New York Contractor License Requirements
New York has no state contractor licence at all — the Department of State says it verbatim: "NYS does not license home improvement contractors, but some counties and local municipalities do." What the state regulates is the contract: General Business Law Article 36-A attaches above $500 with a written contract, a three-business-day cancellation right and escrow-or-bond protection of progress payments. Licensing is purely local — New York City stacks the DCWP Home Improvement Contractor licence on top of the DOB General Contractor Registration, the DOB issues 30+ trade licences, and five counties license on their own terms. Every claim below is traced to an official source with a verification date.
01 The New York model
New York is the only state in this project whose regulator layer is entirely absent: no state contractor licence, no state contractor examination, no state bond and no state continuing education exist anywhere in the ten official documents read this pass. Everything below a verified absence is local.
- The verified absence — the DOS alert states it verbatim, and a full read of all ten registered documents found no state credential of any kind; the only state-licensed construction professionals are engineers and architects (PE/RA). (Rule NY-STATE-ABSENCE.) S-NY-DOS-ALERT
- The state regulates the contract, not the credential — GBL Article 36-A binds every home improvement contract in New York regardless of locality or licence status. (Rule NY-GBL-36A-CONTRACT.) S-NY-AG-FS
- Six licensing jurisdictions, verbatim from the Attorney General — "Home improvement contractors must be licensed in New York City, Suffolk, Nassau, Westchester, Putnam, and Rockland counties." (Rule NY-COUNTY-LICENSING.) S-NY-AG-HIRE
Every county fee, term and entry rule (Suffolk, Nassau, Westchester, Putnam, Rockland) is withheld by name — the official county sources returned 403 this pass (LOCAL_AUTHORITY_REQUIRED). The IdentoGO fingerprint fee, the DOB filing-representative, safety-endorsement and insurance-tracking fees, and the DCWP/DOB violation schedules were not read and are never guessed. Unofficial commentary quoting the superseded "$100 biennial" DCWP terms is deliberately ignored: only official sources enter the registry.
02 No state licence — the verified absence
NYS Department of State, Division of Consumer Protection verbatim (page dated March 26, 2024): "Check your local government licensing requirements: NYS does not license home improvement contractors, but some counties and local municipalities do. Look into what is required in your area and be sure the contractor has proper licensure and has insurance." The same alert repeats the consumer's cancellation right: "You have three days to cancel after signing a contract for home improvements. All cancellations must be in writing."
- No state licence, examination, bond or continuing education — a full read of the ten registered documents found none anywhere in New York. (Rule NY-STATE-ABSENCE.) S-NY-DOS-ALERT
- No state temporary licence — no temporary contractor licence appears in any source read (verified absence for this chapter, not a guess about obscure programmes).
- The one state-licensed exception — design professionals: "Contact local industry organizations to find a State-licensed design professional" (DOB verbatim). Engineers and architects are the state's construction credential.S-NYC-DOB-KYC
03 Who regulates
The state voice on contractor scams: 'NYS does not license home improvement contractors, but some counties and local municipalities do' (consumer alert, 2024-03-26) — the verified absence this jurisdiction is built on. Runs the Consumer Assistance Helpline and voluntary mediation; also licenses unrelated occupations (e.g. document destruction contractors) that sit outside this chapter.
Issues the NYC Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) licence for all residential construction, repair, remodeling and home improvement work in the five boroughs — no dollar threshold. Owns the sliding fee ladder ($200/$150/$100/$50 or $250), the $250 renewal, the 2-year term expiring February 28 of odd years, the Home Improvement Exam (30 questions, 21 right, two attempts included), the Trust Fund ($200) OR $20,000 surety bond choice, the workers'-comp proof (42 Broadway as certificate holder) and the EPA RRP/Lead Abatement affirmation. Licensing Center: 42 Broadway, New York, NY 10004.
