Statuses come from the state, in the state's own words. We pass them through rather than translating them into a scheme of our own — every state words things slightly differently, and flattening that would lose information you may need.
| Roughly | Means |
|---|---|
| Active / Current / Valid | In good standing. Wording varies by state. |
| Expired | Lapsed and not renewed. Makes the contractor Non-Compliant on its own. |
| Suspended | Pulled by the state — unpaid fees, an insurance or bond lapse, a disciplinary matter. Treat as not licensed. |
| Revoked | Permanently withdrawn. |
| Inactive | Voluntarily dormant. The holder isn't working under it. |
Suspended is the one that matters
An expired licence is usually an administrative slip. A suspended licence is the state having taken action — and it very often happens because the contractor's own insurance or bond lapsed.
It's also the case a certificate will never show you. Their COI can be current, correctly endorsed and sitting in your file while the state has suspended their right to work. That combination is the reason to check licences at all.
Note
Expiring soon
A licence approaching its expiry is still active, so the contractor stays Compliant. It appears in the Action Queue and in alert emails instead. Licence renewals are worth chasing early — several states take weeks to process one.
For what a status means in a specific state, the contractor license status guide goes state by state.