Connecticut Contractor Licensing: Guide to Rules & Registration

Many contractors working in Connecticut are required to register their businesses or obtain licenses. If you’re performing more than $1,000 worth of contracting work annually (or doing a single job worth more than $200), you will have to carry a license or register your business with the State of Connecticut.

If you're getting a construction business started in Connecticut, we've put together all of the information you need to determine whether you need a license and how to get one if you do.

How to get a Connecticut contractor license

In Connecticut, there aren’t any requirements for general contractors to carry a license, which is different than most other states.

However, the state does break down the typical duties of a general contractor into two categories — major and minor contractors — and both have requirements they must meet.

Registration for major contractors

If you plan to handle large projects and commercial work, you’ll have to register as a major contractor. A major contractor is able to work on commercial, residential, and institutional projects, so it’s basically a catch-all designation.

Registration goes through the Department of Consumer Protection. Along with filling out this application and sending a $500 application fee, you’ll have some additional documents to collect. They include:

• A letter of reference from a bank
• One letter of reference from another contractor or supplier who will vouch for you
• Three letters of reference from employers or customers who can vouch for your skillset
• Proof that you have general liability insurance 
• Copy of a trade name certificate, if applicable
• A certificate that proves you registered the business with the Secretary of the State of Connecticut

Registration for minor contractors

Connecticut offers a minor contractor registration as well, and it’s for contractors that work on smaller projects, such as single-family homes and small multi-family units. To add another layer, minor contractor licenses break into two designations: new home construction contractor and home improvement contractor. In some cases, contractors might even require both.

As the name suggests, home builders will have to register as new home construction contractors, except for homeowners building their own homes and subs or professionals holding occupational licenses working for licensed home builders.

Again, registration goes through the Department of Consumer Protection.

Home improvement construction contractors include any contractor that makes changes to a residential building. This can be as small as remodeling a bedroom or larger projects like additions. If the project exceeds $200, or you’re doing more than $1,000 worth of these projects in a year, the home improvement construction contractors registration is for you.

Again, registration goes through the Department of Consumer Protection. Both registration applications for the contractors described above can be found on Connecticut's eLicense portal here.

Again: Contractors may need both licenses in some cases. For instance, say you’re a registered home builder. Once you wrap up a project, the homeowner reaches out to you and asks for you to add another door to the porch. You can’t take this project with a new home construction contractor registration — you’ll also need a home improvement construction contractor registration.

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Electrical contractor licensing

Connecticut requires that electrical contractors carry actual licenses. If you’re starting from scratch, the process to get one can take a few years. You’ll need a professional license first.

Electrical contractor applicants must carry or employ someone who carries an electrical journeyman’s license. Like most other contractor licenses in Connecticut, applicants interested in a journeyman’s license can fill out an application with the Department of Consumer Protection.

The applicant will have to prove that they’ve successfully completed an electrical apprenticeship program to apply. After application, they’ll have to pass an exam.

Once licensed as a journeyman, applicants can pursue contractor licensing via this application.

Plumbing contractor licensing

Plumbing contractors in Connecticut need to carry state-issued licenses. And, like electrical contractors, plumbing contractors must hold or employ someone who holds a journeyman plumber’s license for at least two years. 

Applicants pursuing a journeyman’s license must be able to prove that they have successfully completed an apprenticeship program before they can apply using the Occupational Licensing
Plumbing Trades Candidate Information Bulletin. Once registered, they’ll be eligible to take the practical exam for licensing.

Once a journeyman license holder has that license for two years, they can apply to the Department of Consumer Protection for a contractor license using the same bulletin from above.

HVAC contractor licensing

Contractors specializing in HVAC work will have to carry a state-issued license to work in Connecticut, and like plumbing and electrical licenses, it takes time.

Connecticut requires that the HVAC contractor applicant or someone they employ carries a journeyman HVAC license for at least two years before applying. To apply, those interested will fill out the Occupational Licensing Heating, Piping, and Cooling Trades Candidate Information Bulletin — and they’ll have to prove they’ve met the required educational and practical experience. 

Once the applicant holds a journeyman license for at least two years, they can apply to the Department of Consumer Protection for a contractor license using the same bulletin from above.

Penalties for unlicensed contracting in Connecticut

On the whole, Connecticut’s contractor licensing requirements aren’t unreasonable. Other than specialty contractors, it’s a simple matter of applying for registration and paying the fees. But if you’re caught contracting without the proper license or registration, the Department of Consumer Protection can come after you. For the first offense, you can expect a fine of $1,000. If caught again, the second offense can cost you $1,500. If there’s a third offense, the Department of Consumer Protection can charge you a $3,000 fine.

Connecticut’s mechanics lien laws mention no explicit requirements regarding licensing and mechanics lien laws. But, on residential projects, only contractors who register in compliance with the Home Improvement Act or New Home Construction Contractors Act have the right to file a mechanics lien. 

So, no, a license might not be a requirement, but if you’re a residential contractor, you will have to register your business to file a lien in Connecticut.

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