How to Check If a Contractor Has Insurance: Five Ways, and What Each Can't Tell You
You can look up a contractor's license in a few seconds. Their insurance is harder: there's no public database of general liability policies to search. Checking it means putting together a few sources, each of which answers part of the question. This guide covers the five, the state workers' comp lookups that exist and where, and what each check leaves out.
There's no public database for general liability insurance, so check a contractor's insurance by combining sources: a certificate of insurance sent by their agent, a call to that agent or the insurer on a number you found yourself, and the policy's declarations page for the details. For workers' comp, New York, Washington, California and Florida publish lookups, Texas answers by email and Oregon by phone. In some states the license record shows insurance or a bond too. None of these tells you the coverage will still be there next month, so track each policy's expiry date.
In this guide
Why there's no lookup for general liability
A general liability policy is a private contract between the contractor and an insurer. Insurers don't report it to any state, so there's nothing public to search, and anyone selling a "contractor insurance lookup" is really reselling what contractors chose to share.
Workers' comp is different. Because it's required by state law, insurers in many states report each policy to the state agency, and several states let the public search it. Licenses sit in between: some licensing boards require proof of insurance or a bond and show it on the license record; most don't.
Five ways to check, and what each answers
| Check | What it tells you | What it doesn't |
|---|---|---|
| 1. A certificate from their agent | Every policy, its limits and dates, on one page | Whether it's genuine, or still in force after it was printed. It confers no rights |
| 2. A call to the agent or insurer | Whether the policy is in force today, usually with its dates | Endorsements, unless you ask; some will only repeat the certificate |
| 3. The declarations page | The policy as issued: limits, the insured's exact name, the forms attached | Whether it's still in force; it's a snapshot from the start of the term |
| 4. A state workers' comp lookup | Whether a workers' comp policy or exemption is on file with the state | Limits, employer's liability, or anything about general liability |
| 5. The license record | In some states, that insurance or a bond was on file to hold the license | In most states, anything about insurance at all |
For most subs, the first two together are enough: a certificate that came straight from the agent, and a call when something about it looks off. How to spot a fake certificate of insurance covers the red flags and the five-minute call. The other three are for when the stakes are higher, or when you don't have a certificate to start from.
State workers' comp lookups
What's available differs a lot by state. These are the ones we've confirmed at the state agency:
| State | What's available | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| New York | The Workers' Compensation Board's employer coverage search, by the start of the business name | Insurers report the data; a future cancellation date can already show |
| Washington | L&I's Verify tool: contractor registration, bond, insurance, and whether the workers' comp account is active and paid | Workers' comp is the state fund. L&I can send you a letter if a sub you looked up later lets premiums or registration lapse |
| California | The CSLB license record lists the contractor's workers' comp policy, or that it filed an exemption | CSLB doesn't verify what's shown, and suggests confirming with the insurer |
| Florida | The Division of Workers' Compensation's proof-of-coverage search, showing policies and exemptions by business name | Exemptions expire, and usually cover only the named officer |
| Texas | No public search for private employers; the Division of Workers' Compensation confirms coverage by email, and publishes registered non-subscribers | Workers' comp is optional for most private employers in Texas |
| Oregon | An employer coverage search by phone, and a monthly state dataset of employers with active policies | The dataset is a monthly snapshot |
Elsewhere, ask the state's workers' comp agency how it confirms coverage, or ask your own agent. A lookup only shows that a policy or exemption is on file. It won't show employer's liability limits, which matter to you for a different reason (workers' comp vs employer's liability), and an exemption usually covers only the person named on it, not their crew. The state guides go further: New York, Washington, California, Florida and Texas.
Licenses that show insurance
In some states the license itself depends on insurance or a bond. Washington requires contractors to register with a bond and liability insurance on file. California suspends a license when its workers' comp lapses, and some classifications must carry workers' comp even with no employees. Some licensed trades must carry liability insurance to hold the license, such as electrical and HVAC contractors and plumbing companies in Texas.
Where that's true, the license record is a useful second check: a suspended license can be the first sign the insurance behind it lapsed. Where it isn't, a clean license tells you nothing about insurance, and a clean certificate tells you nothing about the license. Check both. How to verify a contractor license covers the license side.
After the check: coverage can lapse
Every check above answers one question: was the contractor insured when you looked? Policies get cancelled, renewals get missed, and workers' comp often renews on a different date from general liability. What protects you is checking again when each policy is due to renew:
- Keep every policy's expiry date, from the certificate's own rows, not one date per contractor.
- Ask for the renewal certificate before the old one expires, from the agent.
- Re-check the license on the same schedule, since a lapse can show there first.
If a sub turns out not to be insured, what if a subcontractor doesn't have insurance covers where the cost lands and your options.
How TrackMyVendor automates this
- Every certificate is read: each policy's limits and dates, so a lapse on one line shows even when the others are current.
- Licenses are looked up and re-checked automatically in the states we import, so a suspension shows on the contractor's record without anyone running a search.
- Alerts before each policy expires, to your team and to the sub with the upload link for the renewal. Starter
We don't query any state's workers' comp records, and we don't call the agent. The state lookups and the verification call on this page stay manual steps.
See how license verification worksThe certificate and the license, on one record
Subs upload their certificates through one link — no account, no portal. Every policy is read and tracked on its own dates, next to their license. Your first 25 contractors are free.
Frequently asked questions
How can I check if a contractor has insurance?
Is there a public database of contractor insurance?
Can I call the insurance company to verify coverage?
Does a contractor license mean they're insured?
How do I check a contractor's workers' comp?
This guide describes public sources as of October 2026. State lookups change; check the agency's own site before relying on one. It isn't insurance or legal advice.
Insurance on a sub’s certificate
What to require from every sub, one term at a time.
Subcontractor insurance requirements: start here → Coverage, minimums and endorsements to require from subs, with every term below in one table