Check a Pennsylvania contractor license
The five-minute lookup Philadelphia homeowners run before any drain or sewer hire — state registration, city plumbing authority, and insurance confirmed directly.
Five minutes before money moves
Collect the numbers
Full business name, registration or license numbers, and an insurance contact. No numbers, no booking.
Run the state lookup
Free <a href="https://www.attorneygeneral.gov/" rel="noopener">Pennsylvania Attorney General search</a> — confirm active status and an exact business-name match.
Check city authority for Philly work
City Licenses and Inspections records for plumbing inside Philadelphia city limits, plus permit history for similar work.
Confirm insurance with the carrier
Certificate dates and limits verified through the agent or insurer. Keep it with the written scope and the camera footage.
That is the whole procedure, and it applies to us the same as anyone — see how we ask to be checked. For the credential table, red flags, and what to file, read [how to check a PA plumber license](/resources/check-pennsylvania-plumber-license/).
Verification questions
What number do I ask the contractor for?
Full business name plus the Pennsylvania home improvement registration number — and, for plumbing inside Philadelphia, the city plumbing credential. Collect both before scheduling, with an insurance contact for the certificate.
Where do I run the lookup?
The free Pennsylvania Attorney General search for state registration, plus city Licenses and Inspections records for Philly plumbing authority. The full walkthrough shows each screen in order.
How do I confirm insurance?
Ask for a certificate showing current dates and limits, then confirm it through the insurer or agent — not from a photocopy alone. Unconfirmed insurance is the same as no insurance when something goes wrong.
What stops the job?
Numbers that cannot be produced, a lookup returning inactive or mismatched business names, or insurance the carrier cannot confirm. Any one of those pauses the hire until it is resolved in writing.