Issues 'more than 30 types of licenses, registrations or certifications' (KYC page): the General Contractor Registration ($300 / $240 renewal / 3-year term — 'All contractors who build one-, two-, and three-family homes must register with the Department to obtain New Building permits'), the skilled-trade licences (Master Electrician, Master Plumber, Master Fire Suppression Piping Contractor, Oil Burning Equipment Installer, Hoisting Machine Operator, Rigger, Sign Hanger, Welder, High-Pressure Boiler Operating Engineer, Site Safety Professional, Elevator Inspection Agency) and the Filing Representative classes. AC §28-418: registration + licence number on trucks, cards and ads; AC §28-401.18: NYC place of business. Exam money: LIC41 written $585, LIC42 practical $530. Insurance: GL $1,000,000 per occurrence, workers' comp + disability as required by law.
Enforces General Business Law Article 36-A (home improvement) and the Lien Law. The two pages read here are the official summaries of the statewide contract regime: written contract over $500 with the statutory cancellation notice, escrow within five business days (disclosure within ten) or the alternative surety bond, progress payments bearing a 'reasonable relationship' to work done, and the penalty ladder ($500 + damages + attorneys' fees for fraud, $100 civil fines per Home Improvement Contract Law violation, $250–$2,500 for the payment-protection provisions). Also names the six licensing jurisdictions verbatim: NYC, Suffolk, Nassau, Westchester, Putnam and Rockland.
04 GBL Article 36-A — what ANY New York contractor owes
The Attorney General: the law "applies to most types of improvements costing more than $500 purchased by homeowners, co-ops owners and tenants." Above the line the contract must be written, legible, plain English and delivered before work starts, carrying the contractor's name, address and telephone number; approximate start and completion dates with their contingencies; a specific work-and-materials description (brands, model numbers) with price; and the cancellation notice verbatim: "The customer has an unconditional right to cancel the contract until midnight of the third business day after the contract was signed. Cancellation must be done in writing."
- Escrow or bond on progress payments — payments received before substantial completion go into a trust account in a New York State bank within five business days, with the customer told where the money is held within ten business days; the alternative is a "bond" or "contract of indemnity" delivered within ten business days. Progress payments must bear a "reasonable relationship" to the work done. (Rule NY-GBL-36A-CONTRACT.) S-NY-AG-FS
- Penalty schedule — actual damages plus a $500 penalty plus reasonable attorneys' fees for fraudulent written statements; $100 civil fines for violating the Home Improvement Contract Law; $250 to $2,500 for the payment-protection provisions; the Attorney General may also sue to stop the practice. (Rule NY-GBL-36A-CONTRACT.) S-NY-AG-FS
- Local licensing still applies — "A contractor must also continue to comply with any local licensing laws." The contract regime never replaces a local credential. S-NY-AG-HIRE
05 New York City — two stacked gates: DCWP HIC + DOB
The DOB spells the stacking out verbatim: "renovations and alterations of 1, 2, 3 and 4 family homes and individual apartment units require Home Improvement Contractors (HIC) license issued by the Department of Consumer Affairs in addition to General Contractor (GC) license." DCWP licenses the price and the contract; DOB gates the permit and the trade — both desks answer the same job.
Layer 1 — DCWP Home Improvement Contractor licence
- Scope, with no dollar threshold — "A person or business must have a Home Improvement Contractor license to do construction, repair, remodeling, or other home improvement work to any residential land or building in New York City" — including basements, driveways, fences, garages, landscaping, patios, porches, sidewalks, swimming pools and terraces. No threshold appears anywhere in the DCWP text (verified absence): the licence reaches the smallest job. (Rule NY-DCWP-HIC.) S-NYC-HIC-CHECK
- The 30-question exam — one principal only (sole proprietor, general partner, corporate officer, principal, director, or a shareholder owning 10% or more); 30 questions, minimum 21 correct; the fee includes the first two attempts; after failing twice, $50 buys two more; sit it within 60 days of appearing in ExamBuilder. S-NYC-HIC-CHECK
- Money protection — enroll in the Home Improvement Business Trust Fund ($200) or post a $20,000 surety bond naming DCWP as certificate holder. (Rule NY-DCWP-FEES.) S-NYC-HIC-CHECK
