What Government Databases Reveal About a Contractor
How to use state license registries, Secretary of State records, AG complaint databases, and OSHA enforcement data to verify any contractor before hiring.
What Government Databases Actually Reveal About a Contractor
Four free government databases — state license registries, Secretary of State records, attorney general complaint filings, and OSHA enforcement data — let you verify any contractor before signing a contract. The FTC received more than 81,000 home improvement fraud reports in 2024. Each search takes under five minutes and reveals facts no reference check can provide.
The 4 Government Sources That Matter Most
Most homeowners stop at asking whether a contractor "has a license." That question captures only one of four independent government data sources. A contractor can hold a valid license and still have an active OSHA enforcement history, a dissolved business entity, and a complaint pattern on file with the state attorney general.
State Contractor License Registries
Every state that requires contractor licensing maintains a public lookup portal where you can search by name, business name, or license number. The record shows the license classification, expiration date, bond status (where included), and any disciplinary history — suspensions, revocations, and formal complaints that resulted in action.
What registries do not show: complaints dismissed or resolved informally, and license status in other states. A clean Minnesota record tells you nothing about prior work in Wisconsin.
For a deeper look at what licensing covers — and what it does not — see our complete verification guide.
Secretary of State Business Entity Search
Every Secretary of State office maintains a searchable database of registered business entities. This search confirms whether the contractor's business is legally organized and in good standing, when it was formed, who the registered agent is, and whether there is a history of dissolution and re-registration — a common pattern when contractors attempt to escape prior liability.
A business listed as "dissolved" or "administratively dissolved" is not legally authorized to operate under that name. Every Midwest state SOS portal allows free searches with no account required.
State Attorney General Complaint Databases
All 50 state attorneys general maintain consumer protection divisions that accept and investigate contractor complaints. The volume and pattern of those complaints is a meaningful signal that license registries alone cannot provide.
Not all AGs make complaint data searchable online. Some publish counts by business name; others require a public records request. When the online database is limited, call the consumer protection hotline directly and ask. Note that the Better Business Bureau is a private membership organization — useful, but not a government database. State AG complaint data is official government record.
OSHA Enforcement and Violation Records
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration maintains a public database of every inspection and enforcement action it has taken against an employer since 1972. The Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) is searchable by establishment name at osha.gov/ords/imis/establishment.html and updated daily.
A contractor with OSHA violations is not automatically disqualified from your project, but the nature of the violation matters. A paperwork violation is different from a willful violation for not providing fall protection on a two-story roof. Willful violations indicate a deliberate decision to expose workers to known hazards — and the same indifference to worker safety on a job site typically appears as indifference to quality and code compliance in your home.
Search both the contractor's company name and the owner's name, as violations are sometimes recorded under individual proprietors rather than business entities.
What These Databases Do NOT Show
Understanding the limits of government verification is as important as knowing what these records reveal.
License registries do not cover all trades in all states. In states without statewide general contractor licensing — including Missouri, Kansas, and South Dakota — a contractor can legally operate with no state license at all. License lookups in those states return results only for trades that are licensed at the state level (typically electrical, plumbing, and HVAC). General construction work is unregulated at the state level, and you must verify local licensing separately through the city or county building department.
Government databases do not verify insurance. The most dangerous gap in the government record is insurance status. Being licensed, bonded, and insured are three distinct conditions — and the absence of current general liability insurance or workers' compensation coverage can make you personally liable for injuries and damage that occur on your property. Government databases do not contain real-time insurance data. You must request a current certificate of insurance directly and verify it with the issuing carrier.
OSHA databases do not cover all state-plan states. Twenty-two states operate their own OSHA-approved programs and maintain separate enforcement records. Minnesota, Indiana, Michigan, and Iowa are among them — the federal IMIS database may not include all their state-level inspections.
Records are name-dependent. All these lookups require you to search the contractor's current business name. A contractor who formed a new LLC to distance themselves from prior violations will not appear in searches under the new name. Search the owner's personal name wherever the database supports it.
