation Article Title 9A (HVACR contractors); Business Occupations and Professions Article Title 6 (Electricians), Title 12 (Plumbers/Gas Fitters).
https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatutesThe umbrella department (formerly DLLR) that administers the Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC) and the occupational boards in this seed — the State Board of Electricians, the State Board of Plumbing and the Board of Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVACR) Contractors. All are housed at 100 S. Charles Street, Tower I, Baltimore, MD 21201. Publishes the online licence search used for verification.
https://www.labor.maryland.gov/license/Licenses and regulates home improvement contractors and salespersons under Business Regulation Article Title 8. Home improvement = alteration, remodeling, repair or replacement of a building (or part) used as a residence, work on individual condominium units, and improvements to adjacent land — but NOT new-home construction, NOT apartment buildings with 4+ single-family units, and NOT the commonly owned areas of condominiums (§8-101(g)(3)). Holds the Home Improvement Guaranty Fund and the contract-content rule (§8-501).
https://labor.maryland.gov/license/mhic/Registers and regulates home builders who build new homes in Maryland, under the Maryland Home Builder Registration Act. The MHIC FAQ states, verbatim, that the MHIC licence does NOT cover new-home construction and that all builders must register with this Unit. The OAG unit page itself returned HTTP 403 to programmatic fetch on 2026-10-05, so its own fees/requirements are recorded NOT_VERIFIED.
https://oag.maryland.gov/our-office/pages/home-builder-registration-unit.aspxRegulates electricians under Business Occupations and Professions Article Title 6. License classes: master electrician and journeyperson electrician (plus apprentice). §6-605(b) requires at least one licensed master or journeyperson electrician to be present at each job site where electrical services are provided. Recognises local boards/local registrations (§6-101(h)-(i)). Insurance: GL ≥ $300,000 and property damage ≥ $100,000.
https://labor.maryland.gov/license/elec/Licenses and regulates individuals who provide or assist in providing plumbing and gas services under Business Occupations and Professions Article Title 12, and issues natural-gas fitter licences to non-plumbers and a propane gas fitter certificate. State licences are required throughout Maryland EXCEPT Baltimore County and the WSSC area (Prince George's & Montgomery Counties), which issue their own licences and have their own plumbing code.
https://labor.maryland.gov/license/pl/Licenses and regulates individuals who provide commercial and residential HVACR services under Business Regulation Article Title 9A and COMAR 09.15. Classes: master, master restricted, limited, journeyman, journeyman restricted, apprentice. May impose administrative sanctions and a civil penalty up to $5,000 per violation.
https://www.labor.maryland.gov/license/hvacr/03 The MHIC home improvement contractor license
Business Regulation §8-301(a), verbatim: “Except as otherwise provided in this title, a person must have a contractor license whenever the person acts as a contractor in the State.” §8-301(b): a salesperson or contractor licence to sell a home improvement. The MHIC licence period is two years; applicants must pass the PSI exam, show at least two years' experience, and demonstrate financial solvency (a surety bond or indemnitor if not solvent).
- Licence required — covering 1–3 unit residential buildings. (Rule MD-MHIC-LICENSE.) S-MD-BR-8-301
- Eligibility & term — exam before applying, two years' experience, solvency, two-year term. (Rule MD-MHIC-TERM.) S-MD-MHIC-LICREQ
04 What counts as home improvement
§8-101(g) is the boundary map: home improvement is the addition, alteration, conversion, improvement, modernization, remodeling, repair or replacement of a building used as a residence, an adjacent structure, or land adjacent to it — including individual condominium units. It excludes new-home construction, apartment buildings with four or more single-family units, and the commonly owned areas of condominiums.
