Quick facts
- Two official ways to verify
- LSLBC states it offers two ways to verify licensure: the Contractor Search feature on its website, and its mobile application, La. Contractor. The Board states that "Search results are returned in real time so contractors, homeowners, permit offices and the general public can access the most current licensure/registration information."LSLBC Verify Licensure
- Six ways to search
- The official Contractor Search offers search by contractor name, by licence number, by city or town, by parish, by type of contractor, and by qualifying party, plus an advanced search.LSLBC Contractor Search; LSLBC Verify Licensure
- Search the legal name, not the trade name
- LSLBC states it does not recognise DBAs, assumed names or fictitious names as legal business entities and that they will not appear on official records, including the licence. A search on the name painted on the truck can legitimately return nothing.LSLBC Frequently Asked Questions
- Check the classification, not just the status
- The statute requires the Board to state the contractor's classification on the licence, and bars a licensee from bidding or performing work not included in that classification. An active licence in the wrong classification is not authority for your job.LSLBC Contractors Licensing Law and Rules (Blue Book)
Where the official lookup lives
The Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors publishes its own search rather than delegating verification to a third party, and the Board frames verification as consumer protection: "Verifying licensure can greatly reduce your chances of becoming a victim of contractor fraud and can save you time, money and damages in the long run." The Board describes itself as existing to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public and to promote professionalism and integrity in the construction industry through licensing, enforcement and public awareness.
There are two official routes. The first is the Contractor Search feature at the top of the Board's website, which runs on the Board's public licensing portal. The second is the Board's mobile application, La. Contractor, which the Board says lets users search its database by company name, licence number or qualifying party name, and also lets users file a complaint or report unlicensed activity from the app. Both return results in real time.
Use one of those two. A licence status that matters enough to check is a licence status that matters enough to check at the source, and aggregator sites carry no obligation to be current.
Official sources: LSLBC Verify Licensure; About the LSLBC; LSLBC Contractor Search
Choosing the right search field
The Contractor Search exposes six named searches plus an advanced search, and picking the right one saves most of the frustration people report with state lookups. Search by contractor licence number when you have the number, because it is unambiguous. Search by contractor name when you do not, using the company name field for entities and the first and last name fields when the licence is owned by an individual. The search screen notes that at least one field must be entered.
The remaining searches solve different problems. Search by city or town and search by parish are useful when you are building a shortlist rather than checking one company. Search by type of contractor lets you filter by the kind of licence, which matters because Louisiana licenses four basic types and a contractor may hold one and not another. Search by qualifying party is the one most people never use and probably should: the qualifying party is the natural person who holds the exam scores and represents the contractor for compliance purposes, so searching by that person shows which licences they qualify.
If a search returns nothing, do not conclude the contractor is unlicensed until you have tried the legal name. The Board states that anyone it licenses must bid, contract and perform work in their name as it appears on official records, and that DBAs, assumed names and fictitious names are not recognised and will not appear on official records including the licence. Ask the contractor for the exact name on the licence and the licence number, then search that.
Official sources: LSLBC Contractor Search; LSLBC Frequently Asked Questions; LSLBC Types of Licenses
Reading the result properly
An active status is the beginning of the check, not the end. The statute directs that when issuing a licence the Board "shall state the contractor's classification on the license, for which he has completed all of the requirements", and R.S. 37:2156(F)(1) provides that the licensee "shall not be permitted to bid or perform any type of work not included in the classification under which his license was issued". So compare the classifications on the record against the scope you are about to buy. A contractor with an active commercial licence in an unrelated classification is not licensed for your job.
Check the licence type against the property and the money as well. Louisiana's four types map to different work: commercial at $50,000 or more with lower triggers for electrical, mechanical and plumbing at above $10,000 and hazardous work at $1 or more; residential above $50,000; home improvement registration in the band exceeding $7,500 but not in excess of $50,000; and mold remediation at $7,500 or more. A home improvement registrant is correctly registered and still cannot take your $80,000 renovation.
Confirm the name on the record matches the name that will appear on the contract, the insurance certificate and the invoice. The Board states the licence belongs to the entity, so a corporate licence belongs to the corporation, a partnership licence to the partnership and an LLC licence to the LLC, regardless of the status of the qualifying party. If the person quoting you wants the contract in a different name from the licence record, that is the discrepancy to resolve before signing, not after.
Official sources: LSLBC Contractors Licensing Law and Rules (Blue Book); LSLBC Types of Licenses; LSLBC Frequently Asked Questions
When to run the check, and what it does not cover
Run the check before you sign, not after a problem. The Board states that a contractor's licence or registration is required before you can bid, contract or perform work, and that there is no temporary licence in Louisiana law, so a contractor who tells you the licence is "in process" is telling you they cannot lawfully bid the job yet. Licences expire on the anniversary of the date originally issued, and licensees choose one-, two- or three-year renewal terms, so a record checked eighteen months ago may have lapsed since.
If you are a general contractor rather than a homeowner, run the same check on every subcontractor before they mobilise, and check the classification each one holds against the scope you are handing them. Louisiana also requires joint ventures to be licensed in their own right at the time of bid, contract and performance, so a partnership formed for a single project does not inherit either partner's licence.
Finally, know the limits of the lookup. It tells you about licensure and registration with this Board. It does not tell you whether the contractor carries adequate insurance for your job beyond the Board's own minimum requirements, whether they hold a parish or municipal occupational licence, whether a permit has been pulled, or whether an outside agency credential that a classification depends on is still valid. Ask for certificates and permit records separately, and use the Board's complaint process if you find unlicensed activity.
Official sources: LSLBC Frequently Asked Questions; LSLBC Contractors Licensing Law and Rules (Blue Book); LSLBC Verify Licensure; LSLBC Exams and Classifications List
Common questions
Is the Louisiana contractor licence lookup free?
Yes. LSLBC publishes the Contractor Search on its own website and states that search results are returned in real time so that contractors, homeowners, permit offices and the general public can access the most current licensure and registration information. The Board also publishes a free mobile app, La. Contractor, that searches the same database.
Official sources: LSLBC Verify Licensure
Why does the contractor's business name return no results?
Most often because you searched a trade name. LSLBC states it does not recognise DBAs, assumed names or fictitious names as legal business entities and that they will not appear on official records, including the licence. Ask for the exact legal name on the licence, or the licence number, and search that instead.
Official sources: LSLBC Frequently Asked Questions
The licence is active, so is the contractor allowed to do my job?
Not necessarily. Check the classification and the licence type against your scope and project value. The statute bars a licensee from bidding or performing work not included in the classification the licence was issued under, and Louisiana's four licence types apply to different property types and value bands.
Official sources: LSLBC Contractors Licensing Law and Rules (Blue Book); LSLBC Types of Licenses
General educational information, not legal, tax, licensing, or insurance advice. Rules, fees, deadlines, and local requirements change. Confirm every item with the responsible agency before relying on it.