Go straight to the roofing guides
Roofing Talks

How to Verify a Roofer’s License and Insurance Before You Sign

  • Published November 7, 2026

Whether you can look up a roofer’s license depends on your state: California, Illinois and Minnesota license roofing work, Florida’s licensing agency runs an online search that covers roofing contractors, and Texas has no state license for reroofing contractors. Insurance is a separate check that fails on its own: ask for proof of liability coverage and workers’ compensation, then call the insurer named on it.

“Licensed and insured” painted on a truck is a claim, not proof. Each check below ends with a record you can save: a screenshot of a license lookup or a note of a call with an insurer.

Does Your State License Roofers?

Start by finding out who licenses roofing work where you live. In some states a state agency does and runs an online lookup; in others there is no state license, and any registration is local. The five states below show how far the rules differ, and the NASCLA page linked after the table points to every other state’s licensing agency.

State Who licenses roofing work Threshold or exemption Where to look
California Contractors State License Board (C-39 Roofing classification) License required for jobs of $1,000 or more in total cost, or any job that hires workers or needs a permit, since January 1, 2025 CSLB license lookup
Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation Licensed roofers put the license number, which begins with 104-, on contracts, bids and permit applications idfpr.illinois.gov
Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry Residential roofing contractors must be licensed; contractors under $15,000 in yearly gross receipts are exempt but need a Certificate of Exemption each year DLI license lookup
Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) Certified and registered roofing contractors appear in the licensee search DBPR online licensee search
Texas No state license for reroofing contractors as of November 2026 None at the state level City or county building department

California’s threshold changed at the start of 2025. The CSLB press release Handyperson Exemption to Increase to $1,000 in 2025 explains that since January 1, 2025, an unlicensed person may take only jobs under $1,000 in total cost, and only “if they do not hire workers and no building permits are needed.” A roof replacement that needs a permit therefore needs a licensed contractor no matter the price. Older articles that cite $500 are out of date.

Illinois explains its rules in the consumer brochure Find a Licensed Roofer, including the 104- license prefix and online verification at idfpr.illinois.gov. Minnesota’s Department of Labor and Industry answers Who needs a roofer license? and describes the under-$15,000 exemption with its yearly certificate.

Thresholds and exemptions in the table change when legislatures amend them, so recheck the agency’s own page before you rely on a figure. For any state not in the table, the NASCLA State Licensing Information page links each state’s licensing agency and its license verification lookup. If your state does not license roofers, ask your city or county building department whether it requires local registration for roofing work.

Running the Lookup and Reading the Result

Before you search, get three things from the roofer in writing: the legal business name, the license number, and the address on file.

  1. Open your state’s lookup from the agency’s own site or from the NASCLA directory, not from a link the roofer sends.
  2. Search by license number first, then by business name, to catch a number that belongs to a different company.
  3. Match the name exactly. The license record, the contract and the insurance proof should show the same legal business name.
  4. Confirm the classification covers roofing. In California, look for C-39 or another classification that includes the work. In Minnesota, DLI lists residential roofer, building contractor and remodeler licenses as options for roofing.
  5. Read the status. An active license matters; an expired, inactive or suspended one does not count. If the record lists disciplinary actions or complaints, read them and ask the roofer to explain each one in writing.
  6. In Minnesota, if the roofer says it is exempt, ask for this year’s Certificate of Exemption.
  7. In Illinois, confirm the number on the contract starts with 104- and matches the record.
  8. Save a dated screenshot of the result with your contract papers.

A manufacturer badge is not a license and does not stand in for this step; what manufacturer certification checks explains the difference.

Insurance Proof: Liability and Workers’ Comp

Insurance protects against different failures than a license does. Liability coverage is meant to respond if the work damages your house, and workers’ compensation if a worker is hurt on your job; who pays when either is missing turns on state law and the specific policies. A licensed roofer can let a policy lapse, and an insured roofer can be unlicensed. Check both.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ article 10 Things You Can Do to Avoid Contractor Fraud and Abuse, dated October 7, 2022, says to get proof of liability insurance and “make sure it shows the company’s name, phone number, and the policy number,” then “call the insurance company to verify the coverage.” The same advice applies to workers’ compensation proof.

Use this checklist when the proof arrives:

  • The named insured matches the business name on the contract and license.
  • The insurance company’s name, phone number and policy number are printed on it.
  • The policy dates cover your planned start and completion dates.
  • There is separate proof for workers’ compensation, or a written explanation of why the roofer does not carry it.
  • You called the insurer, using a number you looked up yourself, and confirmed the policy is active.

When you call, ask whether the policy is in force, whether it covers roofing work, and when it expires. Write down the date, the name of the person you spoke with and the answers.

Ask the roofer to have its insurance agent send the proof to you directly. A document that comes straight from the agent’s office never passes through the roofer’s hands, unlike a PDF forwarded by a salesperson, and it gives you the agent’s contact details for the confirmation call. If the job runs long or starts late, check the policy dates again before work begins.

Workers’ compensation rules differ by state, including which businesses must carry it and how to check coverage. Your state’s workers’ compensation agency can tell you whether a lookup exists. Bond requirements and amounts also differ by state and city; ask the licensing agency whether a bond is required for roofing work and how to confirm one. If the roofer plans to use a subcontracted crew, the crew’s own coverage is a separate question covered in who installs your roof and whose insurance applies.

Where No State License Exists

Texas is the clearest example. The House committee’s bill analysis for HB 3344 (2025) states that Texas does not require a state-issued license for reroofing contractors. That bill would have created state licensing, but it did not pass, and the next regular legislative session is in 2027. As of November 2026, a Texas homeowner has no state roofer license to look up.

Without a license record, lean harder on the checks you can still run:

  • Confirm a permanent business address you can visit.
  • Get insurance proof and confirm it with the insurer by phone.
  • Ask the city building department whether it registers roofers, and whether the roofer has pulled permits there.
  • Call references from jobs at least a year old.

The same approach works in any state that does not license roofing at the state level.

When the Records Don’t Match the Paperwork

Use these rules when a check comes back wrong:

  • If the license is expired, inactive or suspended, stop. Do not sign until the record shows active status.
  • If the name on the license differs from the contract or insurance proof, ask for a written explanation, such as a registered trade name. If the explanation does not tie the names together on an official record, do not sign.
  • If the insurer cannot confirm the policy, or the policy ends before your job does, wait for new proof and confirm it again.
  • If the roofer claims an exemption, ask for the document: Minnesota’s yearly certificate, or in California, confirmation that the job is under $1,000 total with no workers and no permit.

If you find out after the job that the roofer was unlicensed or uninsured, the licensing agency and the courts are the routes; filing a complaint and choosing a recovery path explains the options. Then return to the rest of the hiring checks for the next roofer on your list.

This guide is general information for U.S. homeowners, not legal, insurance, tax, or engineering advice. Codes, laws, and policy terms vary by location and change over time; confirm details with your local building department, your insurer, or a licensed professional.

Sources

Reader comments

Ask or add something

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *