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How to get a Home Improvement Contractor Registration in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania licenses general contractors statewide through the Office of Attorney General.1 For the Home Improvement Contractor Registration you need a criminal background check2. Pennsylvania does not issue a state license for general contractors1; see what applies instead. The board lists $100 for the application3. You renew every 2 years2.

Last checked · 5 official sources

Who issues it

Office of Attorney General

Fees the board lists

Application fee: $1003

Renewal

Every 2 years2

From another state

No reciprocity route2

On this page
  1. Who needs a Home Improvement Contractor Registration
  2. Requirements for a Home Improvement Contractor Registration
  3. How much a Home Improvement Contractor Registration costs
  4. How to apply
  5. Renewal and continuing education
  6. Moving to Pennsylvania with a license from another state
  7. No state license for general contractors
  8. City and county rules
  9. Laws and rules
  10. Rule changes since January 2024
  11. Common questions
  12. General contractor licenses in other states

Who needs a Home Improvement Contractor Registration

Registration (not a competency license) for anyone who owns or operates a home improvement business or performs home improvements on a private residence (single-family, two-unit, or a unit in a multifamily building) where the job is more than $500. New-home construction is not "home improvement".2

Exemptions and dollar thresholds:

  • No registration needed if your total home improvements were less than $5,000 in the previous taxable year.2

Other rules on who may do this work:

  • Home improvement retailers with net worth over $50,000,000 are exempt, but their subcontractors must register.2

Requirements for a Home Improvement Contractor Registration

Background check
Background check required2
Applicants disclose convictions related to home improvement, fraud, theft or deception, bankruptcy filings, and home-improvement civil judgments in the last ten years.2
Social Security number
Social Security number of each individual owner/partner/officer is required (not publicly disclosed).2
Insurance
Liability insurance at least $50,000 personal injury and $50,000 property damage (self-insurance allowed with attestation).2
Business requirements
Out-of-state corporations, LLCs and LPs must list a resident agent or registered office provider in Pennsylvania.2
Business requirements
Registration number must appear on all advertisements, contracts, estimates and proposals.2
Also required
Changes to registration information must be reported within 30 days; updating an active registration is free.2
Also required
Contracts must be written and meet HICPA section 7 content rules (registration number, start/completion dates, total price, etc.).2

How much a Home Improvement Contractor Registration costs

FeeAmountPaid toNotes
Application fee$1003Office of Attorney GeneralEffective November 12, 2025

How to apply

  1. Confirm you need to register: you do home improvements on private residences and did $5,000 or more of that work in the previous year.2
  2. Get liability insurance of at least $50,000 personal injury and $50,000 property damage and a certificate of insurance in the business (or owner) name.2
  3. Out-of-state corporations, LLCs and LPs: name a Pennsylvania resident agent or registered office provider on the application.2
  4. Apply through the Attorney General online system at hic.attorneygeneral.gov and pay the $100 fee.4 hic.attorneygeneral.gov4
  5. Put your registration number on all advertisements, contracts, estimates and proposals.2

Renewal and continuing education

How often
Every 2 years2
When it expires
Renewals are biennial (every two years).2
Renewal fee
$1003

Renewal planner

Enter the expiration date printed on your Pennsylvania Home Improvement Contractor Registration. The count is worked out on your device from today's date; nothing is sent anywhere.

Moving to Pennsylvania with a license from another state

These are the routes the Office of Attorney General publishes for the Home Improvement Contractor Registration.

Route
No reciprocity
What the board says
No reciprocity: out-of-state contractors register the same way and must report registrations/licenses held in other states.2
Conditions
Out-of-state corporations, LLCs and LPs list a PA resident agent or registered office.2

No state license for general contractors

Pennsylvania does not issue a state license for general contractors.1

The official wording

“The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania currently has no licensure or certification requirements for most construction contractors (or their employees).”1

Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry

City and county rules

Home Improvement Contractor RegistrationMunicipalities may add their own contractor licensing; in Philadelphia, HIC registrants doing only home improvement on existing one- or two-family dwellings can pull permits with their PA registration.1

City or countyWhat it requiresLink
PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia Contractor License (L&I) for businesses doing construction, demolition or repair that does not require a specialized license; $126 license fee (non-refundable $20 application fee applied to it), $126 annual renewal; insurance minimums $500,000 general liability per occurrence and $300,000 auto; a supervisor with OSHA 30 training taken within five years. Businesses doing only work on existing one- or two-family dwellings use their PA Home Improvement Contractor registration instead.5Official page5

No state general contractor license: licensing of contractors is left to Pennsylvania's municipalities, and the state keeps no list of them. Philadelphia requires a Contractor License from L&I; check the municipality where the work is.1

Laws and rules

The requirements above come from these laws and board rules.

Rule changes since January 2024

  • November 12, 2025: Fiscal Code section 1603-U raised the HIC registration/renewal fee from $50 to $100 (until Dec. 31, 2027).3

Common questions

Can I transfer my general contractor license to Pennsylvania?

No reciprocity: out-of-state contractors register the same way and must report registrations/licenses held in other states.2 Conditions and forms.

How often do you renew a Home Improvement Contractor Registration in Pennsylvania?

Every 2 years2. The renewal fee is $1003.

General contractor licenses in other states

Sources

Every number and rule above links to one of these official pages. Select a footnote number to read the board's own words.

  1. Contractor LicensingPennsylvania Department of Labor & IndustryChecked November 6, 2026
  2. Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act, Act of Oct. 17, 2008, P.L. 1645, No. 132 (73 P.S. 517.1 et seq.)Pennsylvania General AssemblyChecked November 6, 2026
  3. The Fiscal Code, Act of Apr. 9, 1929, P.L. 343, No. 176 (72 P.S.) incl. Section 1603-UPennsylvania General AssemblyDated November 12, 2025Checked November 6, 2026
  4. Submit as a PA Home Improvement Contractor to get construction permitsCity of Philadelphia Department of Licenses and InspectionsChecked November 6, 2026
  5. Get a Contractor LicenseCity of Philadelphia Department of Licenses and InspectionsChecked November 6, 2026