Pennsylvania has no statewide contractor license for general or trade work. What the state runs instead is a registration: under the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act, any contractor performing $5,000 or more of home improvements in a calendar year must register with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Registration is not a competency license, there is no exam, and it applies only to work on private residences of one or two units, not to new home construction or commercial projects. Actual licensing happens at the local level, and Philadelphia is the clearest example, requiring a city contractor license and separate trade licenses through its Department of Licenses and Inspections.
Verified against the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Home Improvement Contractor Registration published requirements on August 18, 2026 by Marshall Schofield and Jeremiah Jaskulski, licensed general contractors.
The following trade licenses are available in Pennsylvania. Each requires a qualifying agent on the license.
HICPA registration requires proof of at least $50,000 in personal injury liability coverage and $50,000 in property damage coverage, and the fee is $100 every two years on both new and renewal applications.
Registered contractors must display their PA registration number in advertising and contracts.
The registration duty applies once you perform $5,000 or more of home improvements in a calendar year, and home improvement means repair, replacement, remodeling, and installation work on private residences of one or two units where the total cash price agreed with the owner is more than $500.
New home construction and commercial work fall outside HICPA entirely, so no state credential exists for them at all.
There is no state exam, no experience requirement, and no qualifying agent requirement anywhere in the state system.
Pennsylvania issues no statewide electrical, plumbing, or HVAC contractor licenses, so those trades are licensed by municipalities.
Philadelphia requires a city contractor license for construction, demolition, and repair work, with trade licenses for plumbers, electricians, and fire suppression contractors, current city taxes, insurance on file, and a supervisory employee holding a current OSHA 30 certificate.
Whatever the project, the controlling requirements sit with the municipality issuing the permit and with the Attorney General's registration program, so check both before you bid.
Requirements change, verify current figures with the board before applying.
Official Licensing Authority
All contractor license applications, renewals, and qualifying agent changes must go through this board.
Tell us your trade and what you have going on. A member of our team reviews what the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Home Improvement Contractor Registration requires for your situation, and you pick a time for a discovery call.
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