A Contractor License is required for any business doing work that:
Some work requires a specialized license, including:
You don’t need this license if your business only does work on existing one-or-two-family dwellings and does not do work that requires a special trade license. Instead, the company must submit as a Home Improvement Contractor after registering with the State.
Business owners and their agents can apply for this license.
You must provide a Certificate of Insurance that includes these minimum amounts:
You must identify the supervisors responsible for construction projects. A supervisor can only be employed by one company. They must also show proof of completion of an approved OSHA 30 safety training course taken within five years of application date.
The contractor must be current on all City of Philadelphia taxes.
The contractor must follow the contractor requirements.
If you need help filing your application online, you can schedule a virtual appointment.
Permit and License Center
1401 John F. Kennedy Blvd.
MSB, Public Service Concourse
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Office hours: 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday
Offices close at noon on the last Wednesday of each month.
A non-refundable application fee of $20 is applied to the license fee. The balance of the license fee is due upon application approval.
Renewal feeIf you renew your license more than 60 days after the due date, you will be charged 1.5% of the license fee for each month since the license expired.
Surcharges and fees are applied automatically to all credit and debit card transactions.
L&I will not accept checks that are missing depository information or are:
If your check is returned unpaid for insufficient or uncollected funds:
If you renew your license more than 60 days after the due date, you will be charged 1.5% of the license fee for each month since the license expired.
Payment methods and detailsYou can apply for this license online using eCLIPSE or in person at the Permit and License Center.
Applications are reviewed within five business days.
If the application is approved, you will receive a notice to pay the balance.If the application isn’t approved, you will receive an email stating what is missing or required.
L&I can review most applications while you wait.