State-by-State License Lookup: All 13 Midwest States
The following table covers the 13 states in Above Board Pros' service territory. All URLs are official government portals. Note that several states do not require a statewide general contractor license — for those states, the lookup portal covers only regulated trades.
| State | Licensing Agency | Trades Requiring State License | Lookup URL |
|---|---|---|---|
| IL | Illinois Dept. of Financial & Professional Regulation (IDFPR) | Roofing contractors, plumbers (electrical is locally licensed) | idfpr.illinois.gov/checklicense.html |
| IN | Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (PLA) | Plumbers (state level); most other trades licensed locally | mylicense.in.gov/everification/ |
| MI | Michigan Dept. of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) | Residential builders, maintenance & alteration contractors, electricians, plumbers, mechanical (HVAC) | aca-prod.accela.com/LARA/GeneralProperty/PropertyLookUp.aspx?isLicensee=Y |
| OH | Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) | Electrical, plumbing, HVAC, hydronics, refrigeration (general contractors licensed locally) | elicense4.com.ohio.gov/lookup/licenselookup.aspx |
| WI | Wisconsin Dept. of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) | Electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians, dwelling contractors | dsps.wi.gov/Pages/SelfService/LicenseLookUp.aspx |
| IA | Iowa Dept. of Inspections, Appeals & Licensing (DIAL) | All construction contractors (registration required); plumbing, mechanical, HVAC (licensed separately) | dial.iowa.gov/i-need/records |
| KS | Kansas License Verification Portal / Kansas State Board of Technical Professions | Electrical (state level); most trades licensed by municipality | prolicenseverify.ks.gov |
| MN | Minnesota Dept. of Labor and Industry (DLI) | Residential contractors, remodelers, roofers, plumbers, electricians, HVAC | dli.mn.gov/license-and-registration-lookup |
| MO | Missouri Division of Professional Registration (DPR) | Electricians (state level); most trades licensed by municipality | pr.mo.gov/licensee-search.asp |
| ND | North Dakota Secretary of State | General contractors (registration required when project value exceeds $4,000); electricians, plumbers separately | firststop.sos.nd.gov/search/contractor |
| NE | Nebraska Dept. of Labor — Contractor Registration | All contractors and subcontractors performing construction work (registration required); electricians separately | dol.nebraska.gov/conreg/Search |
| SD | South Dakota Dept. of Labor and Regulation (DLR) | Electricians, plumbers, HVAC/mechanical (general contractors licensed locally) | dlr.sd.gov/boards_commissions_councils_all.aspx |
| TN | Tennessee Dept. of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI) — Board for Licensing Contractors | General contractors and home improvement contractors (projects over $25,000 require state license); electricians, plumbers separately | verify.tn.gov |
How to use this table: For states with statewide general contractor licensing (Michigan, Minnesota, Tennessee, Wisconsin), start directly with the lookup URL. For states where licensing is local (Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Ohio, South Dakota), use the state lookup for the regulated trades (electrician, plumber, HVAC) and contact your local building department to verify general contractor registration.
How to Cross-Reference What You Find
Running these four lookups produces raw data. Cross-referencing it is where the verification becomes meaningful.
Start with the license, end with the business entity. A licensed contractor whose business entity shows as dissolved is a concern even if the license itself is active. The license is the permission to do the work; the registered entity is the legal structure through which you pursue recourse if something goes wrong. A dissolved entity has no registered agent to receive legal service and potentially no assets tied to the business name.
Match the license to the scope. Confirm the license classification matches your project — a residential remodeling license does not cover all project types, and some tiers carry project value ceilings.
Check the OSHA record for pattern and recency. A single citation from 2015 is a different risk signal than three willful violations in the last 18 months. Look for repeat citations in the same violation category.
Compare the AG complaint count to the license disciplinary history. Multiple AG complaints with no license action may mean complaints were resolved informally or that formal proceedings have not yet been initiated. License disciplinary history with no AG complaints may mean prior issues were contractor-vs-contractor rather than homeowner disputes.
What to Do When Records Don't Match the Contractor's Claims
Discrepancies between what a contractor tells you and what government records show are the most actionable findings from this process.
The contractor claims to be licensed but the lookup shows nothing. Ask for their license number and search again. If the lookup still returns nothing, ask for an explanation. A legitimate answer is that licensing is handled locally — in which case, ask for the local license and verify with the issuing municipality. An unexplained absence from the state registry is a hard stop.
The license is listed as "inactive," "suspended," or "expired." Do not accept assurances that "the renewal is in process." A contractor performing work on a suspended license is operating illegally and their insurance may be void for that period. Walk away and report to the licensing board.
The Secretary of State search shows the business as "administratively dissolved." This usually means the company failed to file annual reports — not necessarily fraud. But it does mean they are not legally authorized to operate under that name, and a contract signed with a dissolved entity may be unenforceable. Request reinstatement before you sign anything.
OSHA records show willful violations. A willful violation means the employer knew about the hazard and chose not to correct it. Contractors with recent willful violations in categories like fall protection or scaffold safety have demonstrated a documented willingness to accept worker injury as a cost of business. Understanding contractor red flags before you start verification helps you know which misrepresentations are most common.
