Home / License lookup / Maine
Maine contractor licenses
Check a Maine contractor license
Maine has no state general contractor license. The state licenses electrical and plumbing work; check those on the Maine Electricians' Examining Board licensee search.1
Where do you check a Maine contractor license?
Maine leaves general contractor licensing to cities and counties, and licenses electrical and plumbing at the state level. Check the trade license with the state and the contractor license with the city where the work is.
| Work | License | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| General contractor | No state license | No state license |
| Electrical | State license | Maine Electricians' Examining Board licensee search |
| Plumbing | State license | Plumbers' Examining Board (OPOR) |
| HVAC | – | Maine Fuel Board (OPOR) |
| Roofing | No state license | No state license |
How do you read the result?
The status is the board's word for the license today. Boards word it a little differently; these are the common ones.
- Active or current
- The contractor can take work in the classes listed. Check the expiry date is after your job ends.
- Expired or lapsed
- The license wasn't renewed. Don't sign or pay until it shows active again.
- Suspended or revoked
- The board stopped the license, often over a complaint, a bond or an insurance lapse. Don't hire.
- Inactive
- The holder parked the license and can't contract until it's reactivated.
If the record lists a bond or insurance policy, check its end date too. A record with no policy on it doesn't prove there is none, so ask the contractor's agent for a certificate of insurance.
What if the contractor isn't in the lookup?
Treat the contractor as unlicensed until the board or city shows a license.
- Search by license number. Names are often filed under the legal business name, not the name on the truck.
- Try the qualifier's name. Many states license the business through one person who holds the license.
- Check the trade board. Electrical, plumbing and HVAC licenses are often on a different search from the general contractor's.
- Check the city or county. Without a state license, the license comes from the place the work is.
- Call the board or city office if you still can't find it, and don't pay a deposit in the meantime.
What should you check before hiring?
What to ask before you hire
- Get the license number in writing. The name on the license should match the name on your contract and invoice.
- Check the class covers the job. A license for one trade doesn't cover another. Maine license classes
- Ask for a certificate of insurance sent to you by the insurance agent, not handed over by the contractor. How to read a COI
- Ask who will be on site. If a crew works on your property, ask for proof of workers' comp. If the contractor says it has no employees, ask who will do the work.
- Put it in a written contract: license number, price, start date and payment schedule. Check the license again on the day you sign.
If the license is lapsed
- Don't sign or pay a deposit until the OPOR shows the license active again.
- Ask the contractor why. For a bond or insurance lapse, ask for proof that the new bond or policy was filed with the OPOR, then check again.
- If work has started, hold further payments, keep the contract, receipts and photos, and file a complaint with the state board.
- Check another contractor. Maine license lookup
Sources
- Maine Electricians' Examining Board licensee search: license search (pfr.maine.gov, 2026-10-28)