- Application package — Sales Tax ID; proof of business and home address for every individual; business certificate matching the legal structure (NYC AC §20-104 on request); workers' compensation proof naming DCWP at 42 Broadway or a WCB exemption attestation ("ACORD Forms are not acceptable proof"); EPA RRP + lead certifications (Renovation/Repair/Painting + Lead Abatement), or the signed HIC Affirmation(s) that either or both are not required; IdentoGO fingerprints (service code 1585BH) for every principal and 10%-or-more owner. S-NYC-HIC-CHECK
- Two-year term, $250 renewal — licences run to February 28 of odd years; the new-licence fee slides with the filing window ($200 / $150 / $100 / $50 or $250 for up to 30 months); processing about two weeks. (Rule NY-DCWP-FEES.) S-NYC-BIZ-HIC
- The licence replaces no permit — sidewalk work needs a NYC DOT permit, most home improvements need a DOB permit, and waste hauling needs a Class One Self Hauler Registration from the Business Integrity Commission. S-NYC-HIC-CHECK
Layer 2 — DOB General Contractor Registration (the permit gate)
- Verbatim permit gate — "All contractors who build one-, two-, and three-family homes must register with the Department to obtain New Building permits"; the residential page adds "Permits for renovation work are only issued to a Licensed General Contractor." Registration: $300 new / $240 renewal / $50 late, 3-year term, form LIC6, filed through DOB NOW since September 7, 2021 (AC §28-418). (Rule NY-DOB-GC-REGISTRATION.) S-NYC-DOB-GC
- Stacking — HIC in addition to GC — the sentence above is the DOB's own wording; the two credentials gate different things: DCWP licenses the contract and the price, DOB gates the permit and the trade. (Rule NY-DOB-STACKING.) S-NYC-DOB-RES
- Place of business inside NYC — AC §28-401.18 requires licensed contractors to keep a place of business in New York City; the out-of-city firm cannot hold the DOB credential at all. S-NYC-DOB-RES
- Numbers on trucks, cards and ads — AC §28-418 requires registrants to show their licence number and business information on trucks, business cards and advertisements. S-NYC-DOB-RES
- The tracking-number carve-out — "Non-registered Contractors may perform limited work that is assigned a tracking number, but must pre-file with the department and provide proof of Workers' Compensation and Disability Insurance." (Rule NY-DOB-TRACKING-CARVEOUT.) S-NYC-DOB-RES
- Safety endorsements — required from registered GCs for construction, concrete and demolition work on buildings four stories or more. S-NYC-DOB-RES
- Permit life and insurance — permits run at most two years (AC §28-105.8.1), work must start within 12 months, and general liability must cover $1,000,000 each occurrence (DOB verbatim) with workers' compensation and disability benefits "as required by law"; a company with no employees is exempt from workers' compensation and needs a disability waiver instead. (Rules NY-DOB-INSURANCE, NY-DOB-STACKING.) S-NYC-DOB-GL S-NYC-DOB-GL
Layer 3 — the DOB trade licences (30+ types)
- "More than 30 types" — verbatim — Master Electrician, Master Plumber, Master Fire Suppression Piping Contractor, Oil Burning Equipment Installer, Hoisting Machine Operator, Rigger, Sign Hanger, Welder, High Pressure Boiler Operating Engineer, Site Safety Professional, Elevator Inspection Agency Director and Inspector, plus Registrants and Filing Representatives classes 1 and 2. (Rule NY-DOB-TRADE-LICENSES.) S-NYC-DOB-KYC
- Exam money — LIC41 written exam application $585 spans twelve named licence types; LIC42 practical $530 covers the practical subset, due within 24 months of the written pass (1 RCNY §104-01(c)(2)(iv)-(v)); practicals are not held in July and August. (Rule NY-DOB-EXAM-MONEY.) S-NYC-DOB-OIL
- Oil burner, the representative pin — Class A covers any oil-burning equipment, Class B domestic grades 1 through 4: $100 new / $75 renewal / $50 late plus a seal at $100 new / $75 renewal, 3-year term. (Rule NY-DOB-OIL-BURNER.) S-NYC-DOB-OIL
06 The five counties
Attorney General verbatim, stated identically in two publications: "Home improvement contractors must be licensed in New York City, Suffolk, Nassau, Westchester, Putnam, and Rockland counties." Outside the five boroughs the county — or the local municipality, per the DOS — is the licensing authority.
- The list is the AG's; the figures are withheld — every per-county fee, term and entry rule is LOCAL_AUTHORITY_REQUIRED by name: the official county sources returned 403 this pass. (Rule NY-COUNTY-LICENSING.) S-NY-AG-FS
- A locality not on the list was not verified — the AG's sentence is the sourced claim, not a survey of all 62 counties.
