United States · Trades Licensing

Electrician license lookup by state.

Electrician licensing is handled by state boards (and in some places by cities or counties), so there is no single national lookup. This page lists official searches for seven states.

Short answer: find the state where the work is done, open that board’s official search, and confirm the name and licence status. This page does not look anyone up.

Sources: state licensing boards listed belowRetrieved October 2026

How to check an electrician’s license

Open the board for the state where the job is, search by the licensee’s name, business name or licence number, and compare what you find with what the electrician told you. Some boards license individual electricians; others license the contracting business, so search both names if you can.

Official state searches

Texas — TDLR Active License Search ↗
Licence types include Electricians; search by licence type, number, name, city, county or ZIP.
Virginia — DPOR License Lookup ↗
DPOR lists Electricians, Plumbers and HVAC as Tradesmen licences.
North Carolina — Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors ↗
The Board’s “Search for a License” page.
Florida — DBPR License Search ↗
Florida also has an Electrical Contractors’ Licensing Board within DBPR. Search by name, licence number, city or county, or licence type.
California — CSLB Check a License ↗
Contractor licence or Home Improvement Salesperson registration; searchable by licence number, business name, personnel name or registration number, and can show complaint disclosure.
Washington — L&I Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business ↗
Search by name, contractor/tradesperson licence, workers’ comp account or UBI number.
Nevada — State Contractors Board License Search ↗
Described by the Board as a search of the database of licensed contractors.

Before you hire

Ask for the electrician or electrical contractor’s licence number and the state that issued it, then search it on the official page above. Compare the name and business name, and check the status shown. Many jurisdictions also require a permit for the work; your local building department can tell you.

States not listed

This page lists a selection of states, not all fifty. Some states license trades at the city or county level rather than the state level. For any other state, search for the state licensing board or department of labor/licensing, or ask your local building department.

Illinois

Illinois: the IDFPR lookup’s licence-type list (retrieved October 2026) has no electrician, plumber or HVAC entry, so a search there will not find one. Ask your city or county building department which agency licenses the trade locally.

Official sources used

www.tdlr.texas.gov/LicenseSearch/ (retrieved October 2026)
www.dpor.virginia.gov/LicenseLookup (retrieved October 2026)
www.dpor.virginia.gov/ (retrieved October 2026)
arls-public.ncbeec.org/Public/Search (retrieved October 2026)
www.ncbeec.org/ (retrieved October 2026)
www.myfloridalicense.com/wl11.asp (retrieved October 2026)
www2.myfloridalicense.com/electrical-contractors/ (retrieved October 2026)
www.cslb.ca.gov/OnlineServices/CheckLicenseII/CheckLicense.aspx (retrieved October 2026)
secure.lni.wa.gov/verify/ (retrieved October 2026)
app.nvcontractorsboard.com/Clients/NVSCB/Public/ContractorLicenseSearch/ContractorLicenseSearch.aspx (retrieved October 2026)
www.nvcontractorsboard.com/ (retrieved October 2026)
online-dfpr.micropact.com/lookup/licenselookup.aspx (retrieved October 2026)

Frequently asked questions

Is there a national electrician license lookup?

No. Electricians are licensed by state boards or local authorities, so you search the board for the state where the work is done.

What is the difference between an electrician and an electrical contractor licence?

It depends on the state. Some boards license individuals; some license the business. The linked boards describe their own categories.

Does this page confirm an electrician is licensed?

No. It links to the official searches only. Only the board result counts.

My state is not listed. What do I do?

Search for your state’s licensing board for electricians, or ask your local building department which agency licenses electrical work.

Guide only — not a verification tool

This page describes official registers and links to them. It does not check anyone’s licence status, does not copy or proxy any register, and nothing you might type here is transmitted anywhere. Registers change and licensing rules differ by state and city; use the official source linked above and contact the regulator to confirm anything that matters. This is general information, not legal advice.