Which license each job needs in Montgomery County
| Work | License | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| Home improvement: "alteration, remodeling, repair or replacement" of a home | MHIC license, with at least $500,000 liability insurance since 1 June 2024 | Home Improvement Public Query |
| New homes | Home Builder Registration with the Attorney General; MHIC "does not cover new home construction" | Home Builder Registration Unit, (410) 576-6573 |
| Electrical over 50 volts | Maryland master electrician; DPS takes permits only from master licensees or homeowners who pass its exam | Electricians search on labor.maryland.gov/pq |
| Low voltage (alarm, network, cable) | No electrical license for a DPS low-voltage permit | — |
| Heating and air conditioning | Maryland HVACR license; no separate county HVACR license is listed | HVAC search on labor.maryland.gov/pq |
| Plumbing and gas | WSSC Water license and registration | WSSC Permit and Licensee Search, or 301-206-8588 |
The electrical rule is from DPS's electrician license fact sheet: "The applicant must have a valid Master license issued by the Maryland State Board of Electricians", while "An electrical license is not required to apply for a low voltage permit from DPS" (read 26 October 2026). The HVACR board's county page names "Anne Arundel and Prince George's Counties" as the ones that also require a county HVACR license. WSSC says "Customers must use a licensed journeyman or Master Level plumber who is individually registered or works with a registered firm" (WSSC).
How to run the lookup in five minutes
- Ask for the MHIC number of the firm on the contract, and the license number of the master electrician, HVACR contractor or WSSC plumber who will pull the trade permit.
- Search MHIC on the Home Improvement Public Query and match the name to the contract.
- Search the trade license on the state's license searches.
- Plumber: look for the "WSSC-" number on the paperwork and van, then confirm it in WSSC's search.
- Look up the house in DPS eSearch, as the Montgomery County building permit search guide shows.
Doing the work yourself
DPS offers homeowners "a Rough Wiring & Fixtures examination specifically for homeowners" (DPS), but says it "is in the process of revising the homeowner's exam due to the passage of the Maryland Senate Bill 762", so ask DPS before you plan on it. WSSC lets homeowners "who own and occupy" do "a limited amount of plumbing work in their home"; all gas work, including furnace and gas water heater replacement, stays with a licensed plumber or gasfitter (WSSC homeowners).
What our Montgomery County pages add
The license searches answer "is this person licensed". Our Montgomery County page shows what DPS permits and how fast it signs off, October 2024 to September 2026:
| Kind of work | Permits (Oct 2024–Sep 2026) | Oct 2025–Sep 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical | 22,023 | 11,143 |
| HVAC | 15,557 | 7,607 |
| Solar | 7,854 | 4,070 |
| Remodels and repairs | 2,673 | 1,458 |
| Decks, garages and sheds | 2,548 | 1,282 |
| Additions | 1,775 | 869 |
| New homes | 1,590 | 653 |
81% of the 57,855 permits were for homes; 77% of those issued October 2024 to September 2025 reached a final, and the usual one took 69 days. Electrical and HVAC, the two trades with their own state license, made up 65% of the file. How long a permit takes has the days by kind of work, the permit statistics page the months, and permits by ZIP code the areas. Local permit rules: electrical, HVAC and solar permits. Statewide rules and the Guaranty Fund: How to check a contractor's license in Maryland.
What this lookup does not tell you
The county's file names no contractor, so we cannot show who did a job or match firms to licenses. Plumbing is missing from it (WSSC issues those permits), and Rockville and Gaithersburg issue most of their own building permits. A license says the firm may do the work, not how its last job went.
How we know this
License rules are quoted from the Maryland Home Improvement Commission's home and FAQ pages, the Maryland HVACR board's County License/Permits page, Montgomery County DPS's electrician license fact sheet and homeowner exam page, and WSSC Water's verification and homeowner pages, read 26 October 2026. Counts are dataMontgomery's permit files, read 19 October 2026: permits issued October 2024 to September 2026; finished share and days use permits issued October 2024 to September 2025.
Numbers come from public permit records in 57 cities, data through October 19, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- What license does a home improvement contractor need in Montgomery County, Maryland?
A Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC) license; only MHIC-licensed contractors may contract with homeowners for home improvement. Since 1 June 2024 they must carry at least $500,000 in general liability insurance. New homes are different: builders register with the Attorney General's Home Builder Registration Unit.
- Who can pull an electrical permit in Montgomery County?
DPS says the applicant "must have a valid Master license issued by the Maryland State Board of Electricians". The exceptions are low-voltage permits (50 volts or less), which need no electrical license, and homeowners who pass DPS's Rough Wiring and Fixtures exam.
- Does Montgomery County license HVAC contractors?
Not separately. Maryland licenses HVACR contractors statewide, and the state board's county page names only Anne Arundel and Prince George's as also requiring a county HVACR license. Check the state license on the Maryland Department of Labor's HVAC search.
- Who licenses plumbers in Montgomery County?
WSSC Water, not the county. Most plumbing projects must be done by a WSSC Water-licensed plumber or gasfitter, whose WSSC number must be on their paperwork and vehicle. Verify it in WSSC's ePermitting Permit and Licensee Search or on 301-206-8588.
- What is the MHIC Guaranty Fund?
A fund paid for by licensed contractors that compensates homeowners for actual losses from poor workmanship or failure to perform, up to the amount paid to the contractor and capped at $30,000 a claim. It covers only work by licensed contractors (MHIC).
Build your own list
Pick your city and the kind of work. Every firm with a permit on record, sorted by what you value.
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- Maryland Home Improvement Commission — Maryland Department of Labor (2026-10-26)
- FAQs — Do You Need a License to Do That? — MHIC (2026-10-26)
- Home Improvement Public Query (license search) — Maryland Department of Labor (2026-10-26)
- Occupational and Professional Licensing license searches — Maryland Department of Labor (2026-10-26)
- What You Need to Know About Electrician Licenses and Permits — Montgomery County DPS (2026-10-26)
- Homeowner's Electrical Exam License Process — Montgomery County DPS (2026-10-26)
- County License/Permits — Maryland HVACR Board (2026-10-26)
- Finding and Verifying a Plumber/Gasfitter — WSSC Water (2026-10-26)
- Information for Homeowners — WSSC Water Permit Services (2026-10-26)