- The definition & inclusions — (Rule MD-HOME-IMPROVEMENT-SCOPE.) S-MD-BR-8-101
- The exclusions — 4+ unit buildings and common-area condos are not home improvement. (Rule MD-HI-EXCLUSIONS.) S-MD-BR-8-101
- Subcontractor category eliminated (2016-07-01) — a subcontractor may work for an MHIC licensee without a licence. (Rule MD-SUBCONTRACTOR.) S-MD-MHIC-MAIN
05 The §8-301(c)(4) trade exemption
A licensed electrician, plumber or HVACR contractor acting only within the scope of that occupation — or installing a central heating or air-conditioning system — needs no MHIC licence. A trade professional doing home improvement outside the trade scope still needs the MHIC licence.
- The exemption, verbatim — (Rule MD-MHIC-TRADE-EXEMPTION.) S-MD-BR-8-301
- New-home construction is not home improvement — (Rule MD-NEW-HOME-NOT-HI.) S-MD-BR-8-101
- Mold remediation subtitle terminated (2019-07-01) — no longer required. (Rule MD-MOLD-TERMINATED.) S-MD-MHIC-LICFAQ
06 New homes — Home Builder Registration
The MHIC FAQ states, verbatim: “All builders who build homes in Maryland must be registered with the Home Builder Registration Unit of the Office of the Attorney General.” The Unit sits within the Consumer Protection Division of the Office of the Attorney General.
- Registration required — (Rule MD-HBRU-REGISTRATION.) S-MD-MHIC-FAQ
The Home Builder Registration Unit's own fee schedule and eligibility details were not read (the OAG page returned HTTP 403 to programmatic fetch on 2026-10-05) — only the MHIC FAQ's official cross-reference is published here.
07 Electricians — Business Occupations and Professions Title 6
All electrical work in Maryland must be performed by a licensed master, journeyperson or apprentice electrician; §6-605(b) requires at least one licensed master or journeyperson present at each job site. Unlicensed electrical work is illegal (fines up to $5,000, imprisonment, or both). Insurance to hold a licence: GL ≥ $300,000 and property damage ≥ $100,000.
- Licence required — (Rule MD-ELECTRICAL-LICENSE.) S-MD-ELEC-MAIN
- Job-site presence rule — (Rule MD-ELECTRICAL-JOBSITE.) S-MD-BOP-6-605
08 Plumbers & gas fitters — Title 12
The Maryland State Board of Plumbing licenses individuals who provide or assist in providing plumbing and gas services, and issues natural gas fitter licences to non-plumbers and a propane gas fitter certificate valid throughout the State. State licences are required everywhere EXCEPT Baltimore County and the WSSC area (Prince George's & Montgomery Counties), which issue their own licences and have their own plumbing code.
- Plumbing licence required — master plumber provides plumbing and natural gas services. (Rule MD-PLUMBING-LICENSE.) S-MD-PL-MAIN
- The local carve-out — (Rule MD-PLUMBING-LOCAL.) S-MD-PL-MAIN
09 HVACR — Business Regulation Title 9A
All individuals providing heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration services must be licensed by the Board of HVACR Contractors. Classes: master, master restricted, limited (maintenance/repair only), journeyman, journeyman restricted and apprentice. A ventilation system moves air at more than 250 cfm; a refrigeration system cools below 55 °F.
- All providers licensed — (Rule MD-HVACR-LICENSE.) S-MD-HVACR-NOTICE
- Classes & scope — (Rule MD-HVACR-CLASSES.) S-MD-BR-9A-101
10 Solar & home improvement contracts
Installing solar panels for a homeowner is home improvement — the MHIC licence is required — and a licensed master electrician must hook the panels to the electric system. Business Regulation §8-501(f) requires a roof-mounted solar contract to include a wildlife-intrusion barrier unless the customer waives it.
