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Georgia
Source: Local Help Stations (localhelpstations.com). Last updated November 2, 2026.
Georgia licenses residential and general contractors through the Secretary of State, while some specialty trades are not licensed by the state at all. These are the statewide rules for home and car help we could confirm on official Georgia pages.
Key Georgia facts
- Anyone who offers or performs residential or general contractor services for pay in Georgia must hold a license. (source: Georgia Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division)
- You can look up a contractor's license in the Secretary of State Licensee Search, under Residential and General Contractors. (source: Georgia Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division)
- Some specialty jobs, such as roofers, painters, drywall contractors and repair handymen, do not need a state license. (source: Georgia Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division)
- In most cases, residential and general contractor businesses must carry general liability insurance. (source: Georgia Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division)
- A contractor business with three or more employees must also have workers' compensation insurance. (source: Georgia Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division)
- The Consumer Protection Division advises a down payment of no more than 25 percent, or one third at most, and never paying for the whole project before work starts. (source: Georgia Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division)
- Its advice is to insist on a written contract that includes all guarantees, warranties and promises, with start and completion dates. (source: Georgia Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division)
- Georgia does not require a license to build your own home, but the Secretary of State says to check with your local authority. (source: Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards)
- Plumbers, electricians and air conditioning contractors are regulated by a separate body, the Georgia Construction Industry Licensing Board. (source: Georgia Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division)
- That board has five divisions: conditioned air, electrical, low voltage, master and journeyman plumbers, and utility contractors. (source: Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards)
- The Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division runs the Georgia lemon law program and offers State-Operated Arbitration at no cost to the parties. (source: Georgia Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division)
- Gasoline passenger vehicles registered in the 13 county Atlanta area need emissions testing under a program run by the Environmental Protection Division. (source: Georgia Environmental Protection Division)
Georgia topics
Georgia roofing
Georgia does not license roofers at the state level, so local licensing and the Attorney General's hiring advice matter most.
Georgia auto
Georgia car rules here come from the Attorney General's lemon law pages and the Environmental Protection Division emissions program.
Not covered yet
We have not published Georgia pages for these topics yet, because we have not confirmed enough Georgia specific facts on official pages: HVAC, Plumbing, Electrician, Appliance repair, Garage doors, Locksmith, Pest control, Movers.
Sources
- Georgia Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division: Ask Consumer Ed: How can I verify that a contractor is licensed and insured? (checked November 2, 2026)
- Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards: Residential and Commercial General Contractors Frequently Asked Questions (browser) checked November 2, 2026
- Georgia Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division: Home Building and Home Repairs/Improvements (checked November 2, 2026)
- Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards: About the Board of Conditioned Air Contractors (State Construction Industry Licensing Board) (browser) checked November 2, 2026
- Georgia Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division: Georgia Lemon Law (checked November 2, 2026)
- Georgia Environmental Protection Division: Inspection and Maintenance (I/M) Unit (checked November 2, 2026)
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