Before you sign any contract, learn how to read a COI — verifying the certificate of insurance takes about three minutes once you know what to look for.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most important government database to check before hiring a contractor?
Start with your state's contractor license registry — it shows whether the contractor holds a valid, active license, their license classification, expiration date, and any disciplinary history. For states where general contractors are licensed locally rather than statewide, combine the Secretary of State business entity search with your local building department. No other single check tells you as much in 90 seconds.
Can I find contractor complaints in a government database?
Yes. Every state attorney general maintains a consumer protection complaint database or will disclose complaint history upon request. The FTC's Consumer Sentinel Network aggregates federal and state complaint data but is not fully public. File a complaint at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Most AG offices publish complaint counts by business name, and some publish the full complaint text. The Better Business Bureau is a private directory, not a government database, but some state AG offices link to it in their disclosures.
Do OSHA violations follow a contractor to a new company name?
OSHA's Integrated Management Information System records violations by the establishment name at the time of inspection — it does not automatically link shell companies or name changes. If a contractor changes their business name to escape a violation record, the OSHA search will not catch it. This is why the Secretary of State business entity search matters: it shows registered agent history, prior name changes, and dissolution/reformation patterns that suggest deliberate record avoidance.
What does it mean if my state does not require a general contractor license?
It places the verification burden on you. Focus on four things: the Secretary of State entity search, proof of general liability insurance and workers' compensation, trade-specific licenses for the work scope (electrical, plumbing, HVAC), and local building department registration. An unlicensed state is not a green light to skip verification — it is a reason to be more thorough.
How far back do OSHA enforcement records go?
The OSHA IMIS contains inspection records dating to 1972, searchable at osha.gov/ords/imis/establishment.html and updated daily. Weigh older records carefully — a single violation from the 1990s is not the same risk signal as a pattern of willful violations in the last three years.
Can I verify a contractor's bond status through a government database?
Not through a single unified federal database. In states with licensing requirements, the registry often includes bond status alongside the license record. In states without statewide licensing, request a current certificate of bond from the contractor and call the surety company directly to confirm it is active.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the most important government database to check before hiring a contractor?
- Start with your state's contractor license registry — it shows whether the contractor holds a valid, active license, their license classification, expiration date, and any disciplinary history. For states where general contractors are licensed locally rather than statewide, combine the Secretary of State business entity search with your local building department. No other single check tells you as much in 90 seconds.
- Can I find contractor complaints in a government database?
- Yes. Every state attorney general maintains a consumer protection complaint database or will disclose complaint history upon request. The FTC's Consumer Sentinel Network aggregates federal and state complaint data but is not fully public. File a complaint at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Most AG offices publish complaint counts by business name, and some publish the full complaint text. The Better Business Bureau is a private directory, not a government database, but some state AG offices link to it in their disclosures.
- Do OSHA violations follow a contractor to a new company name?
- OSHA's Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) records violations by the establishment name at the time of inspection — it does not automatically link shell companies or name changes. If a contractor changes their business name to escape a violation record, the OSHA search will not catch it. This is why the Secretary of State business entity search matters: it shows registered agent history, prior name changes, and dissolution/reformation patterns that suggest deliberate record avoidance.
- What does it mean if my state does not require a general contractor license?
- It means the state has not set a minimum competency standard for general contractors, which places the verification burden on you. In unlicensed states, focus on four things: the Secretary of State entity search to confirm the business is legally registered and in good standing, proof of general liability insurance and workers' compensation, any trade-specific licenses required for the work (electrical, plumbing, HVAC), and local building department registration. An unlicensed state is not a green light to skip verification — it is a reason to be more thorough.
- How far back do OSHA enforcement records go?
- The OSHA Integrated Management Information System contains inspection records dating to 1972. You can search by establishment name at osha.gov/ords/imis/establishment.html. The database is updated daily from more than 120 federal and state-plan OSHA offices. Records older than a decade should be weighed carefully — a single violation from the 1990s is not the same risk signal as a pattern of willful violations in the last three years.
- Can I verify a contractor's bond status through a government database?
- Not through a single unified federal database. Bond verification varies by state. In states where licensing is required, the license registry often shows bond status alongside the license record — Minnesota's DLI and Michigan's LARA both include bond information in their licensee search results. In states without statewide licensing, you must request a current certificate of bond directly from the contractor and call the surety company listed on the certificate to verify it is active and covers your project type.