- Solar — (Rule MD-SOLAR.) S-MD-MHIC-FAQ
- Contract contents (§8-501) — contractor name/address/phone/licence number, salesperson licence numbers, dates, description, consideration, payment schedule, the Commission notice; lien-secured contracts need a 3-business-day rescission right. (Rule MD-CONTRACT-CONTENTS.) S-MD-BR-8-501
11 Bond & insurance
- No unconditional statewide bond — an MHIC applicant who fails the financial-solvency guidelines may purchase a surety bond or obtain an indemnitor; that is a conditional alternative, not a standing bond requirement.
- MHIC general liability ≥ $500,000 (§8-302.1, effective 2024-06-01). (Rule MD-MHIC-INSURANCE.) S-MD-BR-8-302.1
- Electrician insurance — GL ≥ $300,000, property damage ≥ $100,000. (Rule MD-ELECTRICAL-INSURANCE.)
- Guaranty Fund — $100 original / $175 renewal assessment; homeowner recovery against licensed contractors only. (Rule MD-GUARANTY-FUND.) S-MD-MHIC-MAIN
12 Fees
The MHIC schedule (read verbatim) is the only fee table this phase could verify. See the Maryland fees page for the full list; the electrician, plumbing, HVACR and Home Builder Registration fees were not read and are not published.
- MHIC home improvement contractor — original application fee — $281.25 S-MD-MHIC-FEES
- MHIC home improvement contractor — Guaranty Fund assessment (original) — $100.00 S-MD-MHIC-FEES
- MHIC home improvement contractor — processing fee — $22.50 S-MD-MHIC-FEES
- MHIC home improvement contractor — each additional company location — $281.25 S-MD-MHIC-FEES
- MHIC home improvement contractor — renewal application fee — $281.25 S-MD-MHIC-FEES
- MHIC home improvement contractor — Guaranty Fund assessment (renewal) — $175.00 S-MD-MHIC-FEES
13 Renewal
- REN-MD-MHIC-CONTRACTOR — 24 months S-MD-MHIC-LICREQ
- REN-MD-MHIC-SALESPERSON — 24 months S-MD-MHIC-FEES
14 Documented conflicts
MHIC 'License Categories and Requirements': 'Proof of current $50,000 liability insurance must be filed with the application for licensure.' and 'Applicants and licensed contractors must show proof of current $50,000 liability insurance at the time of application for both original and renewal licenses.'
MHIC — License Categories and RequirementsBusiness Regulation §8-302.1: '(a) An applicant for a contractor license shall maintain general liability insurance in the amount of at least $500,000. (b) A licensed contractor shall maintain general liability insurance in the amount of at least $500,000.' The MHIC home page confirms the increase (section 8-302.1, effective 2024-06-01).
Business Regulation §8-302.1 — General liability insuranceRESOLVED — the statutory minimum is $500,000 general liability. The $50,000 figure is published beside it as the stale board-page value (REQ-MD-MHIC-INSURANCE-001 carries the statute; INS-MD-MHIC-GL-001 records it).
Analysis notes
Detected 2026-10-05 while cross-checking the MHIC insurance figure against the Code.
MHIC home page: 'The maximum amount that a homeowner may recover through the Fund is the amount paid to the contractor, up to $30,000. If the total amount of all claims against a contractor equals more than $250,000, then each homeowner's award is pro-rated…'
Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC) — home pageMHIC Licensing FAQs for Applicants: '…the Guaranty Fund will compensate a homeowner up to $20,000 (or the total amount of payments made on the contract) in the event the contractor performs an unworkmanlike, inadequate, or incomplete home improvement.'
MHIC — Licensing FAQs for ApplicantsOPEN — both figures are on official MHIC pages. The current statute amount (Business Regulation Title 8, Guaranty Fund) was not re-read this phase, so no figure is asserted as controlling. REQ-MD-GUARANTY-FUND-001 publishes the home page's $30,000 with the $20,000 FAQ figure named beside it.
Analysis notes
Detected 2026-10-05. Do not present either figure as the exclusive statutory cap until the Code is read.
15 Verify a Maryland license
Look a credential up at the official source — never a third party.