07 Credential surface at a glance
Outside New York City, home improvement contractors must be licensed in exactly five counties — Suffolk, Nassau, Westchester, Putnam and Rockland — quoted verbatim from two Attorney General pages read this pass. Every other New York county has NO home improvement licensing layer (the DOS: 'some counties and local municipalities do'). Each licensing county runs its own office of consumer affairs with its own fee, exam and term; those amounts were NOT researched this pass (official county sources returned 403) and stay LOCAL_AUTHORITY_REQUIRED.
Any person or business doing construction, repair, remodeling or other home improvement work to any residential land or building in New York City — explicitly 'the construction, replacement, or improvement of basements, driveways, fences, garages, landscaping, patios, porches, sidewalks, swimming pools, terraces, and other improvements to structures or upon land that is next to a home or apartment building'. No dollar threshold appears anywhere in the DCWP text: the licence attaches to the WORK, not to its price. One principal (sole proprietor, general partner, corporate officer, principal, director, or shareholder owning 10% or more) passes the 30-question Home Improvement Exam (21 right) within 60 days of appearing in ExamBuilder; the fee includes the first two attempts ($50 buys two more after two failures).
Every contractor who builds one-, two- and three-family homes must register with DOB to obtain New Building permits; renovation permits 'are only issued to a Licensed General Contractor'. No exam appears on the registration page — it is a registration with money, insurance and address conditions: $300 registration / $240 renewal / $50 late, 3-year term (LIC6, online via DOB NOW); a place of business inside New York City (AC §28-401.18); licence number and business information on trucks, business cards and advertisements (AC §28-418); safety endorsements for construction, concrete and demolition work on buildings four stories or more; general liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence plus workers' compensation and disability insurance kept active for permit issuance.
DOB-issued skilled-trade licence named on the official 'more than 30 types' list — the person legally able to perform and sign off electrical work requiring a DOB permit. Entry money: LIC41 written exam application $585 ('Master and Special Electrician…') and LIC42 practical exam application $530, with the practical test due within twenty-four months of passing the written test (Title 1 RCNY §104-01(c)(2)(iv)&(v)) and no practical sittings in July/August. Licence and insurance must be active and current when a permit application is filed.
DOB-issued skilled-trade licence named on the official list — required for plumbing work that pulls a DOB permit (the LAA — Limited Allocation Application — path for plumbing, fire suppression and oil-burner installations runs through it). Entry money: LIC41 written exam application $585, LIC42 practical $530, practical within 24 months of the written pass, no practical sittings in July/August; insurance active and current at permit time.
DOB-issued skilled-trade licence named on the official list — sprinkler, standpipe and fire-protection piping work; the residential project-requirements page adds that work relocating or modifying sprinklers/standpipes/fire-protection systems requires FDNY notification and approval. Entry money: LIC41 written exam application $585, LIC42 practical $530 (practical within 24 months; none in July/August).
Class A installs any type of oil-burning equipment; Class B is limited to equipment using domestic grade fuel oils one to four. Fees read verbatim: licence $100.00, renewal $75.00, late renewal $50.00, seal fee $100.00 new / $75.00 renewal, **licence term 3 years**. Exam money: LIC41 written $585, LIC42 practical $530, practical within 24 months of the written pass, no practical sittings during July and August.
08 Fees
Every amount below comes from an official page read this pass: the DCWP application checklist and the NYC Business portal (sliding ladder, renewal, trust fund, exam retries), the DOB General Contractor Registration page, and the DOB oil-burner page (LIC41/LIC42 and the Class A/B schedule). Amounts that no official page read publishes are withheld by name — never guessed.
| Fee | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| HIC new licence — filed March 1 to August 31 of an ODD year (covers ≤24 months) | $200 | S-NYC-HIC-CHECK |
| HIC new licence — filed September 1 odd year to February 28/29 even (covers ≤18 months) | $150 | S-NYC-HIC-CHECK |
| HIC new licence — filed March 1 to August 31 of an EVEN year (covers ≤12 months) | $100 | S-NYC-HIC-CHECK |
| HIC new licence — filed September 1 even year to February 28 odd, Option 1 (covers ≤6 months) | $50 | S-NYC-HIC-CHECK |
| HIC new licence — filed September 1 even year to February 28 odd, Option 2 (covers ≤30 months) | $250 | S-NYC-HIC-CHECK |
| HIC licence renewal | $250 | S-NYC-BIZ-HIC |
| Home Improvement Business Trust Fund enrolment (money-protection option 1) | $200 | S-NYC-HIC-CHECK |
| Home Improvement Exam — two additional attempts after failing twice | $50 | S-NYC-HIC-CHECK |
| DOB General Contractor Registration — new (form LIC6) | $300 | S-NYC-DOB-GC |
| DOB General Contractor Registration — renewal | $240 | S-NYC-DOB-GC |
| DOB General Contractor Registration — late renewal | $50 | S-NYC-DOB-GC |
| DOB written exam application (form LIC41) | $585 | S-NYC-DOB-OIL |
| DOB practical exam application (form LIC42) | $530 | S-NYC-DOB-OIL |
| Oil Burning Equipment Installer licence (Class A or Class B) | $100 | S-NYC-DOB-OIL |
| Oil Burning Equipment Installer licence — renewal | $75 | S-NYC-DOB-OIL |
| Oil Burning Equipment Installer licence — late renewal | $50 | S-NYC-DOB-OIL |
| Oil Burning Equipment Installer — seal, new | $100 | S-NYC-DOB-OIL |
| Oil Burning Equipment Installer — seal, renewal | $75 | S-NYC-DOB-OIL |
- Two complementary fee pages, zero conflicts — the checklist carries the full five-window ladder (including the $250 / 30-month Option 2) while the NYC Business portal lists the four headline windows plus the $250 renewal: an omission, not a discrepancy. (Rule NY-DCWP-FEES.) S-NYC-BIZ-HIC
- Withheld by name — every county licence fee (Suffolk, Nassau, Westchester, Putnam, Rockland), the IdentoGO fingerprint processing fee, the DOB filing-representative, safety-endorsement and insurance-tracking fees, and the DCWP/DOB violation schedules. The 2% credit-card convenience fee is a percentage and stays a note, never a fee row.
09 What this means for your project
- May require: NYC Home Improvement Contractor (DCWP)
- Alternative: County Home Improvement Contractor License (Suffolk, Nassau, Westchester, Putnam, Rockland)
- May require: NYC Home Improvement Contractor (DCWP)
- Component basis: NYC DOB Master Plumber
- Alternative: NYC DOB Oil Burning Equipment Installer (Class A or B)
- May require: NYC Home Improvement Contractor (DCWP)
- May require: NYC DOB General Contractor Registration
- Component basis: NYC DOB Master Plumber
- May require: NYC Home Improvement Contractor (DCWP)
- May require: NYC DOB General Contractor Registration
- Component basis: NYC DOB Master Electrician
- May require: NYC DOB General Contractor Registration
- May require: NYC Home Improvement Contractor (DCWP)
- May require: NYC Home Improvement Contractor (DCWP)
- Alternative: NYC DOB General Contractor Registration
10 Verified absences
- No state licence, examination, bond or continuing education — a full read of the ten registered documents found none anywhere in New York; the DOS alert states the absence verbatim. (Rule NY-STATE-ABSENCE.) S-NY-DOS-ALERT
- No dollar threshold on the DCWP licence — the checklist, the NYC Business portal and both DOB pages carry none (verified absence over the three texts). S-NYC-HIC-CHECK
- No state temporary contractor licence — none appears in any source read this pass (verified absence for the chapter).
- No documented conflict — the two official DCWP fee pages are complementary; the conflicts table is deliberately empty.
11 Sources
12 Verify a licence or registration
- www.nyc.gov/site/dca/businesses/license-checklist-home-improvement-contractor.page ↗
- www.nyc.gov/site/buildings/property-or-business-owner/know-your-construction-professional.page ↗
- ag.ny.gov/file-complaint ↗
- DCWP licence status: nyc.gov/licensing (the DOB sends every residential contractor to DCWP "to confirm the status of a DCWP-issued license") — see the authority cards above for the direct links.